Poetry Unit

What is a Poem?• A piece of writing that partakes of

the nature of both speech and song that is nearly always rhythmical, usually metaphorical, and often exhibits such formal elements as meter, rhyme, and stanzaic structure

Form• The way the poem looks on a page

• Poems are written in lines– Does not always need to be a complete sentence

• Lines are grouped into stanzas

• Structured Form – lines in a stanza have a regular, repeated pattern

• Free Verse – poems without a regular pattern

Speaker• Speaker is usually the voice within

the poem (point of view)

Sound• Poems are meant to be read aloud

• Poets use four techniques to appeal to readers:– Rhyme– Rhythm– Repetition– Onomatopoeia

Rhyme and Rhythm• Rhyme – the repetition of similar sounds at

the end of words (place, face, chase)

• Poems will use rhyme schemes where every line ends with a certain sound– ABAB, AABB, ABCB, etc.

• Rhythm – pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in each line– Meter – regular, repeated arrangement of syllables

Repetition and Onomatopoeia

• Repetition – use of sounds, words, phrases, or whole lines to emphasize an idea

• Alliteration – repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words– Bob blew bubbles before Brian blew up balloons.

• Onomatopoeia – use of words whose sounds suggest their meaning – crack, boom, bang

Imagery and Figurative Language

• Imagery – language that appeals to the reader’s five senses—sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch

• Figurative Language – help readers picture ordinary things in new ways– Simile–Metaphor– Analogy

Figurative Language• Simile – comparison using like or as

• Metaphor – comparison without using like or as

• Analogy – comparison of things dissimilar in ways to show that they might be similar– “His bedroom is a tomb.”

Personification• When a poet describes an animal or

an object as if had human features– “The warm smile of the sun. The cold

frown of the moon. Windows chatter with the howling wind.”

How to Read Poetry• Preview the poem, read the title, then read the poem

three times—first time silent, next two times aloud

• Visualize the images

• Clarify unfamiliar words and phrases

• Make inferences

• Evaluate the theme and identify the voice

• Make connections

Famous Poets• William Shakespeare• Robert Frost• Emily Dickinson• Maya Angelou• Walt Whitman• Langston Hughes• T.S. Eliot• Shel Silverstein

Types of Poetry• The types of poetry we will be

writing:– Limerick– Haiku– Ballad– Lyric– Free verse

Limerick Poem• Funny poem containing stanzas of five lines

• Rhyme Pattern: Last words of the first, second, and fifth line must rhyme (rhymes A)—then, the words in the third and fourth lines must be a different rhyme (rhymes B) – AABBA rhyme scheme

• Rhythm: – First, second, fifth lines: da DUM da da DUM da da DUM– Third, fourth: da DUM da da DUM

“A Clumsy Young Fellow Named Tim”

There ONCE was a FELlow named TIM (A) whose DAD ne-ver TAUGHT him to SWIM. (A) He FELL off a DOCK (B) and SUNK like a ROCK. (B) And THAT was the END of HIM. (A)

Haiku Poem• Originated from Japan

• Consist of three lines

• First and last lines have five syllables• Second line has seven syllables

• Haiku poems rarely rhyme

“Haiku of the Blue”

Somewhere in my heartIs a vast ocean of joyWatch the waves rise; fall

Ballad Poem• A poem that tells a story, used often in

songs

• First line should draw the reader in

• Rhyme scheme:– AABB, CCBB, DDBB, EEBB, etc.– The third line should be reused throughout the

entire ballad in each stanza’s third line, with the fourth line rhyming with it

“Mean Toad Man”I walked along the winding roadTo my eyes appeared a hopping toadFollow me friend, into the deep—Away I follow, arm in arm with a sheep.

‘Twas a frightful sight of the pastThis toad showed me what didn’t lastFollow me friend, into the deep—Away I follow, and I weep…and I weep.

Lyric Poem• Poem to express personal and

emotional feelings

• Do not have to rhyme, but rhyming adds character

• Not particularly long

“A Pirate’s Heart”Me heart is cold and emptyThe treasure’s chest of the deadBut I dread, the song of the seaWhich leaves me soggy breadAnd not a moment of glee

Free Verse Poem• A poem without following any rhyme

scheme or rhythm

• Can be written about a variety of topics and feelings

“The Cat and Cone”He wandered over to the broken crispOf the cone that lie helplessBeneath the glaring sunAttack! The beast pouncesA second death the cone enduresOne day, the cone may return

Picture Poetry• Draw a doodle to emphasize the

poem

• Made famous by Shel Silverstein