Elements of Poetry What is poetry Putting words

Elements of Poetry

What is poetry? • Putting words together in an interesting way to express a feeling, create a mental picture, tell a story or make a sound. “Poetry entertains the ears and the eyes”

Poetry Vocabulary • We will cover… -rhythm -rhyme -verse -stanza -figurative language

Stanza vs. Verse Stanza • Like a paragraph in an essay • Each stanza is usually separated by a blank space • Common stanzas are 2, 3, 4, 6, or 8 lines Verse • Usually a line from a poem, sometimes the whole poem.

Stanza vs. Verse Where the Sidewalk Ends Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black And the dark street winds and bends. There is a place where the sidewalk ends And before the street begins. And there the grass grows soft and white, Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And watch were the chalk-white arrows go To the place where the sidewalk ends. And there the sun burns crimson bright, And there the moon-bird rests from his flight Yes we’ll walk with a walk that is measured and slow, To cool in the peppermint wind. And we’ll go where the chalk-white arrows go, For the children, they mark, and the children, they know The place where the sidewalk ends.

Rhythm and Rhyme – related! Rhythm Rhyme • Regular, patterned repetition of sounds in a poem. • Repetitions of end sounds • The beat My dog chewed up my homework. He slobbered on it, too. So now my homework’s ripped to shreds, And full of slimy goo. • Makes the poem sound like music • Does not NEED to be in all poems -Bruce Lansky

Figurative Language • Examples of Figurative Language: -Alliteration -Onomatopoeia -Simile -Metaphor -Idiom

ALLiteration • ALLmost ALL the words in the poem begin with the same letter Down the slippery slide they slid Sitting slightly sideways; Slipping swiftly see them skid On holidays and Fridays. -Michael Rosen

Onomatopoeia A sound-word related to an action • Action: water dripping Sound-words: -drip -splash -drizzle -bloop • Action: collision Sound-words -clash -boom -clatter -screech

Simile vs. Metaphor Simile Metaphor • Comparison using “like” or “as” • A comparison between two things “The boy was as brave as a lion” “My brother was boiling mad” “The assignment was a breeze” What other examples can you think of?

Idiom • A phrase whose words have a different meaning other than it’s original meaning. “The assignment was a piece of cake!” Can you think of any more examples?

Different Types of Poetry • We will cover: -Acrostic -Haiku -Shape Poem -Diamante

Acrostic Poems • In Acrostic poems, the first letters of each line are aligned vertically to form a word. The word often is the subject of the poem. Elegantly and efficiently shaped Good to eat Great to find at Easter Smooth shelled

Haiku Poems • Japanese form of poetry that reflects on nature and feelings Line one: 5 syllables Line two: 7 syllables Line three: 5 syllables

Haikus

Shape Poem • A poem in which the arrangement of the words takes the form of something.

Diamante • Think “Diamond” • The words take the shape of a diamond Line 1: Noun or subject (one word) Line 2: Two adjectives that describe line 1 Line 3: Three “-ing” words that describe line 1 Line 4: Four nouns (first two are connected with line 1, last two are connected with line 7) Line 5: Three “-ing” words that describe line 7 Line 6: Two adjectives that describe line 7 Line 7: Noun synonym that describes the subject

Diamante Example Pencil Sharp, skinny Writing, answering, erasing Wood, lead, ink, plastic Drawing, smudging, leaking Durable, comfortable Pen