ONOMATOPOEIA IN POETRY
Do you know what this word means?
If you don’t, maybe this joke will help to remind
you.
Knock, Knock.
“Who’s there?”
Boo.
“Boo, who?”
Don’t cry about it! I was just trying to help!
Onomatopoeia is a poetic or literary device that
uses words which imitate the sound they name—
in other terms, these words are SOUND EFFECTS
or noise words. Onomatopoeia comes from the
Greek--onoma which means “name,” and poiein
which means “to make.”
LET’S CREATE A SOUND WORDS LIST
The Garfield cartoon from yesterday can give us
our first two words.
NOW THAT WE HAVE A LIST, SEE IF IT HELPS
YOU WITH THIS EXERCISE.

onomatopoeia activity

Why would a writer choose to use onomatopoeia?
--these words help to identify the setting
--these words add to the description
--sound words appeal to our sense of hearing
--these types of words can help to convey or emphasize meaning
--these words become a tool the writer uses like an artist uses a
paintbrush. (Listen to this line from a poem by Tennyson.
The moan of doves in immemorial elms
And murmuring of innumerable bees
The repeated “m/n” sounds reinforce the idea of “murmuring” by
imitating the hum of insects on a warm summer day.

Why might some of these sound words be helpful for you as you write
your nature poems?
HERE IS A POEM THAT USES
ONOMATOPOEIA
The rusty spigot
sputters,
utters
a splutter,
spatters a smattering of drops,
gashes wider;
slash,
splatters,
scatters,
spurts,
finally stops sputtering
and plash!
gushes rushes splashes
clear water dashes.
By Eve Merriam
CAN YOU IDENTIFY THE SOUND WORDS IN THIS
SILLY POEM BY LEWIS CARROLL?
Listen as actor David Schwimmer reads it.
Jabberwocky poem
On the next slide, we will see the words and look
for the sound words.
Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll
Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
NOW SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH
ONOMATOPOEIA IN YOUR OWN POEM.
Pitter,
patter
Ding, dong
Howl,
woof,
woof