We’re starting our Poetry Unit!
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Take a poetry packet from the back table.
What do you already know about poetry?
Poetic Thoughts Example
*
!
?
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Your Turn!
*
Do You Carrot All for Me?
!
Do You carrot all for me?
?
With your turnip nose
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My heart beets for you,
And your radish face,
You are a peach.
If we cantaloupe,
Lettuce marry:
Weed make a swell pear.
What is Poetry?
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In poetry, the sound and meaning of words are
especially important.
Poetry communicates experience and feelings.
Brain Pop Poetry
Speaker
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The speaker is the narrator of the poem.
It is not always the author.
When we discuss poetry, we say, “The speaker
might mean…”
Rhyme
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Rhyming words are words that make
nearly the same sound.
In poetry, rhyming words are used
on purpose to create a certain sound
or feeling.
Example:
I
don’t see the harm
In visiting the farm.
 The yellow eyes glowed
by the side of the road.
Near Rhyme
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Near rhyme is also known as “close” rhyme or
“slant” rhyme.
It means that two words are very close to rhyming.
Example:
 He
ran down the stairs
Without a single care
Never being scared
Rhyme Scheme
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The pattern of rhymes used in a poem
The pattern can be labeled using letters
Example:
A
horse and a flea and three blind mice
Sat on a curbstone shooting dice.
The horse he slipped and fell on the flea.
“Whoops,” said the flea, “there’s a horse on me!”
A
A
B
B
Do you know any famous poets?
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William Shakespeare
Robert Frost
Maya Angelou (Brain Pop)
 While
you watch the video clip, think about the topics
that inspire Maya Angelou to write her poems. What
might inspire you to write a poem?
Free Verse
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A poem that does not have a rhyme scheme; line
breaks are uneven and purposeful
Example:
I
walked along the side of the road
Looking for no one
But I found a piece of myself along the way
A
B
C
Line
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Usually one row of words equals one line of
poetry; it does not always end with punctuation
How many lines are in this example?
The Toaster
A silver-scaled Dragon with jaws flaming red
Sits on my elbow and toasts my bread.
I hand him fat slices, and then one by one,
He hands them back when he sees they are done.
Stanza
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Stanzas are the paragraphs of poetry.
Types of Stanzas:
 Couplet:
A two-lined stanza that rhymes
A
squirrel climbed a tree
Then he sang with glee
 Quatrain:
 The
A four-lined stanza with a rhyme scheme
squirrel climbed a tree
Then he sang with glee
But soon, a bird swooped nearby
It reached for him and let out a cry
Think about It
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What is poetry? Use your own words. (3 sentences)
Poetry Treasure Hunt
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You have 20 minutes to complete the
treasure hunt.
You may only have one book at a
time. When you finish with your book,
put it back on the chalk tray and take
another one. You may keep one book
the entire time or change books every
few minutes.
There is no talking during this activity.
Treasure hunters do their best work in
quiet areas. 
If I was in Charge of the World…
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Let’s read the poem.
Now you are going to create
your own poem.
What would you change if you
were in charge of the world?
Fill in the blanks with your
ideas and be ready to share in
15 minutes. If you finish early,
add a picture to your poem.
Couplet
A poem
that is
made of
stanzas
with 2 lines
each; the
lines in
each
stanza must
rhyme
So precious are true friends who lend their ears
And give their time to wipe away sad tears.
Thinking about Couplets
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Let’s read “My Brother Bert” together.
Read the poem again to yourself and answer the 3
star questions.
Partner Work: Couplets
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Read “Sick” aloud with your partner;
first one person will read it and then
the other person will read it.
On the left side of the poem, use at
least 4 different symbols (* ! ?  #)
to show your thinking.
On the right side of the poem,
answer the questions.
How do I write a poem?
Follow these steps!
Step 1: What’s the assignment?
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Read the directions. Always figure out the type of
poem you are supposed to be writing.
Then be sure to understand the requirements.
Example: Write a 3 stanza couplet that includes at
least one simile or metaphor.
Step 2: What should I write about?
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What’s your topic? You can write about anything
that is school appropriate!
Here are some sample topics:
 seasons,
holidays, friends, family, school, sports, etc.
Step 3: How do I start writing?
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When you think about your topic,
what comes to mind?
Use the graphic organizer to help
you arrange the things you already
know about your topic.
Make notes in the margins about
things that you might want to include
in your poem but don’t really fit into
the graphic organizer.
Step 4: How do I put it together?
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To begin, write down your lines
without worrying about rhyming.
Then work on the rhyming part (find
synonyms that do rhyme).
Finally, add the required figurative
language.
First Draft Example
The freezing white snow landed on my cheek
While I pulled my red sled down the driveway
I could hear the laughter of children nearby
As they ran to the giant hill
The taste of hot chocolate was still on my lips
And my scarf was pulled tight around my neck
Step 5: How do I make it rhyme?
The freezing white snow landed on my cheek
While I pulled my red sled down the street
I could hear the laughter of children nearby
As they ran to the giant hill up high
The taste of hot chocolate was still on my lips
And my scarf was pulled tight around my neck
And I could feel the weight of the sled on my hips.
Step 6: Figurative Language?
The freezing white snow landed on my cheek
While I pulled my red sled down the street
I could hear children laughing like hyenas nearby
As they ran to the giant hill up high
The taste of hot chocolate was still on my lips
And I could feel the weight of the sled on my hips.
Step 7: How do I make it perfect?
The bitter white snow landed on my rosy cheek
While I pulled my ragged red sled down the street
I could hear children laughing like hyenas nearby
As they scurried to the colossal hill up high
The sweet taste of hot chocolate was still on my lips
And I could feel the weight of the sled on my hips.
Your Turn: Write a Couplet
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Figure out the rules for the kind of poem you are
writing. Think of a topic and use the graphic organizer.
Get your completed graphic organizer approved by
me before writing your poem.
Write your first draft; it doesn’t have to have the
perfect words or perfect rhyme scheme yet.
Use a thesaurus or a rhyme wheel to finalize your
poem.
Work independently. I won’t answer any questions for
15 minutes. You are smart, and you can do it. 
Quatrain with Questions
A poem
that is
made up
of stanzas
with 4
lines each;
the stanzas
must have
a set
rhyme
scheme
The Joke You Just Told
The joke you just told isn’t funny one bit.
It’s pointless and dull, and wholly lacking in wit.
It’s so old and stale, it’s beginning to smell!
Besides, it’s the one I was going to tell.
Checking the Rhyme Scheme
Have you ever seen a sheet on a river bed?
Or a single hair from a hammer’s head?
Has the foot of a mountain any toes?
And is there a pair of garden hose?
Does the needle ever wink its eye?
Why doesn’t the wing of a building fly?
Can you tickle the ribs of a parasol?
Or open the trunk of a tree at all?
Are the teeth of a rake ever going to bite?
Have the hands of a clock any left or right?
Can the garden plot be deep and dark?
And what is the sound of the birch’s bark?
A
A
B
B
Thinking about Quatrains
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Let’s read “Have You Ever Seen?”
together.
What makes this poem a quatrain?
Now label the rhyme scheme with
your neighbor. Begin only the first
stanza with “A.” The second stanza
will begin with a different letter. It’s
up to you to figure it out. 
Analyzing Poems
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The poet of “Have You Ever Seen?” loves to play
with words.
Our language is confusing! Can you make sense
of it? Complete the chart.
Your Turn: Write a Quatrain
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Complete the prewriting. Then have me check it.
Once approved, you may begin writing your three
stanza quatrain. It must follow one of the rhyme
schemes allowed, and it must include an example
of personification and purposeful alliteration.
Free Verse
A poem that
does not
have a set
rhyme or
rhythm; its
main focus
is on line
break and
the way
words
sound next
to each
other.
Fog
By Carl Sandburg
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
Thinking about Free Verse
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Let’s read “Foul Shot”
together. What makes it
free verse poetry?
Now read it again to
yourself. Answer the 4 star
questions and be ready to
share in 10 minutes.
Thinking about Free Verse
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Read “Some Poems” to yourself.
Choral Reading (I’ll read a
section and you will repeat it!)
Answer the 3 star questions with
your neighbor. Be ready to
share in 3 minutes.
Your Turn: Write a Free Verse Poem
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A free verse poem doesn’t have a
rhyme scheme or rhythm.
It must be at least 15 lines long.
It must have an example of
alliteration and another figurative
language.
What’s a ballad?
Ballad
A poem
with a
chorus and
several
verses; it
usually
tells a
story and
has a
rhyme
scheme
Rolling in the Deep
We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart inside your hand
And you played it to the beat
Thinking about Ballads
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You’ve probably heard or read ballads hundreds
of times.
The core structure for a ballad is a quatrain, written
in either abcb or abab rhyme schemes.
They are simple stories told in poetic form.
What is the story in these ballads?
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Cats in the Cradle
Love Story
You Don't Know...
Themes in Ballads
Time
Love
Exploration and Discovery
Doing the Impossible
Heartbreak
Analyzing Ballads
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Let’s read the next ballad together.
How many stanzas are there? Lines?
Which stanzas are the chorus?
Complete the boxes on the right side
of your paper. You are analyzing
(breaking apart and looking at each
piece) of the poem! Don’t you feel
smart! 
You have 20 minutes. If you finish
early, work on homework or read
quietly.
Reading Ballads
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Let’s read “City I Love”
together.
What do you think of our
city? Where else might
you like to live?
Work with your neighbor
to answer the 3 star
questions. You have 7
minutes.
Your Turn: Write a ballad
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Use the graphic organizer to help get started.
Write your ballad. You must have 2 verses, a
chorus that is repeated, imagery, and a rhyme
scheme. The chosen tone must be clear!
Sign up for a Writing Conference:
Independent Poetry Practice
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Read “He Had a Dream.”
Answer the 5 star questions.
Read “Earth, What Will You
Give Me?” Answer the 3 star
questions.
Check your answers with the
key.