Patterning a Poem
T
by Anna J. Small Roseboro, NBCT
1. Choose a poem from the lyric section of our
textbook, from a book from the library, or from
the Internet. Cite the source.
2. Read it several times so that you have a good
sense of the both the meaning and structure.
3. Tell the T.I.M.E. of that poem.
4. Pay particular attention to the structure of the
poem. Note rhythm pattern, rhyme pattern, kind of poetic devices, and
sentence structure.
Then, on a topic of your choice, pattern this poem, following and closely as
possible the structure of the lyric poem you’ve selected.
title
theme
thought
I
imagery
M
music
Now you are ready to begin patterning the poem on a topic of your choice. On
a sheet of lined loose-leaf paper, copy on alternate lines, the rhythm pattern
or sentence structure. You will be writing your poem below these symbols.
For example:
u
Adverb
/
u
Pronoun
/
u
Verb
Infinitive
/
Adjective
u
/ A
Noun
Then, begin patterning your poem so that you come close to the rhyme and
rhythm patterns, or the sentence pattern as you noticed in the lyric poem you
chose.
DAYBREAK IN ALABAMA by Langston Hughes
When I get to be a composer
I’m gonna write me some music about
Daybreak in Alabama
And I’m gonna put the purtiest songs in it
Rising out of the ground like a swamp mist
And falling out of heaven like soft dew.
I’m gonna put some tall tall trees in it
And the scent of pine needles
And the smell of red clay after rain
And long red necks
And poppy colored faces
And big brown arms
And the field daisy eyes
Of black and white black white black people
And I’m gonna put white hands
And black hands and brown and yellow hands
And red clay earth hands init
Touching everybody with kind fingers
And touching each other natural as dew
In that dawn of music when I
Get to be a composer
And write about daybreak
In Alabama
E
emotions
Who could be THE
SPEAKER?
Who could be the
audience?
What clues to meaning
/message are given in the
title?
What kinds of sensory
imagery are used in this
poem?
What kinds of figurative
language are used in this
poem?
Use “abc” to mark the
rhythm pattern of this
poem? What is it?
Use “u” for unstressed
syllables and “/” for
stressed one, mark the
pattern of your lyric
poem.
What is the sentence
structure and punctuation
in this poem?
How are the lines of the
poem laid out?
What is the emotion
expressed by the poet?
(TONE) or (MOOD)
experienced by reader?
Pay close attention to the
sound and suggestive
power (CONNOTATION) of
words.
Photo: http://www.150.si.edu/150trav/remember/r914.htm
Poem: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/daybreak-in-alabama/
“Daybreak in Alabama” by Langston Hughes is an excellent poem
for any grade because it subtly addresses current social and political
issues of diversity, it demonstrates the use of similes and an extended
metaphor, and appeals to the senses in a way that students of all ages
can understand and ultimately appreciate. This poem works well for
introducing students to elements of poetry and provides a fine model
for students to pattern in terms of content and form.
Why patterning? Most cultures teach by example, whether it
be art, dance, music, or sports. Students of art try to mix colors to
match those of a particular artist; they visit museums and attempt to reproduce texture and brush strokes of
the master painters. Dancers learn by copying the movement and deportment of accomplished dancers.
Some watch videos over and over, trying to move in just the same manner of famous ballerinas. The same is
true of musicians. You may have students who learned to play the piano or violin using the Suzuki method
developed in Japan. To learn in that way, students listen to recorded music and attempt to duplicate the
sound of the masters. They watch their teachers’ bow and fingers – all the time copying what they see. We
all know that budding athletes are arduous imitators.
You may have sons, daughters or siblings who spend hours dribbling and shooting, running and
jumping, imitating the moves of their favorite sports figures – those basketball greats, football end zone
dancers, hockey players and soccer whizzes. Many of you have husbands or wives, parents or friends who
watch those golf videos straining to pattern the swing and putt of Jack Nicholas or Tiger Woods. Each of
these artists, dancers, musicians, and athletes is trying to duplicate the skill of the masters – their idols and
heroes. It is true; we copy what we believe to be good.
Usually my students buy into this idea, and several find that imitation not only is the highest form of
flattery, but also is a key to opening the floodgates of those ideas they have kept stored in their hearts and
minds. A number of these students have been pleasantly surprised at how much they have to write about and
how well they do write when they begin by paralleling the sentence structure and style of published poets.
Fran Claggett, Louann Reid, and Ruth Vinz suggest this kind of writing in their DAYBOOK of
Critical Reading and Writing and following their suggestions, I have adapted lessons for modeling and
imitating. Using this idea, your students will see that patterning not only helps to expand their repertoire of
style but also to expand their vocabularies. When my ninth graders try to model a poem that has a specific
rhyme or rhythm pattern, they find that the first word that comes to their minds seldom fits the required
rhythm or rhyme; so the students keep searching for another word that expresses the same idea. When they
want to create a specific tone, these students hunt for for just the right words in a dictionary or thesaurus.
These young writers have learned that successful poets and novelists carefully choose words for their sound
and suggestive power as well as for their meanings.
So have fun with this wonderful poem, reading it aloud and directing students’ attention to the
contents, structure and style. And then invite the students to draw on their own experiences or observations
and to use these as they pattern the way Langston Hughes’ thoughts and images, music and emotion are seen
in “Daybreak in Alabama”.
Author:
Anna J. Small Roseboro, NBCT
Calvin College
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Resources
Claggett, Fran, Louann Reid, and Ruth Vinz, eds. DAYBOOK of Critical Reading and Writing - Grade 7.
Wilmington, MA: Great Source Education Group, 1999.
Hughes, Langston. "Daybreak in Alabama." Poem Hunter. 1948. 22 Jan. 2008
<http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/daybreak-in-alabama/>.
Logo. Logo. Park Dale Montessori School, Ottawa, Ontario. 22 Jan. 2008
<http://www.parkdalemontessori.ca/images/multicultural_hands2.jpg>.
Van Vechten, Carl. Langston Hughes. 1939. Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C. 22 Jan. 2008
<http://www.150.si.edu/150trav/remember/r914.htm>.