Poetry
6th Grade
Mrs. Tatum
Haiku
Haiku poetry is a very short,
centuries-old form of Japanese poetry
that is an intriguing change of pace
from the kind of rhythmic, rhyming
poetry you're used to reading. Haiku
is like a photo that captures the
essence of what's happening, often
connecting two seemingly unrelated
things.
How to Write a Haiku
Traditional Japanese haiku had a total
of seventeen syllables divided into
three clumps (or lines):
five syllables
seven syllables
five syllables
What Do I Write About?
A haiku has 17 syllables divided
among three lines.
Express a single mood or
emotion in your haiku.
The classic haiku theme is
nature, so try using nature-based
imagery as well as your own
themes when you write a haiku.
Example of a Haiku
Morning Sun Dances?
When the gentle rain greets dawn?
With a lovely sigh?
On a withered bough
A crow along is perching
Autumn evening now.
Acrostic
Acrostic: a poem
in which special
letters spell
another word or
make a sentence.
Acrostic Information
Most often,
the special letters
come at the beginning of each line.
But
they may be placed
elsewhere, too.
Alphabet poems
are also a special type of acrostic,
called abecdearian acrostics.
Example
Panthers growl,
Orioles sing,
Eagles soar,
Monkeys swing.
See?
Concrete Poems
Concrete poetry—sometimes also
called ‘shape poetry’—is poetry
whose visual appearance matches
the topic of the poem. The words form
shapes which illustrate the poem’s
subject as a picture, as well as
through their literal meaning.
Concrete Poetry Example
Limerick
A limerick is a silly poem with five
lines. They are often funny or
nonsensical. Limericks were made
famous by Edward Lear, a famous
author who wrote the "Book of
Nonsense" in the 1800's.
Limerick Rhyme Scheme
The rhyme scheme of a limerick is
known as “AABBA.” This is because
the last words in lines 1, 2, and 5
rhyme. Those are the “A’s” in the
rhyme scheme. The “B’s” are the last
words of lines 3 and 4.
The Rules of Limericks
They are five lines long.
Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme with one
another.
Lines 3 and 4 rhyme with each other.
They have a distinctive rhythm (which
I’ll explain shortly)
They are usually funny.
Limerick Example
There was a young fellow named Hall
Who fell in the spring in the fall.
‘Twould have been a sad thing
Had he died in the spring,
But he didn’t—he died in the fall.
Cinquain Poetry
What’s a Cinquain poem? It is a form
of poetry, written like a recipe. A
Cinquain is a five-line poem. The
words you choose and the form they
take on paper are an important part of
the writing. Some people say they
appear like diamonds on paper.
Creating a Cinquain
Line 1:One word for the subject (noun)
Line 2:Two words describing subject
Line 3:Three words showing action
Line 4:Four or five words expressing feeling
or thought
Line 5:One word that means the same thing
as the first word in line 1 (describing or
renaming subject)
Cinquain Example
Lion
Golden, strong
Staring, creeping, pouncing
A hunter on the prowl
Predator
What Is an Image?
An image is a word or phrase that appeals to one
of our senses. Images can help us
• create a mental
picture
• hear a sound
• feel texture or
temperature
• taste a sweet, sour,
or salty flavor
What Is an Image?
Listen to this excerpt of “The Shell” by James Stephens
and imagine the scene he describes.
And straightway like a bell
Came low and clear
The slow, sad murmur of the distant seas,
..............................
And in the hush of waters was the sound
Of pebbles rolling round,
For ever rolling with a hollow sound.
And bubbling sea-weeds as the waters go
Swish to and fro
Their long, cold tentacles of slimy grey.
—from “The Shell” by James Stephens
What Is an Image?
Quick Check
And straightway like a bell
Came low and clear
The slow, sad murmur of the distant seas,
..............................
And in the hush of waters was the sound
Of pebbles rolling round,
For ever rolling with a hollow sound.
And bubbling sea-weeds as the waters go
Swish to and fro
Their long, cold tentacles of slimy grey.
—from “The Shell” by James Stephens
Which words
appeal to the
sense of
hearing? sight?
touch?
[End of Section]
Imagery in Poetry
Poets use imagery to
• speak to our deepest feelings—joy, sorrow,
wonder, love
• emphasize certain qualities of the subject
• create a mood
Out on the land White Moon shines.
Shines and glimmers against gnarled shadows,
All silver to slow twisted shadows
Falling across the long road that runs from the house.
—from “Baby Face” by Carl Sandburg
Imagery in Poetry
Imagery is
• part of a poet’s style
• a product of the
poet’s own way of
seeing the world
• a reflection of the
time and place in
which the poet lives
Imagery in Poetry
Quick Check
The Loon
by Lew Sarett
A lonely lake, a lonely shore,
A lone pine leaning on the moon;
All night the water-beating wings
Of a solitary loon.
With mournful wail from dusk to dawn
He gibbered at the taunting stars,—
A hermit-soul gone raving mad,
And beating at his bars.
What mood does
the poet create
through his use of
imagery?
How does the
imagery affect your
emotions? Explain.
[End of Section]
Practice
Images can be drawn from all sorts of
things we observe in life. For each category, create two
images—one pleasant and one unpleasant. Try to
include images that appeal to all five senses.
Images
Animal images
Flower images
Water images
Sky images
Earth images
City images
Country images
Pleasant
Unpleasant
Free verse
FREE VERSE is a kind of
poetry that has no real
rhythm or pattern, so you
can put words together in
all sorts of ways. You can
be VERY imaginative!
What is Free verse poetry?
Anything and everything can be the
topic of a free verse lyrical
poem. The poem can tell a story,
describe a person, animal, feeling or
object. They can serious, sad, funny
or educational. What ever subject
that appeals to the poet can end up in
free verse.
How to write Free verse
Free verse does not have a set
pattern of rhyme or rhythm. There
are no rules about line length in free
verse. You try to keep the words that
belong together on the same line, but,
sometimes the poet will break these
words if he/she wants to create a
visual shape to support the poem's
message, or feeling that the poet
wishes the reader to experience.
Example of Free Verse
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.