Poetry
There are many different types of poems.
Some poems rhyme; some do not. Some are only a
few words long, while others go on for several
pages! Sometimes poems are even written in special
shapes or designs. We do not have time to look at
all the different kinds of poems, but we will discuss
the following kinds:
*Couplet- a pair (two) of lines that
rhyme. Couplets can be joined to form a longer
poem
*Quatrain- a four-line poem. It can have
different rhyme patterns. Quatrains are often
combined to form a long poem.
*Haiku- an unrhymed poem that has
three lines and 17 syllables (5-7-5 syllable pattern)
usually describing something in nature.
*Limerick- a humorous five-lined poem.
It has 13 beats and an aabba rhyme pattern.
*Cinquain- an unrhymed, five-line poem.
Each line has a certain number of words and
function.
*Diamante- an unrhymed, seven-line
poem. Each line has a certain number of words and
function. It is similar to a cinquain.
*Biopoem- an unrhymed, ten-line poem
that describes a person. Many of the lines start
off scripted.
Poetry terms that will help you:
*Line- a row of words in a poem. A line does
not have to be a complete sentence.
*Stanza- a group of lines in poetry that are
arranged in a particular pattern. A stanza can form
one part of a poem or song.
*Beat- The basic unit of time in poetry or
music.
By: Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and II took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Line
Stanza
A couplet is a pair (two) of lines
that rhyme. Couplets can be
joined to form a longer poem.
Sick
By Shel Silverstein
“I cannot go to school today,”
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
“I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I’m going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox
And there’ one more—that’s seventeen,
And don’t you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue—
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I’m sure that my left leg is broke—
Sick
(Continued)
By Shel Silverstein
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button’s caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle’s sprained,
My ‘pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow’s bent, my spine ain’t straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is – what?
What’s that? What’s that you say?
You say today is…Saturday?
G’bye, I’m going out to play!”
Spring Showers
By Mr. Runkle
Showers, showers, springtime
showers;
Sprouting bulbs and blooming
flowers.
Raising creeks up to their crest;
Blowing in hard from the west.
In the puddles children play.
“Watch your step,” their mothers
say.
Soaking lawns and making mud;
Watch out soon, we’ll have a flood!
Raincoats on, umbrellas out;
Spring in here without a doubt.
A quatrain is a four-lined poem.
It can have different rhyme
patterns. Quatrains are often
combined to form longer poems.
The Sociable Weavers
by Eileen Spinelli
Using grass and leaves and twigs,
weaverbirds build fancy digs—
a common roof, with knots and laces
tied to separate condo spaces.
Weaverbirds are generous, kind.
For instance, they don’t seem to mind
if parrot, favoring the view,
occupies a room or two.
A Song of Spring
By Mr. Runkle
I heard a song sung today,
Carried through the air.
A robin sung it, oh so fair,
Declaring spring is on its way.
An Absent-Minded Squirrel
By Mr. Runkle
I saw a squirrel climb up a tree,
His nut he could not find.
He wondered where it could possibly be,
He must be loosing his mind!
Smart
By Shel Silverstein
My dad gave me one dollar bill
‘Cause I’m his smartest son,
And I swapped it for two shiny quarters
‘Cause two is more than one!
And then I took the quarters
And traded them to Lou
For three dimes—I guess he don’t know
That three is more than two!
Just then, along came old blind Bates
And just ‘cause he can’t see
He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,
And four is more than three!
Smart
( continued)
By Shel Silverstein
And I took the nickels to Hiram Coombs
Down at the seed-feed store,
And the fool gave me five pennies for them,
And five is more than four!
And then I went and showed my dad,
And he got red in the cheeks
And closed his eyes and shook his head--Too proud of me to speak!
A haiku is a traditional Japanese
poem. It is an unrhymed poem
that has three lines and 17
syllables (5-7-5 syllable pattern).
A wonderful tool 5
for learning and for pleasure; 7
a book always works. 5
A sharpened pencilready to record my thoughts
from hand to paper.
Who’s there in the dark?
Scaring me like that! It’s you,
imagination.
A limerick is a humorous fivelined poem. It has 13 beats
and an aabba rhyme pattern.
Lines 1, 2, & 5 have three beats
each, while lines 3 & 4 have
two beats each.
Sad Brad
Beats
Rhyme Pattern
3 There once was a boy named Brad, a
a
3 Who always looked very sad.
b
2 Until one day,
b
2 His friend did say,
3 “Why don’t you smile just a tad?” a
The Playing Fish
There once was a fish in a lake,
In playing games he tried to partake.
But he had no hand,
And he could not stand,
So a good player he did not make.
Mr. Runkle’s Class
Mr. Runkle had a good class,
In knowledge they were trying to amass,
But some wouldn’t try,
And that made him cry,
Because those he just couldn’t pass.
A cinquain is an unrhymed
poem made up of five lines.
Each line of the poem has
specific rules.
Line 1- one word that names a
subject
Line 2- two words that describe
the subject
Line 3- three verbs that describe
actions related to the subject
Line 4- four words that express
a feeling about the subject
Line 5- one word that refers to
or is a synonym for the subject
Line 1- one word that names a subject
Line 2- two words that describe the subject
Line 3- three verbs that describe actions
related to the subject
Line 4- four words that express a feeling
about the subject
Line 5- one word that refers to or is a
synonym for the subject
Students
Inquisitive, thoughtful
Reading, writing, thinking
Working hard to succeed
Pupils
A diamante is an unrhymed,
seven-lined poem. Each line
has a certain number of words
and purpose. The text forms
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- the first two are connected
with line 1; the 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 for the subject (line 1)
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- the first two are connected
with line 1; the 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 for the subject (line 1)
Ants
Tiny, busy
Running, building, digging
Picnics, crumbs, garbage, swatter
Flying, buzzing, biting
Annoying, hairy
Flies
An unrhymed, ten-lined poem
that describes a person. Many
of the lines start off scripted.
Name
4 adjectives describing the person
Related to ________________________________
Who cares deeply about _____________________
Who feels _________________________________
Who needs _______________________________
Who gives ________________________________
Who fears ______________________________
Who would like to see _____________________
Resident of ____________________________.
Tamanend
Caring, honest, fair, brave
Related to other Lenni Lenape Indians
Who cares deeply about liberty and peace
Who feels like everyone should be treated fairly
Who needs the help of others
Who gives hope to people
Who fears a war between Europeans and Native Americans
Who would like to see a good relationship between the Lenapes and colonists
Resident of eastern Pennsylvania.