Reading Literature:
Lesson 6—Poetry
Elements
Expressive/Literary
Competency Goal 5.02
EOG Vocabulary (Poetry)
Notice that some terms overlap with
Narrative Elements!!
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Alliteration
Analogy
Assonance
Consonance
End rhyme
Figurative language
Hyperbole
Image
Line
Metaphor
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Onomatopoeia
Personification
Rhyme
Rhyme scheme
Rhythm
Simile
Speaker
Stanza
Structure
Symbol
Tip #1:
• A poem is something to swim in, not
just a place to get your feet wet. 
– The more you read a poem, the more you will
understand it (and maybe even enjoy it!)
– How many times have you listened to your
favorite song? Remember lyrics are poetic!
Tip #2:
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Get a first impression, but don’t
cling to it.
1. Read the poem from beginning to
the end.
2. Don’t get hung up on little details
OR a phrase/line that you don’t
understand.
Tip #2 continued . . .
• Ask yourself the following:
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What is the poem about?
Who is the speaker?
What is the tone?
What is the mood?
Read “Kidnap Poem”
by Nikki Giovanni
• A volunteer should read it aloud.
– After reading, answer the multiple
choice questions in your notes.
– We’ll discuss these.
Tip #3:
• Notice how often the poet “paints a
picture” with words.
– Poems are filled with imagery (things
that appeal to your five senses: taste,
touch, hear, smell, and see).
– Underline images as you come across
them in a poem.
Tip #4:
• Enjoy the “music” of a poem.
– Notice if a poem rhymes.
– If so, what is the rhyme scheme?
– Is there end rhyme, approximate rhyme,
internal rhyme?
Copy the following limerick in
your notes. Identify the
rhyme scheme.
A mouse in her room woke Miss Doud
Who was frightened and screamed very loud.
Then a happy thought hit her
To scare off the critter
She just sat up in bed and meowed.
Sound effects of poetry:
• Alliteration: the repeating of initial
consonant sounds in two or more
neighboring words.
– Ex. Klein could be clueless, kind or cold,
curmudgeonly or compassionate—all in
the same day; you never knew which
Klein you would get.
Assonance:
• The repetition of vowel sounds within
words or syllables.
– Ex. Through the moon was a radiant
bloom in the speckled vase of night,
Carrie couldn’t shake her gloom, try as
she might.
Consonance:
• The repetition of two or more
consonants with different vowel
sounds in between.
– Ex. Rick stuck the rock in his pocket.
Onomatopoeia:
• The use of words that imitate a
sound.
– Ex. Smack, moo, clank, buzz, . . .
Tip #5:
• Look for comparisons that the poet is
making.
– Poets do this through their use of
figurative language: similes, metaphors,
personifications, hyperboles, and idioms.
Definitions and
Examples:
• Simile: statement that compares two
things using like or as.
– Ex. Life is like a box of chocolates;
you’re never sure what your gonna get.
• Metaphor: statement that compares two things
by saying that one thing is another. Ex. Music is
Joel’s lifeblood; he must have a daily infusion of
rock, pop, rap, and jazz.
• Hyperbole: an exaggeration. Ex. As the Tilt-aWhirl at the NC State Fair started spinning, Jack
held on tighter than a tick on a dog’s ear.
• Personification: a statement that gives human
qualities to a non-human thing. Ex. Toby knew he
couldn’t put off his homework much longer. His
algebra book seemed to stare at him, whisper to
him, call out his name.
• Idiom: an everyday, over-used expression that has
no literal/real meaning. Ex. It’s raining cats and
dogs.
Tip #6:
• Notice the structure of the poem.
– Poems are divided into lines (will be
numbered every 5 lines on the EOG)
– Take note of how many stanzas there
are.
– Poets will place line breaks and stanzas
in unusual places to get your attention
or to create a certain effect.
Tip #7:
• Notice anything the poet does that is
unusual.
– Notice unusual word choices, line
breaks, stanza breaks, indented lines,
and weird capitalization.
Tip #8:
• Put it all together.
– After reading several times, ask
yourself: What is the message that the
poet/speaker is trying to get across?
– Does the poet simply want to share an
experience with you?
Types of Poetry!!
• Light verse: funny or playful poetry
• Narrative Poetry: poetry that tells a
story
• Ballad: a traditional song that tells a story,
often about love, tragedy, or heroic deeds
• Epic: a long narrative poem that tells of
the deeds of a legendary hero of history
or tradition.
• Elegy: a poem of sorrow
Types of poetry
continued . . .
• Lyric poetry: poetry that is short and musical and
that deals with personal issues
• Haiku: a form of Japanese pattern poetry, usually
consisting of three lines in which the syllables
alternate in a pattern of 5-7-5
• Sonnet: a poem of 14 lines, usually with 10
syllables each (iambic pentameter) and with
various rhyme schemes.
• Free verse: poetry that is free from fixed
patterns of rhyme or beat
REMEMBER:
• A poem can have many different
interpretations.
• You don’t have to understand
EVERYTHING in a poem in order to
enjoy it or to answer questions about
it.
Practice:
• Read “Mayflies” on page 86 in the
BuckleDown book.
• Answer questions 12-13.