Super-Fabulous Poems YOU can write
6th Grade English Language Arts
Let’s Review: Figurative Language:
Words and phrases that add color to writing and are NOT to be taken literally!
Sensory Language:
Language that is meant to appeal to the senses.
It can be literal OR figurative!
Let’s Review: Poet: The term used for an author
of poetry.
Stanza: Poem paragraph
Line of Poetry: Single line of words in a poem. DOES NOT need to be a complete sentence!
Let’s Review: Rhyme - repetition of sounds at the
ends of lines of poetry
Rhyme scheme – pattern of rhyme at the ends of lines in poetry (ABAB, ABBA, AABB, etc.)
Refrain: Phrase, line or stanza that is repeated after each stanza
“Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too” by Shel SilversteinIckle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too
Went for a ride in a flying shoe."Hooray!” "What fun!” "It's time we flew!"Said Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.
Ickle was captain, and Pickle was crewAnd Tickle served coffee and mulligan stewAs higher, and higher, and higher they flew,Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.
Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too,Over the sun and beyond the blue."Hold on!” "Stay in!” "I hope we do!"Cried Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.
Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle tooNever returned to the world they knew,And nobody knows what‘s happened toDear Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.
How many stanzas are there in this
poem?
What is the rhyme scheme?
Is there a refrain?
What is it?
FREE VERSE No rhyme scheme No set line lengths No particular structure Don’t follow the rules but are still considered an artistic expression
FREE VERSE I am artistic and
helpful I wonder why people
are polluting I hear laughing all the
time I see soccer balls in
the distance I want to be heard I am artistic and
helpful
I pretend to go to outer space
I feel restless and worked up
I touch God I worry about global
warming I cry for my hamsters I am artistic and
helpful
I understand that people die
I never say never I dream about the
future I try to play soccer
I hope to improve my
learning skills I am artistic and
helpful
FREE VERSEMom made me a beautiful plum cake,
Fragrant with spices and fruit
And covered with sugar all sparkling as ice
Rich and sweet, it called to me
Promising to solve the world’s problems.
WRITE A FREE VERSE
On-Level and Pre-AP:Finish your “I Am”
poem
Pre-AP:Write a second, short
free verse poem
COUPLETS The simplest rhymed pattern Two rhyming lines Often funny
Examples:
Papa’s what we call my dad,Don’t go near him when he’s mad.
The teacher called the students inThen wished she could escape the din.
QUATRAINS Four-line poems
Usually follow a set rhyme scheme (AABB, ABAB, ABBA, etc.)
May be grouped together in stanzas to form a long poem.
QUATRAINS
Upon this cake of ice is perched
The paddle-footed Puffin;
To find his double we have searched,
But have discovered – Nuffin!
- fjaklfjka
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
The rushing ocean waves
Beat harshly on the sand.
They roar and crash and foam
As they break upon the land.
Bumping at the windowpane
He fought against the solid air
That held him as a prisoner there,
But all his struggles were in vain.
NOW, YOU WRITE: On Level: Two couplets, one quatrain
Pre-AP: Three couplets, two quatrains
Remember, They can be about anything!
Try to make them silly or funny.
Haiku Invented in Japan
Often reflects on an aspect of nature, emotions or experiences
Composed of three short, unrhymed lines
Lines have: 5 syllables 7 syllables 5 syllables
HaikuThe rain falls
softlyOn my newly polished car....Dang Texas
weather!
~ Ms. Cox
Gently drifting down
Winter flurries are coming
Tickling my cold face
~ 6th grade student
1. Think of an object, an emotion, something in nature, or an experience you’ve had.
2. Put it three lines that have:
5 syllables
7 syllables
5 syllables
3. Now, write two more (four more for Pre-AP)
Write a Haiku
ACROSTIC POEM The first letters of each line spell out a word or phrase (a name, an emotion, an object, etc.)
The first letter of each line is capitalized and the poem runs vertically down the page.
The lines don’t need to rhyme.
ACROSTIC POEM
WRITE AN ACROSTIC1. Decide what to write about.
2. Write your word down vertically.
3. Brainstorm words or phrases that describe your idea.
4. Place your brainstormed words or phrases on the lines that begin with the same letters.
5. Fill in the rest of the lines to create a poem.
Limerick A five-line “nonsense” poem written
with:– 2 lines that rhyme (couplet) – 3 lines that rhyme (triplet)
Rhyme scheme is A, A, B, B, A– Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme– Lines 3 and 4 rhyme
Lines 1, 2 and 5 have around 8 syllables each
Lines 3 and 4 have around 5 syllables each
LimerickWanda the witch on her
broom
Swept through the town yelling, “ZOOM!”
Through a perchance of luck
Never heard the big truck
And she zoomed on her broom to her doom
~ Graeme King
It was quite a frightening night
The ghosts and the witches took flight
Children all hasty
Treats very tasty
A truly remarkable sight!
~ Ryan Poole
Write a LimerickA good way to start a limerick is by making the
first line look something like this:
There once was a _________ named __________.
Or
There once was a __________ from ___________.
Then, think of words that rhyme with the NAME or the PLACE that you wrote in the first line. You’re halfway done writing an awesome limerick!
Epitaph• Writing on a tomb or headstone
• Praising or reflecting on the life of a deceased person
• Two to four lines; may be rhyming or not
• Epitaphs can be funny, or they may be beautiful. But just like the people they memorialize, they are all unique and different!
EpitaphWhile living men my
tomb do view,Remember well,
There’s room for you.
Cast a cold eye
On life, on death.
Horseman, pass by.
~ Headstone of W.B. Yeats
Here lies ANN MANN
Who lived an old maid,
But died an old Mann.
~ Cemetery in London, England
Here lies the bodyOf Jonathan BlakeHe stepped on the
gasInstead of the
brake.
EpitaphHere lays Butch.We planted him
raw.He was quick on
the triggerBut slow on the
draw.
~ Boot Hill Cemetery Tombstone, Arizona
Here lies the body
Of Edward Hyde.
We laid him here
Because he died!
I told you
I was sick.
~B.P. Roberts, 1929-1979
Write an Epitaph• Think of a name (a made-up person… not
real!)• Think of a way that person may have
died• List some possible characteristics for
that person• Think of some words that rhyme with
their name, traits, or the way they died• Write a short poem about that person,
their life, or the way they died• Be as funny, descriptive, or lovely as you
like!
POETRY IMITATION:THE RED WHEELBARROW BY WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS
POETRY IMITATIONThrough Poetry Imitation, we can use what we know about parts of speech, sensory language, and imagery to create an original poem.
When imitating a poem, you should strive to imitate the style of the writer as closely as possible.
Replace the adjectives in the poem with other adjectives, the nouns with other nouns, and the prepositions with other prepositions.
So much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with
rain water beside the
white chickens
So much depends upon a green book shelf packed with
good stories in the
bustling classroom
NOW: CREATE YOUR OWN POETRY IMITATION
So much depends
upon a red wheelbarrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens
So much depends upon
______ _______ ________________
______ _______ ________________
______ _______ _________________
the noun
description of the noun(adjectival phrase)Where it is (prepositional phrase)
Diamante PoemUnrhymed seven-line poem
Written in a diamond shape
Has a specific set of rules:
Line 1 and 7 have one word (noun)Line 2 and 6 have two words
(adjectives)Line 3 and 5 have three words (all
verbs)Line 4 has four words (all nouns)
Diamante PoemCat
Gentle, SleepyPurring, Meowing,
ScratchingWhiskers, Fur, Collar, Leash
Barking, Licking, Digging
Slobbery, PlayfulDog
MonstersEvil, Spooky
Howling, Shrieking, Wailing
Ghosts, Vampires, Goblins, WitchesFlying, Scaring,
TerrifyingCreepy, Crawly
Creatures
Write a Diamante Poem1. Pick a thing you’d like to write about (lines 1 & 7
are nouns).
2. Do you want to write a synonym or antonym
diamante? For a synonym diamante, pick
another noun that means the same as your subject.
For an antonym diamante, pick another noun that
means the opposite of your subject.
3. Make two columns and put your nouns at the top of
each. Under each noun, list all the words you can
think of that remind you of that word.
4. Follow the rules to arrange your diamante. The top
half of the diamante should be words from the first
column, and the bottom half should be words from
the second column.
Diamante and Parts of Speech
SunFiery, Yellow
Burning, Blinding, Exploding
Flame, Light, Night, Crescent
Shining, Orbiting, Reflecting
Cold, SilverMoon
nounadjective, adjectiveverb, verb, verb noun, noun, noun,
nounverb, verb, verb
adjective, adjectivenoun
EXTRA CREDIT & PRE-AP ENRICHMENT
“The Witch”Identify rhyme scheme, figurative language, poetic techniques, sensory language
“This is Just to Say”Imitate this apology poem by following the formula on the slide. Think of something to apologize for (but for which you’re not really sorry!)
Cinquain PoemFollow the rules to write a cinquain poem!
THIS IS JUST TO SAYWILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMSAPOLOGY POEM
I have eaten the plumsthat were inthe icebox and whichyou were probablysavingfor breakfast Forgive methey were deliciousso sweetand so cold
I have ________________ ______________ ____ __________ _______________ ______
_____ ________________ ________ ________ ______ _______ ________________ ______
________ __________ ____ ______________ ____________ ____ _____
What you didWhy it
affected someone elseWhy you aren’t really sorry
Cinquain PoemDaughter
Child of my heartLaughing,
dancing, dreaming
With you, the angels smiled on
me.Sweetness.
~ Ms. Cox
Inspired by Japanese Haiku
A cinquain poem can be written in several formats
The original format is: Line 1: two syllables Line 2: four syllables Line 3: six syllables Line 4: eight syllables Line 5: two syllables