POETRY UNIT 5

What is poetry?

Poetry is the most concentrated form of

literature.

It makes every word, every syllable, and every

punctuation mark count for something.

All good poems allow the reader to

experience the power and magic of words in a

way that no other form of literature can.

Poetry Form Review

Poetry is arranged by lines and stanzas.

A line is a horizontal row of words, which may or

may not form a complete sentence.

A stanza is a group of lines forming a unit and

separated from the next stanza by a space.

The speaker is the voice that communicates with

the reader of the poem. A speaker can be the

voice of a person, an animal, or even a thing.

Poetry Sounds Review

Rhyme is the repetition of sounds in poetry.

Internal rhyme occurs within lines of poetry.

External rhyme occurs at the ends of lines.

Rhyme scheme is the pattern formed by

external (end) rhymes.

Repetition occurs when any word, sound or line

is repeated.

Poetry Sounds Review

Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at

the beginning of words.

Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds

within words or at the ends of words.

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within

non-rhyming words.

Onomatopoeia is the use of a word or phrase (like

snap, crackle, or pop) that imitates or suggests the

sound of what it describes.

Figurative Language Review

Simile- uses the word like or as to compare two

seemingly unlike things.

Mrs. Balas is as grumpy as “Oscar the Grouch” in

the morning.

Metaphor- compares two or more different things

by stating or implying that one thing is another.

Mrs. Balas is “Oscar the Grouch” in the morning.

Figurative Language Review

Personification- involves giving human characteristics to

an animal, object, or idea.

The chair is tired from having people sit on it all day

long.

Imagery- descriptive language used to represent objects,

feelings, and thoughts. It often appeals to one or more of

the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.

The old, wooden chair creaked and groaned under the

weight of its users who were seeking a place to rest

briefly from the long, hard work day.

Poem #1: “Those Winter Sundays”

chronic (adjective)- persistent; ongoing, especially in

sickness or pain

indifferently (adverb)- not concerned about someone

or something; without a preference

austere (adjective)- stern; severe in appearance

offices (noun)- duties and responsibilities or favors

and kindness

word part of speech

definition use it in a sentence

Poem #1 “Those Winter Sundays”

Write a poem about something from your childhood

that you appreciate and/or for which you are

grateful now BUT you were not appreciative or

grateful at the time that it was happening.

Your poem must be 3 stanzas in length.

Your poem should not rhyme.

Your poem should have alliteration and imagery.

Your poem should end in a question.

Poem #2 “Three Haiku”

A haiku is a traditional

Japanese form of poetry that

has three lines and seventeen

syllables. Haiku are usually

about nature.

The first line has five syllables.

The second line has seven

syllables.

The third line has five syllables.

Spring

Outside of this room,

Sits a lonely run down pond-

The sun shines on it.

Justin McCord

He sings songs all day

Only thing that makes him stop

Is some free chicken

Poem #2 “Three Haiku”

Write three haiku verses about nature. You can write three separate poems with one verse each; or you can write one poem with three separate verses.

Each verse must have five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third line (17 syllables total).

No rhyme.

Possible Nature Topics

rain, rainbows, snow, snowflakes, snowmen, sunshine, sunrises, sunsets, moon,

moonlight, stars, shooting stars, flowers, leaves, autumn (fall), wind, spring, summer,

winter, oceans, rivers, creeks, ponds, animals, sand, rocks, grass, dirt, mountains,

valleys, thunderstorms, etc.

Poem #3 “Woman With Kite”

querulous (adjective)- argumentative;

uncooperative

disgruntled (adjective)- in a state of grumpy

dissatisfaction

translucent (adjective)- allowing light to pass

through; almost clear; see-through

flecking (verb)- leaving spots or streaks

word part of Speech

definition use it in a sentence!

Poem #3 “Woman With Kite”

Poem #3 “Woman With Kite”

Write a poem in a similar style to “Woman with Kite.”

Use verse paragraphs, which are like stanzas that

don’t have the same amount of lines in each.

You must have14 lines total and at least two verse

paragraphs.

You must describe an instance when you participated in an

activity (MUST BE LEGAL) that helped you to put aside

your troubles and just “let go!”

You must have at least two similes.

Your poem is not to have rhyme.

Poem #4 Sonnet 18

temperate (adjective)- calm and free from extremes

of temperature

word part of speech

definition use it in a sentence

Poem #4 Sonnet 18

A Shakespearean sonnet is always 14 lines:

3 quatrains (4 lines each)

Concluded with a couplet (2 lines)

In a sonnet, the speaker presents his/her innermost

thoughts and feelings.

Each sonnet is a complete poem that stands on its

own, although each sonnet was part of a much

larger collection about the same subject.

Poem #4 Sonnet 18

Write a sonnet on the topic of your choice

containing:

EXACTLY fourteen lines (3 quatrains and 1 couplet)

Ten syllables per line

The appropriate rhyme scheme (a, b, a, b, c, d, c, d,

e, f, e, f, g, g)

Poem #5 “I Am Offering This Poem”

mature (adjective)- having reached a desired state

of growth

dense (adjective)- thick

hogan (noun)- a traditional Native American hut

made of logs and earth

word part of speech

definition use it in a sentence

Lyric Poems

Lyric poem- a poem that expresses a

speaker’s personal thoughts and feelings. They

are usually short and focus on an emotion, a

feeling, or an object, rather than focusing on a

lesson or theme.

Poem #5

Write a lyric poem.

Requirement: You must repeat 4 times “I

______ you”

Requirement: No rhyme, unless it is subtle

Requirement: 1 simile, 1 metaphor

Requirement: 20 lines, four stanzas, same

format as “I Am Offering This Poem”

Poem #6 “Ballad of Birmingham”

preliminary (adjective)- introductory

word part of speech

definition use it in a sentence

Poem #6 “Ballad of Birmingham”

“Ballad of Birmingham” is a narrative poem.

Narrative poem- a poem that tells a story. There are

usually characters, or a story about the speaker.

There is some type of theme in mind.

Poem #6 “Ballad of Birmingham”

Beginning- a child asks his/her mother if he/she may

march for freedom in the streets of Birmingham; the

mother refuses to allow this because it may be

dangerous.

Middle- the mother allows the child to go to church

instead of the march, and is satisfied that he/she is

safe there.

End- The mother hears the explosion, and runs through

the city streets only to find her child’s shoe in a pile of

rubble. Her child has been killed.

Poem #6

Write a narrative poem about an exciting

or dramatic event in your life or in

somebody else’s.

Requirement: 28 lines, 7 stanzas, 4 lines per

stanza

Requirement: Follow “Ballad of Birmingham”

for the rhyme scheme. The second and fourth

lines of each stanza should rhyme.

Poems #7 “Dream Boogie,” “Motto,” “Harlem”

deferred (verb)- put off; postponed

This is the past tense of the verb “to defer”

fester (verb)- to become increasingly

infected or inflamed; to rot

word part of speech

definition use it in a sentence

Poem #7

Write a poem about a “dream deferred.”

You are to write from the perspective of a

teenager or an adult.

You may or may not have rhyme.

You must have 1 example of

onomatopoeia.

It should be no longer than “Harlem”.

Poem #8

Write a poem that provides advice from a parent/guardian to a child. Your poem should be teaching the child a lesson about life.

Write this poem from the perspective of a grandparent/parent/guardian.

You are to have no more than 18 lines and it should be two stanzas.

You should have at least one significant metaphor.

Poem #9

Write a short lyric poem in which you describe an emotion other than love.

You must use three similes or metaphors.

You must not name the specific emotion. Try to create your poem so that the reader has to guess, like a riddle.

Your moods are the tears on my pillow.

Your words are the soggy bits of cereal drowning in my bowl.

Your actions are the rose petals that have fallen to the ground

Neglected.

Poem #10

Write a poem about an instance or situation from

your own life when you chose to follow “the road

less traveled” and it was for the best. Meaning, you

chose your own path instead of what others were

doing and it turned out well for you.

You must have alliteration.

You must have rhyme.

You are the speaker in this poem.

Poem #11 “.05”

1. Can you infer from the poem how many rejections

the speaker has had in life? How do you know?

2. Does the lower case “i” give you a clue as to how

the speaker feels about himself?

3. What can you infer about the number of women

who have loved the speaker?

4. Do you think the speaker would rather be rich or

loved? Explain.

Poem #11

Write a two verse (stanza) lyric poem.

Each verse should start with the following

line:

“If i had a nickel for…”

Your poem should model “.05”

Poem #12 “Ex-Basketball Player”

Write a poem about a person with whom you are not very close.

In this poem, you are to describe the person’s character… their occupation… how they ended up where they are…

Your title should relate to how you described the person in the poem.

The tone of the poem should be observant, reflective, and perhaps even critical.

15 line/3 stanza minimum

Poem #13 “The Flying Cat”

1. What does the speaker imagine might happen to

her cat during the airplane trip?

2. How do you know the speaker is a worrier?

3. Why do you think she uses different voices on the

phone? How do the airline workers respond to

her?

4. How do the cat’s feelings contrast with the

speaker’s? Do you agree that an animal doesn’t

know the “rise of fear?” Why or why not?

Poem #13

Write a poem from the perspective of an animal.

Be creative with this one!

You may or may not have rhyme.

Minimum of 10 lines!

You must have a lot of imagery (sensory details). Be

descriptive!

You must have onomatopoeia!

Poetry Portfolio: Due May 6th!

Poem #2

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By Your Name

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Poem #1

Title

By Your Name

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