Poetry

Poems concentrate on descriptions and feelings.

They use a few carefully picked interesting words to give an impression.

Many types of poems have particular rules. Sometimes these rules are about the kinds of words you use. Sometimes they are about rhyme (ends of words that sound the same) or meter (the number of syllables in a line.)

Poems can be about anything, but they often detail a moment.

Poems are often quite short but they can be as long as novels.

Check out this poem written by Asha Christensen when she was in grade 7. Listen to how she reads it so dramatically. We will be doing a poetry slam at the end of this unit.


And here is Canadian Slam Poet Shane Koyczan delivering a poem about Canada at the opening of the Vancouver Olympics.

1) Acrostic

Rules:

Pick a word that will be your topic.

Write that word down the page so every line starts with a letter of that word.


Example:

Measuring length, area, and perimeter

Adding, subtracting, multiplying & dividing

Triangle, rhombus, and parallelogram

Hard at work with markers and whiteboards,

Everyone writes, erases, and writes again

Making

Answers where there were only questions

Thinking in new ways

Integers, fractions, decimals...

Computers have nothing on us, we can

Solve any problem.

2) Sensory Poems

  • Use your 5 senses to describe one thing (usually a colour).

  • Use similes .

Black

looks like midnight, deep in a silent cedar forest

sounds muffled like a pillow over your ears

smells earthy like mud and rotting leaves in the spring

tastes like the salty licorice wheels that only my dad and I like

feels like mysterious cool, deep water that invites you in

3) Cinquains

General one word topic (vague)

Two interesting adjectives

Three -ing action words

A four word phrase that captures the feeling

Specific one word topic

*Put into a diamond shape.

Planet

Graceful, ringed

Spinning, whirling, twirling

Dances with neighbour Jupiter

Saturn

4) List Poems

  • Topic is at the beginning or end (or both).

  • There is a list of items including unusual or unexpected things.

  • They may have rhyming couplets.

  • They are often humourous.

"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

I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,

I'm sure that my left leg is broke.

-Shel Silverstein

5) Haiku

  • First line has 5 syllables.

  • Second line has 7 syllables.

  • Third line has 5 syllables.

  • They are usually about a brief moment in nature.

swirling in the wind

teasing kids ready to slide

the first few flakes fall

6) Quatrains

They have 4 lines with at least two lines that rhyme at the end.

You can choose your rhyme scheme. ABAB AABB, etc.

The crocodile, with a cunning smile, sat in the dentist's chair.

He said, "Right here and everywhere my teeth require repair."

The dentist's face was turning white. He quivered, quaked & shook.

He muttered, "I suppose I'm going to have to take a look."

-Roald Dahl