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- 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.
1) Acrostics
1) Acrostics
The first letter of each line spells a word.
That word is the topic of the poem.
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
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
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
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
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
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
7) Free Verse
7) Free Verse
Uses spaces and punctuation thoughtfully.
Usually has no rhyme or syllable count.
Uses alliteration, onomatopoeia, sensory imagery, personification and good description words.
Fog
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
~Carl Sandburg
Poetic Language
Poetic Language
alliteration using the same sound at the beginning of words
A frightening flurry of feathers and fur
Smooth strawberry soft-serve ice cream
onomatopoeia sound words
meow, bang, zap
imagery using descriptive words to show sensory information
simile comparing 2 things using “like” or “as”
Red sounds like a fire-truck siren blaring.
The tiger’s eyes shone as bright as the sun.
personification giving an object the qualities of a person
Lightning danced across the sky.
The old car coughed and complained.
rhyming using words that sound the same in the last syllable
Have you ever seen bananas, wearing pyjamas?
Hickory dickory dock, the mouse went up the clock.
syllables parts of words with one vowel sound that you say together
happy - ha ppy (2) smile - smil (1)
helicopter - he li cop ter (4)
Rule of 3 putting 3 descriptive words together sounds good
The morning was beautiful, sunny and warm.
The students were calm, cool, and collected.
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