Sixth Grade Poetry Mini Lesson

Poetry for Beginners

Parts of a Poem

Charles Waters Poetry

American Life in Poetry

ReadWriteThink

Poetry 4 Kids

Irene Latham's Website

Poem: Special kind of writing that uses words in a creative and artistic way to express feelings, thoughts, or ideas. 

Anecdote: A short, funny, or interesting story that someone tells to share a personal experience or make a point. 

Quote: To repeat or write down exactly what someone else said. 

Tone: The mood or feeling of the poem. It's how the poet's attitude comes through in their words.

Imagery: When a writer uses words to create pictures in the reader's mind. 

Symbolize: Using objects, actions, or ideas to represent deeper meanings or concepts. 

Theme: The main idea or message that the poem is trying to share. 

Speaker: The voice or character talking in the poem. It might be the poet themselves or someone made up by the poet. 

Comparison: When you look at two or more things to see how they are similar or different. 

Figure of Speech: When you use words in a way that goes beyond their literal meaning to create a special effect or paint a vivid picture in someone's mind. 

Personification: Giving human traits or actions to things that aren't human 

Metaphor: A figure of speech that compares two things by saying one thing is another thing, even though they're not literally the same 

Rhetorical Question: Asking something, but you don't really expect an answer; used to make a point or emphasize something.

Rhyme Scheme: Refers to the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line in a poem. 

Synonyms: Words or phrases that have similar meanings to another word or phrase in the same language. 

Before Reading: 

Personal values determine our priorities and action which in turn for our identities and how we relate to others. From the list of words linked here, choose ten words that you feel reflect your values or who you feel you are. After choosing the ten select three of the characteristics that you consider non- negotiables in your life. Instruct students to discuss in a small group or with a partner how and why these words define you. 

During Reading:

Reading poetry can be tricky for students. By demonstrating a structured approach to reading a poem, teachers can help students navigate these complexities and develop effective comprehension strategies. Modeling the process step-by-step allows students to observe how to identify key literary elements such as imagery, symbolism, and tone, and how to analyze their impact on the poem's meaning. Through guided instruction, students gain confidence in their ability to engage with poetry critically and meaningfully, ultimately enhancing their comprehension skills and fostering a greater appreciation for the art form. 

After Reading:

Discussing poems as a class encourages active listening, communication skills, and the ability to articulate thoughts and ideas effectively. By engaging in group discussions, students have the opportunity to explore diverse interpretations, share personal insights, and collaboratively analyze the language, imagery, and themes of the poem. Click here for discussion questions for the poems throughout the book.

Found Poems 

The purpose of found poems is to creatively repurpose existing text to craft new works of poetry. By extracting words, phrases, or passages from sources such as newspapers, advertisements, or other written material, found poetry transforms ordinary language into artistic expression.