Poetry Is the Type of Thing a Poet Writes

Poetry Packet

“Poetry is the type of thing a poet writes.”

Robert Frost

Part I: Elements of a poem

1. What is Poetry? It is a ______which expresses ______and ideas using ______and ______.

2. Rhythm - ______

______

______

• Sometimes the rhythm is a ______one, and sometimes it’s more ______, but it’s not there by accident. Poets arrange their words in such a way as to create those ______.
• Unlike a song, poems don’t have drums. The rhythm is set by the ______or ______in the words.
• In most words that have more than one ______, one of the syllables is pronounced more strongly than the others. We say that this syllable is ______or ______

3. Meter - ______

______.

Iamb - a unit of rhythm in poetry that consists of one syllable that is ______followed by one syllable that is ______or ______.

An iamb = Two syllables : da DUM.

Iambic dimeter = Two iambs: da DUM / da DUM

Iambic trimeter= Three iambs: da DUM / da DUM / da DUM

Iambic tetrameter = four iambs:

da DUM / da DUM / da DUM / da DUM

Iambic pentameter=Five iambs:

4. Rhyme - ______. In poetry, rhyme is often at the ______of a ______.

-Eye rhyme-rhymes only when ______. For example, “through” and “rough.”
-End rhyme, the rhyming of the ______syllables of a line.

5. Rhyme Scheme - A “rhyme scheme” is a way of describing the ______ in a poem.

Each new sound at the end of a line is given a letter, starting with “A,” then “B,” and so on. If an end sound repeats the end sound of an earlier line, it gets the same letter as the earlier line.

My cat is nice.

My cat likes mice.

My cat is fat.

I like my cat.

What is the rhyme scheme of this poem:______

Let’s try another…

My cat is nice.

My cat is fat.

My cat likes mice.

I like my cat.

What is the rhyme scheme? ______

Or another...

My cat is gray.

My cat is fat.

My cat is cute.

I like my cat.

Rhyme Scheme: ______

6. Repetition – Poets repeat sounds and words for rhythmical effect.

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-
Only this, and nothing more."

7. Figurative Language -Most poems make use of the types of figurative language we’ve learned: ______,

______, ______,

______.

Other types of figurative language poems use are alliteration and assonance.

Alliteration - ______

______

______

______.

Assonance is when a writer repeats the ______sounds in the stressed syllables of words.

Example: ”My rabbit whacked my ear.”The words “rabbit whacked” are an example of assonance because they both contain a “short a” sound on the stressed syllable.

Note:Alliteration and assonance do not have to have the sameletters; just the same sounds. So for example, “falling phone” is alliterative and “flying high” is assonant, because they repeat the same sounds even though they don’t repeat the same letters.

Exercise:

1. Read the following poem.
2. Underline the alliterative words in each line.
3. Circle the assonant words in each line.

Hint: Sometimes words can be both alliterative and assonant.

My Puppy Punched Me In the Eye

My puppy punched me in the eye.
My rabbit whacked my ear.
My ferret gave a frightful cry
and roundhouse kicked my rear.

My lizard flipped me upside down.
My kitten kicked my head.
My hamster slammed me to the ground
and left me nearly dead.

So my advice? Avoid regrets;
no matter what you do,
don’t ever let your family pets
take lessons in kung fu.

–Kenn Nesbitt

Famous Poets:

Part II - Styles of Poetry

1. Couplet–A two-line poem or ______, usually rhyming.

In the world of mules

There are no rules.

Ogden Nash

2.Ballad – A ballad tells a ______, often coming from local history or legend and often involving lost love or tragedy. Some are written in couplets, others in six-line stanzas. Some are set to ______.

A bunch of the boys were whooping it up

In the Malamute saloon;

The kid that handles the music-box

Was hitting a jag-time tune;

Back of the bar, in a solo game,

Sat dangerous Dan McGrew,

And watching his luck was his light-of-love,

The lady that’s known as Lou.

Selection from “The Shooting of Dan McGrew” by Robert W. Serice

Well the south side of Chicago
Is the baddest part of town
And if you go down there
You better just beware
Of a man name of Leroy Brown

A selection from “Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown,” by Jim Croce

3. The Sonnet – There are two types of sonnets: Italian and Shakespearean. Both are ______lines long, usually written in ______Pentameter (5 iambs, 10 syllables, accent on every other syllable).

4. Haiku – three unrhymed lines and ___ syllables, arranged in lines of ______They often describe scenes in nature.

In the rains of spring,

An umbrella and raincoat

“Spring Rain,” by Buson

5. Limerick – A ______-line poem with a rhyme scheme of ______. It has a bouncy rhythm and is usually humorous.

There was an old lady whose folly

Induced her to sit in a holly;

Whereupon, by a thorn

Her dress being torn,

She quickly became melancholy

Edward Lear

6. Acrostic – descriptive poems in which the _____ letter of each line spells out the ______of the poem.

Can’t

Avoid

Trouble

Paul Janeczko

7. Concrete Poem – The words of the poem are arranged in the ______of the subject.

Amelia Cramped

in the

cockpit

likeabirdinabox

theicecakedwings theicecakedwings

shebringsjuice

toothbrush&comb

couragethewill

tofly15hours

without

stop

throughdarkdanger

the

Atlantic

Sky

“Amelia Cramped” by Monica Kulling

8. List Poem – takes a simple, every day ______in order to describe something in detail. It can be rhymed or unrhymed.

Home address:

“Shady Lawn”

Working hours:

Dusk till dawn

Hobbies/Sports:

Likes to climb

Special skills

Making slimeSelection from“Slug File” by Avis Harley