Types of Poetry

Poetry Terms

Stanza- a grouped set of lines within a poem that follows a set rhyme scheme or structure.

Verse- a grouped set of lines within a poem; looks like a “paragraph” and is similar to a stanza, but does not follow any particular structure or rhyme scheme.

Rhyming Pattern- shows the pattern in which the lines of a poem rhyme.

Rhyme Scheme

Some poems have a rhyming pattern.

• Rhyme scheme shows the pattern in which the lines of a poem rhyme.

• Alphabetical letters are used to illustrate the rhyming pattern. Ex: ABCABCABC

• Each line that has the same letter will rhyme.

Rhyming Pattern Example:

Roses are a treat, AViolets are blue. BSugar is sweet, AAnd so are you! B

This poem follows an ABAB rhyming pattern.

Types of Poetry

• Haiku• Concrete • Limerick• Free Verse • Clerihew • Diamante

These are just a few types of poetry.

Haiku Haiku is an old form of Japanese poetry.• It only has three lines.• The lines do not rhyme.• One important rule…You must have the right number of syllables in each line!Haiku syllable rules: Line One: 5 syllablesLine Two: 7 syllablesLine Three: 5 syllables

Haiku is usually about nature.

The birds now sing spring.The grass is starting to green.

Winter is over.

Concrete

A poem that takes the shape of the item it is describing.

Must contain at least 6 different describing words.

Concrete Example Windshield Wiper

fog smog fog smog tissue paper tissue paper clear the blear clear the blear fog more fog more splat splat downpour rubber scraper rubber scraper overshoes macintosh bumbershoot muddle on slosh through slosh through drying up drying up sky lighter sky lighter nearly clear nearly clear clearing clearing veer clear here clear

~Eve Merriam~

Limerick

A short, funny poem that is five lines long.

• The first, second, and fifth lines rhyme with each other.

• The third and fourth lines rhyme with each other.

*The rhyming pattern is AABBA

Limerick Example

There was an little girl on a hill, AWho seldom, if ever, stood still; AShe ran up and down, BIn her Grandmother's gown, B Which adorned that little girl on a hill. A

Free Verse

A poem that does not follow a fixed pattern or rhyme scheme while still providing artistic expression. These poems are just how they sound, free from any type of structure! They are free to look and sound however the poet chooses. • In this way, the poet can give his own shape to a

poem how he/she desires. However, it still allows poets to use figurative language, rhyme, or rhythms to get the effects that they consider suitable for the piece.

AutumnBy: Fern (from “Authur” on PBS)

Wind Blowing brisklyLeaves fall

From The

Trees We rake Colored leavesIn A Big Pile.

And jump.

Don’t be Afraid

to let your wordsplay on the pageLet them line up like soldiers on parade.Let

themdash

downstairs.

Letthemfallfastand CRASH on the grasssss.

Or skip from rock to rock across a stream.To emphasize a word, make it livealoneon its very own line.Add stanza breaks or dashes to make the reader stop – Play with punctuation.Ellipses make words trail off…Parentheses add subtlety (to a sly aside).Indent a line

to expand on a thoughtof the line that came before.

Let your words build and explode! them in air.Let linger theLet them slink aways l o w l ytill they’re barely even there. Wolf, Allan. (2006). Immersed in verse. New York, NY: Lark Books

Clerihew

One stanza of four lines that follows an ABAB rhyming pattern.

Clerihews are silly poems about you, your friends, or a famous person.

Little Becky loves to read.For piles of books she has a need.

But her mother often wishesShe’d take a break and do the dishes.

Diamante• In the shape of a diamond, it does not rhyme and does not

use complete sentences. • It can be about one or two topics. A Venn diagram is helpful

First line- 1 word- Topic (noun)Second line- 2 words- two describing words (adjectives)Third line- 3 words- three action words (verbs ending with “ing”)Fourth line- 4 words- a four-word phrase that connects the two

nouns (in the first and seventh lines)Fifth line- 3 words- three action words (verbs ending with “ing”)Sixth line- 2 words- two describing words (adjectives)Seventh line- 1 word- noun

Format• 1 noun A

• 2 adjectives A• 3 action words (verb+ing) A

• 2 nouns A + 2 nouns B• 3 action words (verb+ing) B

• 2 adjectives B• 1 noun B

EmotionsBy Mooil

LoveWonderful, beautiful

Caring, liking, thinkingInnocence, smile, tear guilt

Fighting, violating, disgustingTerrible, worst

Hatred

The EarthBy Ivan

MountainHigh, rocky

Flying, looking, killingEagle, power, fear, rabbit

Living, moving, making noiseDeep, beautiful

Valley

Let’s try!

Begin by creating a Venn diagram to compare and contrast two things/objects (use plenty of adjectives and verbs when comparing and contrasting). After completing a Venn diagram, you will use the information to construct a diamond shaped poem.

Madisonsmall, kind

teaching, caring, loving,friend, daughter, son, buddy

running, jumping, playingblue-eyed, athletic

Nick

Narrative

Tells a story in verse. It is like a short story in that it has a plot and characters.

Example: http://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/dream_card_639787

Lyric

Expresses a single speaker’s thoughts and feelings. Often has highly musical verses. Think Dr. Seuss!

Example: http://ftjohnson.ccsdschools.com/common/pages/displayfile.aspx?itemid=12424527