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ELEMENTS OF POETRYhttp://elsapla.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/poetry-elements-partial-list.pdf

(Structure, Sound, Imagery, Figurative Language, Elements o Fiction, Poetic Forms!

"# STR$%T$RE

&' Poetic Line the words that form a single line of poetry.

Example: Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the houseis the well-known firstpoetic line of A Visit from Saint Nicholas !y "lement "larke #oore.

' Stan)a a section of a poem named for the n$m!er of lines it contains.

Example: A couplet is a stan%a of two lines. &he first stan%a from 'ar!ara (rietchie !y )ohn*reenleaf +ittier is a co$plet:

Up from the meadows rich with corn,Clear in the cool September morn.

*' En+amment when there is no written or nat$ral pa$se at the end of a poetic line, so that theword-flow carries oer to the next line.

Example: the following lines from noxille, &ennessee !y Nikki *ioanni containen/am!ment:

and listen togospel musicoutsideat the church

homecoming

-' Placement the way words and poetic lines are placed on the page of a poem.

Example: &he following are creatiely-placed lines from a poem !y E.E. "$mmings:

inJust-spring when the world is mud-luscious the littlelame ballonman

whistles far and wee

.' /erse a line in traditional poetry that is written in meter.

Example: 0n hen ! do count the cloc" that tells the timefrom Shakespeare s Sonnet N$m!er &wele, the $nderlined sylla!les are accented, giing theline a metric pattern known as an iam!ic pentameter1see #eter2.

0' %a1itali)ation and Punctuation 0n poetry, r$les of capitali%ation and p$nct$ation are notalways followed3 instead, they are at the serice of the poet s artistic ision.

Example: in our bac"#ard

we plant

tomatoes

is the first stan%a from 4a$ghing &omatoes !y (rancisco 5. Alarc6n. Notice the lack ofcapitali%ation and p$nct$ation.

2# SO$N3S

http://elsapla.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/poetry-elements-partial-list.pdfhttp://elsapla.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/poetry-elements-partial-list.pdf

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&' R4yt4m the !asic !eat in a line of a poem.

Example$ hose woods these are, ! thin" ! "nowis the first line from Stopping !y +oods ona Snowy Eening !y 7o!ert (rost. Notice that the accented words 1$nderlined2 gie the line adistinctie !eat.

' Meter a pattern of stressed and $nstressed 1accented and $naccented2 sylla!les 1known as a

foot2 in a line of poetry.

Example: 0n an iambic pentameter, the pattern is fie iam!ic 1$naccented 8 accented2 feet ineach line 1see Verse2.

*' End R4yme same or similar so$nds at the end of words that finish different lines.

Example: &he following are the first two rhyming lines from &he ing of "ats Sends a 9ostcardto is +ife !y Nancy +illard:

%eep #our whis"ers crisp and clean,

&o not let the mice grow lean,

-' Internal R4yme same or similar so$nds at the end of words within a line.

Example: A line showing internal rhyme 1$nderlined2 from &he 7a!!it !y Eli%a!eth #addox7o!erts:

hen the# said the time to hide was mine,

.' R4yme Sc4eme a pattern of rhyme in a poem.

Example: A quatrain a stan%a of fo$r lines in which the second and fo$rth lines rhyme hasthe following rhyme scheme: a!c! 1see ;$atrain2.

0' "ssonance the repetition of owel so$nds within words in a line.

Example: A line showing assonance 1$nderlined2 from A Visit from Saint Nicholas !y "lement"larke #oore:

The children were nestled all snug in their beds

5' %onsonance the repetition of consonant so$nds within words in a line.

Example: A line showing consonance 1$nderlined2 from A Visit from Saint Nicholas !y

"lement "larke #oore:

'ot a creature was stirring, not e(en a mouse

6' "lliteration the repetition of consonant so$nds at the !eginning of words.

Example: Notice the alliteration 1$nderlined2 in Sarah C#nthia S#l(ia Stout ould 'ot Ta"e the)arbage *ut !y Shel Silerstein.

7' Onomato1oeia words that so$nd like their meaning.

Example: bu++, swish, hiss, gulp.

&8' Re1etition so$nds, words, or phrases that are repeated to add emphasis or create rhythm.9arallelism is a form of repetition.

Examples: &wo lines from )a!!erwocky !y 4ewis "arroll showing parallelism:

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eware the Jabberwoc", m# sonThe aws that bite, the claws that catch

7ead the poem &he 'ells !y Edgar Allan 9oe and listen to the way the repetition of the word!ells adds rhythm and creates an increasingly omino$s and mor!id mood.

&&' Rerain a line or stan%a repeated oer and oer in a poem or song.

Example: 0n )ingle 'ells, the following refrain is repeated after eery stan%a:

Jingle ells, ingle bells,Jingle all the wa#*h, what fun it is to ride!n a one-horse open sleigh

&' 9ord Play to play with the so$nds and meanings of real or inented words.

Example: &wo lines from the poem Synonyms !y S$san #oger:

Claptrap, bombast, rodomontade,

/ogwash, argon, and rant

&wo lines from the poem Antonio !y 4a$ra E. 7ichards:

0ntonio, 0ntonio,

as tired of li(ing alonio.

%# IM":ERY (see also Imagist Poetry!

&' Precise Language the $se of specific words to descri!e a person, place, thing, or action.

Example: Notice how 9a$l '. )anec%ko $ses proper no$ns in his poem 7eerend #ona:

hen the elders said she was too old,1e(erend 2onasurrendered her tabernaclene3t to 4ast 4ran"ie s 5awn Shop

' Sensory 3etails the $se of descriptie details that appeal to one or more of the fie senses.

Example: Notice the sensory details in the following lines from &he Sea !y )ames 7eees:

The giant sea dog moans,6ic"ing his greas# paws.

3# FI:$R"TI/E L"N:$":E

&' Simile a comparison of two $nlike things, $sing the words like or as.

Example: ! read the shoreline li"e an open (olume.

' Meta14or a comparison of two $nlike things, not $sing the words like or as.

Example: 1ibbons of sea foam 7 wrap the emerald island.

*' Personiication to ascri!e h$man traits to non-h$man or non-liing things.

Example: The unfurled sailboat glides on 7 urged b# wind and will and brilliant bliss.

-' Symolism a person, place, thing, or action that stands for something else.

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Example: 0n (rom #other to Son !y 4angston $ghes, a set of stairs sym!oli%es life.

.' ;y1erole the $se of exaggeration to express strong emotion or create a comical effect.

Example: ! m so hungr# ! could eat a hippo.

0' /eral Irony or Sarcasm when yo$ mean the opposite of what yo$ say.

Example: 2# darling brother is the sweetest bo# on 8arth, she muttered sarcasticall#.

5' Situational Irony when the o$tcome of a sit$ation is the opposite of what is expected.

Example: 0fter man# #ears of tr#ing, 2r. Smith won the lotter# -- and immediatel# died of aheart attac".

6' Pun a h$moro$s phrase that plays with the do$!le meaning or the similar so$nds of words.

Examples: &omorrow yo$ shall find me a grae man, said the d$ke on his death!ed. &he

cook!ook 6unch on the 1un !y Sam +itch is awesome.

7' "llusion- a reference to a familiar person, place, or eent.

Example: &he following two lines from the poem #y #$se contain an all$sion to 9andora s'ox:

hunched o(er from carr#ing thatold familiar o3

&8' Idiom - a c$lt$ral expression that cannot !e taken literally.

Examples: She is the apple of his e#e. /e dri(es me up the wall.

E# ELEMENTS OF FI%TION 19oems may contain some or all elements of fiction. (or example, anarratie poem 1a poem that tells a story2 may contain all elements.2

&' Setting the time and place where a story or poem takes place.

'Point o /ie< = Narrative /oice the person narrating a story or poem 1the story

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&&' T4eme and Message the main topic of a story or poem, and the message the a$thor or poetwants to coney a!o$t that topic.

F# T9ENTY POETI% FORMS

&' "crostic a poem in which the first letter of each word forms a word $s$ally a name if readdownward.

Example: 0 1oc" 0crostic !y Ais arley.

' %ou1let two lines of poetry that rhyme and $s$ally form one complete idea.

Example: &he poem Catch a 6ittle 1h#me!y Ee #erriam is written in co$plets.

*' ;ai?u - a )apanese three-line poetic form $s$ally a!o$t nat$re with lines of three, seen,and fie sylla!les, respectiely.

Example: ! call to m# lo(e

on mornings ripe with sunlight.The songbirds answer.

-'@uatrain a stan%a made $p of fo$r lines, often containing a rhyme scheme.

Example: The Toaster!y +illiam )ay Smith.

.' %in>uain a fie-line $ntitled poem, where the sylla!le pattern increases !y two for each line,except for the last line, which ends in two sylla!les 1=,>,?,@.=2.

Example: &he cin$ain that !egins with Bh, cat !y 9a$l '. )anec%ko.

0' Limeric? a h$moro$s rhyming poem written in fie lines and haing a partic$lar meter. 0t often!egins with &here once was aC

Example: 6imeric"s!y Edward 4ear.

5' Sonnet a poem that is D> lines long, generally written in iam!ic pentameter.

Example: Sonnet 99:!y +illiam Shakespeare.

6' Free /erse a poem that does not follow a predicta!le form or rhyme scheme or metricpattern.

Example: 2other to Son!y 4angston $ghes.

7' List or %atalog Poem a poem in the form of a list, that $ses sensory details and preciselang$age to pers$ade the reader to take notice of what is !eing listed.

Example: Things To &o !f ;ou 0re a Subwa#!y 7o!!i at%.

&8' /illanelle a challenging poetic form that incl$des fie tercets 1a!a rhyme2 followed !y a

$atrain 1a!aa rhyme2 and a pattern of repetition of lines D and of the first stan%a.

Example$ !s There a

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Example: ! andered 6onel# as a Cloud !y +illiam +ordsworth.

&*' 2lan? /erse a poem written in iam!ic pentameter, !$t with no rhyme.

Example: Verses in 1omeo and Juliet !y +illiam Shakespeare.

&-' 2lues Poem poems that like !l$es songs deal with personal or world iss$es.

Example: 8(ening 0ir lues!y 4angston $ghes.

&.' Nonsense Poem a f$n, $s$ally rhyming poem that makes no sense, foc$sing instead on theso$nds and the rhythm of the poem.

Example: The Jumblies !y Edward 4ear.

&0' %oncrete Poem a poem that $ses words to form the shape of the s$!/ect of the poem 1alsoknown as a shape poem2.

Example: Concrete Cat !y Forth "harles.

&5' Narrative Poem a poem that tells a story.

Example: The Sneetches b# &r. Seuss1&heodor *eisel2.

&6' 2allad a poem that tells a story, $s$ally written in fo$r-line stan%as.

Example: The rec" of the /esperus!y enry +adsworth 4ongfellow.

&7' E1ic Poem a long and heroic narratie poem.

Example$ The *d#sse#!y omer.

8' Imagist Poetry poems that contain precise is$al images.

Example: The 1ed heelbarrow!y +illiam "arlos +illiams.

2I2LIO:R"P;Y

all, Fonald. The *3ford !llustrated oo" of 0merican Children s 5oems. Bxford: Bxford

Gniersity 9ress, DHHH.

arley, Ais. 4l# ith 5oetr#. onesdale: 'oyds #ills 9ress 0nc. =III

eidrich, Felana. 4igurati(el# Spea"ing. 'otsford: &he 4earning +orks, 0nc., =II>.

)anec%ko, 9a$l '. 0 %ic" in the /ead. New Jork: Scholastic, =II?.

)anec%ko, 9a$l '. /ow to rite 5oetr#. New Jork: Scholastic 0nc., DHHH.

)anec%ko, 9a$l '. 7eading 9oetry in the #iddle *rades. 9ortsmo$th: einemann, =IDD.

)anec%ko, 9a$l '.Teaching 9> 4abulous 4orms of 5oetr#. New Jork: Scholastic, =II?.

#oger, S$san. 0 5oem for 8(er# &a# New Jork: Scholastic, =II?.

N$ll, athleen "hristopher. /ow to rite 0 5oem. +estminster: &eacher "reated #aterials 0nc.,

DHH@.

Brndorf, Eleanor. 5oetr# 5atterns. #onterey: Ean-#oor Ed$cational 9$!lishers, DHHH.

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9ro!st, 7o!ert E., )ohn #alcolm 'rinnin, and others. 8lements of 6iterature. A$stin: olt,

7inehart and +inston, =II. 1&he sections on poetry.2

1eader s /andboo"7o!!, 4a$ra, 7on lemp, and +endell Schwart%. . +ilmington: *reatSo$rce

Ed$cation *ro$p, =II=. p. >>?->?H.

Silerman, Sarita "hae%. 1ead and Understand 5oetr#. #onterey: Ean-#oor Ed$cational

9$!lishers, =IIK.

Swit%er, Stephen E. ed. 5oetr#. St. 4o$is: #cFonald 9$!lishing "ompany, 0nc., DHLH.

Sword, Eli%a!eth a$ge. 0 Child s 0ntholog# of 5oetr#. New Jork: Scholastic, 0nc., DHHK.

+olf, Allan. !mmersed in