“POETRY IS WHEN AN EMOTION HAS FOUND ITS THOUGHT AND THE THOUGHT

HAS FOUND WORDS.”- ROBERT FROST

Elements of Poetry

Elements of Poetry

Stanza: lines of a poem grouped into a unit Example- “Doing Business” by Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz

My Daddy’s on the phone right now.He says he’s almost done.My Daddy’s doing business withA man from Washington.

My mother’s doing business, too.She’s not at home today.My mother’s doing business atHer office far away.

And I’ll be doing business with Our brand new pooper-scoop,‘Cause my puppy’s doing business on Our newly painted stoop!

Stanza 1

Stanza 2

Stanza 3

Elements of Poetry

Refrain: A group of words repeated at intervals in a poem, song or speech.

Example – B.o.b. “Airplanes”

Can we pretend that airplanesIn the night skyAre like shooting starsI could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)Can we pretend that airplanesIn the night skyAre like shooting starsI could really use a wish right now (wish right now, wish right now)

Elements of Poetry

Speaker: The voice talking in the poem, not necessarily the author.

Example – Annabelle Lee(Edgar Allan Poe’s real wife was Virginia

Clemm)

Forms of Poetry

Narrative Ballad Epic

Lyric Sonnet Ode

ElegyFree VerseCinquainHaiku

Form

Narrative

Epic Ballad

Lyric

Ode Sonnet

ElegyFree Verse

Forms of Poetry

Narrative: A poem that tells a story with plot, setting and characters Example: Captain Kidd

Form

Narrative

Epic Ballad

Lyric

Ode Sonnet

ElegyFree Verse

Captain Kidd- by Rosemary and Stephen Vincent BenetThis person in the gaudy clothes Is worthy Captain Kidd.They say he never buried gold.I think, perhaps, he did.

They say it’s all a story thatHis favorite little song,Was “Make these lubbers walk the plank!”I think, perhaps, they’re wrong.

They say he never piratedBeneath Skull-and-Bones.He merely traveled for his healthAnd spoke in soothing tones.In fact, you’ll read in nearly allThe newer history booksThat he was mild as cottage cheese-- But I don’t like his looks.

Forms of Poetry

Narrative – Epic: a long narrative poem recounting in elevated style the deeds of a legendary hero, especially one originating in oral folk tradition

Example: Beowulf

Form

Narrative

Epic Ballad

Lyric

Ode Sonnet

ElegyFree Verse

Forms of Poetry

Narrative- Ballad: intended to be sung, typically sentimental or romantic Example: “Love Story” by Taylor Swift

We were both young, when I first saw you.I close my eyes and the flashback starts-I'm standing there, on a balcony in summer air.

I see the lights; see the party, the ball gowns.I see you make your way through the crowd-You say hello, little did I know...

That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles-And my daddy said "stay away from Juliet"-And I was crying on the staircase-begging you, "Please don't go..."And I said...

Romeo take me somewhere, we can be alone.I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess,It's a love story, baby, just say yes.

So I sneak out to the garden to see you.We keep quiet, because we're dead if they knew-So close your eyes... escape this town for a little while.Oh, Oh.

Cause you were Romeo - I was a scarlet letter,And my daddy said "stay away from Juliet" -but you were everything to me-I was begging you, "Please don't go"And I said...

StanzaRomeo take me somewhere, we can be alone.I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess.It's a love story, baby, just say yes-

Romeo save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel.This love is difficult, but it's real.Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess.It's a love story, baby, just say yes.Oh, Oh.

I got tired of waiting.Wondering if you were ever coming around.My faith in you was fading-When I met you on the outskirts of town.And I said...

Romeo save me, I've been feeling so alone.I keep waiting, for you but you never come.Is this in my head, I don't know what to think-He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said...

Marry me Juliet, you'll never have to be alone.I love you, and that's all I really know.I talked to your dad -- go pick out a white dressIt's a love story, baby just say... yes.Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh.

'cause we were both young when I first saw you

Forms of Poetry

Free Verse: A poem with no fixed form or rhyme scheme. Example- “Harlem Night Song” by Langston Hughes

Form

Narrative

Epic Ballad

Lyric

Ode Sonnet

ElegyFree Verse

Come, Let us roam the night togetherSinging.

I love you.

AcrossThe Harlem roof-topsMoon is shining.Night sky is blue.Stars are great dropsOf golden dew.

Down the streetA band is playing

I love you.

Come,Let us roam the night togetherSinging.

Forms of Poetry

Lyric: Poems that express the speaker’s feelings Ode- A poem that celebrates something

Example: Sonnet – Has 14 lines and ends in a couplet

Rhyme Scheme for a sonnetabab, cdcd, efef, gg

Form

Narrative

Epic Ballad

Lyric

Ode Sonnet

ElegyFree Verse

Forms of Poetry

Ode – A poem that celebrates something.

Form

Narrative

Epic Ballad

Lyric

Ode Sonnet

ElegyFree Verse

Ode to a Blackberry – by Misael Venturo

BlackberryOh I love your tasteYour juices fill my mouth with water and flavor,Your color tempts meTo suck all the juice and dry you out.You are the fruit of my dreams, You are my thoughts and my pleasure,Your tremendous taste has no name.

Forms of Poetry

Sonnet – Has 14 lines and ends in a couplet Example:

The moon shines upon the glassy surface (A)of the hidden black lake in the forest. (B)The stars glistening in the blue sky's place,(A)the moon illuminates the trees at rest (B)as they gently sway in the silent wind. (C)Suddenly, the forest has changed;(D)the sky is now lit with the forest's end. (C)Fire engulfs all in its path deranged, (D)consuming the trees and burning the land. (E)The fire moves quickly, making a path; (F)leaving behind a barren wasteland.(E)Through the flames and smoke, a menacing wrath (F)disturbs the once beautiful hidden lake, (G)for the beauty with it the flames will take. (G)

“Hidden Beauty, Forever Broken” by laraelizabeth

Form

Narrative

Epic Ballad

Lyric

Ode Sonnet

ElegyFree Verse

Forms of Poetry

Elegy: A poem that mourns the loss of something. Example: “A Dirge”- by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Form

Narrative

Epic Ballad

Lyric

Ode Sonnet

ElegyFree Verse

Rough Wind, that moanest loud Grief too sad for song; Wild wind, when sullen cloud Knells all the night long; Sad storm, whose tears are vain, Bare woods, whose branches strain, Deep caves and dreary main, _ Wail, for the world's wrong! -- 

Shelley is mourning the deaths ofKeats, and his son, William.

A Dirge is a song that is sung at a funeral.

Poetic Devices

Simile: a comparison of two things using “like”, “as”, or “than”Anna Nalick – Breathe2 AM and she calls me 'cause I'm still awake,"Can you help me unravel my latest mistake?,I don't love him. Winter just wasn't my season"Yeah we walk through the doors, so accusing their eyesLike they have any right at all to criticize,Hypocrites. You're all here for the very same reason

'Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cableAnd life's like an hourglass, glued to the tableNo one can find the rewind button, girl.So cradle your head in your handsAnd breathe... just breathe,Oh breathe, just breathe

Poetic Devices

Metaphor: a comparison of two things without using “like” or “as”

Is she really a mountain climber? Is she really fighting

in a battle?

What is she comparing to

mountain climbing and battles?

Miley Cyrus– The ClimbThere’s always gonna be another mountainI’m always gonna want to make it moveAlways gonna be an uphill battleSometimes I’m gonna have to lose

Poetic Devices

Alliteration: repetition of the consonant sound at the beginning of words in a line Examples:

Peter Piper Picked a Pickled Pepper Dr. Seuss’s ABC Book The Flea and the Fly

The Flea and the FlyThe flea and the fly got caught in the flue.Said the fly, “Let us Flee.”Said the Flea, “Let us fly.”So together they flew through the flaw in the flue.

Poetic Devices

Assonance: repetition of the vowel sound throughout a line of poetry

The CrocodileWent to the dentistAnd sat down in the chair,And the dentist said, "Now tell me, sir,Why does it hurt and where?"And the Crocodile said, "I'll tell you the truth,I have a terrible ache in my tooth,"And he opened his jaws so wide, so wide,The the dentist, he climbed right inside,And the dentist laughed, "Oh isn't this fun?"As he pulled the teeth out, one by one.And the Crocodile cried, "You're hurting me so!

Please put down your pliers and let me go."But the dentist laughed with a Ho Ho Ho,And he said, "I still have twelve to go-Oops, that's the wrong one, I confess,But what's one crocodile's tooth more or less?"Then suddenly, the jaws went SNAP,And the dentist was gone, right off the map,And where he went one could only guess...To North or South or East or West...He left no forwarding address.But what's one dentist, more or less?

The Crocodile’s Toothache – by Shel Silverstein

Poetic Devices

Onomatopoeia: a word that creates its own sound effect Skinny – by Shel Silverstein

Skinny McGuinnWas so terribly thin

What while taking his bathSunday night,

Out popped the plugAnd sloosh-swoosh

And glug-glugIt washed Skinny

Right down the drainOut of sight.

And where is our dear SkinnyBathing tonight?

In some underground poolDown below?

Or up there so highIn that tub in the sky

Where all ofThe clean people go?

Poetic Devices

Hyperbole: an extreme exaggerationLouder Than a Clap of Thunder

– by Jack PrelutskyLouder than a clap of thunder, louder than an eagle screams, louder than a dragon blunders, or a dozen football teams, louder than a four alarmer, or a rushing waterfall, louder than a knight in armor jumping from a ten-foot wall. Louder than an earthquake rumbles, louder than a tidal wave, louder than an ogre grumbles as he stumbles through his cave, louder than stampeding cattle, louder than a cannon roars, louder than a giant's rattle, that's how loud my father SNORES!

Poetic Devices

Symbolism: when a person, place, object or action stands for something beyond itself

Katy Perry – Firework Do you ever feel like a plastic bagDrifting through the windWanting to start again

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thinLike a house of cardsOne blow from caving in

Do you ever feel already buried deepSix feet under screamBut no one seems to hear a thing

Do you know that there's still a chance for youCause there's a spark in you

You just gotta ignite the lightAnd let it shineJust own the nightLike the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a fireworkCome on show 'em what your worthMake 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"As you shoot across the sky-y-y

What does a firework symbolize?

Light, something exciting, something worth paying

attention to

Poetic Devices

Imagery: when the author tries to appeal to the reader using the five senses

Playing Outfield – by Isabel Joshlin GlaserThe baseball drops into your glove, Sounds like…. Thunk! (Or Plunk?Or Plop? Whop?) . . . But stays,Sounds like . . . Another sunny day,Dust, sweat shivering down,Clothes plastered to your skin,

THIRST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sounds like you caught a flier, The other side’s out,And your team leads,Everybody’s yelling like crazy,

HOORAY!water, please . . .

Poetic Devices

Irony: the contrast between expectation and reality

The New Kid on the Block – by Jack PrelutskyThere's a new kid on the block,and boy, that kid is tough,the new kid punches hard,that new kid plays real rough,that new kid's big and strong,with muscles everywhere,that new kid tweaked my arm,that new kid pulled my hair.That new kid likes to fight,and picks on all the guys,that new kid scares me some,(that new kid's twice my size),that new kid stomped my toes,the new kid swiped my ball,that new kid's really bad,I don't care for her at all.

The Crocodile – by Lewis CarrollHow doth the crocodile,Improve his shining tail,And pour the waters of the NileOn every golden scale!

How cheerfully he seems to grin,How neatly spread his claws,And welcomes little fishes in,With gently smiling jaws!

Poetic Devices

Pun: a play on the multiple meaning of words

“I Just Can’t Wait to be King – On The Lion King

[Simba:] I'm gonna be a mighty kingSo enemies beware![Zazu:] Well, I've never seen a king of beastsWith quite so little hair[Simba:] I'm gonna be the mane eventLike no king was beforeI'm brushing up on looking downI'm working on my ROAR[Zazu:] Thus far, a rather uninspiring thing[Simba:] Oh, I just can't wait to be king!

Rugs From Me to You

Poetic Devices

Personification: when the author gives human characteristics to non-human objects

Happy Feet

Poetic Devices

Tone: the attitude the writer takes on a subject or character

Mood: the overall emotion created in the reader.

Poetic Devices

Rhyme: the repetition of sounds in words close together

Sick – by Shel Silverstein"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.And there's one more - that's seventeen,And don't you think my face looks green?My leg is cut, my eyes are blue,It might be the instamatic flu.I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,I'm sure that my left leg is broke.

My hip hurts when I move my chin,My belly button's caving in.My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,My 'pendix pains each time it rains.My toes are cold, my toes are numb, I have a sliver in my thumb.My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,I hardly whisper when I speak.My tongue is filling up my mouth,I think my hair is falling out.My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,My temperature is one-o-eight.My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,There's a hole inside my ear.I have a hangnail, and my heart is ...What? What's that? What's that you say?You say today is .............. Saturday?G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

Internal Rhyme

SlantRhyme

End Rhyme

Poetic Devices

Rhythm: the musical quality produced by repeated sounds

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me tooWent for a ride in a flying shoe."Hooray!""What fun!""It's time we flew!"Said Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Ickle was captain, and Pickle was crewAnd Tickle served coffee and mulligan stewAs higherAnd higherAnd higher they flew,Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too,Over the sun and beyond the blue."Hold on!""Stay in!""I hope we do!"Cried Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle tooNever returned to the world they knew,And nobodyKnows what'sHappened toDear Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too – by Shel Silverstein

Poetic Devices

Rhyme Scheme: a pattern of end rhymes

I like who I am, but I guess you don’t  (A)

I think that I can, but you think I won't  (A)Amount to anything at all  (B)

If you love me, you sure show it strange (C)

Is there anything that you wouldn't change? (C)

I can't be your paper doll.  (B)

[Chorus:] I wanna be perfect, But I'm me 

(D)I wanna be flawless, But you see 

(D)Every little crack Every chip,  (E)Every dent, Every little mistake, 

(F)I wanna be perfect, Just like you, 

(G)But there's only so much that a girl can do 

(G)When I look in the mirror what I see,  (H)It makes sense to me, 

(H)Perfectly Perfectly 

Selena Gomez –Perfectly 

Poetic Devices

Repetition: when specific words or phrases are repeated two or more times throughout a poem

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me tooWent for a ride in a flying shoe."Hooray!""What fun!""It's time we flew!"Said Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Ickle was captain, and Pickle was crewAnd Tickle served coffee and mulligan stewAs higherAnd higherAnd higher they flew,Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too,Over the sun and beyond the blue."Hold on!""Stay in!""I hope we do!"Cried Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle tooNever returned to the world they knew,And nobodyKnows what'sHappened toDear Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too.

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too – by Shel Silverstein