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ELEMENTS OF POETRY

(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 house is the well-known first poetic 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+am,ment when there is no written or nat$ral pa$se at the end of a poetic line, so that the word-flow carries o-er to the next line. Example: the following lines from .nox-ille, &ennessee en/am!ment: and listen to gospel music outside at the church homecoming -' Placement the way words and poetic lines are placed on the page of a poem. Example: &he following are creati-ely-placed lines from a poem !y E.E. "$mmings: in Justspring when the world is mudluscious the little lame ballonman whistles far and wee .' /erse a line in traditional poetry that is written in meter. Example: 0n hen ! do count the cloc" that tells the time from Shakespeare s Sonnet N$m!er &wel-e, the $nderlined sylla!les are accented, gi-ing the line a metric pattern known as an iam!ic pentameter 1see #eter2. 0' %a1itali)ation and Punctuation 0n poetry, r$les of capitali%ation and p$nct$ation are not always followed3 instead, they are at the ser-ice of the poet s artistic -ision. Example: in our bac"#ard we plant tomatoes is the first stan%a from 4a$ghing &omatoes !y (rancisco 5. Alarc6n. Notice the lack of capitali%ation and p$nct$ation. 2# SO$N3S !y Nikki *io-anni contain

&' R4yt4m the !asic !eat in a line of a poem. Example$ hose woods these are, ! thin" ! "now is the first line from Stopping !y +oods on a Snowy E-ening !y 7o!ert (rost. Notice that the accented words 1$nderlined2 gi-e the line a distincti-e !eat. (' Meter a pattern of stressed and $nstressed 1accented and $naccented2 sylla!les 1known as a foot2 in a line of poetry. Example: 0n an iambic pentameter, the pattern is fi-e iam!ic 1$naccented 8 accented2 feet in each line 1see Verse2. *' End R4yme same or similar so$nds at the end of words that finish different lines. Example: &he following are the first two rhyming lines from &he .ing of "ats Sends a 9ostcard to :is +ife !y Nancy +illard: %eep #our whis"ers crisp and clean, &o not let the mice grow lean, -' Internal R4yme same or similar so$nds at the end of words within a line. Example: A line showing internal rhyme 1$nderlined2 from &he 7a!!it !y Eli%a!eth #addox 7o!erts: hen the# said the time to hide was mine, .' R4yme Sc4eme a pattern of rhyme in a poem. Example: A quatrain a stan%a of fo$r lines in which the second and fo$rth lines rhyme has the following rhyme scheme: a!c! 1see ;$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 )arbage *ut !y Shel Sil-erstein. 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: ould 'ot Ta"e the

,eware the Jabberwoc", m# sonThe .aws that bite, the claws that catch7ead 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$s and mor!id mood. &&' Re rain a line or stan%a repeated o-er and o-er in a poem or song. Example: 0n )ingle 'ells, the following refrain is repeated after e-ery stan%a: Jingle ,ells, .ingle bells, Jingle all the wa#*h, what fun it is to ride !n a one-horse open sleigh&(' 9ord Play to play with the so$nds and meanings of real or in-ented 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 7e-erend #ona : hen the elders said she was too old, 1e(erend 2ona surrendered her tabernacle ne3t to 4ast 4ran"ie s 5awn Shop (' Sensory 3etails the $se of descripti-e details that appeal to one or more of the fi-e senses. Example: Notice the sensory details in the following lines from &he Sea !y )ames 7ee-es: The giant sea dog moans, 6ic"ing his greas# paws. 3# FI:$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 $sing the words like or as. Example: 1ibbons of sea foam 7 wrap the emerald island. *' Personi ication to ascri!e h$man traits to non-h$man or non-li-ing things. Example: The unfurled sailboat glides on 7 urged b# wind and will and brilliant bliss. -' Sym,olism a person, place, thing, or action that stands for something else.

Example: 0n (rom #other to Son !y 4angston :$ghes, a set of stairs sym!oli%es life. .' ;y1er,ole the $se of exaggeration to express strong emotion or create a comical effect. Example: ! m so hungr# ! could eat a hippo. 0' /er,al Irony or Sarcasm when yo$ 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 a heart 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 gra-e man, said the d$ke on his death!ed. &he cook!ook 6unch on the 1un !y Sam +itch is awesome. 7' "llusion - a reference to a familiar person, place, or e-ent. Example: &he following two lines from the poem #y #$se contain an all$sion to 9andora s 'ox: hunched o(er from carr#ing that old familiar ,o3 &8' Idiom - a c$lt$ral expression that cannot !e taken literally. Examples: She is the apple of his e#e. /e dri(es me up the wall. E# ELEMENTS OF FI%TION 19oems may contain some or all elements of fiction. (or example, a narrati-e poem 1a poem that tells a story2 may contain all elements.2 &' Setting the time and place where a story or poem takes place. (' Point o /ie< = Narrative /oice the person narrating a story or poem 1the story<poem co$ld !e narrated in first person 10, we2, second person 1yo$2, or third person limited or omniscient 1he<she, they2. *' %4aracteri)ation the de-elopment of the characters in a story or poem 1what they look like, what they say and do, what their personalities are like, what they think and feel, and how they re referred to or treated !y others2. -' 3ialog or 3ialogue the con-ersation !etween the characters in a story or poem. .' 3ialect or %ollo>uial Language the partic$lar style of speaking of the narrator and the characters in a story or poem 1according to their region, time period, and social expectations2. 0' %on lict the pro!lem or sit$ation a character or characters face in a story or poem. 5' Plot the series of e-ents in a story or poem. 6' Tone and /oice the distincti-e, idiosyncratic way a narrator has of telling a story or poem 1tone and -oice depend on the intended a$dience, the p$rpose for writing, and the way the writer or poem feels a!o$t his<her s$!/ect2. 7' Style the way a writer $ses words to craft a story or poem. &8' Mood the feelings and emotions the writer wants the reader to experience.

&&' T4eme and Message the main topic of a story or poem, and the message the a$thor or poet wants to con-ey a!o$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 read downward. Example: 0 1oc" 0crostic !y A-is :arley. (' %ou1let two lines of poetry that rhyme and $s$ally form one complete idea. Example: &he poem Catch a 6ittle 1h#me !y E-e #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, se-en, and fi-e sylla!les, respecti-ely. 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 fi-e-line $ntitled poem, where the sylla!le pattern increases !y two for each line, except for the last line, which ends in two sylla!les 1=,>,?,@.=2. Example: &he cinA$ain that !egins with Bh, cat !y 9a$l '. )anec%ko. 0' Limeric? a h$moro$s rhyming poem written in fi-e lines and ha-ing a partic$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 metric pattern. Example: 2other to Son !y 4angston :$ghes. 7' List or %atalog Poem a poem in the form of a list, that $ses sensory details and precise lang$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 fi-e tercets 1a!a rhyme2 followed !y a A$atrain 1a!aa rhyme2 and a pattern of repetition of lines D and E of the first stan%a. Example$ !s There a <illain in ;our <illanelle= !y )oan 'ransfield *raham. &&' Ode a poem that cele!rates or praises something. Example: *de to 5ablo s Tennis Shoes !y *ary Soto. &(' Lyric Poetry poetry that expresses a poet s personal experience, feelings, and emotions.

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$sing instead on the so$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 1also known as a shape poem 2. Example: Concrete Cat !y Forth "harles. &5' Narrative Poem a poem that tells a story. Example: The Sneetches b# &r. Seuss 1&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 narrati-e poem. Example$ The *d#sse# !y :omer. (8' Imagist Poetry poems that contain precise -is$al images. Example: The 1ed 2I2LIO:R"P;Y :all, Fonald. The *3ford !llustrated ,oo" of 0merican Children s 5oems . Bxford: Bxford Gni-ersity 9ress, DHHH. :arley, A-is. 4l# ith 5oetr# . :onesdale: 'oyds #ills 9ress 0nc. =III heelbarrow !y +illiam "arlos +illiams.

: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$ll, .athleen "hristopher. /ow to DHH@. Brndorf, Eleanor. 5oetr# 5atterns . #onterey: E-an-#oor Ed$cational 9$!lishers, DHHH. rite 0 5oem . +estminster: &eacher "reated #aterials 0nc.,

9ro!st, 7o!ert E., )ohn #alcolm 'rinnin, and others. 8lements of 6iterature . A$stin: :olt, 7inehart and +inston, =IIE. 1&he sections on poetry.2 1eader s /andboo" 7o!!, 4a$ra, 7on .lemp, and +endell Schwart%. So$rce Ed$cation *ro$p, =II=. p. >>?->?H. Sil-erman, Sarita "ha-e%. 1ead and Understand 5oetr# . #onterey: E-an-#oor Ed$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 <erse. New Jork: 4ark 'ooks, =II?. . +ilmington: *reat