Poetic Terms Ms. Freese 8 th ELA
Poetry “Discovering where poems come from is an essential part of the poet’s process” Georgia Heard
A bit of honesty The best poems are poems that you find and discover.
Reading and Writing Poetry In order to be able to read and write poetry, you first have to understand what features make poetry a different genre than short stories, novels, plays, and other types of literature. Poetry has a particular set of terms and forms that make it a unique genre. This week we will be learning about what those terms and forms are.
Symbol A symbol is something that represents or stands for something else. Example: An American flag is a symbol for our country, The United States
Animism Animism-A device that gives humans animal characteristics. Example: She barked the order to the cook.
Meter Meter-a rhythmic sound pattern. The pattern is caused by the repetition of a certain number of stressed syllables together with a number of unstressed syllables.
Rhythm Rhythm-the repetition of stressed and unstressed syllables that gives the poem its beat. Rhythm in a poem is often caused by repetition.
Rhyme The repetition of accented vowel sounds and all sounds following them in words that are close together in a poem.
End Rhymes End rhymes-rhymes at the end of lines Internal rhymes-rhymes within lines Slant rhymes-rhymes involving sounds that are similar, but not exactly the same.
Onomatopoeia The use of words whose sounds imitate their meanings. Example: buzz, rustle, tick tock, tweet and bark
Enjambment The continuation of a sentence over a line break Example: “There are many types of silence more radiant than the sun.”
Couplet Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme
Speaker Speaker-the voice that is talking to us in a poem. The speaker is sometimes, but not always the poet.
Ode An ode is a poetic form. The word ode comes from the Greek, aeidein, which means to sing or chant. Odes were originally accompanied by music and dance. An ode addresses a person, place or thing that isn’t present. In your anthology there is an example of an ode written by Pablo Nurda.
I Am An I am poem is an example of a poetic form. First stanza: I am (two special qualities about yourself) I wonder (something you are actually curious about) I hear (sounds you enjoy) I see (your favorite sights) I want (something that you want) I am (repeat the first line)
I am Second Stanza I imagine (a place or situation other than here) I feel (feelings you are having) I touch (or influence something or someone) I worry (something that makes you sad) I cry (something that makes you sad) I am (repeat first line)
I am Third stanza I understand (something you know is true) I say (something you believe in) I dream (something you hope for) I try (something that you make an effort to do) I hope (something you hope for) I am (repeat the first line of the poem)
Anthology Example There is an example of an “I Am” poem in your anthology. The poem is called “I Am” by Steven Smith Writing Task One: Follow the I Am form, and write your own I Am poem. Your poem not only needs to follow the form, but must also include the following poetic forms (at least one end rhyme and a similie).
Pantoum
Free Verse