1. Reading Literature: Lesson 6—Poetry Elements
Expressive/Literary
Competency Goal 5.02

2. EOG Vocabulary (Poetry) Notice that some terms overlap with Narrative Elements!!
Alliteration
Analogy
Assonance
Consonance
End rhyme
Figurative language
Hyperbole
Image
Line
Metaphor
Onomatopoeia
Personification
Rhyme
Rhyme scheme
Rhythm
Simile
Speaker
Stanza
Structure
Symbol

3. Tip #1:
A poem is something to swim in, not just a place to get your feet wet. 
The more you read a poem, the more you will understand it (and maybe even enjoy it!)
How many times have you listened to your favorite song? Remember lyrics are poetic!

4. Tip #2: Get a first impression, but don’t cling to it.
Read the poem from beginning to the end.
Don’t get hung up on little details OR a phrase/line that you don’t understand.

5. Tip #2 continued . . . Ask yourself the following:
What is the poem about?
Who is the speaker?
What is the tone?
What is the mood?

6. Read “Kidnap Poem” by Nikki Giovanni
A volunteer should read it aloud.
After reading, answer the multiple choice questions in your notes.
We’ll discuss these.

7. Tip #3: Notice how often the poet “paints a picture” with words.
Poems are filled with imagery (things that appeal to your five senses: taste, touch, hear, smell, and see).
Underline images as you come across them in a poem.

8. Tip #4: Enjoy the “music” of a poem. Notice if a poem rhymes.
If so, what is the rhyme scheme?
Is there end rhyme, approximate rhyme, internal rhyme?

9. Copy the following limerick in your notes. Identify the rhyme scheme.
A mouse in her room woke Miss Doud
Who was frightened and screamed very loud.
Then a happy thought hit her
To scare off the critter
She just sat up in bed and meowed.

10. Sound effects of poetry:
Alliteration: the repeating of initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words.
Ex. Klein could be clueless, kind or cold, curmudgeonly or compassionate—all in the same day; you never knew which Klein you would get.

11. Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds within words or syllables.
Ex. Through the moon was a radiant bloom in the speckled vase of night, Carrie couldn’t shake her gloom, try as she might.

12. Consonance:
The repetition of two or more consonants with different vowel sounds in between.
Ex. Rick stuck the rock in his pocket.

13. Onomatopoeia: The use of words that imitate a sound.
Ex. Smack, moo, clank, buzz, . . .

14. Tip #5: Look for comparisons that the poet is making.
Poets do this through their use of figurative language: similes, metaphors, personifications, hyperboles, and idioms.

15. Definitions and Examples:
Simile: statement that compares two things using like or as.
Ex. Life is like a box of chocolates; you’re never sure what your gonna get.

16. Metaphor: statement that compares two things by saying that one thing is another. Ex. Music is Joel’s lifeblood; he must have a daily infusion of rock, pop, rap, and jazz.
Hyperbole: an exaggeration. Ex. As the Tilt-a-Whirl at the NC State Fair started spinning, Jack held on tighter than a tick on a dog’s ear.
Personification: a statement that gives human qualities to a non-human thing. Ex. Toby knew he couldn’t put off his homework much longer. His algebra book seemed to stare at him, whisper to him, call out his name.
Idiom: an everyday, over-used expression that has no literal/real meaning. Ex. It’s raining cats and dogs.

17. Tip #6: Notice the structure of the poem.
Poems are divided into lines (will be numbered every 5 lines on the EOG)
Take note of how many stanzas there are.
Poets will place line breaks and stanzas in unusual places to get your attention or to create a certain effect.

18. Tip #7: Notice anything the poet does that is unusual.
Notice unusual word choices, line breaks, stanza breaks, indented lines, and weird capitalization.

19. Tip #8: Put it all together.
After reading several times, ask yourself: What is the message that the poet/speaker is trying to get across?
Does the poet simply want to share an experience with you?

20. Types of Poetry!! Light verse: funny or playful poetry
Narrative Poetry: poetry that tells a story
Ballad: a traditional song that tells a story, often about love, tragedy, or heroic deeds
Epic: a long narrative poem that tells of the deeds of a legendary hero of history or tradition.
Elegy: a poem of sorrow

21. Types of poetry continued . . .
Lyric poetry: poetry that is short and musical and that deals with personal issues
Haiku: a form of Japanese pattern poetry, usually consisting of three lines in which the syllables alternate in a pattern of 5-7-5
Sonnet: a poem of 14 lines, usually with 10 syllables each (iambic pentameter) and with various rhyme schemes.
Free verse: poetry that is free from fixed patterns of rhyme or beat

22. REMEMBER: A poem can have many different interpretations.
You don’t have to understand EVERYTHING in a poem in order to enjoy it or to answer questions about it.

23. Practice: Read “Mayflies” on page 86 in the BuckleDown book.
Answer questions