Poetry6th Grade

Mrs. Tatum

Haiku

Haiku poetry is a very short, centuries-old form of Japanese poetry that is an intriguing change of pace from the kind of rhythmic, rhyming poetry you're used to reading. Haiku is like a photo that captures the essence of what's happening, often connecting two seemingly unrelated things.

How to Write a Haiku

Traditional Japanese haiku had a total of seventeen syllables divided into three clumps (or lines):

five syllablesseven syllablesfive syllables

What Do I Write About?

A haiku has 17 syllables divided among three lines.   Express a single mood or emotion in your haiku.   The classic haiku theme is nature, so try using nature-based imagery as well as your own themes when you write a haiku.  

Example of a Haiku

Morning Sun Dances?

When the gentle rain greets dawn?

With a lovely sigh?

On a withered bough

A crow along is perching

Autumn evening now.

Acrostic

Acrostic:  a poem in which special letters spell another word or make a sentence.

Acrostic Information

Most often, the special letters  come at the beginning of each line. But  they may be placed  elsewhere, too. Alphabet poems  are also a special type of acrostic,called abecdearian acrostics.

 

Example

Panthers growl,Orioles sing, Eagles soar, Monkeys swing. See? 

Concrete Poems

Concrete poetry—sometimes also called ‘shape poetry’—is poetry whose visual appearance matches the topic of the poem. The words form shapes which illustrate the poem’s subject as a picture, as well as through their literal meaning.

Concrete Poetry Example

Limerick

A limerick is a silly poem with five lines.  They are often funny or nonsensical.  Limericks were made famous by Edward Lear, a famous author who wrote the "Book of Nonsense" in the 1800's. 

Limerick Rhyme Scheme

The rhyme scheme of a limerick is known as “AABBA.” This is because the last words in lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme. Those are the “A’s” in the rhyme scheme. The “B’s” are the last words of lines 3 and 4.

The Rules of Limericks

They are five lines long.

Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme with one another.

Lines 3 and 4 rhyme with each other.

They have a distinctive rhythm (which I’ll explain shortly)

They are usually funny.

Limerick Example

There was a young fellow named HallWho fell in the spring in the fall.‘Twould have been a sad thingHad he died in the spring,But he didn’t—he died in the fall.

Cinquain Poetry

What’s a Cinquain poem? It is a form of poetry, written like a recipe. A Cinquain is a five-line poem. The words you choose and the form they take on paper are an important part of the writing. Some people say they appear like diamonds on paper.

Creating a Cinquain

Line 1:One word for the subject (noun)

Line 2:Two words describing subject

Line 3:Three words showing action

Line 4:Four or five words expressing feeling or thought

Line 5:One word that means the same thing as the first word in line 1 (describing or renaming subject)

Cinquain Example

Lion

Golden, strong

Staring, creeping, pouncing

A hunter on the prowl

Predator

An image is a word or phrase that appeals to one of our senses. Images can help us

• create a mental picture

• hear a sound

• feel texture or temperature

• taste a sweet, sour, or salty flavor

What Is an Image?

And straightway like a bellCame low and clearThe slow, sad murmur of the distant seas,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . And in the hush of waters was the soundOf pebbles rolling round,For ever rolling with a hollow sound.And bubbling sea-weeds as the waters goSwish to and froTheir long, cold tentacles of slimy grey.

—from “The Shell” by James Stephens

Listen to this excerpt of “The Shell” by James Stephens and imagine the scene he describes.

What Is an Image?

Which words appeal to the sense of hearing? sight? touch?

What Is an Image?

And straightway like a bell

Came low and clear

The slow, sad murmur of the distant seas,

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

And in the hush of waters was the sound

Of pebbles rolling round,

For ever rolling with a hollow sound.

And bubbling sea-weeds as the waters go

Swish to and fro

Their long, cold tentacles of slimy grey. —from “The Shell” by James Stephens

Quick Check

[End of Section]

Poets use imagery to

• speak to our deepest feelings—joy, sorrow, wonder, love

• emphasize certain qualities of the subject

• create a mood

Out on the land White Moon shines.Shines and glimmers against gnarled shadows,All silver to slow twisted shadowsFalling across the long road that runs from the house.

—from “Baby Face” by Carl Sandburg

Imagery in Poetry

Imagery is

• part of a poet’s style

• a product of the poet’s own way of seeing the world

• a reflection of the time and place in which the poet lives

Imagery in Poetry

How does the imagery affect your emotions? Explain.

What mood does the poet create through his use of imagery?

Imagery in PoetryQuick Check

The Loonby Lew Sarett

A lonely lake, a lonely shore,A lone pine leaning on the moon;All night the water-beating wings Of a solitary loon.

With mournful wail from dusk to dawnHe gibbered at the taunting stars,—A hermit-soul gone raving mad,And beating at his bars.

[End of Section]

Images can be drawn from all sorts of things we observe in life. For each category, create two images—one pleasant and one unpleasant. Try to include images that appeal to all five senses.

Images Pleasant Unpleasant

Animal images

Flower images

Water images

Sky images

Earth images

City images

Country images

Practice

Free verse

FREE VERSE is a kind of poetry that has no real rhythm or pattern, so you can put words together in all sorts of ways. You can be VERY imaginative!

What is Free verse poetry?

Anything and everything can be the topic of a  free verse lyrical poem. The poem can tell a story, describe a person, animal, feeling or object.  They can serious, sad, funny or  educational.  What ever subject that appeals to the poet can end up in free verse.

How to write Free verse

Free verse does not have a set pattern of rhyme or rhythm.  There are no rules about line length in free verse. You try to keep the words that belong together on the same line, but, sometimes the poet will break these words if he/she wants to create a visual shape to support the poem's message, or feeling that the poet wishes the reader to experience. 

Example of Free Verse

Fog by Carl Sandburg

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

 It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.