POETRY

Poetry ...

...is the most compressed form of literature. ...is composed of carefully chosen words expressing great depth of meaning or feeling. ...uses specific devices such as alliteration, sound, and rhythm to express the appropriate combination of meaning and emotion. ...can take many forms including song lyrics. ... can be serious, sad, funny and every emotion in between. ...is fun!

TYPES OF POETRY

**Traditional** - follows standard rules of grammar and syntax with a regular rhythm and rhyme scheme.

**Modern or Free Verse** - avoids rhyme and standard grammatical organization and seeks new ways of expression.

The ** basic unit ** of poetry is the **line**. It serves the same function as the sentence in prose, although most poetry maintains the use of grammar within the structure of the poem. Most poems have a structure in which each line contains a set amount of syllables; this is called **meter**. Lines are also often grouped into **<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace;">stanzas **.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 120%;">The <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 120%;">**stanza** in poetry is equivalent or equal to the paragraph in prose. Often the lines in a stanza will have a specific **<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace;">rhyme ** scheme. Some of the more common stanzas are:

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 120%;">**<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace;">Couplet **: a two line stanza <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 120%;"><span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace;">**Triplet** : a three line stanza <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 120%;"><span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace;">**Quatrain** : a four line stanza <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 120%;"><span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace;">**Cinquain** : a five line stanza

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 150%;">**__Rhyme__** is a word that ends with the __same sound__ as another word like:

<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">bold – cold; sea – tea; dear – tier

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace;"> **//Rhyme schemes//** : The pattern of the __last word sounds__.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 14.6667px;">A-B-B-A
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 14.6667px;">A-A-B-B-A
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 14.6667px;">A-B-A-B

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace;"> **//Internal Rhyme//** is the use of rhyming words within a line of poetry. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 14.6667px;">Example: Hang __tight__, then make a __right.__

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 120%;">Rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhyming words at the end of each line. //Not all poetry has a rhyme scheme.// They are not hard to identify, but you must look carefully at which words rhyme and which do not.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Dust of Snow <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">(by Robert Frost)

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">The way a <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">crow <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Shook down on <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">me <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">The dust of <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">snow <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">From a hemlock <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">tree <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Has given my <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">heart <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">A change of <span style="color: #808080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">mood <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">And save some <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">part <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Of a day I had <span style="color: #808080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">rued.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 140%;">**Repetition** <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 120%;">is the repeating of a sound, word, or phrase for emphasis.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%; text-align: center;">Inside

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Inside the house <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;"> (I get ready) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;"> Inside the car <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">(I go to school) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;"> Inside the school <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">(I wait for the bell to ring)


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 140%;">Imagery ** <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 120%;">is an appeal to the senses. The poet describes something to help you to see, hear, touch, taste, or smell the topic of the poem.

Poetry Page courtesy of Ms. Sanders