MODULE 3

WRITING POETRY

Introduction

Poetry is said to be a high art which, like a painting, must possess refinement and skill in
the use of language, not in the context of grammatical structure, but how language is
manipulated to express other things that are not outwardly expresses by what is written. If a
picture paints a thousand words, in poetry, a word paints a thousand meanings. That is poetry.

Objectives

When you have studied this module, you will be able to:
 identify what makes poetry
 distinguish different types of poetry
 write different types of poetry

Module Organizer

This module explores the different types of poetry as well as the elements that compose
such types. Also, this module provides models and examples of poems that the students can
get ideas from in the writing of their own poems.

. As you proceed with the lessons, review the Desired Learning Outcomes to be oriented
of what the lessons hope to achieve. Accomplish the Exploration as an introduction to the
lesson and gives you a prelude to the Discussion Points. Study the discussion points well then
accomplish The Writer’s Workshop to get you started into the writing of poetry. At the end of the
module is a summary that capsulate the key points from each lesson.

LESS ELEMENTS OF POETRY

ON 1
DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to analyze poems according to the
elements of poetry.

EXPLORATION

Is this a poem? If not, write this text into a poem.

So much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens.

DISCUSSION POINTS

It is said that poets are gifted with the fullest use of language and that they are in love
with words. The poet’s genius for language complements his heightened sense of awareness
that he can manipulate words to evoke emotions and feelings as well as create vivid images in
the mind of readers and listeners of poetry.
A literature professor once said, the first thing a poem must do is to be true to its nature.
It means that a poem, in order to be a poem, must be a poem. How? It should meet the
elements that compose a poem.

A. Elements of Poetry

1. Form. Poems are written in lines. These lines are

grouped together in stanzas instead of paragraphs.
Sometimes the poet uses the lengths of lines and
the placement of words to create a shape on the
page. The shape can add meaning or emphasis.
One such example is this poem entitled Kite Flight
by Nessa Morris. Not only do the words
emphasize the movements of the kite but the
appearance of the words arranged and formed as a
kite on the printed page adds emphasis to the
poem.

2. Sound. In poetry, the beauty of a poem also

depends on the sounds as well as the meaning of
words. The sound of a word can help create
feeling and reinforce meaning. It can also give a
musical quality to a work. Some of the techniques
used by poets to create sounds in their poems
include:
a. Alliteration . repetition of a consonant sound at the beginnings of words.
Example:
 b. Assonance. The repetition of a vowel
sound within words. Example:

c. Onomatopoeia. The use of words that imitate sounds. Example: Running

Water

3. Rhyme. It is the repetition of sounds at the end of words as in trod and plod. Rhyming
words usually come at the ends of lines of poetry.

Yertle the Turtle

I’m Yertle the Turtle! Your Majesty. Please…
Oh, marvelous me! I don’t like to complain.
For I am the ruler But down here below,
of all that I see! we are feeling great
pain.

- Dr. Seuss

4. Rhythm. This refers to the pattern of accented and unaccented syllables in a line.
Some poems have a steady , regular rhythm or beat. For instance:

‘ - ‘ - ‘ - ‘
I was angry with my friend
 - ‘ - ‘ - ‘ - ‘
I told my wrath, my wrath did end
‘ - ‘ - ‘ - ‘
I was angry with my foe
- ‘ - ‘ - ‘ - ‘
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

In some poems, the rhythm resembles the patterns of everyday speech. This type of
rhythm is free verse.

5. Imagery. Imagery is a sensory description where poets choose words that help readers
see, hear, feel, taste, and smell the things being described. An example is this stanza
from a poem entitled “Birdfoot’s Grampa” by Joseph Bruchac:
Leather hands full
Of wet brown life,
Knee deep in the summer
Roadside grass.

6. Figurative Language. Poetry employs figurative language to describe things in a fresh

new way. Figurative language creates more vivid descriptions and puts more depth to
the ideas set in the poem. (Figurative language has been presented and discussed in
Lesson 2 of Module 2)

WRITER’S WORKSHOP

Instruction: Analyze the poem according to the elements of poetry.

What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why (Sonnet XLIII)
Edna St. Vincent Millay, 1892 - 1950

What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why,

I have forgotten, and what arms have lain
Under my head till morning; but the rain
Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh
Upon the glass and listen for reply,
And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain
For unremembered lads that not again
Will turn to me at midnight with a cry.
Thus in winter stands the lonely tree,
Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one,
Yet knows its boughs more silent than before:
I cannot say what loves have come and gone,
I only know that summer sang in me
A little while, that in me sings no more.

LESS TYPES OF POETRY

ON 2
DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to write poems according to the
different types of poetry.

EXPLORATION

Recall how many types of poetry do you know and illustrate each by describing its
distinguishing feature.

DISCUSSION POINTS

General Classifications of Poetry

1. Lyric Poetry: It is any poem with one speaker (not necessarily the poet) who
expresses strong thoughts and feelings. Most poems, especially modern ones, are lyric poems.

2. Narrative Poem: It is a poem that tells a story; its structure resembles the plot line of a story
[i.e. the introduction of conflict and characters, rising action, climax and the denouement].

3. Descriptive Poem: It is a poem that describes the world that surrounds the speaker. It uses
elaborate imagery and adjectives. While emotional, it is more "outward-focused" than lyric
poetry, which is more personal and introspective.

Types of Poems According to Forms

Poets can choose the form of their poems. Thoughts or ideas in a poem are
organized into stanzas. Each stanza is composed of varying number of lines:

1. Couplet . It is a stanza composed of two lines that rhyme (end-rhyme) and

with the same length. There are two kinds of couplets. It may be formal (or
closed) where each of the two lines is end-stopped; or it may be a run-on (or
open) where he meaning of the first line continues to the second
(enjambment). Most couplets are parts of a longer poem like a sonnet while
others stand as independent poems.

Example:

2. Tercet. A tercet is a set of three lines that may or may not rhyme. Here is an
example of a poem in tercets by Patricia A. Gordon
 A Minute
Every one young or old
Needs someone to listen
As their stories are told

The difference is yours to make

A minute from your busy day
Is all it would take

Take a minute and lend an ear

Listen intently
To what you hear

Take a minute and you will see

Just how powerful
Listening can be

Take a minute to offer a smile and a touch

You sincerity
Means so much

Take a minute and simply be kind

A friend for life
May be what you find.

3. Quatrain. A quatrain is a set of four lines that may or may not rhyme such as
this example:

The Butterfly
by Andres Diaz

With a symphony of colors

Spread on her wings,
She strolls in the garden
With a light footprint.

She smile to the flowers,

She flew by the pond,
And freshen her breath
By kissing the rose.

(Source:
http://www.familyfriendpoems.
com/poem/article-stanzas-couplet-
tercet-and-quatrain)

4. Acrostic. An acrostic poem is a type of poetry where the first, last or other
letters in a line spell out a particular word or phrase. The most common and
 simple form of an acrostic poem is where the first letters of each line spell out
the word or phrase such as this example:

FALL IN LOVE
By Andrea Dietrich

F eeling enraptured, Autumn dances in the wind, then undresses.

A s bright robes fall to the ground, her passion paints the twilight skies.
L ike a nymph, she beckons, tossing her fiery auburn tresses.
L ongingly she sighs - September’s bliss lingering in her eyes.

I ndian summer days come; then they go.

N ights though chill, embrace her in indigo.

L ater, in November, her sweetness wanes.

O ctober cannot stay forever loving her.
V acantly she gazes through freezing rains.
E ndearments whispered - cease - when Fall loses ardor.

(Source: http://www.poetrysoup.com/poems/best/acrostic)

WRITER’S WORKSHOP

A. Create your own couplet , tercet, and quatrain for each of the following theme:
1. Love
2. Nature
3. Relationship

B. Create an acrostic of your first name.

5. Cinquain. A cinquain is a five-line poem that was invented by Adelaide

Crapsey, an American poet. Originally, the American cinquain as devised by
Crapsey follows a pattern of stresses per line such as first line has one stress
(iambic), the second line has two stresses and so on. However, there have
been different versions of the cinquain through the years and the most
common and popular is the cinquain which uses words instead of
incorporating stresses and syllables.

Didactic Cinquain:
 The first line is one word which is the title of the poem.
 The second line contains two words which are adjectives that
describe the title.
  The third line has three words that tell the reader more about the
subject of the poem or shows action. Many times these words
are gerunds that end with “ing.”
 The fourth line has four words that show emotions about the
subject of the poem and may be individual words or a phrase.
 The fifth line is one word that is a synonym of the title or is very
similar to it.

Watermelon

Watermelon
Juicy, sweet
Dripping, slurping, smacking
So messy to eat
Yummy

(Source: dictionary.com)

Variation of Didactic Form: This form is just slightly different from the first
form in that the fourth line is a complete sentence and may have more than
four words.

 The first line is one word.

 The second line contains two adjectives.
 The third line has three words ending in “ing.”
 The fourth line has four or more words that make a complete sentence.
 The fifth line is one word.

Acrobats

Acrobats
Flexible, amusing
Flipping, twirling, jumping
They make me laugh
Performers
(Source: dictionary.com)

6. Haiku . A haiku is a short poem that uses sensory language to capture

feelings or emotions as well as images, often inspired by elements of nature,
a moment of beauty or reflection, or any poignant experience. It consists of
three lines, with the first line and last line having five moras (syllables) and
the middle with seven moras. Famous writers of Haiku include Basho
Matsuo, Kobayashi Issa and Natsume Soseki.
 An old silent pond...
A frog jumps into the pond,
splash! Silence again.

- Basho

O snail
Climb Mount Fuji,
But slowly, slowly!

- Kobayashi

Over the wintry

forest, winds howl in rage
with no leaves to blow.

- Natsume

(Source: http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-
haiku-poems.html#oVD75qSlo0I6pIEE.99)

7. Senryu. It is an unrhymed Japanese verse consisting of three unrhymed

lines of five, seven, and five syllables (5, 7, 5) or 17 syllables . The lines are
usually written in the present tense and topics refer to human nature or
emotions.

Example #1: Brilliant words flowing

From those never knowing, how
many lives they touch....

Example #2: A folded napkin

Is not intended to be
A permanent thing.
( Source : http://www.shadowpoetry.com/
resources/wip/senryu.html)

8. Concrete Poem. Concrete poetry, also called pattern or shape poetry, has
a visual appearance that matches the subject matter of the poem. The
emphasis on form separates this genre from other types of poetry.
9. Free Verse. Free verse is a poem that does not follow a definite rhyme or
rhythm. It does not follow a regular meter.

Limerick. Limerick is a comic verse, containing five anapestic

(unstressed/unstressed/stressed) lines in which the first, second and fifth
lines are longer, rhyme together and follow three metrical feet, while the
third and fourth lines rhyme together, are shorter and follow two metrical
feet. However, sometimes it may vary and amphibrachic
(unstressed/stressed/unstressed) form can replace anapestic. In fact, it is
 a bawdy, humorous, or nonsensical verse written in the form of five
anapests with aabba rhyme scheme. Since it has a special structure and
format, it is called fixed or closed form of poetry. Edward Lear was
considered to be the father of limericks. This is one of the very good
examples of limerick poems, following its typical format with first, second
and fifth lines rhyming together and longer in length, while remaining two
are shorter, and give a faster read. Lear has referred this form as
nonsense.

There was an Old Man with a beard,

Who said, ‘It is just as I feared!
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!
(From “There was an Old Man with a Beard” by Edward Lear)

WRITER’S WORKSHOP

A. Let’s try our hand on a concrete poem. Follow the instructions so you can write your
very own concrete poem.

1. Decide what to write about. Make sure that your subject is something you can draw.
Example, you can do the following:

 Choose your favorite animal.

 Pick a mode of transportation.
 Use a common object like a star, heart, rainbow, or sun.
 Choose a holiday object.

2. Choose a shape to represent your writing. When you’ve decided on the object to write
about, you need to choose a shape to represent this object. For example if you’ve
decided to write about a dog, you can choose the shape of a dog or a dog bone. If
you’ve chosen to write about a common object like a star, then your shape would be a
star. You can use several shapes if it helps you depict your object. For example, if you
write about an airplane taking off, you can have several airplane shapes that get higher
on the page to show an airplane taking off.

 Your shape can also contrast the meaning of your poem; a poem about life might be in
the shape of a tombstone. A poem about hate could be in the shape of a heart.
 Be creative to allow the shape and the words of your poem to create a whole picture that
has more meaning than either would individually.

3. Draw the shape. Use a pencilUse a pencil to draw the shape or shapes onto two pieces
of paper. One will be a rough draft, and the other will be a final draft. Try to center your
shape on the paper. The shape should be large so you can fit your entire poem inside of
it.
4. Writing the Poem on the figure you drew.
Tips in writing a poem

1. Brainstorm a list of words about your topic. Think about the subject of your poem
and make a list of any word that comes to mind when you consider your topic. Include
words that are opposites of your topic to create contrast and paint a full picture of all the
things that you imagine related to your topic, both good and bad.
o Don't worry about composing lines yet; just create a list of anything that comes to
mind.
o Include phrases that may become lines of the poem when you are brainstorming.
2. Use figurative language. Poetry is an art form; let your words paint a picture for the
reader. Try to use descriptive language and words with meanings that can be interpreted
in multiple ways.
o Similes and metaphors often help poets describe feelings or events.
o Use words that can have multiple meanings to allow your reader to question the
purpose of the poem.
3. Move lines around as you write. Don't be afraid to rearrange your thoughts as you are
composing your poem. Often times the first line you think of may become the last line in
the poem.
o Consider the feeling each line evokes as you create your poem.
o Think about the setting or mood you are trying to create with your poem. Try to
take the reader on a journey of the mind to fully develop the idea of your poem.
4. Read the lines out loud as you write. Most poems contain a rhythm or cadence in the
lines. Speak the lines out loud to hear how they sound. Adjust the number of syllables
and where the line breaks occur to create a flow that is pleasing to the ear.
o Consider using rhyming words to end each line.
o The emphasis of certain syllables in words helps to create the rhythm of the
poem; listen to how each word sounds with the words around it.
5. Write the poem on paper. Start by writing the poem down on paper without trying to
make it into a shape. Write your poem down, and then read it back to yourself. If you
don’t like it, keep changing it until you get the poem you like. It may take several
revisions before you have your final copy.

B. Instruction: Choose a topic and compose poems on the topic you chose using different
forms:
a. Haiku
b. Cinquain
c. Free verse
IN A CAPSULE

A poem to be a poem, must be true to its nature. It should possess the elements of
poetry which are form, sound, imagery, rhyme, rhythm, and use of figurative language. Poems
can be generally classified as lyric poetry, descriptive poetry, and narrative poetry. Poems are
constructed in different forms such as couplet, tercet, quatrain, cinquain, haiku, senryu, acrostic,
concrete, limerick, and free verse.