UNDERSTANDING

POETRY
ELEMENTS OF POETRY
 POETRY ASSUMPTIONS
Readers of poetry often bring with them many
related assumptions:
◼ That a poem is to be read for its "message,"
◼ That this message is "hidden" in the poem,
◼ The message is to be found by treating the
words as symbols which naturally do not mean
what they say but stand for something else,
◼ You have to decipher every single word to
appreciate and enjoy the poem. 2
STRUCTURE and
POETRY
ELEMENTS OF POETRY
 POETRY ELEMENTS
Writers use many elements to create their poems.
These elements include:
◼ STANZA
◼ FORM
◼ SOUND
(RHYTHM&METER)
◼ RHYME PATTERN
◼ IMAGERY 4
 STANZA
Stanzas are a series of lines grouped
together and separated by an empty
line from other stanzas.
 LINES & STANZAS
❑ Most poems are written in lines.
❑ A group of lines in a poem is called a
stanza.
❑ They are the equivalent of a
paragraph in an essay.
❑ One way to identify a stanza is to
count the number of lines.
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 FORMS OF STANZAS
There are many forms of STANZAS
including :
◼ couplet (2 lines) ◼ sestet “sexain”
◼ tercet (3 lines) (6 lines)
◼ quatrain (4 lines) ◼ septet (7 lines)
◼ cinquain (5 lines) ◼ octave (8 lines)
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 LINES & STANZAS
◼ Stanzas separate March
ideas in a poem. A blue day
They act like
A blue jay
paragraphs.
And a good beginning.

◼ This poem has two One crow,

stanzas. Melting snow –
Spring’s winning!
By Eleanor Farjeon
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 COUPLET
◼ A couplet is a poem,
or stanza in a poem,
written in two lines.
◼ Usually rhymes.
The Jellyfish
Who wants my jellyfish?
I’m not sellyfish!
By Ogden Nash
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 TERCET
◼ A tercet is a poem, or
stanza, written in three
lines.
◼ Usually rhymes.
◼ Lines 1 and 2 can
rhyme; lines 1 and 3 can
rhyme; sometimes all 3 Winter Moon
lines rhyme. How thin and sharp is the moon tonight!
How thin and sharp and ghostly white
Is the slim curved crook of the moon tonight!
By Langston Hughes 10
 QUATRAIN
◼ A quatrain is a poem, or
stanza, written in four
lines.
◼ The quatrain is the most
common form of stanza
used in poetry. The Lizard
◼ Usually rhymes. The lizard is a timid thing
◼ Can be written in variety That cannot dance or fly or sing;
of rhyming patterns.
He hunts for bugs beneath the floor
And longs to be a dinosaur.
By John Gardner 11
TRADITIONAL CINQUAIN
A cinquain is a poem
cat23

◼
written in five lines that do
not rhyme.
◼ Traditional cinquain has
five lines containing 22
syllables in the following
Oh, cat
pattern:
Line 1 – 2 syllables are you grinning
Line 2 – 4 syllables curled in the window seat
Line 3 – 6 syllables as sun warms you this December
Line 4 – 8 syllables morning?
Line 5 – 2 syllables
By Paul B. Janezco 12
WORD-COUNT CINQUAIN
◼ Word-count cinquain for
younger students uses the
following pattern:
Line 1: One word (title)
Line 2: Two words (describe the title) Owl
Line 3: Three words (describe an action)
Swift, ferocious
Line 4: Four words (describe a feeling)
Line 5: One word (another word for title) Watches for food
Soaring through the night
Hunter 13
 SESTET
It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
“Annabel Lee” And this maiden she lived with no other thought
by Edgar Allan
Poe) Than to love and be loved by me.
❖(6 lines)
❖(sometimes it's called a sexain) 14
DIAMANTE(SEPTET)
◼ A diamante is a seven- Diamante Pattern
line poem written in the Line 1 – Your topic (noun)
shape of a diamond.
Line 2 – Two adjectives about
◼ Does not rhyme. Line 3 – Three “ing” words about
◼ Follows pattern. Line 4 – Four nouns or short
◼ Can use synonyms or phrase linking topic (or topics)
antonyms. Line 5 – Three “ing” words about
◼ (See next two slides for Line 5 – Two adjectives about
examples.) Line 7 – Your ending topic (noun)
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SYNONYM DIAMANTE
Monsters
Creepy, sinister,
Hiding, lurking, stalking,
Vampires, mummies, werewolves and more –
Chasing, pouncing eating,
Hungry, scary,
Creatures

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 ANTONYM DIAMANTE

Day
Bright, sunny,
Laughing, playing, doing,
Up in the east, down in the west –
Talking, resting, sleeping,
Quiet, dark,
Night

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 OCTAVE
❖(8 lines)
❖An octave is a verse form consisting
of eight lines of iambic pentameter
(in English) or of
hendecasyllables(in Italian).
❖The most common rhyme scheme
for an octave is ABBA ABBA.
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 OCTAVE
When I consider how my light is spent
Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide
Lodg'd with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide,
"Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?
"I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent
“Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe) 19
 FORM
A poem may or may not have a specific
number of lines, rhyme scheme and/or
metrical pattern, but it can still be labeled
according to its form or style.
 FORM
Here are the three most common types of
poems according to form:

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.

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◼ Ode: It is usually a lyric poem of moderate length,
with a serious subject, an elevated style, and an
elaborate stanza pattern.
◼ Elegy: It is a lyric poem that mourns the dead. [It's
not to be confused with a eulogy.]It has no set
metric or stanzaic pattern, but it usually begins by
reminiscing about the dead person, then laments
the reason for the death, and then resolves the grief
by concluding that death leads to immortality.
◼ It often uses "apostrophe" (calling out to the dead
person) as a literary technique. It can have a fairly
formal style, and sound similar to an ode.
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◼ Sonnet: It is a lyric poem consisting of 14
lines and, in the English version, is usually
written in iambic pentameter.
◼ There are two basic kinds of sonnets: the
Italian (or Petrarchan) sonnet and the
Shakespearean (or Elizabethan/English)
sonnet.
◼ The Italian/Petrarchan sonnet is named after
Petrarch, an Italian Renaissance poet.
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◼ The Petrarchan sonnet consists of an octave
(eight lines) and a sestet (six lines).
◼ The Shakespearean sonnet consists of three
quatrains (four lines each) and a concluding
couplet (two lines).
◼ The Petrarchan sonnet tends to divide the
thought into two parts (argument and
conclusion); the Shakespearean, into four
(the final couplet is the summary).

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 FORM
Here are the three most common types of
poems according to form:

◼ 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].

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◼ Ballad: It is a narrative poem that has a
musical rhythm and can be sung. A ballad is
usually organized into quatrains or cinquains,
has a simple rhythm structure, and tells the
tales of ordinary people.

◼ Epic: It is a long narrative poem in elevated

style recounting the deeds of a legendary or
historical hero.

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 FORM
Here are the three most common types of
poems according to form:

◼ 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.
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 FORM
Other types of poems include:

◼ Haiku: It has an unrhymed verse

form having three lines (a tercet)
and usually 5,7,5 syllables,
respectively. It's usually considered
a lyric poem.
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 FORM
Other types of poems include:

◼ Tanka: It is a 31 syllable poem,

traditionally written in a single
unbroken line.
◼ Tanka translates as “short song”
◼ Better known as five line, 5/7/5/7/7
syllable count form.
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 HAIKU
◼ A haiku is a Japanese
poem with 3 lines of 5, 7,
and 5 syllables. (Total of
17 syllables.)
◼ Does not rhyme.
Little frog among
◼ Is about an aspect of
nature or the seasons. rain-shaken leaves, are you, too,
splashed with fresh, green paint?
◼ Captures a moment in
time. by Gaki

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 HAIKU
◼ A haiku is a Japanese
poem with 3 lines of 5, 7,
and 5 syllables. (Total of
17 syllables.)
◼ Does not rhyme.
◼ Is about an aspect of
nature or the seasons.
◼ Captures a moment in
time.
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 FORM
Other types of poems include:
◼ Limerick: It has a very structured poem,
usually humorous & composed of five
lines (a cinquain), in an AABBA rhyming
pattern; beat must be anapestic (weak,
weak, strong) with 3 feet in lines 1, 2, & 5 and
2 feet in lines 3 & 4. It's usually a narrative
poem based upon a short and often ribald
anecdote.
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 LIMERICK
◼ A limerick is a funny
poem of 5 lines.
◼ Lines 1, 2 & 5 rhyme.
◼ Lines 3 & 4 are There Seems to Be a Problem
shorter and rhyme. I really don’t know about Jim.
◼ Line 5 refers to line 1. When he comes to our farm for a swim,

◼ Limericks are a kind The fish as a rule,

of nonsense poem. jump out of the pool.

Is there something the matter with him?
By John Ciardi 33
SOUND
RHYTHM AND METER
 SOUND PATTERNS
◼ Three other elements of poetry
are rhyme scheme, meter (ie. regular
rhythm) and word sounds (like
alliteration). These are sometimes
collectively called sound
play because they take advantage of
the performative, spoken nature of
poetry.
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 RHYTHM & METER
◼ Rhythm: Pattern of beats or a series of
stressed and unstressed syllables in poem.
◼ Poets create rhythm by using words in which
parts are emphasized or not emphasized.
◼ Meter: the systematic regularity in rhythm;
this systematic rhythm (or sound pattern) is
usually identified by examining the type of
"foot" and the number of feet.
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 METER
◼ 1. Poetic Foot: The traditional line of metered
poetry contains a number of rhythmical
units, which are called feet.

◼ The feet in a line are distinguished as a

recurring pattern of two or three
syllables ("apple" has 2 syllables, "banana"
has 3 syllables, etc.).
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 POETIC FOOT
◼ The pattern, or foot; is designated according to the
number of syllables contained, and the relationship
in each foot between the strong and weak syllables.
Thus: .

__ = a stressed (or strong, or LOUD) syllable

U = an unstressed (or weak, or quiet) syllable
.

◼ In other words, any line of poetry with a systematic

rhythm has a certain number of feet, and each
foot has two or three syllables with a constant beat
pattern .
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◼ a. IAMB (Iambic) - weak syllable followed
by strong syllable. [Note that the pattern is
sometimes fairly hard to maintain, as in
the third foot.]

◼ b. TROCHEE (Trochaic): strong syllable

followed by a weak syllable.

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◼ c. ANAPEST (Anapestic): two weak
syllables followed by a strong syllable.

◼ d. DACTYL (Dactylic): a strong syllable

followed by two weak syllables.

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◼ e. SPONDEE (Spondaic): two strong
syllables (not common as lines, but
appears as a foot). A spondee usually
appears at the end of a line.

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 METER
◼ 2. The Number of Feet: The second part of
meter is the number of feet contained in a
line. Thus :
one foot : monometer NOTE: when
two feet : dimeter hexameter is
three feet : trimeter in iambic
four feet : tetrameter rhythm, it is
five feet : pentameter called an
alexandrine)
six feet : hexameter
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 METER
❑ Poems with an identifiable meter are therefore identified by
the type of feet (e.g. iambic) and the number of feet in a
line (e.g. pentameter).

❑ The following line is iambic pentameter because it (1) has

five feet [pentameter], and (2) each foot has two syllables
with the stress on the second syllable [iambic].

That time | of year | thou mayst | in me | behold

❑ Thus, you will hear meter identified as iambic pentameter,

trochaic tetrameter, and so on.
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 METER
◼ 3. Irregularity: Many metered poems in English
avoid perfectly regular rhythm because it is
monotonous. Irregularities in rhythm add
interest and emphasis to the lines. In this line:

The first foot substitutes a trochee for an iamb. Thus,

the basic iambic pentameter is varied with the
opening trochee.
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 METER
◼ 4. Blank Verse: Any poetry
that does have a set metrical pattern
(usually iambic pentameter),
but does not have rhyme, is blank
verse. Shakespeare frequently used
unrhymed iambic pentameter in his
plays; his works are an early example
of blank verse.
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 METER
◼ 5. Free Verse: Most modern poetry no longer follows
strict rules of meter or rhyme, especially throughout
an entire poem. Free verse, frankly, has no rules
about meter or rhyme whatsoever! [In other words,
blank verse has rhythm, but no rhyme, while free
verse has neither rhythm nor rhyme.]

◼ Modern poets do like to throw in the occasional line

or phrase of metered poetry, particularly if they’re
trying to create a certain effect. Free verse can also
apply to a lack of a formal verse structure.
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 RHYME
Rhyme is the repetition of the same
stressed vowel sound and any
succeeding sounds in two or more
words.
 RHYME
◼ In poetry, the most common kind of
rhyme is the end rhyme, which occurs
at the end of two or more lines. It is
usually identified with lower case
letters, and a new letter is used to
identify each new end sound.

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 RHYME
◼ Internal rhyme occurs in the middle of
a line, as in these lines from Coleridge,
"In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud" or
"Whiles all the night through fog-smoke
white" ("The Ancient Mariner").
Remember that most modern poems
do not have rhyme.
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 RHYME
◼ Rhyme scheme is the pattern
of end rhymes that may be
designated by assigning a
different letter of the alphabet
to each new rhyme.

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 RHYME
◼ Rhymes are words that
end with the same
sound. (Hat, cat and
bat rhyme.)
◼ Rhyming sounds don’t
have to be spelled the
same way. (Cloud and
allowed rhyme.)
◼ Rhyme is the most
common sound device
in poetry.
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 SOUND DEVICES
◼ Alliteration: the repetition of initial
CONSONANT sounds on the same line
or stanza
- Big bad Bob bounced bravely.

◼ Assonance: the repetition of vowel

sounds (anywhere in the middle or end
of a line or stanza)
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 ALLITERATION
I jiggled it This Tooth
jaggled it by Lee Bennett Hopkins
jerked it.
I pushed
and pulled
and poked it.
But –
As soon as I stopped,
And left it alone
This tooth came out
On its very own!
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 ASSONANCE
The Word is Dead
by Emily Dickenson

A word is dead
When it is said,
Some say.
I say it just
Begins to live
That day.

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 SOUND DEVICES
◼ Consonance: the repetition of consonant
sounds (anywhere in the middle or end
of a line or stanza)

◼ Onomatopoeia: words that sound like

that which they describe
- Boom! Crash! Pow! Quack! Moo! Caress...
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 ONOMATOPEA
Scrunch, scrunch, scrunch. Listen
by Margaret Hillert
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Frozen snow and brittle ice
Make a winter sound that’s nice
Underneath my stamping feet
And the cars along the street.
Scrunch, scrunch, scrunch.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
CONSONANCE
 SOUND DEVICES
◼ Repetition: the repetition of entire lines or
phrases to emphasize key thematic ideas.

◼ Parallel Structure: a form of repetition where

the order of verbs and nouns is repeated; it
may involve exact words, but it more
importantly repeats sentence structure
"I came, I saw, I conquered".
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 REPETITION
Some one tossed a pancake, The Sun
by Sandra Liatsos
A buttery, buttery, pancake.
Someone tossed a pancake
And flipped it up so high,
That now I see the pancake,
The buttery, buttery pancake,
Now I see that pancake
Stuck against the sky.
PARALLEL STRUCTURE
We real cool. We
Left school. We We Real Cool
by Gwendolyn Brooks
The Pool Players
Lurk late. We
Seven at the Golden Shovel
Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We
Die soon.
RHYMING PATTERNS
◼ Poets can choose from ◼ AABB – lines 1 & 2 rhyme
a variety of different and lines 3 & 4 rhyme
rhyming patterns. ◼ ABAB – lines 1 & 3 rhyme
◼ (See next four slides and lines 2 & 4 rhyme
for examples.) ◼ ABBA – lines 1 & 4 rhyme
and lines 2 & 3 rhyme
◼ ABCB – lines 2 & 4 rhyme
and lines 1 & 3 do not
rhyme
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ABAB Rhyming Pattern
Oodles of Noodles

I love noodles. Give me oodles.

Make a mound up to the sun.
Noodles are my favorite foodles.
I eat noodles by the ton.

By Lucia and James L. Hymes, Jr.

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 AABB Rhyming Pattern
First Snow
Snow makes whiteness where it falls.
The bushes look like popcorn balls.
And places where I always play,
Look like somewhere else today.
By Marie Louise Allen

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ABBA Rhyming Pattern
From “Bliss”

Let me fetch sticks,

Let me fetch stones,
Throw me your bones,
Teach me your tricks.
By Eleanor Farjeon

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ABCB Rhyming Pattern
The Alligator

The alligator chased his tail

Which hit him in the snout;
He nibbled, gobbled, swallowed it,
And turned right inside-out.
by Mary Macdonald

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 IMAGERY
Stanzas are a series of lines grouped
together and separated by an empty
line from other stanzas.
 IMAGERY
◼ Imagery is the use of words to
create pictures, or images, in
your mind.
◼ Appeals to the five senses:
smell, sight, hearing, taste and
touch. Five Senses

◼ Details about smells, sounds,

colors, and taste create
strong images.
◼ To create vivid images writers
use figures of speech. 67
FIGURES OF SPEECH
◼ Figures of speech are
tools that writers use to
create images, or “paint
pictures,” in your mind.
◼ Similes, metaphors, and
personification are three
figures of speech that
create imagery.
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 SIMILE
◼ A simile compares
two things using the
words “like” or “as.”
◼ Comparing one
thing to another
creates a vivid
image. The runner streaked like a cheetah.

◼ (See next slide for

example.)
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 SIMILE
An emerald is as green as grass,
A ruby red as blood;
Flint
By Christina Rosetti
A sapphire shines as blue as heaven;
A flint lies in the mud.
Dscn12341

A diamond is a brilliant stone,

gems-diamond

To catch the world’s desire; 200px-Star-Saphire

An opal holds a fiery spark;

But a flint holds fire.
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 METAPHOR
◼ A metaphor compares
two things without
using the words “like”
or “as.”
◼ Gives the qualities of
one thing to something
that is quite different.
The winter wind is a wolf
◼ (See next slide for howling at the door.
example.)
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 METAPHOR
The Night is a Big Black Cat
The Night is a big black cat
The moon is her topaz eye,
The stars are the mice she hunts at night,
In the field of the sultry sky.

By G. Orr Clark

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 PERSONIFICATION
◼ Personification
gives human
traits and feelings
to things that are
not human – like
animals or The moon smiled down at me.

objects.
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 PERSONIFICATION
Mister Sun From “Mister Sun”
by J. Patrick Lewis
Wakes up at dawn,
Puts his golden
Slippers on,
Climbs the summer
Sky at noon,
Trading places
With the moon.
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HAT IS POETRY?
What is poetry? Who knows?
Poetry
by Eleanor Farjeon

Not a rose, but the scent of a rose;

Not the sky, but the light in the sky;
Not the fly, but the gleam of the fly;
Not the sea, but the sound of the sea;
Not myself, but what makes me
See, hear, and feel something that prose
Cannot: and what it is, who knows?

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