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What Is Poetry?Poetry is a special type of writing that is usually written in verse. Writing that is written in paragraphs is called prose. Because poetry is not written into paragraphs, it is usually shorter in length than many other types of writing. Another special feature of poetry is that poems often rhyme; however, they do not have to rhyme. A poem does have a flow to the words as you read it. In poetry, this flow is called rhythm.
A good poet will express emotions with his writing. Sometimes you may read a poem that makes you laugh; sometimes you may read a poem that makes you cry. No topic is off limits in a poem. A great example of poetry is a song. Have you ever sung along with a song on the radio? A song is a poem with music added to it.
Directions: Complete each statement.
1. Poetry is usually written in _____________________________________________ .
2. Writing that is written in paragraphs is called ______________________________ .
3. Poems often ________________________________ , but they do not have to rhyme.
4. The flow of a poem is also called ________________________________________ .
5. A good poet will express __________________________________ with his poems.
6. A poem can be about any ______________________________________________ .
7. A great example of poetry is a __________________________________________ .
8. A song is a poem with _______________________________________ added to it.
Name That PoemPoetry is a special genre of writing. There is a rhythm to each line that is written, and each line is referred to as a verse. In poetry, the lines, or verses, are often organized into small groups called stanzas. Many times, the different stanzas will even rhyme. Poetry often expresses emotion but may use very few words to do so.
Directions: Read each example below. If the example could be part of a poem, color the smiling face yellow. If the example could not be part of a poem, color the frowning face blue.
1. Some of us can jump.
Some of us can wink.
Some of us can run,
But all of us can think.
3. When I turn eight, I hope I can get a puppy for my birthday. If I get a puppy, I will name the puppy Trouble.
I think Trouble will be a great name whether my dog is a girl dog or a boy dog. But I hope the dog won’t really be any trouble at all!
2. Yesterday I went to the doctor because I didn’t feel very well. He told me to drink more orange juice.
4. I like pink.I like brown.I can see a funny clown.
Poetry! Poetry!Poetry is a special genre of writing. A genre is a type or style of writing. Poetry has many special qualities that make it different from other types of writing. Poems are usually filled with emotion. The writer chooses his or her words carefully because many poems are shorter in length than regular stories.
One quality of a poem is its rhythm. A poem has a rhythm, like music does. Think about a nursery rhyme you said when you were little. Do you remember how much fun it was to say? This is because it has rhythm.
In the box below, write the name of a nursery rhyme you remember. Be ready to share the name of your special poem with the class.
Most poems also have rhyme. Rhyme is when two words share the same ending sound. For example, the words cow and wow have the same sound, so they are rhyming words.
These are just some of the reasons poetry is such a special genre of writing.
Directions: One special quality of many poems is rhyme. Look at the list of words below and see if you can think of at least two more words that rhyme with the word that is written. Write the rhyming words on the lines provided.
1. dog ___________________________ ___________________________
2. tree ___________________________ ___________________________
Getting Right with RhythmPoetry is special writing because it has a definite rhythm. When you read poetry, you can hear the rhythm of the words. Most people understand rhythm because they have heard rhythm in a song. Rhythm is the flow or beat. In poetry, the words create a special type of rhythm. This rhythm is caused by a pattern or repetition of sounds.
Directions: One way to understand rhythm is to understand it is a pattern. To understand the idea of a pattern, complete each word or picture pattern below.
1. I have a little locket,
I keep it in my ______________________ .
2. ________
3. ________ _________
4. ________ _________
5. Draw a pattern of your own. Leave your pattern unfinished. See if a friend can complete the pattern you have drawn.
