POETRY

1. POETRY

2. Poetic GENRES

3. Poetic GENRES To begin with, let’s remember that most poetry does NOT rhyme.

4. Poetic GENRES Lyric poetry DEFINITION: highly musical verse that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker. It creates a single, unified impression. • Short • Usually in 1st person point of view • Expresses emotion or describes a scene • Does NOT tell a story • No syllable requirements • No rhyme scheme requirements

5. Poetic GENRES Acrostic poetry DEFINITION: a poem in which the first letter of each line spells a word or phrase that is the topic of the poem. • Oftentimes done about a name • No syllable requirements • No rhyme scheme requirements

6. Poetic GENRES Narrative/Ballad poetry DEFINITION: a poem that tells a story in a musical way or with a musical feeling • Can be as long as the story requires • Odd-numbered lines longer than even-numbered lines • Even-numbered lines should rhyme

7. Poetic GENRES Epic poetry DEFINITION: a long narrative poem about the adventures of gods or a hero. Serious in tone and broad in theme. • Very long • No syllable requirements • No rhyme scheme requirements

8. Poetic GENRES Concrete or Form poetry DEFINITION: a poem with a physical shape that suggests the subject/topic. The poet arranges the letters, punctuation, and lines to create an image, or picture, on the page. • Length – must fit into the shape • No syllable requirements • No rhyme scheme requirements

9. Poetic Genres Free Verse • DEFINITION: poetry not written in a regular, rhythmical pattern, or meter. The poet is free to write lines of any length or with any number of stresses, or beats. Free verse is less constraining than other types of poetry. • No set length • Does not need a required amount of syllables • No rhyme scheme

10. Poetic Forms

11. Poetic Forms Haiku DEFINITION: a Japanese poem about nature.

12. Poetic Forms Haiku DEFINITION: a Japanese poem about nature. • Length – 3 lines • 5-7-5 • No rhyme scheme requirements

13. hAIKU NOTE: not technically a haiku because it’s not about nature NOTE: But that’s not the right syllables! How is it a haiku? by Rolf Nelson Haikus are easy But sometimes they don’t make sense Refrigerator 5 SYLLABLES 7 SYLLABLES 5 SYLLABLES by Jonathan Stephens Tell me I'm like light, light that reflects off windows right into your eyes 5 SYLLABLES 7 SYLLABLES 5 SYLLABLES by Jonathan Stephens I long for summer Swinging in my green hammock The oak leaves whistling 5 SYLLABLES 7 SYLLABLES 5 SYLLABLES by Matsuo Basho Spring rain leaking through the roof dripping from the wasps' nest. 2 SYLLABLES 5 SYLLABLES 6 SYLLABLES

14. Poetic Forms Cinquain DEFINITION: can be about anything

15. Poetic Forms Cinquain DEFINITION: can be about anything • Length – 5 lines • 2-4-6-8-2 • No rhyme scheme requirements

16. Cinquains “November “by Adelaide Crapsey Listen . . . With faint dry sound, Like steps of passing ghosts, The leaves, frost-crisp’d, break from the trees And fall. 2 SYLLABLES 4 SYLLABLES 6 SYLLABLES 8 SYLLABLES 2 SYLLABLES “Snow” by Adelaide Crapsey Look up . . . From bleak’ning hills Blows down the light, first breath Of wintry wind . . . look up, and scent The snow! 2 SYLLABLES 4 SYLLABLES 6 SYLLABLES 8 SYLLABLES 2 SYLLABLES “Guarded Wound” by Adelaide Crapsey If it Were lighter touch Than petal of flower resting On grass, oh still too heavy it were, Too heavy! 2 SYLLABLES 4 SYLLABLES 8 SYLLABLES 9 SYLLABLES 3 SYLLABLES

17. Poetic Forms Tanka DEFINITION: can be about anything

18. Poetic Forms Tanka DEFINITION: can be about anything • Length – 5 lines • 5-7-5-7-7 • No rhyme scheme requirements

19. Tankas by Margaret Chula hazy autumn moon the sound of chestnuts dropping from an empty sky I gather your belongings into boxes for the poor 5 SYLLABLES 7 SYLLABLES 5 SYLLABLES 7 SYLLABLES 7 SYLLABLES by Lenard D. Moore The night is too long A tavern just off the road With only one car, But the man and woman hug To the song on the jukebox 5 SYLLABLES 7 SYLLABLES 5 SYLLABLES 7 SYLLABLES 7 SYLLABLES by David Rice yellow daffodils in both our growing gardens I worship mine most, more than my neighbor's practice though they look the same as mine 5 SYLLABLES 7 SYLLABLES 5 SYLLABLES 7 SYLLABLES 7 SYLLABLES

20. Poetic Forms Shakespearean Sonnet DEFINITION: a type of sonnet made famous by William Shakespeare • Length – 14 lines • 10 syllables per line • Rhyme scheme: A B A B C D C D G G E F E F

21. Romeo & Juliet the Prologue

22. Shakespearean Sonnet A B A B C D C D E F E F G G Two households, both alike in DIGNITY (In fair Verona, where we lay our SCENE), From ancient grudge break to new MUTINY, Where civil blood makes civil hands UNCLEAN. From forth the fatal loins of these two FOES A pair of star-crossed lovers take their LIFE; Whose misadventured piteous OVERTHROWS Doth with their death bury their parents’ STRIFE. The fearful passage of their death-marked LOVE And the continuance of their parents’ RAGE, Which, but their children’s end, naught could REMOVE Is now the two hours’ traffic of our STAGE; The which, if you with patient ears ATTEND, What hear shall miss, our toil shall strive to MEND.

23. Shakespearean Sonnet A B A B 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Two households, both alike in DIGNITY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (In fair Verona, where we lay our SCENE), 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 From ancient grudge break to new MUTINY, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Where civil blood makes civil hands UNCLEAN.

24. Poetic Forms Limerick DEFINITION: a humorous, musical-feeling poem that oftentimes makes fun of or tells a story about a specific person.

25. Poetic Forms Limerick DEFINITION: a humorous, musical-feeling poem that oftentimes makes fun of or tells a story about a specific person. • Length – 5 lines • 3 beats – 3 beats – 2 beats – 2 beats – 3 beats • Rhyme scheme: A-A-B-B-A

26. LImerick

27. LImerick There once was a Thingamajig Like a Whatsis, but three times as big. When it first came in view, It looked something like you But it stayed and turned into a pig.

28. LImerick There was a young fellow who thought Very little, but thought it a lot. Then at long last he knew What he wanted to do, But before he could start, he forgot.

29. LImerick There once was an ape in a zoo Who looked out through the bars and saw YOU! Do you think that it’s fair To give poor apes a scare? I think it’s a mean thing to do.

30. LImerick I've been studying all night and I'm tired, But I can't sleep because I'm so wired. So I'll play on the net 'Stead of going to bed, And my tests will seem a quagmire.

31. Poetic Forms Ode DEFINITION: a formal lyric poem with a serious theme. It is usually long and may be written for a private occasion or a public ceremony. Odes often honor people, commemorate events, or respond to natural scenes. • Length – usually long • No syllable requirements • No rhyme scheme requirements

32. Ode William Wordsworth’s “Ode Composed on a May Morning” While from the purpling east departs The star that led the dawn, Blithe Flora from her couch upstarts, For May is on the lawn. A quickening hope, a freshening glee, Foreran the expected Power, Whose first-drawn breath, from bush and tree, Shakes off that pearly shower . . .