Couplets A couplet is two lines of poetry. The last word of each line rhymes. Your poem can be just two lines long, or you can put together many couplets to make a longer poem. Think of a story you want to tell and turn it into a couplet! My most favorite thing is to play on the swings. I can feel the wind in my hair as I fly through the air. From the swings, I won t be deterred, they make me feel as free as a bird! Write your own poem using rhyming couplets:
Draw a picture to illustrate your couplet poem!
Quatrains A quatrain is a four line stanza with a rhyming scheme. Some common schemes are ABAB, ABCB, and ABBA. Here is an example of a poem using ABCB quatrains: It s camping weekend and I can t wait. I pack my gear, and sit by the gate. My friends pick me up, we re going to have fun. We arrive at our site just in time to say goodnight to the sun. Set up the tent, get a campfire roarin. Roast some marshmallows, and plan our explorin. Wake up in the morning ready for a hike. Friends, food and outdoors, camping is out of sight!
Make up your own quatrain using the rhyming scheme you like: Use several quatrains to create a longer poem and tell a story:
Limericks There was an old man from Peru, who dreamed he was eating his shoe. He awoke in the night with a terrible fright, and found out that it was quite true. There are 4 rules to writing limericks: 1) A limerick is funny 2) A limerick has 5 lines 3) A limerick has an AABBA rhyming pattern 4) A limerick has a rhythm pattern See how these rules apply to the following limerick: There once was a trio of sisters, da DUM da da DUM da da DUM da who acted like wild, crazy twisters. da DUM da da DUM da da DUM da Lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyme They ran to and fro, da DUM da da DUM Lines 3 and 4 rhyme they never went slow, da DUM da da DUM so their feet were all covered in blisters. da da DUM da da DUM da da DUM da Notice the rhythm. There are three DUMs in lines 1, 2 and 5. There are two DUMs in lines 3 and 4.
Try Writing Your Own Limerick! Begin by thinking of a good rhyming word you could use for line 1, 2 or 5. You can use one of the suggestions below, or come up with your own. poet book fuss play swell quick chore bike Remember to follow the four rules you learned for writing a limerick, especially number 1. Limericks should be fun!
Acrostics An acrostic is written by beginning with one word written straight down the paper: S C H O O L Next, words or phrases that begin with those letters and describe the word are filled in: Stupendous Classes Homework Open books Often fun Library Science is my favorite Class, but History is Often fun too. Otherwise, I d prefer to go to the Library.
Write Your Own Acrostic! First, write an acrostic of your name. Choose words that describe you and fit into your acrostic. Try writing other acrostics with different words. Use phrases and be creative!
Cinquains Basic Cinquains: (cinquain is pronounced sin-cane ) 1) There are 5 lines 2) The 1 st line is one word that is the subject of your poem and your title 3) The 2 nd line is two adjectives that describe the title 4) The 3 rd line is a three word phrase giving more information 5) The 4 th line is four words describing feelings about the subject 6) The 5 th line is one word that is a synonym for the subject 7) The poem is in the shape of a diamond Read this example: Dogs (subject) faithful friends (adjectives describing the subject) always happy pets (three words giving more information) tails wagging, slobbery kisses (four words that describe a feeling) Canines (one word that is a synonym for the subject) Write your own basic cinquain:
American Cinquain: An American cinquain is very similar to a basic cinquain. Instead of using a certain number of words, you use a certain number of syllables. There are still five lines and the poem is still diamond shaped. The number of syllables in each line is as follows: 2, 4, 6, 8, and 2. An example of an American cinquain: Autumn red leaves crunching under my hiking boots crisp air fills my lungs when I breathe deeply. (2 syllables) (4 syllables) (6 syllables) (8 syllables) (2 syllables) Write your own America cinquain:
haiku Haiku is a form of traditional Japanese poetry. The poems often connect two things that seem unrelated and are usually about nature or the changing seasons. There are 3 lines, and they follow a pattern of short, long, short. Across the playground Ball bounces, twirls in the air, Then slows at my feet. Before you write a haiku, gather a notebook and pencil, and go on a nature hike. Pay attention to what you see around you and take notes on things that interest you. Use your senses. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? Write down your observations. Back at home, look at your notes and pick one or two things you want to write about. Start out by writing a haiku that uses the short, long, short pattern: Now try another haiku that connects two unrelated things. Motion and stillness, wet and dry, spring and fall, or anything else you want to write about:
Traditionally, Japanese haiku would have a certain number of on, or sounds. In the Japanese language, an on is almost like our syllables in English. Japanese haiku used a pattern of 5-7-5. Many times, English haikus have lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables. Write a haiku with the 5-7-5 pattern: On the other hand, it has been pointed out that the 5-7-5 pattern in Japanese creates a certain rhythm that is easy to remember. This doesn t happen in English when we use 5-7-5 syllables. Instead, many people use 3-5-3 syllables. There are many ways to write haiku! A 17 th century Japanese poet, named Matsuo Basho, once said, First, learn the rules. Then forget them. Once you understand what a haiku is, be creative in writing haiku that you like.