Name: _________________________________

Poetry What is it?

Content Objective:
Students will define poetry and explain how different examples fit the definition.
Students will identify a poem and respond to it.
Language Objective:
Students will read 5 different examples of poetry.
Students will determine different elements of each poem that they liked.
Students will verbally respond to each example in a group discussion.
Students will explain through writing they liked one poem.

Poetry is

Directions: Read each of the following poems and complete the following.
1. Underline specific words/phrases/lines that you liked.
2. Explain how the poem matches the definition of poetry (see box above).
3. Choose one of the 5 poems to respond to the following questions:
a. Why did you like this poem? Be specific.
b. What emotion is revealed through this poem?
c. How was that emotion revealed?

Poem #1
The End Black Matta

How does this poem match the definition of

poetry?

Wherever I go
I know that there must be an end
For happiness
For sadness
For life!!
Everything has "on" and "off"
One day it'll be turned off
Just like us
We were born to die
We smile to cry
We imagine to fly
Every end can be good or bad
Happy or sad
That's what makes me mad
And tires my mind

Wherever I walk
Whenever I talk
I know that there must be a stop
for my way
for my say
for my loss!!

Response:

Poem #2
In The Country Paul Geiger
Why
Had
He come
Here? For peace?
Solace? He began
To realize there wasn't the
Perfect quiet around that he would have expected
Out in the country. Plenty of disturbances here and there, a shaking of the dry
Autumn leaves that wasn't wind, the racketsome unseen birds chastising him. You thought you'd
enter a fresh block of air. Instead, what did you get?
What are you doing here? where are you going? A sense of being watched by thingsthings you
Did not know about. Of being a disturbance. Life
Aroundcoming to some concluSion about you from
How does this poem match the definition of poetry?
Vantage points
You could
Not
See.

Response:

Poem #3
not my world but my universe Sebastian Aaron Baez

How does this poem match the definition of

poetry?

you are not my world

you are my ever expanding universe
exerting spell-binding mystery
and
limitless visionary fascination
endless wonder and inspirational astonishment
I venture into your space in hopes of new life
and new aspiring dreams....
extraordinary sights
extraordinary sight
amazing lights
amazing light
beautiful creations
a beautiful creation
you are not my world
you are my ever evolving universe
your alluring mysteries mystifies me
your visionary fascinations fascinates me
extraordinary of all sights
amazing of all lights
I wish to venture into your spacy aura
of your wonderment and shocking surprise
A whole universe contained within those powerful eyes

Response:

Poem #4

How does this poem match the definition of

poetry?

Well this is life - Dr. Upma A. Sharma

Well this is life
Anticipating a pleasant romantic meet,
then eagerly waiting for him to greet,
Palpitations at last going more fast,
end of the day leaving me aghast !
Well that's what life is ??
Hard work and burning midnight oil,
sweet desires as if destined to foil,
Whatever pleasant I proposed,
hard time cruelly disposed,
That's what life is !

Response:

If I stood in one queue, the other moved quick,

was kind to someone who gave me a flick,
My passion that was misconstrued,
Kept me unwontedly ever glued,
Well that's what life is ??
Why such a long life ?
and so much of strife ??

Poem #5
dumpster diving Alexandra Burns
I threw out all of you
smashed all the CD's
trashed every sweatshirt that smelled of you
ripped up diary pages of admiration
letters and pictures burnt
only ashes that can't say 'I love you' anymore
and then you wanted me back
but I'm not going dumpster diving

How does this poem match the definition of

poetry?

Response:

Name: ____________________________

Fixed Form Poetry

Content Objective: Students will apply the structure of a Sonnet and a Haiku to their own writing.
Language Objective:
Students will read examples of Haikus and Sonnets.
Students will label the meter and rhyme scheme of Haikus and Sonnets.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary Notes:
Fixed Form Poetry

Rhyme Scheme

Slant Rhyme

Meter

Sonnet

Quatrain

Couplet

Haiku

Sonnets

Sixth Sense Kyle Casker

Binding forces clench my worried mind. ______
For at times, the distractions shroud the inner lining ______
difficulty in grasping what my conscious is hiding. ______
Feeling is unknown, unreal, unseen, one of a kind. ______
An answer whispers to me but it cannot speak. ______
The Universe detached from its silent pitch. ______
Almost indescribable, reality is glitched. ______
For this moment, the mind is strong yet also weak. ______
I assert those who ask of this power______
Like animals, they too have a sixth sense. ______
Confusing yet intriguing this force is immense. ______
Tranquility I seek for my thoughts amongst the bowers. ______
The answers to life perhaps are already drawn. ______
In this world, for now, we are all just pawns. ______

Light in the Dark Sally Billups

Life can be such a cruel thing at times______
We should all have a little bit of faith______
We all have our own personal form of crime______
But I dont guess that is always the case______
Even in dark light will shine______
No matter what it will always break through______
At some point we must all find our own kind______
No matter what we should always stay true______
Even in the dark always keep a smile______
The light inside will find a way to shine______
To find it we walk the endless miles______
When we find it, it will be so divine______
Surely it shouldnt be this hard to find______
We do what we can to not cross the line______

Class Sonnets
Task#1 ~15 min
1. Write the first quatrain
for a Sonnet.
2. Follow the ABAB rhyme
scheme
3. Ensure each line is
written in iambic
pentameter (5 beats; 10
syllables daDUM).
1. Write the second
quatrain for a Sonnet.
2. Follow the CDCD rhyme
scheme
3. Ensure each line is
written in iambic
pentameter (5 beats; 10
syllables daDUM).
1. Write the third quatrain
for a Sonnet about .
2. Follow the EFEF rhyme
scheme
3. Ensure each line is
written in iambic
pentameter (5 beats; 10
syllables daDUM).
1. Write a couplet for a
Sonnet about .
2. Follow the GG rhyme
scheme.
3. Ensure each line is
written in iambic
pentameter (5 beats; 10
syllables daDUM).

Sonnet A

Sonnet B

Alex Argueta
Ana Echeverria

Cecelia Delgado
Apiew Alwal

Francisco Diego Matias

Sammie Sayaphet

Pedro Dieguez
Arianna Blue

Rashaan Pomani
Marina Peralta

Win Htoo
Alexis Sherer

Orlando Ignacio
Alex Smith

Jose Jiminez
Cole Nyberg

Task#2 ~5 min
1. Cut and paste your groups Sonnet onto a piece of construction paper in the correct order.
2. Give your groups Sonnet a title

Task#2 ~10 min

1. Read the other groups Sonnet.
2. PROVE whether or not it is a Sonnet. (Identify Rhyme scheme; meter, correct # of lines, correct #
of quatrains and/or couplet)

WRITE YOUR OWN SONNET!

Sonnet Requirements:
MUST be 14 Lines.
MUST have 3 Quatrains (set of 4 lines) and 1 Couplet (2 lines)
MUST follow the rhyme scheme ABABCDCDEFEFGG
MUST be 10 syllables per line following appropriate meter

Tips
1. Use your Sonnet Plan sheet to brainstorm topic ideas and to fit them into the required four stanza structure
(three quatrains and a couplet.)
2. Once you have your plan, begin trying to write some lines that follow your plan. Try for 10 syllable lines, but at
this point dont worry if your lines arent perfectmeaning is more important!
3. Revise to get the required line length, meter, and rhyme scheme. You must be very strict about the 10 syllable
limit per line. Remember that the meter you are striving for is a rhythm that goes daDUM daDUM daDUM daDUM
daDUM.
4. Try the rhyming website: http://www.rhymezone.com/ to help you make the rhymes work.
5. Special tricks.
a. Many words in English can have a varying number of syllables, depending what you need. You can use
the apostrophe to leave out a syllable if needed, such as three syllable every becomes evry.
Sometimes an apostrophe is not even needed. For example, chocolate is most often pronounced
chok-lit but may be used as chok-a-lit if needed in a line.
b. Articles (the, a, an) can very often be left out to save a syllable.
c. To save a syllable you can contract is or are onto many subjects. For example, theyre instead of
they are or Springs instead of Spring is.
d. You can poetically switch the usual order of the sentence to put the verb at the end. This often makes
the meter work better since the verb is almost always stressed. It can also help in finding rhyme. For
example: To school he comes instead of He comes to school. (Think Yoda)

SONNET PLAN WORKSHEET

Directions: Use the following worksheet to plan the ideas you will include in your Sonnet. You need to
know what ideas and emotions you want to reveal before you start thinking about rhyming and meter.
My theme or personal message will be _______________________________________________
My stanzas will contain these ideas:
Q1. _________________________________________________________________________

Q2. _________________________________________________________________________

Q3. _________________________________________________________________________

Coup _______________________________________________________________________

30 points
Form
15 pts.

Ideas
10 pts.

Conventions
5 pts.

Exceeds
Expectations
5 pts.
The poet included 14
lines each with 10
syllables, followed
the appropriate
rhyme scheme, and
used the quatrain/
couplet pattern.

Meets Expectations
4 pts.

The poet revealed a

consistent idea
throughout his/her
sonnet. The sonnet
reveals emotion
through both ideas
and strong word
choice.
The sonnet has not
grammatical errors.

The poet revealed a

somewhat consistent
idea throughout
his/her sonnet. The
sonnet reveals
emotion through
ideas, but lacks
strong word choice.
The sonnet has some
grammatical errors.

The poet included 14

lines most with 10
syllables, attempted
to follow the
appropriate rhyme
scheme, and used
the quatrain/couplet
pattern.

Needs
Improvement
3 pts.
The poet did not
include 14 lines, did
not attempt to use
10 syllables per line,
did not follow the
appropriate rhyme
scheme, and/or did
not use the quatrain/
couplet pattern.
The poet did not
reveal a consistent
idea throughout
his/her sonnet. The
sonnet does not
reveal emotion
through ideas or
strong word choice.
The sonnet has many
grammatical errors.

Fixed Form Poetry - Haikus

Content Objective: Students will apply the structure of a Sonnet and a Haiku to their own writing.
Language Objective:
Students will read examples of Haikus and Sonnets.
Students will label the meter and rhyme scheme of Haikus and Sonnets.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary Notes:
Review each vocabulary term previously covered. Circle the correct answer.
Fixed Form Poetry
a.
b.
c.
d.

Poetry that has 14 lines that follow iambic pentameter.

Poetry that must follow a specific rhyme scheme and/or meter.
Poetry that doesnt give the poet any room for creativeness.
Poetry that has no poetic rules to follow.

Rhyme Scheme
a.
b.
c.
d.

The ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of lines in a poem.

The ordered pattern of rhymes at the beginning of lines in a poem.
Identifying the words that rhyme throughout a poem.
A poem written in alphabetical order.

Slant Rhyme
Which of the following is an example of slant rhyme?
a.
b.
c.
d.

Cat / Bat
Sliver / River
Purple / Thermal
Phone / Throne

Meter
a.
b.
c.
d.

The rhythm established in a poem.

10 syllables per line.
The pattern of rhyming words in a poem.
Iambic Pentameter

Sonnet
Circle ALL that apply to a Sonnet.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.

14 lines
3 quatrains
2 couplets
10 syllables per line
Alternating rhyme scheme
Quatrain 1 and 3 must follow the same rhyme scheme
The couplet must rhyme with Quatrain 1
Written in iambic pentameter

Quatrain
Which of the following is a characteristic of a quatrain?
a.
b.
c.
d.

4 lines
Rhyme scheme
Consistent meter
All of the above

Couplet
Which of the following in a characteristic of a couplet?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Haiku

3 lines
Each line has the same rhyme
Begins a Sonnet
Meter is not required

The Haikus History

Haiku History:
The haiku form was developed in Japan and later became popular in the United States.
Haiku is the shortest form of poetry in Japan. It tells a story or suggests a mental picture
of something that happens in nature. Many descriptive words are used in haiku. The
modern form of haiku dates from the 1890s and developed from earlier forms of poetry,
hokku and haikai. The great Japanese master of haiku was Matsuo Basho (1644-1694).
The name Basho means "banana tree" and was adopted by the poet when he moved into a
hut located next to a banana tree.
General Characteristic Guidelines for Haiku:
Haiku consists of 17 syllables and usually three lines. There are five syllables in the first
line, seven in the second, and five in the third. The lines do not rhyme. Each haiku must
contain a kigo, or season word, that indicates the season in which the haiku is set. For
example, cherry blossoms indicate spring, snow indicates winter, and mosquitoes indicate
summer, but the season word isn't always that obvious. The poem contains a "cutting" or
division between two contrasting parts. In English, the first or second line usually ends
with a colon or long dash to indicate this cutting. In writing haiku, contemplate nature
and the present moment. Use verbs in the present tense, and choose each word very
carefully.
Based on the above reading, answer the following questions:
1. In what country did haiku originate?
2. What year does the modern form of haiku date from?
3. What is the usual subject of haiku?
4. How many syllables does a haiku have?
5. How many lines does a haiku usually have?
6. How many syllables should each line have?
7. what verb tense should you use when writing haiku?
8. Does haiku rhyme?
Rising Moon - Uwe Stroh

The Naked Tree Kim Decker

As if deep in thought

fall leaves camouflage

Between flowering ancient trees.

barren tree left all alone

The spring moon rises

end or beginning

Renga
Renga, meaning linked poem," began over seven hundred years ago in Japan to encourage the
collaborative composition of poems. Poets worked in pairs or small groups, taking turns composing the
alternating three-line and two-line stanzas. Linked together, renga were often hundreds of lines long,
though the favored length was a 36-line form called a kasen. Several centuries after its inception, the
opening stanza of renga gave rise to the much shorter haiku.
To create a renga, one poet writes the first stanza, which is three lines long with a total of seventeen
syllables. The next poet adds the second stanza, a couplet with seven syllables per line. The third stanza
repeats the structure of the first and the fourth repeats the second, alternating in this pattern until the
poems end. In a Kasen, the final two stanzas follow the same patter as the first.
Assignment:
With your assigned partner, you will write a Kasen. Within your partnership, you will need to determine
the topic or theme of your poem. Remember Japanese poetry has a focus on the natural world. Be
prepared to share your finished Kasen with the class.
Requirements:
1. 36 lines following the structure of a Kasen

Stanza 1: 3 lines (5-7-5)

Stanza 2: 2 lines (7-7)

Repeat the structure of Stanza 1 and Stanza 2 5 additional times.

Final Stanza: 3 lines (5-7-5)

2. A consistence topic or theme is represented throughout.

3. It is clear that two people collaborated on the Kasen.

Renga Examples
Ready to devour
all the food youve been waiting
to eat all this year.

The sun feels very sad.

He doesnt have the time to show.
The wind takes his place.

It makes everything colder

But could make you feel warmer

The Marvelous beauty

Cannot be touched, but only seen
No taste, no touch, hear

What do the stars mean?

What do you see every night?
Watching the deep sky.

Write your own Haikus!

Haiku Requirements:
Write 3 Haikus. Each meeting the following requirements:
1. 3 lines
2. Line 1: 5 syllables
Line 2: 7 syllables
Line 3: 5 syllables
3. Consistent idea or theme
4. Clear connection to the natural world
5. Strong and purposeful word choice
6. No grammatical errors

30 points
Form
15 pts.

Ideas
10 pts.

Conventions
5 pts.

Exceeds
Expectations
5 pts.
The poet included 3
lines following the 57-5 syllable pattern
for each Haiku.
The poet revealed a
consistent idea
throughout his/her
Haikus. The Haikus
reveal connection to
the natural world
through both ideas
and strong word
choice.
The Haikus have no
grammatical errors.

Meets Expectations
4 pts.
The poet included 3
lines following the 57-5 syllable pattern
for 2 of the 3 Haikus.
The poet revealed a
somewhat consistent
idea throughout
his/her Haikus. The
Haikus reveal a
connection to the
natural world, but
lacks strong word
choice.
The Haiku have some
grammatical errors.

Needs
Improvement
3 pts.
The poet included 3
lines following the 57-5 syllable pattern
for 1 of the 3 Haikus.
The poet did not
reveal a consistent
idea throughout
his/her Haikus. The
Haikus do not reveal
a connection to the
natural world
through ideas or
strong word choice.
The Haiku have
many grammatical
errors.

Rough Draft DUE Thurs. Nov. 13 (beginning of class)

Final DUE Fri. Nov. 14 (beginning of class)

Haiku Paintings
Traditionally, Haikus are accompanied by a traditional painting called Haiga.
Haiga Examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgyBbeEl8RI
Straw Painting How-To:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQP9Hyn7JKg

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Choose 1 of your three Haikus to accompany with a Haiga.

Neatly write your Haiku on the top right corner of your paper. (5 pts.)
Drop black ink on your paper with a straw.
Blow your ink into a tree, rain, etc. (5 pts.)
Accent your black base with color or additional images (5 pts.)

15 pts.

Name: _______________________________

Free Verse Poetry

Content Objective:
Students will creatively write and perform an example of free verse poetry.
Students will recognize the freedoms that free verse poetry allows.
Language Objective:
Students will read examples of free verse poetry.
Students will identify the writing process of free verse poetry.
Students will read and perform an example of free verse poetry.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary Notes:
Free Verse Poetry

_____________________________________________________________________________________
I Have to Write a Poem for Class
By Jack Prelutsky
I have to write a poem for class
But don't think I'll succeed,
I know I don't know all the words
That I am going to need.
I cannot quite imagine
How my poem's supposed to be
I've got a sinking feeling
I'm not good at poetry.
My poem must have a meter
And it also has to rhyme,
It's due tomorrow morning
How I wish I had more time!
I do not think that I can write
A poem the way I should
But lookthis is a poem right here,
And it is pretty good.

After the Sea-Ship

by Walt Whitman

After the Sea-Shipafter the whistling winds;

After the white-gray sails, taut to their spars and ropes,
Below, a myriad, myriad waves, hastening, lifting up their necks,
Tending in ceaseless flow toward the track of the ship:
Waves of the ocean, bubbling and gurgling, blithely prying,
Waves, undulating wavesliquid, uneven, emulous waves,
Toward that whirling current, laughing and buoyant, with curves,
Where the great Vessel, sailing and tacking, displaced the surface;

Disappointments
by Vivian Gilbert Zabel
Every life has a room
where memories are stored:
A box of special occasions here,
Shelves of shared laughter there.
But back in the shadows
Lurks a trunk locked tight,
Not to be opened and searched.
There hide disappointments
Which darken every heart.

Free Verse by Robert Graves

My rhymes no longer shall stand arrayed

Like Prussian soldiers on parade

I now delight

That march,

In spite

Stiff as starch,

Of the might

Foot to foot,

And the right

Boot to boot,

Of classic tradition,

Blade to blade,

In writing

Button to button,

And reciting

Cheeks and chops and chins like mutton.

Straight ahead,

No! No!

Without let or omission,

My rhymes must go

Just any little rhyme

Turn ee, twist ee,

In any little time

Twinkling, frosty,

That runs in my head;

Will-o-the-wisp-like, misty;

Because, Ive said,

Washed Away by Katherine Foreman

Nothing's changed except me and the facts
And the sadness I didn't mean to start.
But it feels different now you've said
It's wrong, and I still can't see your point.
And I think as water runs over my hands that
That's really all there is or can be.
The gold is wearing off the infamous ring
And something wears away from around my heart.

Felicitous Spaces:
An interview with U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins

Billy Collins is a deeply humorous poeta description that only begins to suggest the wide talent of his
writing. His work is both penetrating and unflinching in its portrayals of an often less-than-holy world, as
well as delightfully unpredictable. A voracious reader, Collins creates a poetic world filled with historical
figures and vivid facts that bubble up from all parts of the globe. His work negotiates a smart, lucid path
between an outright love for the world and a healthy suspiciousness of it. Packed with powerful, original
images, his poems turn unexpected corners and surprise the reader with their lush language and
generous imagination.
Collins is the author of six books of poetry, including Picnic, Lightning (University Pittsburgh Press,
1998), The Art of Drowning (University of Pittsburgh Press, 1995) and Questions about Angels, which
was selected for the prestigious National Poetry Series. A book of selected poems, Sailing Alone Around
the Room, will be published this autumn by Random House. His wry, intelligent poems can be found
populating the pages of most major literary magazines in the United States, such as Poetry, American
Poetry Review and Paris Review. The recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts
and the Guggenheim Foundation, as well as many other awards, he teaches English at Lehman College,
City University of New York. In June 2001, Collins was named Poet Laureate of the United States.
Alexandra van de Kamp: In previous interviews, youve commented on how you see your poems as
modes of travel that take the reader to unexpected places. You also describe the writing process in your
poems as a voyage or odyssey of sorts. Can you explain this further?
Billy Collins: When I say that poetry is the oldest form of travel writing, of course, I mean imaginative
travel as well as geographical. Like Borges, who described himself as a hedonist reader, I admittedly
read for pleasure, and one of the great pleasures that poetry offers is to be moved from one place in the
mind to another, often from a place that exists in reality to one that exists in the imagination, especially
if that second place never existed before the poem was written. All poems do not aim for this vehicular
power, but I tend to judge them by that standard. Actually, I am not really judging when I read
someones poem. I am just waiting to go somewhere. Anywhere. Some poems fly into completely new
realms, others never leave the hangar. Travel also relieves the boredom of writing. When I am
composing, I am looking for a side road or an escape hatch so that I can leave the first part of the poem
behind, which is usually just bait, or scene-setting, and go somewhere new.

Alexandra van de Kamp: This sense of home, of relishing the everyday places we occupy, seems to play a
key role in the landscape of your poems. Can you comment on how retreat or place has figured in
your work?
Billy Collins: Like the three secrets to a successful business, the poem for me needs location, location,
location. This goes back to the idea of the poem as a means of travel. If the poem is to transport the
reader to some Elsewhere, it must start in a Somewhere, and for me that is Here, where I am writing,
usually at home. Poems that begin with a sense of place have somewhere else to go. By the way, I dont
mean sense of place in the regional sense that Southern writers keep applauding. The place can just as
easily be the place of compositionthis desk, this road I am walking. These poems are kind of
occasional poems in that they begin by establishing a setting, an occasion for the act of composing. This
begins, I think, with the Romantics, the poet usually located in an agreeable landscape setting. But
Coleridge can be indoors as in Frost at Midnight or in his garden as in This Lime-Tree Bower My
Prison, which opens Well, they are gone and here must I remain. The here in that line is fresh in
poetry at the time. Coleridge is a poet of the domicile. Someone once called me an indoor nature
poet, which is a charge I would have to cop to.
I think the sense of the place of writing is related to the connection between retreat and creativity. The
writing workshop suggests that writing can be socialized, but I would throw in with Gaston Bachelards
idea of felicitous space, private nooks where children hide and where their imaginations are formed.
Poets and other creative types have simply managed to emerge from those hiding places with their
imaginations intact, trailing clouds of imaginative gloryif that doesnt sound too lofty.
Alexandra van de Kamp: Your work also seems to have been influenced by jazzyouve written some of
the best contemporary poetry on it. Can you talk a little about your relationship to the music?
Billy Collins: A long time ago, when I was in my early teens, my parents used to send me to Canada for
part of the summer to stay with my uncle John, to work on his farm bringing in hay and such, and to
mow the lawn and the like at this hotel he owned on Lake Simcoe in Ontario. One day when I was
mowing the lawn, a motorboat pulled up to the dock with two couples in it. They tied up, set up a record
player, poured some drinks and laid around the deck, sunbathing and listening to what turned out to be
the Benny Goodman Carnegie Hall concert. That was the first time I heard jazz. Of course, I didnt know
it at the time, but this was 1954 and they were hipsters. One of the girls was beautiful, and I fell in love
with her (without ever speaking) and with jazz. I decided to devote my life to becoming someone like
her boyfriend. I have been listening ever since. Recently, I have been taking piano lessons, and now I can
play some standards and some blues. But I cannot seem to play if anyone else is in the room.
As for the references to jazz in my workjazz is just something that is part of the atmosphere I live in,
the part I can control. I write about jazz the way I write about the weather. It is part of the background
that I sometimes move to the foreground. People like to make comparisons between jazz improvisation
and the improvisational quality of some contemporary poetry. Thats worth talking aboutI try to write
poems in one sitting to get into the mood of spontaneitybut lets be real. The poet can go back and
erase, the trumpet player on the stand in a club cannot.

1. Who is Billy Collins?

2. Where can poems take a reader?

3. According to Billy Collins what does every poem need?

4. Why is that thing so important (see #3)?

5. What locations are intriguing to you that you could include in your poetry?

6. Why does Billy Collins write about jazz?

7. What is something that is a part of your life that you can connect with your poetry?

How to Write Free Verse Poetry

Step 1: Think of a specific topic. Try to choose a topic that is seemingly neutral. For
example, a waterfall.

Step 2: Think of keywords (descriptive words or phrases) that can be used to describe
and picture your topic at this stage.

Step 3: Start constructing your poem. A great thing about free verse poems is that

you do not need to worry about rhyming (like in sonnets), meter (like in a haiku) or
specific beginnings (like in narratives), there is no structure to it; but all the while it is
important that your poem has a natural flow to it. Example of beginning a poem: The
everlasting waterfalls.

"The gushing sound entertains me, the splendid voice;

the rich sparkling blue envelopes me with awe...
and the great splendor I will always remember."

Use synonyms of a word if you are repeating that word, as repetition

of one word is not effective as making several different synonymous
images.

Step 4: Remember that a free verse poem is constructed vertically in lines -- not as a
paragraph -- so make a new line after a phrase or two or three or more.

Topic: Object/Thing
Toothpaste
don't forget to
put the cap back on
the toothpaste tube
or it will dry up
and crack
and the chalky mess
will crumble away
when I go to
brush my teeth
I know you do it
out of malicious spite
because it makes me
crazy
it's always little things
those little stings
that burn me up inside
don't forget to
put the cap back on
the toothpaste tube
or it will dry up
and crack
just like my teeth
when I'm screaming and
my heart stops beating

For 10 min, practice stream of consciousness writing

Topic: Person
I stare into his eyes, and I see a whole world.
Blues mix with greens mix with greys mix with me.
Clear as day and deep as the ocean,
his eyes suck me in and I have no choice but to go.
I am floating in the waters of his eyes.
Everything he sees, I feel.
I am covered in those blues mixed with greens mixed with greys.
I feel calm in his eyes.
I feel safe in his eyes.
I feel loved in his eyes.
I never want to leave this abyss of bliss.
Like a hug wrapping tightly around me,
his eyes hold me close.
I am lost, I am found.
I enjoy being lost and feel pure joy at being found.
I stare into his eyes, and I see my future.
Love mixed with hope mixed with life mixed with me.
Moving me in waves,
tossing me gently.
I long for my world to be hidden in his eyes.
Where we can both escape and never be seen.
Together wed live, in the calm of his eyes.
In a world of blues mixed with greens mixed with greys.

For 10 min, practice stream of consciousness writing

Topic: Emotion/Thoughts
Lost in my mind, I am swarmed by my thoughts,
Incessant thoughts spinning around me like a tornado of worry and doubt.
Bumping me left and right, up and down.
I dream of a mind as peaceful as a meadow,
as clear as a river,
as calm as a lake.
A mind where my thoughts flow easily,
where my thoughts dont bombard me
but inspire me.
Instead, I am in the middle of the traffic of my mind,
thoughts like cars rushing by, or completely stopped.
Thoughts that cause me to curl up
and hide.
I grow exhausted from the constant train of judgement that has no purpose but to hurt me.
Thoughts that hurt me.
My own thoughts hurting me.
When will I be able to control my own mind?
When will peace fall upon my eyes?
I long for that clear river in my mind,
where worry washes away clean and hope springs forth.
I take a deep breath and try to fall into a deep slumber, like I am falling from the sky.
Falling away from my thoughts and into an abyss of freedom from myself.
But once again, I am lost in my mind.
Thoughts swarming around me,
thoughts forever consuming me.

For 10 min, practice stream of consciousness writing

Exploring Free Verse Poetry

Free Verse Poetry Requirements:
Write 1 Free Verse Poem. Focus on either an object, person, emotion, or moment refer back to your
stream of consciousness brainstorming. Meet the following requirements:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Enough lines to truly describe and give life to your topic

A sense of rhythm (Although, you dont necessarily need specific meter.)
A consistent idea or theme throughout your poem
A clear emotional connection to your topic (you choose the emotion)
Strong and purposeful word choice
No grammatical errors

30 points
Form
15 pts.

Ideas
10 pts.

Conventions
5 pts.

Exceeds
Expectations
5 pts.
The poet explored
the freedoms of free
verse poetry while
maintaining strong
cohesion among
his/her chosen
structure. The poet
provided a sense of
rhythm to the poem
through the
deliberate choice of
phrasing and words.
The poem has a
consistent idea or
theme throughout
his/her poem, used
strong and
purposeful word
choice, and conveyed
a clear emotional
connection to his/her
topic.
The poem has no
grammatical errors.

Meets Expectations
4 pts.
The poet used the
freedoms of free
verse poetry but lost
some cohesion within
his/her structure.
The poet attempted
to give a sense of
rhythm in the poem,
but it was often
broken due to weak
choice of phrasing
and words.
The poet has a
somewhat consistent
idea of theme
throughout his/her
poem, used
somewhat strong
and purposeful word
choice, and conveyed
a somewhat clear
emotional connection
to his/her topic.
The poem has some
grammatical errors.

Needs
Improvement
3 pts.
The poet used the
freedom in free verse
poetry too liberally
causing the poem to
have no structure.
The poet had no
sense of rhythm in
the poem due.

The poet did not

have a consistent
idea or theme
throughout his/her
poem, did not use
strong and
purposeful word
choice, and did not
convey a clear
emotional connection
to his/her topic.
The poem has
enough grammatical
errors to distract the
reader.

Rough Draft DUE Fri. Nov. 21 (beginning of class)

Final Draft DUE Mon. Nov. 24 (beginning of class)

Brainstorming
_________________________
(Topic)

Structure Goals
#1.
#2.
#3.

Free Verse Poem Performance

Free Verse Poem Recording Requirements:
Perform your poem with and animated facial expressions, effective tone of voice, and a complimentary
PowerPoint using Movenote.
1. Create a PowerPoint that helps represent the topic and emotions of your poem.
a. Use 5 10 slides (Title page included)
b. Use meaningful & purposeful colors
c. Use effective pictures (Google images, personal photos, clip art, etc.)
2. Upload your completed PowerPoint to your Movenote recording.
3. Read aloud your poem emphasizing the rhythm you created through your structure and word
choice.
4. Emphasize significant words in your recording
5. Use your tone of voice to show emotion.
6. Use animated facial expressions that match the tone of your poem.
7. Submit your finalized recording using your Gmail account.

Final Project Example: https://www.movenote.com/v/Ytcnww8pvk_R1

30 points
Recording
15 pts.

Visuals
10 pts.

Exceeds Expectations
5 pts.
- Strong facial
expressions, effective
tone of voice, and clear
pronunciations to
perform his/her free
verse poem.
- Clearly understood and
spoke at a good pace.
- 5-10 slides
- Effectively used visuals
and color to compliment
his/her free verse poem.
- Included a title page.

Overall
Product
5 pts.

Clearly took time to

develop an organized
project.

Meets Expectations
4 pts.
Somewhat strong facial
expressions, somewhat
effective tone of voice,
and somewhat clear
pronunciations to
perform his/her free
verse poem.
Somewhat clear and
spoke a bit too fast or
too slow.
4 or 11-12 slides
Somewhat effectively
used visuals and color to
compliment his/her free
verse poem.
Included a title page.

Took some time to develop

a somewhat organized
project.

Needs Improvement
3 pts.
- Did not use strong facial
expressions, did not use
effective tone of voice,
and/or did not use clear
pronunciations to
perform his/her free
verse poem.
- Not clear and spoke too
fast or too slow.
- Less than 3 or 13+
slides
- Did not effectively used
visuals and color to
compliment his/her free
verse poem.
- Did not included a title
page.
Took very little time to
develop a poorly organized
project.

Video Recording DUE Tuesday, Nov. 25 (Midnight)

PowerPoint Example

Movenote How-To Download

1. Open CHROME internet browser
2. Go to GOOGLE
3. Search: Chrome Store
4. In the Chrome Store, search Movenote (one word)
5. Download free version & add to your Google Account
6. Sign-in to your Google account
Login = e-mail: firstname.lastnamegradyr@student.isd518.net
Password = lunchnumber+00

Movenote How-To Record

1. Open Movenote
2. Allow access to camera & microphone

Click Allow in screen

Click Allow on top bar under web address

3. +Create New

4.

Flip camera to view YOU

Flip camera
Microphone volume turn it up!
Adjust camera & microphone

5. Upload your PowerPoint & Record your performance.

If you mess up, you can re-record, but you have to start over.

6. Save

7. Change Settings (optional)

8. Submit through Gmail

Name: _____________________

Poetry Unit Test

Directions: Read the following poem and answer the questions below.
The West Wind
Its a warm wind, the west wind, full of birds cries;
I never hear the west wind but tears are in my eyes.
For it comes from the west lands, the old brown hills,
And Aprils in the west wind, and daffodils.
Its a fine land, the west land, for hearts as tired as mine;
Apple orchards blossom there, and the airs like wine.
There is cool green grass there where men lay lie at rest;
And the thrushes are in song there, fluting from their nest
1. What is the rhyme scheme?
A. aabbaacc
B. abababab
C. aabbccdd
D. abbcbccd

2. The words my eyes uses what sound device?

A. Rhythm
B. Meter
C. Rhyme
D. Repetition

3. The poem is written in

A. Couplets
B. Quatrains
C. Cinquains
D. Single lines

4. What kind of poem is this?

A. Free verse poem
B. Haiku
C. Sonnet
D. None of the above

5. The sense of _______________ and the sense of _____________ are appealed to in the first line.
A. Sight and taste
B. Touch and sight
C. Touch and sound
D. Sound and smell

Directions: Fill in the blank to make each sentence accurate.

1. Fixed form poetry is________.
A. Poetry that has 14 lines that follow iambic pentameter.
B. Poetry that must follow a specific rhyme scheme and/or meter.
C. Poetry that doesnt give the poet any room for creativeness.
D. Poetry that has no poetic rules to follow.

2. Rhyme scheme is ________.

A. The ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of lines in a poem.
B. The ordered pattern of rhymes at the beginning of lines in a poem.
C. Identifying the words that rhyme throughout a poem.
D. A poem written in alphabetical order.

3. Which of the following is an example of slant rhyme?

A. Cat / Bat
B. Sliver / River
C. Purple / Thermal
D. Phone / Throne

4. Meter is______________.
A. The rhythm established in a poem.
B. 10 syllables per line.
C. The pattern of rhyming words in a poem.
D. Iambic Pentameter

5. Circle ALL that apply to a Sonnet.

A. 14 lines
B. 3 quatrains
C. 2 couplets
D. 10 syllables per line
E. Alternating rhyme scheme
F. Quatrain 1 and 3 must follow the same rhyme scheme
G. The couplet must rhyme with Quatrain 1
H. Written in iambic pentameter

6. Which of the following is a characteristic of a quatrain?

A. 4 lines
B. Rhyme scheme
C. Consistent meter
D. All of the above

7. Which of the following in a characteristic of a couplet?

A. 3 lines
B. Each line has the same rhyme
C. Begins a Sonnet
D. Meter is not required

8. Circle ALL that apply to a Haiku.

A. 3 lines
B. 1st line = 5 syllables
C. 2nd line = 5 syllables
D. 3rd line = 5 syllables
E. aba Rhyme scheme
F. Author can choose any topic

Directions: Label each poem with the correct poem classification: Sonnet, Haiku , Free Verse

1. __________________
Coming from the woods
A bully has lilac sprig
Dangling from a horn

2. ___________________
When I was christened
They held my up
And poured some water
Out of a cup.
The trouble was
It fell on me,
And I and water
Dont agree
A lot of christeners
Stood and listened:
I let them know
What I was christened.

3. ___________________________
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-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.