English Class
Poetry
Elements of Poetry
When you read a poem, pay attention to some basic ideas:
Voice
Stanzas
Sound
Rhythm
Figures of speech
Form
Voice
Stanzas
Sound
Rhythm
Figures of speech
Form
Poetic Forms
There are many poetic forms, or poem types. Traditional poems have a set rules that poets need to follow, such as metric and rhyme. Traditional poetic forms include sonnets like those that Shakespeare wrote and epic poetry like those of the Ancient Greeks. Other poetic forms include: free verse, acrostic poetry, haiku, concrete poetry and diamond poetry.
Concrete PoetryConcrete poetry—sometimes also called ‘shape poetry’—is poetry whose visual appearance matches the topic of the poem. The words form shapes which illustrate the poem’s subject as a picture, as well as through their literal meaning.
Example Acrostic PoetryTo begin with, an acrostic is a poem in which the first letters of each line spell out a word or phrase. The word or phrase can be a name, a thing, or whatever you like.
Example Haiku PoemsHaiku poems date from 9th century Japan to the present day. A haiku poem consists of three lines, with the first and last line having 5 syllables, and the middle line having 7.
Example: Green and speckled legs, Hop on logs and lily pads Splash in cool water. |
Diamond PoemsDiamond poems are seven lines long. The first and last lines have just one word. The second and sixth lines have two words. The third and fifth lines have three words. And the fourth line has four words. Each line has the following:
Noun Adjective, Adjective Verb, Verb, Verb Noun, Noun, Noun, Noun Verb, Verb, Verb Adjective, Adjective Noun Example Free Verse PoetryFree Verse is a form of Poetry composed of either rhymed or not rhymed lines that have no set fixed metrical pattern. The early 20th-century poets were the first to write what they called "free verse" which allowed them to break from the formula and rigidity of traditional poetry.
Examples |
Ballads
A Ballad is a story told in verse. A ballad stanza is usually four lines, and there is often a repetitive refrain. As you might guess, this form started out as a song.
Example
Example
Commas -How do you use them?
Study the rules for comma usage rules by clicking on the links below.
Now it's time to practice! Check your knowledge by playing these games.
Simple and Compound Sentences
A simple sentence is a sentence having only a subject and a verb. A simple sentence expresses only one complete idea.
Examples:
She loves to study in the afternoons.
Kyle and Samantha ran to the playground.
A compound sentence is a sentence that contains two complete ideas (called clauses) that are related. These two clauses are usually connected in a compound sentence by a conjunction following a comma.
Example:
Batman is a hero, and he is successful in catching the criminals in his city.
The little boy did not like to go to school, yet he went anyway.
Examples:
She loves to study in the afternoons.
Kyle and Samantha ran to the playground.
A compound sentence is a sentence that contains two complete ideas (called clauses) that are related. These two clauses are usually connected in a compound sentence by a conjunction following a comma.
Example:
Batman is a hero, and he is successful in catching the criminals in his city.
The little boy did not like to go to school, yet he went anyway.
Compound subject and compound predicate:
A compound subject is two or more subjects in a sentence. The subjects are joined together by a conjunction and share the same verb.
A compound predicate is two or more verbs joined together by a conjunction These verbs share the same subject.
A compound predicate is two or more verbs joined together by a conjunction These verbs share the same subject.