BCSS

Burns
ENG 1D

ENG 1D Poetry Unit

Mr. Burns

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

POETRY understanding words

During this unit we will study ten different types of poems.
We will look at what defines each type of poem, we will write
at least one example of each type of poem, and we will also
look at the different parts of speech that are essential to
poetry writing. You will also be required to find an example of
each type of poem independently.
We will look at the following 10 types of poems:
1. Bio poem
2. Cinquain
3. Haiku
4. Limerick
5. Shape poem
6. Free verse
7. Ballad
8. Tongue twister
9. Name poem
10.
Sonnet
You will need to keep each poem you write in your notebook,
and hand them in all together in the form of a booklet at the
end of the unit.
For the poems that you are required to find independently,
you must include 3 things:
The poem you have found
An explanation of the aspects of the poem that you feel
make it the type of poem you are studying
Why you chose that particular poem (what drew you to
that poem, as oppose to another?)

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

Bio-Poem
Line 1: Your first name only
Line 2: 4 traits that describe you
Line 3: Daughter/Son of~Or Sibling of~
Line 4: Who loves~(3 items, places, or
people)
Line 5: Who feels~(3 items)
Line 6: Who needs~(3 items)
Line 7: Who gives~(3 items)
Line 8: Who fears~(3 items)
Line 9: Who would like to see~(3 items)
Line 10: Who lives in~
Line 11: Your last name only

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

Cinquain
A Cinquain is a simple five-line poem that
follows a particular pattern.
It is similar to a bio-poem, which reveals
characteristics about yourself, except that
it reveals characteristics about someone
else.
In this case, you are going to write a
friendship cinquain. Below is an example:
The poem follows the pattern found below:
Persons Name
Two adjectives describing the person
Three verbs describing the person
A four word phrase about your friendship
Nickname, or describing noun
Here is an example:
Tanya
Cheerful, Honest
Singing, Reading, Biking
Loyal to her friends
Dreamer

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

To begin writing your TWO friendship cinquains, interview

two different friends:
Interview #1
1. What is your name? _________________________________
2. What are some adjectives that describe you?
__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
3. What are some activities you enjoy?
__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
4. What do you think makes you a good friend to others?
__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
5. Do you have a nickname? ______________________________________
6. What else do you want to tell me about yourself?
__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Interview #2
1. What is your name? __________________________________________
2. What are some adjectives that describe you?
__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
3. What are some activities you enjoy?
__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
4. What do you think makes you a good friend to others?
__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
5. Do you have a nickname? ______________________________________

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

6. What else do you want to tell me about yourself?

_____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

HAIKU
Haiku comes from the Japanese culture
These poems are often written about very simple things,
such as nature, an emotion or an object
The format is 3 lines:
5 syllables
7 syllables
5 syllables
Haiku does not rhyme
Its purpose it to paint a mental picture for its reader to
use imagery

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

HAIKU Examples
1. The Rose Donna Brock
The red blossom bends
and drips its dew to the ground.
Like a tear it falls
2. A Rainbow - Donna Brock
Curving up, then down.
Meeting blue sky and green earth
Melding sun and rain.
3. Untitled - Bash
as I clap my hands
with the echoes, it begins to dawn -the summer moon
4. Untitled - Bash
housecleaning day -hanging a shelf at his own house
a carpenter
5. Untitled - Bash
on a bare branch
a crow has alighted
autumn evening

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

6. Untitled - Bash
in the twilight of dawn
a whitefish, with an inch
of whiteness
7. Untitled - Bash
The first soft snow!
Enough to bend the leaves
Of the jonquil low.
8. Untitled - Bash
No one travels
Along this way but I,
This autumn evening.
9. Untitled - Bash
thoughts and loneliness;
the autumn dusk is here.
Clouds appear
10. Untitled - Bash
harvest moon:
around the pond I wander
and the night is gone.

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

Limericks
Limericks have a specific rhyme scheme and a
specific number of beats in each line
3 beats - line 1- A
3 beats - line 2- A
2 beats - line 3 - B
2 beats
- line 4 B
3 beats
-line 5A
Limericks are generally funny in topic
Other than that there are very few rules it is
generally meant to be fun!!

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

There once was a man from Beijing .

All his life he hoped to be King .
So he put on a crown,
Which quickly fell down.
That small silly man from Beijing
I wish that my room had a floor;
I don't care so much for a door.
But this walking around
Without touching the ground
Is getting to be quite a bore.
-- Gelett Burgess
A flea and a fly in a flue
Were imprisoned, so what could they do?
Said the fly, "Let us flee."
Said the flea, "Let us fly."
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.
There was a young lady of Bright
Who could travel much faster than light.
She set off one day,
In a relative way,
And returned on the previous night.

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

Limerick Practice
Template A:
There once was a __________ from __________.
All the while s/he hoped ____________________.
So s/he ________________________________.
And __________________________________.
That __________ from ___________________.
Template B:
I once met a __________ from __________.
Every day s/he ______________________.
But whenever s/he ____________________
The _______________________________.
That strange __________ from __________.

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

Concrete (shape) Poems

Concrete poetry involves arranging the letters or
words that describe an object into a visual image
that also describes the object.
It is a kind of painting with letters or words as the
medium.
Look around for objects that have interesting
forms or the patterns they create. Think about
what you want to say or convey about your
subject. What is interesting about your subject, is
it the shape, smell, or taste?

Make lists of words you might use to describe

these different characteristics. Now play with the
words to form a picture.

Think about varying the words you use, the

shape and sizes of letter forms and how to
position them on the page.

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

Tongue Twisters
A Tongue Twister is a poem made up of
lines and verses that are difficult to say
very quickly
This can be done by having each word
begin with the same letter
o This is called Alliteration
It can also be done by rhyming the majority
of the words in the poem
You must write two Tongue Twisters, both at
least twelve lines
o One must use Alliteration
o One must use Rhyming

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

Acrostic Name Poem

An Acrostic poem uses all the letters in a
topic word to describe that word.
You will write an Acrostic Name Poem
your name will be the topic word you are
describing.
For example:
L Lovely
I Intelligent
N Nice
D Daring
S Suave
E Excellent
Y Yodeller

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

Ballad

Ballads often have verses of four lines

They usually have a rhyming pattern:
either abac or aabb or acbc (usually the
easiest to rhyme)
Repetition is often found in ballads
o entire stanzas can be repeated, like a
song's chorus
o lines can be repeated but each time a
certain word is changed
o a question and answer format can be
built into a ballad: one stanza asks a
questions and the next stanza answers
the question
Ballads contain a lot of dialogue.
Action is often described in the first person
Two characters in the ballad can speak to
each other on alternating lines
The most important aspect of the ballad is
that it tells a story

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

Cat's in the Cradle by Harry Chapin

My child arrived just the other day,
He came to the world in the usual way.
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay.
He learned to walk while I was away.
And he was talking 'fore I knew it, and as he grew,
He'd say, "I'm gonna be like you, dad.
You know I'm gonna be like you."
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."
My son turned ten just the other day.
He said, "Thanks for the ball, dad, come on let's play.
Can you teach me to throw?" I said, "Not today,
I got a lot to do." He said, "That's ok."
And he walked away, but his smile never dimmed,
Said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah.
You know I'm gonna be like him."
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, dad?"
"I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."
Well, he came from college just the other day,
So much like a man I just had to say,
"Son, I'm proud of you.
Can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head, and he said with a smile,
"What I'd really like, dad, is to borrow the car keys.
See you later. Can I have them please?"

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,

Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, son?"
"I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."
I've long since retired and my son's moved away.
I called him up just the other day.
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind."
He said, "I'd love to, dad, if I could find the time.
You see, my new job's a hassle, and the kid's got the flu,
But it's sure nice talking to you, dad.
It's been sure nice talking to you."
And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me,
He'd grown up just like me.
My boy was just like me.
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

Sonnets
Sonnets are one of the most difficult poems to
write
They follow a very precise pattern of rhyme,
syllables and meter
o Meter is the number of syllables in each
beat
A sonnet has 14 lines
Each line has 10 syllables, which creates iambic
pentameter 5 beats and 10 syllables in each
line
The rhyme scheme follows the pattern of:
ABAB
CDCD
EFEF
GG
Shakespeare generally writes in sonnet form,
using iambic pentameter
There is usually one general theme that
follows throughout the poem, focussing on an
emotion or a relationship

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

Cinqu
ain
Number of Lines
Number of
syllables per line
Number of
Stanzas
Rhyme Scheme
Theme

Defining Characteristic
Other

Hai
ku

Limeri
ck

Concrete
Poem

Sonn
et

Free
Verse

Ball
ad

Tongue
Twister

Acrostic
Poem

Bio
Poem

BCSS
Burns
ENG 1D

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1.1 Identify the purpose of the rhythm and sounds in a read-aloud
of a poem.
1.2 identify and use several different active listening strategies
when participating in a variety of classroom interactions involving
poetry
1.3 identify and use several different listening comprehension
strategies before, during, and after listening to understand both
simple and complex oral texts asking questions, taking notes
1.4 identify the important information and ideas in both simple and
complex oral texts in several different ways - listen to a reading of
a poem and then discuss the most important images with a partner
3.1automatically understand most words in several different reading
context such as poetry.