1. The Elements of Poetry
YEAR 9 ENGLISH TERM 2

2. Rhyme
END RHYME: When the rhyme occurs in the final syllable of each line.
ALLITERATION: The repetition of consonant sounds in words. Eg:
Let’s play some ‘Rhyme tennis…’

3. Rhythm When we STRESS on SYLLABLES. What’s a syllable?
It’s when a syllable LANDS heavier than other to make STRONG or STRESSED beats.
Metre: when the speaker’s rhythm is structured in to equal ‘units’.
Eg: This morn/ing I ate an en/or/mous bowl of corn/flakes for break/fast. CLAP on the STRONG syllables.
Is the rhythm irregular? Regular?

4. Imagery
When there was no facebook, poetry was the most popular entertainment for the masses.
A good poem describes how a person, place or thing LOOKS, SOUNDS, SMELLS, TASTES and FEELS.
It’s about using words to make a picture. These pictures become a story.
METAPHOR: applying a word or phrase to somebody or something that is not meant literally, but for the sake of comparison. Eg: The substitute teacher was a breath of fresh air.
SIMILE: Can be confused with metaphor. It’s used to compare two things but it uses the word ‘like’. For example, the substitute teacher was like a breath of fresh air.
SYMBOLISM: Using one thing to represent something else. Eg: a bride wears white to symbolise her purity.
Let’s play charades using metaphor and simile.

5. Narrative Story helps us to understand.
There are three main parts to story:
1. PLOT: …………….
2. CHARACTER: Who it happens to.
3. THEME: What is means.
For us to CARE about the story we need to understand WHAT HAPPENS (plot) CARE about the CHARACTERS.
You have 15 minutes to write the story of your day so far. It needs to have the three parts of narrative.

6. Theme The THEME is the MEANING of it all.
THEME is also the MAIN IDEAS behind what the writer is communicating.

7. Why poetry?
Story allows us to invest in the characters and their experience. Poems have an EMOTIONAL impact.
Good poets really think about what they want to say and SELECT specific words to say it.
POETRY IS ALL AROUND YOU – MUSIC, SOUNDS, CONVERSATIONS, ADVERTISEMENTS.
Let’s read and analyse some examples.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Experimenting with the senses and poetry.

8. The form of a poem What is form?
Poems don’t use PARAGRAPHS. They use STANZAS.