1. Sixth Grade Poetry Unit
Poetry Forms
Sixth Grade Poetry Unit

2. Cinquain Is a five-line poem describing a subject
This traditional pattern follows a syllable count:
2-syllable title
4-syllable word or phrase
6-syllable phrase
8-syllable phrase
2-syllable word

3. Baseball by Cindy Barden
Bat cracks against
The pitch, sending it out
Over the back fence, I did it!
Homerun

4. Concrete Poem
Creates the shape of the poem’s subject

5. The Racers Know by Anonymus
The racers know. They can’t be slow. As their cars go.

6. Couplet
Composed of two-line stanzas that rhyme

7. Music by Kelly Meyer Voice of instruments fills the air
Sounds of music everywhere.
The violins sing
As the tambourines ring.

8. Diamonte
A type of poetry that shows change slowly occurring from the first line to the last line.
It is written in the shape of a diamond.

9. War and Peace by Ryan Young
run, hit
stabbing, shooting, killing
Vietnam, Iran, United States, Japan
living, relaxing, singing
harmony, free
Peace

10. Giving Poem
Giving poetry names a subject that gives an interesting or unusual gift.
First line…state the subject
Second line…describe what the subject “gives.”
Third line…who or what is receiving the gift (describing it.
Fourth line…describe when it happens. Use at least two adjectives.

11. Swimming Pools By Katie Myer
give cool refreshment
to hot bodies
on scorching, summer days.

12. Haiku A single thought expressed in three non-rhyming lines.
The first line has 5 syllables.
The second line has 7 syllables
The third line has 5 syllables.

13. Sailing by Justin Warwick
My ship floats the sea
I’ll drift to some distant place.
Better get started!

14. Limerick An amusing verse of five lines Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme.
Line 5 refers back to line 1.
Lines 3 and 4 are usually shorter than the other lines.

15. Alligator by Chris Castro
There once was an alligator named Cicilia
If you ever saw her it would chill ya.
She wore a hat.
She was so fat.
She was always trying to kill-ya.

16. Metaphor
Consists of statements that describe a word in an interesting and imaginative way.

17. Spring by Larissa Leavens
Spring is a warm sweet hug from heaven.

18. Onomatopoeia A poem in which words are used to make sounds.
It should tell a little story, an event, or describe a subject.
Rhyming isn’t necessary.

19. It’s the Witch by Cara Taylor
Listen! Listen! Do you hear Something queer Something that goes Slish Slosh Slash Do you hear? It’s It’s Witch! Witch!
Sloshing in the rain With her crooked cane Her face Olive green!!! And then I heard a SCREAM! He ha he he It’s the WITCH

20. Quatrain These are four line poems.
The lines can rhyme in two patterns.
Lines one and two and three and four
Lines one and three and two and four

21. Storms by Lisa Buchanan
Look at how the clouds rumble
Over the lovely navy sky

The lightning flashes and trees tumble
I’m just glad I’m not that high

22. Simile
Poems that use “as” or “like” to compare the subject to something else.

23. Summer by Amy Johnson
Summer is as hot as a cauldron with boiling water.

24. Tongue Twister
Tongue Twister poetry is a silly statement in which all words begin with the same sound (alliteration). The statement should be as long as possible.

25. Flying Flocks by Scott Reames
Five flying flocks of fleas flew over flapping flags. Five flapping flags flying up far. Five flapping flocks of fleas landed on five flying flags. Five flying flocks of fleas fled from the five flapping flags.

26. Narrative (Walking Poem)
A poem that tells a story.
Has literary elements:
Setting
Characters
Conflict
Resolution

27. What The Doctor Said by Raymond Carver
He said it doesn't look good 

he said it looks bad in fact real bad

he said I counted thirty-two of them on one lung before 

I quit counting them 

I said I'm glad I wouldn't want to know 

about any more being there than that 

he said are you a religious man do you kneel down 

in forest groves and let yourself ask for help 

when you come to a waterfall 

mist blowing against your face and arms 

do you stop and ask for understanding at those moments

I said not yet but I intend to start today 

he said I'm real sorry he said 

I wish I had some other kind of news to give you 

I said Amen and he said something else 

I didn't catch and not knowing what else to do 

and not wanting him to have to repeat it 

and me to have to fully digest it 

I just looked at him 

for a minute and he looked back it was then 

I jumped up and shook hands with this man who'd just given me
something no one else on earth had ever given me

I may have even thanked him habit being so strong

28. Ballad Ballads are simple stories told in poetic form.
Ballads are used as verses of songs

29. Extra Poems you will need to know….

30. The Challenger
by Sarah Moore
In the year of 1986
The Challenger went up into space.
On board were astronauts and a teacher
Trying to find an unexplored place.
The audience roared and were filled with hope.
And finally the moment was here.
The fans watched in awe…
While it blew up, and they were full of fear.
The teacher and six astronauts
In a moment… They were gone.
But they are up in space,
At home, where they belong.

31. Free Verse Does not have a specific pattern.
Rhythm and the language are used to express an idea that makes the poem.

32. Mornings by Joel Walton
Daybreak
Alarm rings
Mom enters
Sadness comes
I must get up

33. Lyric Focuses on sharing feelings and impressions.
Has a strong rhythm, or meter.
Includes rhyming words.

34. Dust of Snow by Robert Frost
The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.