Poetry is a way to put your feelings or expression into words. Poetry Workshop Poetry is a way to put your feelings or expression into words.

Poems can be... Free Verse Rhyming

Free Verse Poems... Do not rhyme Do not have a pattern Do not have a rhythm Do not have a structure

Rhyming Poems... Rhyme May have a pattern Has a rhythm May have a structure

Poetry Toolbox Words Rhythm Punctuation Stanzas Refrain

Words Choose the absolute best words for your poem. Use a thesaurus to replace dead words. Think of your five senses; touch, taste, sight, hearing, and smell.

Rhythm Poems with rhythm usually contain rhyming words at the ends of lines Specific syllables are stressed The rhyming follows a pattern Rhyming dictionaries are helpful to create rhythm

Punctuation Is used to show the reader how to read the poem May not have any punctuation May have commas, periods, question marks, and exclamation points Needs to be consistent

Stanzas A divided section with a group of lines A format chosen by the poet May include a rhyming pattern

Refrain Repetitive line found throughout the poem Is usually found in the same place in each stanza Similar to the chorus in a song

Since Hanna Moved Away The tires on my bike are flat… The sky is grouchy gray. At least it sure feels like that Since Hanna moved away. Chocolate ice cream tastes like prunes. December’s come to stay. They’ve taken back the Mays and Junes Since Hanna moved away Flowers smell like halibut. Velvet feels like hay. Every handsome dog’s a mutt Since Hanna moved away. Nothing’s fun to laugh about. Nothing’s fun to play. They call me, but I won’t come out Judith Viorst

Try one of these possible refrains On my way to school today I think I’ll stay in bed And that was that If you ask me Why does it have to be me? I laughed and giggled all day