1. Prof. Miguel A. Arce Ramos
Elements of Poetry
Prof. Miguel A. Arce Ramos
English 8th

2. What is poetry?
Poetry is the art of expressing one’s thoughts in verse.
It is meant to be read aloud.
Poetry arouses emotions.
Poems use imagery or figures of speech to explain feelings or to create a mental picture or idea.

3. What is poetry? Poems will suggest an action or a mood.
Many poems have a specific rhyme scheme.
Some poems rhyme but there are others that do not rhyme.

4. Parts of a Poem - Lines Poems have lines that are organized.
Lines don’t have to be complete sentences.
Lines in poems are named:
2 lines is a couplet
3 lines a triplet
4 lines a quatrain

5. Parts of a Poem Lines in poems are named: 5 lines is a cinquain
6 lines a sestet
8 lines a octet

6. Parts of a Poem “To a Snowflake” 1. Hello little snowflake!
2. Where are all your friends?
3. Should I expect a lot of them
4. before the morning ends?
5. I love it when you come to me
6. and you all fall down together,
7. and I get dressed to visit you,
8. toasty warm in cold, cold weather.

7. Parts of a Poem - Stanzas
A stanza is a group of lines. It often has 4, 5, or 6 lines
Two line stanzas are called couplets.
They usually develop an idea and provides poems structure.
Beginning new stanzas often signals the beginning of a new image, thought, or idea.

8. Parts of a Poem - Rhyme and Rhyme Scheme
Words rhyme when they have the same sound.
Poems often use rhyme at the end of lines.
Rhyme scheme is a pattern of rhymes in a poem.
Poets use rhyme to add a musical sound to their poems.

9. Parts of a Poem - Stanzas
A million stars up in the sky - A
one shines brighter I can't deny - A
A love so precious a love so true - B
a love that comes from me to you - B
The angels sing when you are near - C
within your arms I have nothing to fear - C
You always know just what to say - D
just talking to you makes my day - D
I love you honey with all of my heart - E
together forever and never to part. - E

10. Types of Poems -Free Verse
Poetry written without a regular rhyme, rhythm and form.
There is no specific rhyme scheme used.

11. Types of Poems -Free Verse
Feelings, Now by Katherine Forman
Some kind of attraction that is neither
Animal, vegetable, nor mineral, a power not
Solar, fusion, or magnetic
And it is all in my head that
I could see into his
And find myself sitting there.

12. Parts of a Poem -Alliteration
Repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of several words, sentences, or lines.
They have the same beginning sounds.
For example,
The cheap, charging, Challenger
from the consumate car company
greatness going for this grandioso
gas guzziling car
it sucks that I can’t afford one
because that is a car I love

13. Parts of a Poem -Imagery
Imagery is language that appeals to the 5 senses.
These are “word pictures”
For example,
There is a thing
beneath my stairs
with smily face
and oily hair
that does not move
or speak or sing
or do another
single thing

14. Parts of a Poem - Simile
A simile is a comparison between two things using the words like or as.
Poets use comparisons between things to make you think about them in different ways.
For example,
She’s like the wind
Something you can’t see
but definitely you can feel
She’s as hot as fire
You touch her
There is nothing more you can desire

15. Parts of a Poem -Metaphor
A metaphor is a direct comparison between two things.
It does not use like or as.
For example, Dreams by Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams can die
Life is a broken winged bird
That cannot fly
Hold fast to your dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow

16. Parts of a Poem -Onomatopoeia
It is the use of words that sound like the words that they describe.
Poets use these words not by what they mean but with how they sound.
For example, The Fourth by Shel Silverstein Oh
Crash! my
Bash!
the
Zang!
Fourth
Whoosh!
of Baroom!
July
Whew!

17. Parts of a Poem -Personification
Type of figure of speech that gives human qualities to animals, objects or ideas.
For example, Snowy Benches by Aileen Fisher
Do parks get lonely
in winter, perhaps,
when benches have only
snow on their laps?

18. Surf by Lillian Morrison
Waves want
to be wheels
They jump for it
and fail
fall flat
like pole vaulters
and sprawl
arms outstretched
foam fingers
reaching