What is Poetry?
What is Poetry? Poetry is easy to recognize, but difficult to define. It is easy to recognize because its form is distinctly different from the other two forms of literature: prose and drama (although drama may be written in verse). It is difficult to define because there is no single, unique characteristic that all poems share. Many poems make use of emotionally charged, concise, compact, musical language. Readers often are asked to make connections, to take leaps of imagination, and to interpret the meanings found in poems.

Poetry may be narrative, dramatic, or lyric. It may take many forms, such as that of a sonnet, a concrete poem, or a haiku. The speaker in a poem is the person, animal, or object whose point of view is reflected in the poem. The tone of the poem is the attitude of the speaker as revealed by the poem, and the mood of a poem is the atmosphere revealed in the poem.

Figures of speech—such as metaphors, similes, and personifications—and musical devices—such as meter, rhyme, and alliteration—are some of the techniques used by poets to create their poems. The theme(s) of a poem is the general idea, the meaning, or the insight into life that the reader gets from the poem. The themes of some poems are subject to interpretation and, therefore, are not always the same for various readers.

As teachers we cannot expect students to write poetry unless we introduce them to poetry in a pleasurable way. It is best to build on what students already know and currently experience in their popular culture. Look at song lyrics; reread nursery rhymes; look at Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, and Robert Service. Examine commercial jingles and songs and chants used in games, such as jump rope.

Create a Poem takes a light-hearted approach to writing poetry. If you wish to introduce more serious poetry to your students, just substitute that type of poetry for the examples provided.

It is unlikely that you will want to use the whole of Create a Poem. with your students. Pick and choose what you can use; put it together in a different order; use it any way you choose, but do remember, HAVE FUN!

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Grades 5 and up.

The lessons and activities in this book align with the following Common Core State Standards*:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.3, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.
Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.
Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors in context.
Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.
Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

*Authors: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers
Title: Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Publisher: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, Washington, D.C.
Copyright Date: 2010