What is Poetry? Use the words in the box below to come up with a short

definition of poetry.

Definition of poetry: ______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Important Poetry Words

Do not get confused between these two terms:

Figures of speech used in poetry

Choose an example to match each figure of speech and fill in the right letter in the table.

Figure of Speech	Definition	Example (just write the letter)
Simile	A comparison using like or as.
Metaphor	A comparison when something is described as being something else (uses is, was, am, have been).
Personification	When a thing is given human qualities
Alliteration	The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.
Assonance	The repetition of vowel sounds.
Onomatopoeia	Words imitate real-life sounds so that saying the word out loud actually sounds like the meaning of the word.
Rhyme	When words sound the same.
Oxymoron	Two words next to each other that seem to contradict each other.
Choose from these examples: A: The tree sighed in the wind. B: The snake hissed. C: You will not laugh if you only get half! D: It was a bitter-sweet moment. E: Baby bounces the ball. F: He is as wealthy as Bill Gates. G: He is a Bill Gates. H: The hour of our outing has come.

Other important words that you will need to know:

Couplet - This is when there are two lines that rhyme.

I am a poet

But I did not know it!

Tone - This is the voice in which the writer would read the poem.

I am a poet Choose a tone:

But I did not know it! scared excited surprised

Narrator - This is the person who tells you the story.

I am a poet The narrator here is the person who is speaking.

But I did not know it!

Prose - This is ordinary writing, organised in sentences and paragraphs.

I am a poet, but I did not know it!

Rhyme scheme - This is the pattern of rhyme. We use little letters to show words that rhyme and we always work in alphabetical order.

I am a poet The rhyme scheme here is aa.

But I did not know it!

Rhythm - This is the number of beats in poetry. A lot of quick beats speed up the poem and make the story sound more urgent or exciting.

I am a poet There are 5 beats (syllables) in this line.

But I did not know it! There are 6 beats in this line.

And now for some fun…

There are also many different types of poems. Some poems have very strict patterns and rules.

The poem below is a limerick. A limerick:

• always has 5 lines;

• is funny and sometimes stupid; and

• Has a rhyme scheme of aabba.

A man with a worm in his ear,

Trembled and quivered with fear.

The doc got it out

With a stick strong and stout,

“You baby!” he said with a jeer.

usually rhymes creative writing verses

expresses images feeling descriptions

FIGURES OF SPEECH

A figure can be a picture.

Figures of speech are words that are used to create a PICTURE in our minds.

VS

PARTS OF SPEECH

Lots of parts make up a whole.

Parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective etc.) make up a SENTENCE.

We use FIGURES of SPEECH in poetry.