Poetry
April is National Poetry Month! In class we will be investigating, constructing and deconstructing various styles of poetry using student work, familiar verse, classic poems, and popular song lyrics.
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haiku |
Haiku are short poems that use sensory language to capture a feeling or image. They are often inspired by an element of nature, a moment of beauty or a poignant experience. Haiku poetry was originally developed by Japanese poets, and the form was adapted to English and other languages by poets in other countries. Japanese Haiku traditionally consist of 17 sounds, divided into three phrases: 5 sounds, 7 sounds, and 5 sounds. English poets interpreted these sounds as syllables. Haiku poetry has evolved over time, and most poets no longer adhere to this structure, in either Japanese or English; modern Haiku may have more than 17 sounds or as few as one. |
diamante
- To begin with, an acrostic is a poem in which the first letters of each line spell out a word or phrase. The word or phrase can be a name, a thing, or whatever you like.
- Usually, the first letter of each line is capitalized. This makes it easier to see the word spelled out vertically down the page.
- Acrostics are easy to write because they don’t need to rhyme, and you don’t need to worry about the rhythm of the lines. Each line can be as long or as short as you want it to be.
couplet
A couplet is a pair of lines that rhyme and have the same meter or rhythm (usually about the same number of syllables). The entire poem may be two lines, or multiple related couplets may be strung together in a longer piece such as the following example:
Pumpkins on Guard by Charles Ghigna
Look at all the pumpkin faces Lighting up so many places. On the porch and in the yard, Pumpkin faces standing guard. Looking friendly, looking mean, With a smile or with a scream. Orange faces burning bright In the cool October night. |
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free verse
O Me! O Life BY WALT WHITMAN
Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer.
That you are here—that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.
Source: Leaves of Grass (1892)
Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer.
That you are here—that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.
Source: Leaves of Grass (1892)