Poetic Terminology

7th Grade ELA

Terms to know Stanza Line Couplet Refrain Rhyme Scheme Parallelism Meter Iambs Feet

Have a Great School Year1. “My Goodness! My Goodness!”

2.Cried the desk.3.“It’s already the day before school starts.

4. And the end of our peace and quiet.”

5. “Ouch.” yelled the pencils.6. “We’ll be heading

7. Into those sharpeners soon”

8. “Oh, me! Oh, my!” sighed the stapler, 9. Lying in a pool of sunshine.

10. “It can’t be the end 11. Of another summer already!”

12.“It sure is,” laughed the golden leaf,13. Peering in the window.

14. “Don’t you like my15. Gorgeous new outfit?

16. I think I look17. Simply marvelous”

Stanza vs. Line

1.“My Goodness! My Goodness!”

2. Cried the desk.

3. “It’s already the day before school starts.

4. And the end of our peace and quiet

5. “Ouch.” yelled the pencils.

6. “We’ll be heading

7. Into those sharpeners soon”

Stanza: division of a poem consisting of series of lines

Line: a group of words in a row; one unit of a poem; also called a verse

Couplet: a pair of lines, usually written in the same form; they usually rhyme and express a complete thought.

AnnouncementsYour attention please…

For lunch today there is soup and grilled cheese

Hamburgers, Salad, and five thousand peas.

The door to the boys’ room is stuck again,

Will someone let out the custodian?

The ceiling is leaking in class twenty two,

We’re sending umbrellas up to you.

A bag in the office is starting to squirm,

If you are the owner, please come get your worms.

A rooster is lost in the school today,

OOPS! I forgot. The third grade play

Will be in the theatre at quarter past three,

We need the principal-where can she be?

She’s chasing the rooster down the hall,

Please come to the office, Mrs. Rawl!

Refrain: A repeated sound, word, phrase, line or group of lines.

http://www.youngwriters.co.uk/refrain.php

What is the refrain that is repeated in this poem?

Rhyme Scheme: the pattern of rhyming in a poem.

To describe a rhyme pattern:1. Each line is assigned a letter2. Give lines that rhyme in one stanza, the same letter. (AABB,

ABAB, ABBA). 3. Continue this pattern, using

the other letters of the alphabet for the remainder of the poem.

Examples of Rhyme Schemes

My cat is nice A

My cat likes mice A

My cat is fat B

I like my cat B

My cat is nice A

My cat is fat B

My cat likes mice A

I like my cat B

My cat is gray A

My cat is fat B

My cat is cute C

I like my cat B

** Notice how lines that have the same end rhyme, have matching letters

Try these examples….

Mr. Brown The Circus ClownMr. Brown, the circus clown

put his clothes on upside down.He wears his hat on his toes

and socks and shoes on his nose

My Penmanship is Pretty BadMy penmanship is pretty bad

My printing’s plainly awfulIn truth, my writing looks so sad

It ought to be unlawful

Parallelism http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/623/01/

Parallelism: refers to the repetition of sentence structure or word order to achieve a rhythmical effect. The overall effect is that sentence parts seem to rhyme. More importantly, the thoughts that these parts express are either repeated or contrasted.

David's Life

My name is David and I'm always sad.It is because my parents are always mad.

They blame it on me even thought I'm not to blame.They think their continual fighting is just a game

I wish it would stop. I wish it could end.I wish they could get their act together once again.

Another problem is when my dad drinks beerIt is then that me and my mother fear.

I wish they would, if just for my sake, split apart Instead of fighting so and breaking my heart.

They're always fighting and they're always yelling.They're never talking - that's why I'm failing.

I wish they would seek help, oh surely I doBut all they ever say is, " I don't have time to listen you."

So they give me the blame and they yell at me about schoolAnd I hope one day I can say, "I'm doing all right, it is you, you fools."

My name is David and I'm always sad.It is because my parents are always mad.

What’s the Meter?From "On His Blindness," by John Milton 1.............2............. 3...............4..............5

When I..|..con SID..|..er HOW..|..my LIFE..|..is SPENT

1.................2.............. 3..................4...................5 Ere HALF..|..my DAYS..|..in THIS..|..dark WORLD..|..and WIDE Mixed Meter With Iambic Feet

From "Intimations of Immortality," by William Wordsworth

.........1...............2.................3.....................4......................5There WAS..|..a TIME..|..when MEAD..|..ow, GROVE,..|..and STREAM,

Iambic Pentameter.........1................2...............3................4.

The EARTH,..|..and EV..|..ry COM..|..mon SIGHT, Iambic Tetrameter.....1..............2

To ME..|..did SEEM Iambic Dimeter......1..............2.............3...............4

Ap PAR..|..elled IN..|..cel EST..|..ial LIGHT, Iambic Tetrameter........1..............2.................3................4.................5

The GLOR..|..y AND..|..the FRESH..|..ness OF..|..a DREAM. Iambic Pentameter..1.............2.............3.............4..................5

It IS..|..not NOW..|..as IT..|..hath BEEN..|..of YORE; Iambic Pentameter........1....................2.............3

Turn WHERE..|..so E'ER..|..I MAY, Iambic Trimeter.......1..............2

By NIGHT..|..or DAY, Iambic Dimeter

Meters, Iambs, & Feet

Meter: refers to the pattern of syllables in a line of poetry

Feet: Syllable patterns

Iambs: Pairs of syllables that can be short or long, stressed and unstressed

Shall I com PARE thee TO a SUM mer’s DAY?

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Each pair of unstressed and stressed syllables makes up a unit called a foot.

The line contains five feet in all, as shown next:...

1.............. 2.................3..............4................ 5

Shall.I..|..com.PARE..|..thee.TO..|..a.SUM..|..mer’s DAY?

Let’s Review

http://www.slideshare.net/wrice444/shakespeare-iambic-pentameter