Poetry

Definition

• Language in its most connotative and concentrated form

• Kind of language that says more and says it more

intensely than ordinary language (Laurence Perrine)

• Poetry for children differs from poetry for adults because

it comments on life in dimensions that are meaningful for

children

• Children’s poetry should reflect the real emotions of

childhood

Elements of Poetry

• Rhythm

• Rhyme and Sound

• Imagery

• Figurative Language

• Shape

Forms of Poetry

• Ballads and Narrative Poems

• Lyrical Poetry

• Limericks

• Free Verse

• Haiku

• Concrete Poetry

Evaluation Criteria

• How does the rhythm of the poem reinforce and create the meaning of the poem?

• If the poem rhymes, does it sound natural or contrived?

• How does the sound of the poem add to its meaning? Does the poem use alliteration? Onomatopoeia? Repetition?

• Does the poem create sensory images of sight, touch, smell or taste?

• Are these images related to children’s delight in their particular senses?

Evaluation Criteria (cont.)

• Is the figurative language appropriate to children’s lives?

• What is the tone of the poem?

• Is the poem appropriate for children?

• Does the shape of the poem – the placement of the words

– contribute to the poem’s meaning?

• What is the purpose of the poem? To amuse? To describe

in a fresh way? To comment on humanity? To draw

parallels in our lives?

Award-winning Poets

Books/Poems Poets Description

Song of the Water

Boatman and Other Pond

Poems

Joyce Sidman Caldecott Honor Book

The Moonbow of Mr. B.

Bones

J. Patrick Lewis American Library

Association notable book

designation

City I Love Lee Bennett Hopkins NCTE Poetry Award