Grade 6 Unit 6: Poetry

Grade 6 Unit 6: Poetry

Table of Contents

Introduction 2

Unit Objectives 2

Lesson 1: Poetic Structure: Rhythm and Form 3 Warm-up! 3 Learn About It! 3 Check Your Understanding 6 Let’s Step Up! 6

Lesson 2: Elements of Poetry 7 Warm-up! 7 Learn About It! 7 Check Your Understanding 13 Let’s Step Up! 13

Lesson 3: Figures of Speech in Poetry 14 Warm-up! 14 Learn About It! 15 Check Your Understanding 19 Let’s Step Up! 20

Performance Task 21

Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn? 22

Wrap Up 23

Bibliography 23

GRADE 6 |English

UNIT 6

Poetry Most of the stories in newspapers and magazine are told in prose, a type of writing similar to speech. Some of the oldest stories, however, are told in poetry. Ancient storytellers created special literary techniques to make their language beautiful and interesting. In this way, the forms that came to be known as poetry emerged.

Unit Objectives

In this unit, you should be able to:

● analyze a poem with four or more stanzas in terms of its elements (rhyme, sound devices, imagery, and figurative language);

● analyze figures of speech (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, irony); and ● infer the speaker’s tone, mood, and purpose.

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Lesson 1: Poetic Structure: Rhythm and Form

The earliest poems, and many poems written today, are narratives that tell stories. Many poems, however, are lyric poems that tell the emotions of a speaker and do not tell a story.

Warm-up!

Think-Pair-Share When the word poem comes to mind, what does it make you think about? What structure do you expect a poem to have? Think about it for a minute then share your thoughts with a partner.

Learn About It!

Poets choose words carefully to create certain effects. More often, the meaning can be revealed through the emotions the sound invokes. 1. Rhythm - is the pattern of beats, or stresses, in a poem.

a. Stress/Accent – the emphasis given to a syllable. The pattern of stresses determines its rhythm. Thus, this serves as guidelines in reading a


poem. In the following lines from “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” by Robert Browning, the strongly stressed syllables are marked with a slash mark. Try to read aloud these lines.

/ Rats! / / / / They fought the dogs and killed the cats, / / / And bit the babies in the cradles, / / / / And ate the cheeses out of the vats / / / And licked the soup from the cooks’ own / ladles.

b. Stanza – is a group of lines in a poem. Stanzas are usually separated by spaces from other groups of lines.

couplet two-line stanza tercet three-line stanza quatrain four-line stanza quintet five-line stanza sestet six-line stanza septet seven-line stanza octave eight-line stanza


Emily Dickinson’s poem “The Brain—is wider than the Sky—” is divided into four-line stanzas, or quatrains:

The Brain—is wider than the Sky— For—put them side by side— The one the other will contain With ease—and You—beside— The Brain is deeper than the sea— For—hold them—Blue to Blue— The one the other will absorb— As Sponges—Buckets—do— The Brain is just the weight of God— For—Heft them—Pound for Pound— And they will differ—if they do— As Syllable from Sound—

2. Form What we mean by form when it comes to poetry is the physical structure of a poem and what it looks like on a page. Poetry has several forms. A limerick and haiku are examples of forms each with distinct number of lines and stanzas. On the other hand, when poetry does not use regular rhyme, rhythm, or division into stanzas, it is called a free verse.


Check Your Understanding

1. _________________ is the pattern of beats, or stresses, in a poem. 2. _________________ is the emphasis given to a syllable. 3. The group of lines in a poem is called a/an _________________. 4. A four-line stanza is called a/an _________________. 5. The physical structure of a poem is also called _________________.

Let’s Step Up!


Lesson 2: Elements of Poetry

Have you ever wondered about the difference between the terms poem and poetry? Well, poetry is the process of creating a literary piece using poetic techniques, while a poem is the end result of this process. Poetry is also used to refer to poems collectively or as a genre of literature. So what are the other things that make a piece of literature a poem?

Warm-up!

Chalkboard Splash Along with your classmates, write down on the blackboard what you think are the elements of poetry. Discuss and share your thoughts in class.

Learn About It!

Among the different elements of poetry are rhyme, sound devices, figurative language, imagery, and theme. 1. Rhyme Rhyme is the repetition of sounds at the end of words. Here is an example:


Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

- from “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

We can work out the rhyming pattern by listening to the rhyming words in our head and giving each rhyme a letter.

And what shoulder and what art A Could twist the sinews of thy heart? A And when thy heart began to beat, B What dread hand and what dread feet? B

- from “The Tyger” by William Blake

In the example, the first and the second lines would be A, since art and heart rhyme. But the third line is a different rhyme, B, and the fourth line rhymes with it since beat and feet rhyme. This poem is an example of an AABB rhyming pattern. 2. Sound Devices Authors also use sound devices to reinforce meaning and for other intended effects such as to appeal to the sense of hearing of the readers.

a. Onomatopoeia This refers to the use of words that imitate the sound they describe (such as hiss, buzz, smack, hum, murmur, and crack). Using onomatopoeia in poetry adds depth to writing. A poem has greater impact when added with onomatopoeia. Sound and noise can tell a story through onomatopoeia that expresses actions like or slurp or crunch. In this simple onomatopoeic poem, Sandburg uses sounds and noises to describe the scenery of a honky tonk bar.


It’s a jazz affair, drum crashes and cornet razzes. The trombone pony neighs and the tuba jackass snorts. The banjo tickles and titters too awful

- from “Honky Tonk in Cleveland, Ohio” by Carl Sandburg

b. Alliteration This is the repetition of similar sounds at the beginning of words. Alliteration is often used to emphasize specific words. In his poem “The Raven,” Poe repeats the /w/ sounds and /d/ sounds to draw attention to words such as weary, deep, darkness, and doubting, highlighting the hopelessness the persona feels in the poem. Overall, alliteration creates musicality and makes the poem easier to remember.

Once upon a midnight dreary while I pondered weak and weary (1); For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore (11); And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain (13); Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, (19) Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before (20).

- from “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

c. Assonance Assonance is the repetition of similar vowel sounds in a sentence or a line of poetry; it creates a musical effect by creating internal rhyme.


I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o‘er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze

- from “Daffodils” by William Wordsworth

“Daffodils” is a lyric poem. It uses both alliteration and assonance to create rhyme and natural flow in the poem. These poetic devices enhance the reader’s pleasure of reading and develops the mood, particularly the appreciation of the beauty of nature.

d. Consonance This is the use of different vowel sounds followed by the same consonant sound, as in flim flam. Below is an excerpt from a poem that uses consonance:

In the still, star-lit night, By the full fountain and the willow-tree, I walked, and not alone-- A spirit walked with me!

- From “In the Still, Star-Lit Night” by Elizabeth Drew Stoddard

3. Figurative Language Figurative language is the nonliteral way of describing things, which aims to invoke feelings and even create imagery that appeals to all our senses. They are rarely used in conversations but most often appear as literary devices in a poem. Oftentimes, poems are not easily understood because it contains figures of speech. A figure of speech is a statement that has more than a straightforward, literal meaning. Some of the common figures of speech are:


simile, metaphor, hyperbole, irony, and euphemism. 4. Imagery Taken together, the images in a poem or passage are called its imagery. An image is language that describes something that can be seen, heard, touched, tasted, or smelled. The following poem contains images of sight and sound.

It keeps eternal whisperings around Desolate shores, and with its mighty swell Gluts twice ten thousand caverns, till the spell Of Hecate leaves them their old shadowy sound. Often 'tis in such gentle temper found, That scarcely will the very smallest shell Be moved for days from whence it sometime fell, When last the winds of heaven were unbound. Oh ye! who have your eye-balls vexed and tired, Feast them upon the wideness of the Sea; Oh ye! whose ears are dinned with uproar rude, Or fed too much with cloying melody, - Sit ye near some old cavern's mouth, and brood Until ye start, as if the sea-nymphs choired!

- From “On the Sea” by John Keats

5. Theme A theme is a central idea in a literary work. It is often the rich and varied underlying idea of the action. In the poem below, the theme is faith and love. It gives the message that if one has faith and love, and waits and works on oneself, he or she will be able to find or make his or her own luck in life.

I know a place where the sun is like gold,


And the cherry blooms burst with snow, And down underneath is the loveliest nook, Where the four-leaf clovers grow. One leaf is for hope, and one is for faith, And one is for love, you know, And God put another in for luck-- If you search, you will find where they grow. But you must have hope, and you must have faith, You must love and be strong--and so-- If you work, if you wait, you will find the place Where the four-leaf clovers grow.

- From “Four-Leaf Clover” by Ella Higginson



1. What sound device is used when a poem has words such as pop, buzz, and swoosh? 2. Which of the following is not a sound device?

a. consonance b. alliteration c. imagery d. onomatopoeia

3. The central idea in a literary work is called the _____________. 4. The words far, flailing, and feathery, when placed together in a line, show _____________. 5. The line “I stood on a bad bench and had to hunch when my head nearly hit a shelf”

makes use of _____________.

Let’s Step Up!


Lesson 3: Figures of Speech in Poetry

When you analyze something, you break it down into parts and then study the parts carefully to see how they are related to one another and to the whole. An analysis of a poem, for example, considers the poem’s theme, or main idea, and how the poet has conveyed this main idea using the elements of poetry. As such, by understanding how figures of speech work in poems, we can decode the message that the author is trying to say and thus have a better understanding of the poem.

Warm-up!

Think-Pair-Share Her grief was so great that her eyes turned to waterfalls. What do you think this statement means? Think about it for a minute then share your thoughts with a partner.


Learn About It!

There are many figures of speech used in literature. Among those commonly used in poetry are simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and irony. 1. Simile Simile is a figure of speech that uses words such as as or like to compare a characteristic of one thing to another. Authors use them to give vivid descriptions. Compare the examples below. Notice how instead of using really to describe how red her lips were or how black her hair was, you can use simile to compare it to another thing that is also red or black (cherry and ebony).

Her lips are really red. (does not use simile) Her lips were as red as a freshly picked cherry. (uses simile) Her hair is really black. (does not use simile) Her hair was as black as ebony. (uses simile)

2. Metaphor The term metaphor was derived from the Greek word metaphora, which means “to transfer” or “to carry over.” Metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken or written as if it were another.

He’s been in the house all day doing nothing; my brother is such a couch potato. He is a raging bull when fighting.


WHY USE SIMILES AND METAPHORS IN POETRY? ✓ Poets use similes and metaphors not just to add flavor to writing but also to describe unfamiliar things by comparing them to something that is familiar. ✓ Similes and metaphors give maximum meaning while using as few words as possible, which is key in writing poems that are meant to be short and vague. ✓ Most of the time, these figures of speech are used to offer some new perspective to the subject of the poem.

3. Personification This is a figure of speech in which animals and/or inanimate objects are assigned with human characteristics and sensibilities. The following stanza from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” shows one of the several instances that personification is used in the said poem.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore, “Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, though,” I said, “art sure no craven, Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore-- Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!” Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe is a poem about the despair a man feels out of lost love. While trying to distract himself from his lost love Lenore, the persona heard a gentle tapping in his chamber. Although freaked out, he opened his window and inside flew the Raven. It settled in a statue above his door. His first instinct was to talk to it and surprisingly it answered “nevermore.”


WHY USE PERSONIFICATION IN POETRY? ✓ Personification as a literary device is common in children’s poems. This is used to make children appreciate and understand otherwise difficult concepts or ideas. ✓ Personification establishes mood and creates better imagery. ✓ Personification connects the reader with the object being described for the reader to feel stronger emotions.

4. Hyperbole This is an intended exaggeration used for emphasis or for some other specific effect. In the following excerpt from Elizabeth Drew Stoddard’s “A Summer Night,” the words “and a thousand creatures” denotes hyperbole.

The white moths flutter about the lamp, Enamoured with light; And a thousand creatures softly sing A song to the night!

WHY USE HYPERBOLE IN POETRY? ✓ Hyperbole can be used for extra, and more entertaining effect. ✓ Hyperboles give descriptions more emphasis.

5. Irony Irony uses words that mean the opposite of what they appear to be saying, to create a humorous effect. In poetry, there are three types: verbal, situational, and dramatic irony.


a. Verbal Irony “I will not marry yet; and, when I do, I swear it shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate, rather than Paris.” - William Shakespeare, in Romeo and Juliet

In verbal irony, the author manipulates the tone to say something that is opposite to the intention to develop funny and dramatic situations. Juliet’s father wants her to marry Paris. But she hates him and we all know that it is Romeo that she loves. She tells this to her mother ironically by saying she dislikes Romeo more than Paris. This made her mother confused. But we get the irony in Juliet’s tone. b. Situational Irony The whole story of Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum is an example of situational irony. The story is all about the journey of Dorothy to the Emerald City to seek help from the great Wizard of Oz in finding her way back home only to find out she can do it herself from the beginning. The same is true with her friends whom she met in her journey. The scarecrow wanting to have brains later finds out he is a genius. The tin woodman who is not capable of love finds out later he has a good heart. And the cowardly lion turns out to be most courageous and fearless. c. Dramatic Irony This type of irony is common in dramatic plays, theater, and sometimes in poetry. In this type, it is the readers that are aware of the irony instead of the characters. Dramatic irony also permeates in Romeo and Juliet when the two star-crossed lovers end up being dead. Romeo thought Juliet was dead. But we as audience know that Juliet is only in deep slumber. We get anxious in our seats while watching Romeo ignorantly kill himself, Juliet awakening from deep sleep, and seeing her Romeo already dead.


WHY USE IRONY IN POETRY? ✓ Irony provokes the readers to think more deeply and more creatively. ✓ The author may use verbal irony to express bitter messages in a non-bitter way. ✓ Situational irony may be used to lay emphasis on important situations. ✓ Dramatic irony is considered by many writers as a tool for sustaining the interest of readers. The author puts audience above the characters by being aware of the situation and encourages them to anticipate what is going to happen ahead of time.


Identify the figures of speech used in each of the following sentences.

1. He sweats like a pig. 2. The mother’s voice was a melody that sang her baby to sleep. 3. Her brain is the size of a pea. 4. His pen wrote beautiful poems. 5. He’s got nothing to do on this busy day.


Let’s Step Up!


Performance Task

Poetry Writing

Goal: Your task is to create your own poem that you will recite at a poetry contest. Role: You are a student who has been selected to represent your class at a poetry contest. Audience: Your audience are your teachers, classmates, and other students in your batch. Situation: The challenge involves coming up with at least a four-stanza poem (with four lines in each stanza) that will stir the emotions of the audience. Product/Performance and Purpose: You need to come up with your own original poem to present in front of everyone. Standards and criteria for success: Your work will be judged based on the following rubric:

Criteria Beginning (0-12 points)

Developing (13-16 points)

Accomplished (17-20 points)

Score

Content (clear subject/topic)

Organization (use of stanzas with at least four lines each)

Language (spelling, mechanics, grammar, and usage)

Use of figures of speech (at least three figures of speech)

No figure of speech used

3 figures of speech used

More than 3 figures of speech used


Number of stanzas (at least four stanzas)

Less than 4 stanzas

4 stanzas More than 4 stanzas

Delivery (ability to express emotions and display confidence)

Delivery is lacking emotion and confidence

Delivery of emotion and confidence is very evident

TOTAL SCORE

Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn?

Do a self-check on how well you learned the lessons in this unit. Place a checkmark in the appropriate box.

Skills I think I need more

practice and assistance

I am familiar and can perform well

with minimal assistance

I am confident that I can perform this on

my own

I can analyze a poem with four or more stanzas in terms of its elements (rhymes, sound devices, imagery, and figurative language).

I can analyze figures of speech (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, irony).

I can infer the speaker’s tone, mood and purpose.


Wrap Up

Form and Structure of Poetry Stress/Accent – the amount of emphasis given to a syllable; serves as guidelines in reading a poem Line – smallest unit into which poems are divided Stanza – a group of lines within a poem

Sound Devices Rhyme - the repetition of sounds at the ends of words Onomatopoeia - the use of words that imitate the sound they describe Alliteration - the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words Assonance - the repetition of similar vowel sounds in a sentence or a line of poetry Consonance - the use of different vowel sounds followed by the same consonant sound

Figures of Speech Simile - uses as or like for comparison; the subject is said to be similar to another subject Metaphor - one thing is spoken or written as if it were another. Personification - the attribution of human characteristics or actions to animals and/or inanimate objects Hyperbole - an intended exaggeration made for emphasis or for some other specific effect Irony - the use of words to mean the opposite of what they appear to be saying

Bibliography

Barker, Geoff. 2014. What Is a Poem?. New York, NY: Britannica Educational Publishing. Barry, Peter. 2016. Reading Poetry. USA: Oxford University Press. Janeczko, Paul B. 2014. Teaching Literary Elements Using Poetry. USA: Scholastic, Incorporated Keyworth, Suzanne, and Cassandra Robison. 2015. Writing and Understanding Poetry for


Teachers and Students: A Heart’s Craft. New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield. Scholes, Robert, Nancy R. Comley, Carl H. Klaus, and David Staines. 2015. Elements of

Literature: Poetry, Fiction, Drama. USA: Oxford University Press. What is Poetry?. 2014. The Open University.


Documents

Grade 6 Unit 6: Poetry