Poetic Terminology

Words commonly used in poetry…

A Poem is…

…a group of words grouped together to express a mood or message

Types of poetry include…

– Narrative poems tell a story• Out of the Dust• Love That Dog

• Lyric poems express a feeling– Roses are red– Violets are blue– Sugar is sweet– And so are you.

Each poem has a mood

Mood =

tone =

feelings.

Poems are arranged…• A row of words is one line.

• A group of related lines is a stanza.Think: “Paragraph in poetry”

“Please feed me”begged the bee.

“Not on your life!”Replied his wife.

Mr. Bee buzzed awayWith an annoyed display.

Writers want their readers to have a multi-sensory experience.

Figurative language appeals to our senses and adds interest.

Similes and metaphors…Similes use the words “like” or “as” to compare two things

– “Your hair looks like a bird’s nest.”

Metaphors directly compare two things. Words often includedare: “is”, “was”, “were”, and “are”.

– “Your hair is a – bird’s nest.”

Personification

• Gives non-human objects abilities/qualities that only humans can feel or do.

“The wind whispered my name.”

Hyperboles

• Are extreme exaggerations

• Example, “After skipping breakfast, Meghan groaned, ‘I’m starving to death!.”

Simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, or onomatopoeia?

The wind pushed me down the street and slammed me up against the wall!

Simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, or onomatopoeia?

Simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, or onomatopoeia?

• “I’m bringing my guns!”

Simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, or onomatopoeia?

• The window crackled and cracked after it was hit by Tommy’s hard drive.”

Simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, or onomatopoeia?

• The snow looks like a blanket laying across the yard.