4/29/23, 7:18 PM The Elements of Poetry: Teaching the Structure of a Poem ·

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Home / Secondary Literacy / The Elements of Poetry: Teaching the Structure of a Poem

The Elements of Poetry: Teaching the

Structure of a Poem POETRY, SECONDARY LITERACY, WRITING

Are you introducing poetry to your students?  One of the best ways to teach poetry is
to explore the structure of the poem.  These structures are also known as the
elements of poetry.  The basic elements of poetry include meter, rhyme, scheme,
verse, and stanza.  In order to dive deeper into poetry, students will first need to
understand these structural elements.  In this blog post, you will learn strategies for
teaching poetry and ideas for your elements of poetry lesson plans.

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Teaching the Elements of Poetry

What is the importance of teaching poetry?

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4/29/23, 7:18 PM The Elements of Poetry: Teaching the Structure of a Poem ·

If you are preparing students for post-secondary education or for the workplace, you
might be wondering why teaching poetry is important.  Similarly, your students
might question the importance of poetry in a workforce that values hard skills.  The
truth is, even if your students never go on to study or write poetry, it is still a very
useful skill for them to explore.
You can emphasize to students that various forms of literature and writing include
elements of poetry.  Poetry is more than just clever rhyme schemes; it is a mode of
deep and impactful expression.  At its core, poetry is an art – but this art lends itself
to other aspects of culture and society.  If you look closely, you can find connections
between poetry and politics, persuasion, marketing, music, medicine, and more!
For example, your students likely agree that persuasion is an important skill.  But do
they know that poetic devices lend themselves to great arguments? In his
revolutionary “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. argues for equal
rights for African Americans.  He captivates his audience by showing them how
inequality in America looks and feels. He does so through the use of several poetic
strategies including imagery, rhythm, and metaphor. 
Poetry can therefore serve as a deep dive into the artful expression of language. 
Your students will benefit from studying the elements of poetry in isolation because
it will help them to apply this knowledge to the world around them.

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Introduction to Poetry: Activities for ELA

Strategies for Teaching Poetry

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4/29/23, 7:18 PM The Elements of Poetry: Teaching the Structure of a Poem ·

One of my go-to strategies for teaching poetry involves scaffolding prerequisite

knowledge.  This includes teaching essential terminology and simply identifying
how poetry is different from other forms of writing. 
One way to do this is through inquiry-based learning.  Prompt your students with the
following questions:
“What comes to mind when you think of poetry?”
“How is poetry different from a persuasive essay? An expository essay?”
These questions will lead students to common conceptions of poetry, like the idea
that poems rhyme or serve the purpose of entertainment.  Your students may also
identify differentiating factors from other forms of writing like grammar and
structure. 
You can note their responses on the board. To explore these concepts and
differentiating factors further, you can use this slideshow lesson for introducing
poetry.
Once students begin to identify the characteristics of poetry, you can introduce them
to the basic elements of poetry. 

What are the basic elements of

poetry?
The basic elements of poetry are important prerequisites to understanding poetry.
These elements include:

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4/29/23, 7:18 PM The Elements of Poetry: Teaching the Structure of a Poem ·

Meter: Meter is the rhythmic structure within a poem and is dictated by the
number of syllables and the pattern in which these syllables are emphasized.
Rhyme: Rhyme is created when the last one or more syllables within separate
words match. A poem is considered to rhyme when the last words of the lines
within the verse share this relationship.
Scheme: A scheme refers to the rhyming pattern within a verse of poetry. The
scheme could contain words that rhyme at each of every line throughout the
stanza, or alternating lines, or in couplets. We often signify the rhyme scheme
using an arrangement of letters.
Verse: The verse of the poem is a way to describe the relationship between
rhyme and meter in a poem.
Stanza: A stanza is a group of lines within the verse of a poem. They often
follow a similar pattern or meter or contain a similar idea, but not always. They
are separated from other stanzas within the poem through the use of a break or
a blank line.
If you teach high school students, you may also wish to teach specific terms
including free verse, blank verse, and rhymed verse. Students will also benefit from
learning about specific styles of poetry including haiku, narrative poems, limericks,
and sonnets.

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Introducing Poem Structure: Lessons and Ideas

How to Teach the Elements of Poetry

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4/29/23, 7:18 PM The Elements of Poetry: Teaching the Structure of a Poem ·

The elements of poetry are essential terminology.  This means that students will be
required to understand these terms to succeed in your poetry unit.  You can help
students to understand these terms by creating a vocabulary word wall.  Build this
vocabulary wall as a collaborative activity by assigning different terms to different
students.  Alternatively,  make this a group activity by having different groups explore
a term.
These elements of poetry anchor chart worksheets include templates to facilitate
this activity.  These templates will prompt students to explore different essential
terms.  Students will also need to find examples for these elements of poetry.  Once
completed, these templates will serve as a useful anchor chart on your classroom
bulletin board.

Introduction to Poetry Lesson

All of the strategies and activities mentioned in this blog post are included in this
introduction to poetry lesson.  This lesson includes an introduction to poetry
slideshow for Microsoft PowerPoint® and Google Slides®.  You can use this slideshow
to activate background knowledge and explore how poetry differs from different
forms of writing. 
This lesson also introduces the basic elements of poetry and solidifies these
concepts with key definitions.  Students can then explore the characteristics of
poetry in-depth using a vocabulary word wall activity.  This resource includes a
comprehensive answer key with definitions and examples for each of the elements of
poetry.  You can also use this answer key as a ready-to-print anchor chart.

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Elements of Poetry: Lessons, Activities, and Ideas

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 Teaching the Elements of Poetry:
4/29/23, 7:18 PM The Elements of Poetry: Teaching the Structure of a Poem ·

Tying it Together
The elements of poetry are an important core lesson for any English Language Arts
classroom.  Whether you are teaching an in-depth poetry unit, exploring creative
writing, or simply identifying poetic devices in literature, your students will benefit
from understanding these structural elements.  I hope that the strategies and
activities in this blog post have helped you plan a great introduction to poetry lesson!

MARCH 16, 2022 ·

« Project-Based Learning Ideas and Examples for the ELA Classroom

How to Annotate Poetry With Your Students »

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April 2, 2022 at 2:49 am
[…] students to be able to annotate poetry, they will first need to understand the
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4/29/23, 7:18 PM The Elements of Poetry: Teaching the Structure of a Poem ·

April 15, 2022 at 10:27 am

[…] to introduce poetry slowly.  Before diving into a poem, you may want to first teach
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April 22, 2022 at 5:03 pm
[…] can start your middle school poetry unit by introducing the structural elements of
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