Elements of Poetry
Form
Rhyme
Lines
Rhythm
Stanzas
Meter
FORM
This makes a poem look
different from the other poem/s.
Traditional / Free Verse
LINES
These are the building blocks
with which to create a poem.
Hence, these are the vehicles of
the author’s thoughts and ideas.
STANZA
This is the grouping of
the lines, sort of like a
paragraph.
RHYME
This is the sonic imitation
usually at the end syllables
of words. It allows poetry to
gain a song-like quality.
RHYME
• End Rhyme
- also called terminal rhyme/ tail rhyme
- words at the end of a given line rhyme
- in Consecutive lines, alternate lines, or
even more distant lines
RHYME
Example of End Rhyme:
He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ringed with the azure world, he stands
RHYME
Example of End Rhyme:
Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea
RHYME
• Internal Rhyme
- also called middle rhyme
- rhyming takes place within the line
RHYME
Example of Internal Rhyme:
It won’t last long before my song ends the day,
And the flowers near the towers reach the sky.
RHYME
Example of Internal Rhyme:
The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The furrows followed free;
We were the first that ever burst
Into that silent sea
RHYTHM
It comes from the Greek term
“rhythmos” which means
measured motion
(stressed/unstressed;
accented/unaccented)
RHYTHM
Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
That hills and valleys, dales and fields,
Or woods or steepy mountain yields.
METER
This pertains to rhythmic
structuring.
meter
Metrical norms
• Monometer – one foot line
• Dimeter- two feet lines
• Trimeter
• Tetrameter
• Pentameter
• hexameter
METER
Major Foot Structures:
• Iamb – one unstressed syllable
followed by stressed syllable
• Examples: describe, include, retract
METER
Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
That hills and valleys, dales and fields,
Or woods or steepy mountain yields.
METER
And we will sit upon the rocks
And see the shepherds feed their flocks
By shallow rivers, to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals.
METER
Major Foot Structures:
• Anapest – two unstressed
syllables followed by one
stressed syllable
• Example: comprehend (comprehend)
METER
I will tell you a tale
of a powerful guild,
with brave members all over the Horde;
And not once would they fail,
for this group was so skilled,
with a feather they held like a sword.
METER
I will tell you a tale
of a powerful guild,
with brave members all over the
Horde;
And not once would they fail,
for this group was so skilled,
with a feather they held like a sword.
METER
I will tell you a tale>>Anapestic dimeter
of a powerful guild,
with brave members all over the
Horde;
And not once would they fail,
for this group was so skilled,
with a feather they held like a sword.
METER
With their weapons and their war-gear,
Painted like the leaves of Autumn,
Painted like the sky of morning,
meter
Major Foot Structures:
• Dactyl – one stressed syllable
followed by two unstressed
syllables
• Example: annotate (an-no-tate)
METER
We that had Loved him so,
Followed him Honoured him,
Types of Poetry
Narrative Poetry
Lyric/ Descriptive Poetry
Humorous Poetry
Narrative poetry
It tells a story about
almost anything. It has a
setting, one or more
characters in it, plot.
LYRIC/DESCRIPTI
VE
It is a very personal kind
of poetry. It is usually
brief, melodic and very
expressive.
Cinquain
It has five lines:
1st line- 1 word (noun)
2nd line- 2 adjectives to describe the topic
3rd line- 3 action verb that can be related to the
topic
4th line- 4 word phrase about the topic
5th line- 1 word (other term for the noun)
Cinquain
Example:
Puppy
Fluffy, happy
Running, barking, licking
A wagging tail behind
Dog
Cinquain
Example:
Dogs
Furry, friendly
Barking, fetching, playing
Friends when you need them
Pets
Diamante
Diamond-shape consisting 7
lines:
1st line- 1 word (noun)
2nd line- 2 adjectives describing the subject
3rd line- 3 words ending in –ing relating to the subject
4th line- 2 words describing the subject, 2 words describing its
opposite
5th line- 3 words ending in –ing relating to the opposite of the
subject
Diamante
Example:
Lion
Majestic, proud
Roaring, snarling, prowling
Mane, muscle… fleece, fluff
Beating, leaping, grazing
Meek, gentle
Lamb
Diamante
Example:
Sun
Radiant, golden
Blazing, burning, blinding
Lights day, illuminates night
Shining, orbiting, reflecting
Clam, silvery
Moon
