April 17 - Free Verse

Free verse poetry can be both easy and hard to write. Free verse poems do not have to rhyme and they do not have to have a certain number of syllables in each line. You are free to write whatever you want! Sometimes it can be tricky to come up with a strong poem when there are no rules to follow. Click on this link to find out some tips and tricks for writing free verse poems. 

*Remember - your free verse poem should create vivid images for your reader!

You may want to think about:
- using similes or metaphors
- including descriptive words
- using onomatopoeia (sound words)
- describing movement
- creating mood

Here is a very quick poem I wrote while I was in class:

Poetry Class
by:  Kelly Flasha

Keys click
Pencils scratch
Children lean close to glowing screens.

A whisper 
A giggle
Words come alive. 

Enjoy your freedom,
Mrs. F.

April 16 - Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia =  words which imitate sounds of objects or actions

Click here to see  how to pronounce this massive word!

Sounds of words are important in poetry since poems are meant to be read aloud. Try using sound words in your poems to create interest.

Here are some examples of sound words:
snap     crackle     pop     sizzle     rumble    thump   bang     swoosh 

This poem uses onomatopoeia to create vivid images. It is from the book How to Write Poems:  Pin Your Ideas To The Page! by Wes Magee. 

The Waterfall

Over rugged rocks
the waterfall tumbles
            and rumbles.

In winter
it gasps, groans,
           and grumbles.

But in summer it's quiet.
It just whispers
           and mumbles.

Try brainstorming sound words for the following:
- loud noises
- quiet noises
- animal noises
- sounds at school
- sounds at night
- sounds in the park
- sounds at the beach

If you are stuck check out this list of sound words to help you write your poem. 

Here is my attempt at a sound poem - I found this style quite challenging!

The Lake
by Kelly Flasha

Crunching across hot rocks
Leaves rustle in the breeze

Water laps at the dock 
Boards creek under feet

Swish, splash!
In the water at last.

April 15 - Cinquain

Here is the pronunciation of a cinquain.  Below is a dictionary definition of cinqain.

A cinquain is a five-line poem that was invented by Adelaide Crapsey. She was an American poet who took her inspiration from Japanese haiku and tanka. A collection of poems, titled Verse, was published in 1915 and included 28 cinquains.

Cinquains are particularly vivid in their imagery and are meant to convey a certain mood or emotion. 

Below is a Cinquain from the book Fly With Poetry:  An ABC of Poetry written and illustrated by Avis Harley. 

If you are stuck check out Ken Nesbitt's tips for writing a cinquian. Below are links to examples of Cinquain poems:
- http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples/cinquain-examples.html
- http://tech4kids.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/cinquain-poems/
- http://www.squidoo.com/kenneths-cinquain-poems#module151352461
- http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/davidc/6c_files/Poem%20pics/cinquaindescrip.htm

Here is my attempt:

A Poem

by Kelly Flasha

Poem

Simple yet hard

Words flying through my brain

Tapping rhythms, seeking out rhymes

To write

Happy writing, 
Mrs. F.

April 14 - The Limerick

Check our the information below from

Giggle Poetry

on how to write limericks.

How to Write a Limerick by Bruce Lansky

To help you get started writing limericks, here’s some helpful information about writing limericks. To begin, a limerick is a funny little poem containing five lines. It has a very distinctive rhythm and rhyme pattern. Rhyme Pattern: The last words of the first, second, and fifth lines all rhyme with each other. We’ll call those rhyming words “A,” however the words could be “ Peru,” “shoe,” and “true” as illustrated in the first poem below or “Tim,” “swim,” and “him” as illustrated in the second poem below. And the last words of the third and fourth lines rhyme with each other. We’ll call those rhyming words “B,” however the words could be “night” and “fright” in the first example or “dock” and “rock” in the second example. Rhythm Pattern: The first, second, and fifth lines all have this rhythm pattern: da DUM da da DUM da da DUM (notice there are 3 DUMS or beats). Say, “There once was a fellow named Tim” out loud. Now say, “da DUM da da DUM da da DUM” out loud. Notice that both have the same rhythm. The third and fourth lines have a different rhythm pattern: da DUM da da DUM (notice there are 2 DUMS or beats). Say, “He fell off the dock” out loud. Now say “da DUM da da DUM” out loud. Notice that both have the same rhythm. Here is a very famous limerick. Notice both the rhyme and rhythm patterns. 1. There was an old man from Peru, (A) da DUM da da DUM da da DUM (3 DUMS) 2. who dreamed he was eating his shoe. (A) da DUM da da DUM da da DUM (3 DUMS) 3. He awoke in the night (B) da DUM da da DUM (2 DUMS) 4. with a terrible fright, (B) da da DUM da da DUM (2 DUMS) 5. and found out that it was quite true. (A) da DUM da da DUM da da DUM (3 DUMS) When you write a limerick, make sure that it has the same AABBA rhyme pattern. Make sure it also has the same 3 DUMS, 3 DUMS, 2 DUMS, 2 DUMS, 3 DUMS rhythm pattern, too. To be sure, recite the poem, substituting “da” for all unaccented or unstressed syllables and “DUM” for all accented or stressed syllables, as I have done above. If your poem doesn’t have a similar rhythm pattern, then you need to make some adjustments. Ideas for new limericks can come from almost anywhere. For example, your city, state, country, or name. If your name is Tim or Jim, you could write something like this: A Clumsy Young Fellow Named Tim There once was a fellow named Tim (A) whose dad never taught him to swim. (A) He fell off a dock (B) and sunk like a rock. (B) And that was the end of him. (A) Notice that the rhyme pattern (AABBA) and the rhythm pattern (3 DUMS, 3 DUMS, 2 DUMS, 2 DUMS, 3 DUMS) are almost identical to the rhythm and rhyme patterns in the “Man from Peru” limerick. OK, now that you know what the rhythm and rhyme patterns of a limerick are, you’re ready to write one. Here are five simple steps to writing a limerick: 1. An easy way to get started is to pick a boy’s or girl’s name that has one syllable (like Bill, Tim, Dick, Sue, or Jill). There once was a fellow (or young girl) named ____(pick an easy name with one syllable). We’ll pick “Jill.” So the first line is: “There once was a young girl named Jill.”  2. Now make a list of words that rhyme with the last word in the first line—in this case, Jill. Your list of rhyming words might include: hill, drill, pill, skill, bill, will, and ill. 3. Now write the second line using one of the rhyming words. Here’s an example: “Who freaked at the sight of a drill.” (Notice that the last words in the first two lines rhyme and that both the first and second lines contain 3 DUMS or beats.) 4. Now think of an interesting story. What could happen to someone scared of a drill? Well, you might have an interesting story if Jill had to go to the dentist. Here’s what might happen in the third and fourth lines. “She brushed every day.” “So, her dentist would say,” (Notice that “day” and “say,” the last words in the third and fourth lines, both rhyme. And notice there are 2 DUMS or beats in each line.) 5. Now you need to go back to the list of “A” rhyming words to find one that can end the poem. Here’s an example: “Your teeth are quite perfect. No bill.” Here’s the poem we just wrote: There once was a young girl named Jill. Who was scared by the sight of a drill. She brushed every day So her dentist would say, “Your teeth are so perfect; no bill.”

Below are some sites with examples of limericks:

- 

Graham Lester

- KidZone

Try writing a limerick with a partner. These poems are too fun to write alone! Here is my first attempt:

Sleepyhead Ted

by Kelly Flasha

There once was a boy named Ted,

Who refused to get out of his bed.

His mother would shout

And jump all about

But he dreamed it was all in his head!

Good luck!

Mrs. F.