April

National Poetry Month

HAIKU
Haiku is a form of poetry from Japan.

It has 3 lines and 17 syllables in all.

It tells about nature or the seasons. Example:

Spring Returned Do red robins play when they run in the grass and sing most of the day?

LIMERICK
Limericks are funny poems. They have five lines that rhyme. Lines 1,2 and 5 rhyme. And, lines 3 & 4 rhyme with each other. Example:
There is nothing that is so funny As having the giggles in your tummy It can be so fun With laughs by the ton Except if your tummy is too full of yummy! (Burp!)

CINQUAIN
Cinquains are poems that follow a pattern.
Line 1 = Line 2 = Line 3 = Line 4 = Line 5 = 2 syllables telling the subject of the poem. 4 syllables describing the subject. 6 syllables telling about the subject. 8 syllables about the subject. 2 syllable synonym for the subject.

Example:
Children Small, smart Growing, changing, learning a vision to behold future

FREE VERSE
Free Verse is where you have the freedom to rhyme at any time, in anyway, for as much as you want!

Example:
The wind in the trees make the branches creak Someone walks by, hear their sandals squeak The birds and the owls making night time howls But I don't get freaked... I just turn over and go to sleep!

ACROSTIC
Uses letters from a name or a word to begin each line in a poem. All the lines in the poem must relate to or describe the topic word.

Example:
Vanilla As I eat it on my brownie Not doubting it's sweet Ice cream is a tasty treat Lots of lingering taste Lasting to the end Always my favorite!

SONNET
Poems of 14 lines that begin with three quatrains and end with a couplet. The couplet usually contains a surprise ending or "turn." William Shakespeare is one of the most famous sonnet writers in history. Example:
Why do we continue to kill in various ways? Why do we waste time with jealousy and hate? Why not take advantage of the current date? Stop the violence now, don't let it grow. Love is important, a fact that we all know. As the fires of hate continue to burn The hands of clock continue to turn. No one can find reason to our madness today. The gift of life is extremely short Demand no more violence of any sort! With kindness, life's quality we can improve! As those hands on the clock continue to move. Day becomes night and night becomes day The hands of the clock keep ticking away.

Louder Than a Clap of Thunder by Jack Prelutsky

Louder than a clap of thunder, louder than an eagle screams, louder than a dragon blunders, or a dozen football teams, louder than a four alarmer, or a rushing waterfall, louder than a knight in armor jumping from a ten-foot wall. Louder than an earthquake rumbles, louder than a tidal wave, louder than an ogre grumbles as he stumbles through his cave, louder than stampeding cattle, louder than a cannon roars, louder than a giant's rattle, that's how loud my father SNORES!
Retrieved April 8,2011 from http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/poetry_listen.htm

Jack Prelutsky
The Library of Congress webcasts: Jack Prelutsky www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?r ec=4187 Scholastic: Listen to a poem by Jack Prelutsky http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/poe try_listen.htm

You might want to read

Create your own

RESOURCES Poetic Forms...and Examples: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/janjune00/poetryboxformexamples.html