Download 7th Grade English Poetry Unit Assignments Note: There are no

7th Grade English Poetry Unit Assignments
Note: There are no length requirements for original poetry. Good poems can be both long and short.
The key is – have you completed all parts of the assignment? You may submit assignments upon your
return to school.
Original Poem #1:
Select a picture that represents your holiday vacation or something you have done with family and/or
friends. Write any verbs that come to mind upon looking at the picture in a journal. Then write any
adjectives and adverbs that come to mind upon looking at the picture. Continue with prepositional
phrases. Finally, prepare to write a poem based upon the picture.
For a model, read Billy Collin’s “Introduction to Poetry”. What do they think Collins is saying about
the study of poetry? According to Collins, what is the real goal of reading poetry? (No need to write
answers to these questions. Just consider them for your poem.)
Write an original poem based upon Collin’s model, student vacations, and the picture selected. Begin
with the words, “I ask them to take a picture…”
Definition of Poetry, Journal Entry #1, and Original Poem #2:
Write your own definitions of poetry and of a poet. Add if you like reading poetry. Why or why not?
Do you have a favorite poem?
Read the definitions of poetry and the poet by Eliot and cummings. Add to your definition of poetry,
not that one is necessarily right or wrong, but perspectives may be broadened.
Response Writing: Either write a letter to Eliot or cummings responding to their ideas, or write about
a time when you felt the most “yourself” (based off of cummings). Then experiment with line
breaks. Notice that poems are different than prose. How might you include line breaks in your letter
to change or enhance the meaning?
Upon returning to class, I will ask you to share either poem 1 or 2 with the class. (We have been
sharing our work too.)
Notes:
Read through the following class notes. Memorize the major literary terms and concepts. There is no
need to complete the activities for this section. Just read the material.
Lesson #4: How is Poetry (Part B):
How is poetry different from other writing genres? Which tools are used by poets? Consider the use
of figurative language, imagery etc. The following notes show how an author can take a central idea
to choose a certain form.
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CENTRAL IDEA When you select a theme, this becomes the focus of the whole poem. It is the main
idea of the piece and everything in the poem relates to that idea and reinforces it.
PURPOSE After your theme is selected you must ask yourself three (3) questions to guide you in the
development of your theme.
1. Who is your audience and what do you want to tell them?
2. What is your theme?
3. How can you support the theme with descriptive elements?
MOOD is defined as a created atmosphere or context. In the movies mood is achieved by special
lighting, sound effects, selected music, and the tone of the actors’ dialogue and actions. In poetry, to
create mood, the writer must rely on his/her use of words and phrases to "paint the right scene" - in
other words, create the right mood. The mood may be somber, light-hearted, "other worldly,"
comical, silly, or thought provoking. It is up to you, as the poet, to consider your theme and purpose.
Then create the mood that best relays those two elements to your reader. Three questions will help
you decide how the purpose and mood will combine to complete your poem:
1. How do you feel about the theme?
2. Is the theme serious, funny, sad?
3. Are you explaining something?
After your purpose is defined and you recognize your feelings towards the purpose, this will
determine the tone or mood of your poem. What effect do you want your poem to have on the
reader? How can you "flavor" or "figure" your poem to make it spooky and suspenseful or touching
and inspiring?
Practice identifying theme, purpose, and mood in the following poem
Days
Some days my thoughts are just cocoons--all cold,
and dull and blind,
They hang from dripping branches in the grey woods of my mind;
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And other days they drift and shine--such free and flying things!
I find the gold-dust in my hair, left by their brushing wings. -- Karle Wilson Baker
FORM After the mood of the poem has been determined, decide which poetic form you will use to
BEST achieve the mood, fulfills the purpose, and supports the theme that you've determined.
Know the terms: figurative language, imagery, idiom, pun, hyperbole, personification, alliteration,
consonance, assonance, onomatopoeia, symbol, sensory language. Write the terms on the board.
Play the fly-swat definition game, or a team game to award the group knowing the most about the
terms.
TOOLS USED BY POETS
Figurative language is a tool that an author employs (or uses) to help the reader visualize (or see)
what is happening in a story or poem.
3.1:
A simile is a comparison using like or as. It usually compares two dissimilar objects.Using the
poem below underline all of the similes. Decide which items are being compared.
(Simile)
Willow and Ginkgo
Eve Merriam
The willow is like an etching,
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Fine-lined against the sky.
The ginkgo is like a crude sketch,
Hardly worthy to be signed.
The willow’s music is like a soprano,
Delicate and thin.
The ginkgo’s tune is like a chorus
With everyone joining in.
The willow is sleek as a velvet-nosed calf;
The ginkgo is leathery as an old bull.
The willow’s branches are like silken thread;
The ginkgo’s like stubby rough wool.
The willow is like a nymph with streaming hair;
Wherever it grows, there is green and gold and fair.
The willow dips to the water,
Protected and precious, like the king’s favorite daughter.
The ginkgo forces its way through gray concrete;
Like a city child, it grows up in the street.
Thrust against the metal sky,
Somehow it survives and even thrives.
My eyes feast upon the willow,
But my heart goes to the ginkgo.
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3.2:
A metaphor states that one thing is something else. It is a comparison, but it does NOT use
like or as to make the comparison. Take a piece of blank white paper and fold it into fourths. In one
block, write a simile and illustrate it. In the block immediately to the right, write the same sentence
as a metaphor. Do the same for the other two blocks.
3.3:
Alliteration is the repetition of the initial consonant. There should be at least two repetitions
in a row.
For example: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. The first letter, p, is a consonant. It is
repeated many times. (If you use a syllable rather than a consonant, it is assonance.)
Using the example below make up your own alliterative phrases.
Billy C_______ G_______
Bob C_______ G
Bought C_______ G
Baby C_______ G
Bottles C_______ G
3.4:
Personification is giving human qualities, feelings, action, or characteristics to inanimate
(non-living) objects.
3.5:
Onomatopoeia is the imitation of natural sounds in word form. These words help us form
mental pictures about the things, people, or places that are described. Sometimes the word names a
thing or action by copying the sound. For example: Bong! Hiss! Buzz!
Students, work in groups of three to four. Brainstorm for approximately 5 minutes. List all the
onomatopoeia words that you can. Swap lists between groups. The other group should write a
person's name, a place or a thing that first comes to their mind when they hear the word.
For homework, find at least 5 examples of onomatopoeia in the comic strip section of the
newspaper.
Students should write 5 descriptive sentences that contain at least one example of onomatopoeia.
Rewrite the sentences and put a blank where the onomatopoeia word is located. Exchange the
paper with a neighbor and fill in the blank with an onomatopoeia word. Compare the sentences. See
if you changed the meaning of the sentence.
Students bring in two pictures from magazines that show action. Write a paragraph that describes
the action and include as many onomatopoeia words as you can. Students should get in groups of
four and let the author read their paragraph. See if the students can choose the picture that the
author was describing.
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3.6:
A hyperbole is a type of figurative language. It is often confused with a simile or a metaphor
because it often compares two objects. The difference is a hyperbole is an exaggeration. For
example: His feet were as big as a barge. It looks like a simile. It is comparing foot size to the size of a
barge. Everyone knows that a barge is approximately 700 feet long. Imagine getting a pair of shoes
that big! Persons often use expressions such as "I nearly died laughing," "I was hopping mad," and "I
tried a thousand times." Such statements are not literally true, but people make them to sound
impressive or to emphasize something, such as a feeling, effort, or reaction.
Activity: Draw a cartoon about school or your favorite sport that includes a hyperbole (You might
draw and exaggerate a humerous situation that you saw or were a part of the action.). Put the
hyperbole in a different color so that it is obvious to your teacher.
3.7:
Image: a word or phrase that appeals directly to one or more of the senses; an image means
only what it is; it is not figurative.
Symbol: an image (often part of a system of images and figures) that carries a whole range of other
meanings. A symbol means what it is and also something more; it is present in the poem as itself but
also suggests additional meanings. A symbol is interesting in itself, cannot be separated from what it
stands for, and cannot be completely paraphrased or restated.
Figurative: language used indirectly, suggesting something beyond its strict signified
Read a poem and create a spider diagram to point out the different senses being evoked.
Terms from Essential Literary Terms Can be Used Here
Lesson #5: Poetic Form
Just like the body has a skeleton to hold its shape, poems have a structure that hold their ideas
together. In poetry, that "skeleton" is called form. Over the next seven (7) lessons you will identify
several different types, or forms of poetry such as Haiku, Lantrene, Couplet, Quatrain, Limerick, and
Free Verse. Some points to consider when choosing a "skeleton" for your poem are, of course, its
theme, purpose, and mood but also think about if you want your poem to be compact or lengthy,
rhymed or unrhymed, metered or unmetered.
You may know if words rhyme such as moon, June and which words do not rhyme (or are unrhymed)
like city, hill. However, meter may be a new word for you. Meter deals with the rhythm of the poem.
As you might clap your hands along with the rhythm of your favorite music, you can find the same
type of "sing-song" pattern in poetry (This is especially evident in nursery rhymes.). This pattern, or
meter may be built on accented and unaccented syllables in the lines of the poem. Check out this
web site for practice finding meter.
Your poem’s form may be very restricted and limited or very free without many restrictions. Rules
for form might include number of words, indention, capitalization, number of syllables, placement of
rhymed words, and number and/or placement of lines. There is so much to learn about poetic form
but the best way to learn is to try to put some "flesh" or "meat on your bones" on your skeleton and
experience writing poetry using different poetic forms.
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4.1:
Haiku is a poetic form and a type of poetry from the Japanese culture. Haiku combines form,
content, and language in a meaningful, yet compact form. Haiku poets, which you will soon be, write
about everyday things. Many themes include nature, feelings, or experiences. Usually they use
simple words and grammar. The most common form for Haiku is three short lines. The first line
usually contains five (5) syllables, the second line seven (7) syllables, and the third line contains five
(5) syllables. Haiku doesn't rhyme. A Haiku must "paint" a mental image in the reader's mind. This is
the challenge of Haiku - to put the poem's meaning and imagery in the reader's mind in ONLY 17
syllables over just three (3) lines of poetry
Have your teacher show you how to copy and paste this into your word processing program by
toggling between the Internet and your word processing program. Now print out a copy of one, or
both of the Haiku's above and mark the syllables with your pencil. If you are having trouble figuring
out how many syllables, try clapping out the words, or putting your hand under your chin and
counting how many times your chin goes down. If all else fails, get a dictionary! :)
Now its your turn. Pick your favorite sport. That sport will be your theme. Decide: 1) For what
purpose will you write?
2) What mood do you want to convey?
Think of the images, descriptive words, and figurative language that best describe that sport
(remember sounds, smells, sights). Jot them down in web form or as you think of them. Then the
final step is to experiment by putting your ideas on the Haiku "skeleton" - 5, 7, 5 (syllables) and 3
lines.
Look at your poem, check it for correct syllables and lines. Now, for the real test, read it ALOUD.
Does it really paint a clear picture? Share your Haiku with someone else. Listen to his or her critique
of your poem. A critique is when someone tells you the strengths and weaknesses of your work.
DON'T GET MAD, LISTEN to the suggestions. Revise your work. Remember, the BEST writers are
REWRITERS!
4.2:
The word acrostic if formed from the Greek word acros (outermost) and stichos (line of
poetry). You can even find acrostic in the Bible in a book called the Psalms. The acrostic is a poem
where the first letter of each line form a word when you read them looking downward. A very
complicated acrostic would have the last letter of each line forming a separate word as you read
downward, also. But let's take one step at a time and concentrate on simple acrostics. Follow the
directions for completing your own.
Lyrical Lesson: Acrostic
1. Write the first name of someone you admire.
2. Think about how to describe that person and what they mean to you.
3. On scratch paper, write out your ideas. Proofread. Revise.
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4. Type the letters that will form your acrostic (The person's name.). Have a teacher show you how
to
change the color of the font. Make your first letters a different color than the rest of your poem.
Also capitalize them and use bold function on the tool bar of your processing program.
5. Use your cursor to align the rest of your poem.
6. Proof read. Use spell check. Revise.
7. Find or draw a picture of the person you described to illustrate your acrostic.
4.3:
Couplet: You know a couple means two. So a couplet is a pair of lines of poetry that are
usually rhymed. We think the idea of the couplet came from the French and English. There are lots of
ways to write different types of couplets.
Play a game where students are given the first or second line of a couplet. They need to come up
with the most creative finisher line. A panel of judges will decide the winner. Or the game can be
played like Apples to Apples.
"If turkeys gobble,
Do Pilgrims squabble?"
"If cars go zoom,
exhaust smoke will plume!"
"If the phone rings,
hope then still clings."
4.4:
The word quatrain comes from Latin and French words meaning "four." See the connection?
The quatrain is a poem or stanza of four lines. It is a very popular form of poetry. Famous poets like
William Blake and T. S. Eliot used quatrains.
The Tyger
by William Blake
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
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What the hand, dare sieze the fire?
And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
4.5:
A limerick is a five-line poem written with one couplet and one triplet. If a couplet is a twoline rhymed poem, then a triplet would be a three-line rhymed poem. The rhyme pattern is a a b b a
with lines 1, 2 and 5 containing 3 beats and rhyming, and lines 3 and 4 having two beats and rhyming.
Some people say that the limerick was invented by soldiers returning from France to the Irish town
of Limerick in the 1700's.
Limericks are meant to be funny. They often contain hyperbole, onomatopoeia, idioms, puns, and
other figurative devices. The last line of a good limerick contains the PUNCH LINE or "heart of the
joke." As you work with limericks, remember to have pun, I mean FUN! Say the following limericks
out loud and clap to the rhythm.
A flea and a fly in a flue
Were caught, so what could they do?
Said the fly, "Let us flee."
"Let us fly," said the flea.
So they flew through a flaw in the flue. –Anonymous
The rhythm is just as important in a limerick as the rhyme. Try completing this limerick:
There once was a pauper named Meg
Who accidentally broke her _______.
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She slipped on the ______.
Not once, but thrice
Take no pity on her, I __________.
4.6:
Free verse is just what it says it is - poetry that is written without proper rules about form,
rhyme, rhythm, meter, etc. The greatest American writer of free verse is probably Walt Whitman. His
great collection of free verse was titled Leaves of Grass and it was published in 1855. Review the
poem we read at the beginning of the year.
In free verse the writer makes his/her own rules. The writer decides how the poem should look, feel,
and sound. Henry David Thoreau, a great philosopher, explained it this way, ". . . perhaps it is
because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured
or far away." It may take you a while to "hear your own drummer," but free verse can be a great way
to "get things off your chest" and express what you really feel.
Lesson #5: Playing with Poetic Purpose
Generally, people write for three reasons - to persuade, to entertain, or to inform. Which reason best
represents what you want to do with your theme? For example, your theme is dogs. Are you trying
to persuade someone to love dogs as much as you do? Are you entertaining the reader about a
special dog in your life and the funny way he looks and the crazy things he does? Are you describing
dogs in general? How you present your central idea will define and clarify your purpose.
Now take your original theme, write three paragraphs. The first paragraph will entertain. The second
paragraph will persuade and the third paragraph will inform. Look at your paragraphs, which
paragraph BEST suits your ideas? Now that you’ve made your selection, you’re ready to pen a poem
with a purpose (not to mention some alliteration!)
Models: These 4 haiku poems share water as a theme.
Morning minnowing
Fishing in the afternoon
So the day was spent
Three quarters buried
In the blue sand of the sky
Late afternoon moon
Outside the window
A walk went by on its way
To the bay all day
Two old mooring stakes
Wait for their long vanished boat
To tie up again
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Lane Dunlop's translation of Kawabata Yasunari's Palm-of-the-Hand Stories is in its fourth printing with Farrar, Straus & Giroux
COPYRIGHT 2000 Fairleigh Dickinson University
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group
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