Poetry is language used in a particular way. It can, but does not always, involve rhyme, rhythm and metre. It is a way of sharing experiences, of telling a story or expressing feelings or ideas. Poems are verses which may be spoken or sung.
The form, rhythm and word choice for imagery, the creation of pictures with words, is important in poetry. The words may form patterns of sound, verse or thought. Usually, poetry appeals to the imagination of the audience and can create vivid visual images.
“Poems can paint powerful, sharp pictures using images and emotive language which stimulate the senses. Modern poetry (free verse) doesn’t need to rhyme but it should have a rhythm.” (Bennett 1989)
Poetry comes in many forms including, but not exclusively,
• Lyrics
• Narratives
• Nonsense Verse
• Rhymes
• Shape / Concrete
• Tanka
People most often express themselves in poetry when they have an experience or feeling that seems too strong for ordinary prose, most often experiences of love, death, disaster, beauty, happiness, horror or shock. Poetry is a way of concentrating on and encapsulating a moment or experience, of remembering it, or sometimes of working through it.
The form, rhythm and word choice for imagery, the creation of pictures with words, is important in poetry. The words may form patterns of sound, verse or thought. Usually, poetry appeals to the imagination of the audience and can create vivid visual images.
“Poems can paint powerful, sharp pictures using images and emotive language which stimulate the senses. Modern poetry (free verse) doesn’t need to rhyme but it should have a rhythm.” (Bennett 1989)
Poetry comes in many forms including, but not exclusively,
- Acrostic
- Ballads
- Chants
- Cinquain
- Diamante
- Free verse
- Haiku
• Lyrics
• Narratives
• Nonsense Verse
• Rhymes
• Shape / Concrete
• Tanka
People most often express themselves in poetry when they have an experience or feeling that seems too strong for ordinary prose, most often experiences of love, death, disaster, beauty, happiness, horror or shock. Poetry is a way of concentrating on and encapsulating a moment or experience, of remembering it, or sometimes of working through it.
Planning
- Provide a range of resources eg music, anthologies
- Engage in word games, build banks of words – descriptive, powerful, humorous
- Jointly construct poems
- Introduce formulaic poems eg haiku
- Model and share the writing of poetry
- Allow creativity and/or use of formulaic poems
- Explain that a number of drafts may be necessary
- Respond sensitively and positively to learners’ ideas and efforts
- Marking the content may inhibit further meaningful writing
- Provide constructive feedback, possibly about how the poem made you feel
- Allow plenty of thinking, reflective and discussion time
- Publish the poems, with learner’s permission
- Compile an anthology
- Respect learner’s request for not sharing
- Read poems to an audience
- Display in public places
- Enter in competitions
Tunica, Mandy 2005, a passion for poetry, PETA, NSW
Shape Poems
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/diptonrc.durham/shapes.html
Create a shape poem using Alliteration
Alliteration
Alliteration -- The repetition of consonants at the beginning of words in poetry or any writing.
Examples of Alliteration:
Sea Surprise
The swimmers swam and searched the sea
Special sea shells hid beneath the sand
Children catch small creatures and set them free
Screaming, splashing and skipping to the land
Alliteration in Poems
Look at this sentence, what can you see?
Dozy Doug dug a deep ditch.
Most of the words start with the same letter, D. This is called alliteration.
Task One
Here are some sentences for you to complete. The end word is missing each time. Can you fill in the missing word, thinking about alliteration as you fill it in.
For example:
Twenty terrible tigers.
Task Two
Can you think up some four-line verses that show alliteration in each line. The lines do not all have to be based around the same letter. Your verses can be about anything you like; school, animals, sport etc.
For example:
Big Bad Ben
In the playground he pushes, pinches and pulls people, He’s always naughty and nasty – not nice to know.
He bounces boys back and forth
And burps and belches at bell-time!
See if you can make a few little verses like these.
Challenge
Can you find examples of alliteration in any of the poems we have read as a class, or in poems you have read yourself.
Write down a few examples of lines from poems that show alliteration. (Make sure you write down which poem they are from please.)
Examples of Alliteration:
- Bobby broke his bat at Bart's house.
- Sugar makes the sauce sweet.
- The worm wiggled when we touched its wet skin.
- The pots and pans were Peter's prized possessions.
Sea Surprise
The swimmers swam and searched the sea
Special sea shells hid beneath the sand
Children catch small creatures and set them free
Screaming, splashing and skipping to the land
- Tell students to choose a topic that they like.
- Ask students to write a six line poem. The poem should use alliteration, using one letter, like in the example poem. There should be at least six words that start with the same consonant within the poem.
- Students should trade their poem with one other person. Each person should find the examples of alliteration in the other person's poem.
Alliteration in Poems
Look at this sentence, what can you see?
Dozy Doug dug a deep ditch.
Most of the words start with the same letter, D. This is called alliteration.
Task One
Here are some sentences for you to complete. The end word is missing each time. Can you fill in the missing word, thinking about alliteration as you fill it in.
For example:
Twenty terrible tigers.
- One awful........
- Two horrid........
- Three smelly ....... .
- Four frightened ....... .
- Five frisky........
- Six smiley ....... .
- Seven sickly........
- Eight evil........
- Nine naughty ....... .
Task Two
Can you think up some four-line verses that show alliteration in each line. The lines do not all have to be based around the same letter. Your verses can be about anything you like; school, animals, sport etc.
For example:
Big Bad Ben
In the playground he pushes, pinches and pulls people, He’s always naughty and nasty – not nice to know.
He bounces boys back and forth
And burps and belches at bell-time!
See if you can make a few little verses like these.
Challenge
Can you find examples of alliteration in any of the poems we have read as a class, or in poems you have read yourself.
Write down a few examples of lines from poems that show alliteration. (Make sure you write down which poem they are from please.)
Haiku (see powerpoint)
choose a special sight in the world around you
sleeping dogs lie quietly
each hot summer day.
choose a special sight in the world around you
- dogs sleeping under a tree
- write where the action is happening - under a gumtree, on the cool damp earth
- write what is happening - sleeping dogs lie quietly
- write when it happened - each hot summer day
sleeping dogs lie quietly
each hot summer day.
Limericks are five-line poems that use rhyme and rhythm to enhance the content of what they are saying. They are usually humorous and have a ‘twist’ is in the last line. Because limericks are usually funny, they often have made-up or slang words in them. There is a pattern to the poem’s rhythm.
Lines one, two and five rhyme with each other and normally contain a three beat metre.
Lines three and four rhyme with each other and normally contain a two beat meter. Lines three and four are usually shorter than the other lines.
Example 1
A cheerful old bear at the zoo
Could always find something to do. When it bored him, you know,
To walk to and fro
He reversed – and walked fro and to. (Anon)
Example 2
A sea-serpent saw a big tanker
Bit a hole in her side and then sank her. It swallowed the crew
In a minute or two,
And then picked its teeth with the anchor. (Anon)
These opening lines may be useful starters for writing limericks ...
Lines one, two and five rhyme with each other and normally contain a three beat metre.
Lines three and four rhyme with each other and normally contain a two beat meter. Lines three and four are usually shorter than the other lines.
Example 1
A cheerful old bear at the zoo
Could always find something to do. When it bored him, you know,
To walk to and fro
He reversed – and walked fro and to. (Anon)
Example 2
A sea-serpent saw a big tanker
Bit a hole in her side and then sank her. It swallowed the crew
In a minute or two,
And then picked its teeth with the anchor. (Anon)
These opening lines may be useful starters for writing limericks ...
- There lived an old hermit in Moil
- While eating my lunch on the sand
- There was an old camel at Finke
- The doctor who looked at my toe
Colour poetry
•describe a colour in terms of their five senses. Colour poetry should address these questions:
•What do you think of when you envision this colour?
•How does the colour sounds?
•How does the colour look?
•How does the colour taste?
•How does the colour smell?
•How does the colour feel? (touch)
•How does the colour make you feel? (emotional)
•Practice Activity: As a class we will create a rough draft for our colour poem using the graphic organizer.
•Descriptive words are useful in creating poems and for many other writing mediums. Colour poems are a good stepping stone to demonstrate the impact of powerful, descriptive words.
•Line 1 Name a colour
•Lines 2-4 Name 3 things that are that colour
•Lines 5-7 Name 3 things that sound like that colour
•Lines 8-10 Name 3 things that taste like that colour
•Lines 11-13 Name 3 things that feel like that colour
•Line 14 What can that colour do?
Purple
A bruise on your leg,
bunches of grapes in a bowl,
a sweater that goes great with black,
the sound of power,fruit juice poured into a glass
a school bell ringing, ringing
Grandma's rhubarb pie.
cold medicine served up on a tablespoon
squishy cough drops,
velvet covered cushions
pointy tip pentel markers,
the sky before lightning starts
Purple can take you for a sweet ride.
Green
Green is apples, markers, and cool.
Green is the taste of vegetables.
Green smells like grass and rain.
Green makes me feel envious.
Green is the sound of a lawnmower
and a sigh.
Green is a garden, forest, and a swamp.
Green is renewal.
Green is beginning again.
Green is spring.
•describe a colour in terms of their five senses. Colour poetry should address these questions:
•What do you think of when you envision this colour?
•How does the colour sounds?
•How does the colour look?
•How does the colour taste?
•How does the colour smell?
•How does the colour feel? (touch)
•How does the colour make you feel? (emotional)
•Practice Activity: As a class we will create a rough draft for our colour poem using the graphic organizer.
•Descriptive words are useful in creating poems and for many other writing mediums. Colour poems are a good stepping stone to demonstrate the impact of powerful, descriptive words.
•Line 1 Name a colour
•Lines 2-4 Name 3 things that are that colour
•Lines 5-7 Name 3 things that sound like that colour
•Lines 8-10 Name 3 things that taste like that colour
•Lines 11-13 Name 3 things that feel like that colour
•Line 14 What can that colour do?
Purple
A bruise on your leg,
bunches of grapes in a bowl,
a sweater that goes great with black,
the sound of power,fruit juice poured into a glass
a school bell ringing, ringing
Grandma's rhubarb pie.
cold medicine served up on a tablespoon
squishy cough drops,
velvet covered cushions
pointy tip pentel markers,
the sky before lightning starts
Purple can take you for a sweet ride.
Green
Green is apples, markers, and cool.
Green is the taste of vegetables.
Green smells like grass and rain.
Green makes me feel envious.
Green is the sound of a lawnmower
and a sigh.
Green is a garden, forest, and a swamp.
Green is renewal.
Green is beginning again.
Green is spring.
Narrative and Lyric poetry
Narrative poetry is often about people or events that concern the community as a whole - ‘public’ poetry, and the poet’s personal feelings are not necessarily directly expressed.
Narrative poems can be short or very long. They can rhyme or not rhyme, although they often do rhyme.
Even in narrative poetry, however, the poet’s attitude to her or his subject can be perceived through the choice of words and form. For example, the stereotyped subjects of limericks are usually intended to be laughed at or to be regarded as awful warnings, eg the young lady from Riga, who was foolish enough to go for a ride on a tiger. Traditional ballads deal generally with tragic subjects, use plain language and often direct speech, and often have a tone of regret or melancholy, which is often underlined by the use of a refrain.
Narrative poems tell stories which have
-an orientation (who, what, where)
-a complication (problem)
-a resolution (how the problem is solved).
Eency weency spider went up the water spout
(orientation – who, what, where)
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
(complication or problem)
Out came the sunshine, dried up all the rain
And eency weency spider climbed up the spout again.
(resolution, how the problem is solved)
Waltzing Matilda is another example of narrative poetry, telling a story with an orientation, complication, crisis and resolution.
Poems that are not narrative poems are lyric poems. Lyric poetry tends to be more concerned with one person’s private experience being shared with others. They express ideas, feelings and experiences (without a problem happening), for example:
My Country
by Dorothea Mackellar
I love a sunburnt country
A land of sweeping plains
Of ragged mountain ranges
Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea
Her beauty and her terror – The wide brown land for me.
Narrative poetry is often about people or events that concern the community as a whole - ‘public’ poetry, and the poet’s personal feelings are not necessarily directly expressed.
Narrative poems can be short or very long. They can rhyme or not rhyme, although they often do rhyme.
Even in narrative poetry, however, the poet’s attitude to her or his subject can be perceived through the choice of words and form. For example, the stereotyped subjects of limericks are usually intended to be laughed at or to be regarded as awful warnings, eg the young lady from Riga, who was foolish enough to go for a ride on a tiger. Traditional ballads deal generally with tragic subjects, use plain language and often direct speech, and often have a tone of regret or melancholy, which is often underlined by the use of a refrain.
Narrative poems tell stories which have
-an orientation (who, what, where)
-a complication (problem)
-a resolution (how the problem is solved).
Eency weency spider went up the water spout
(orientation – who, what, where)
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
(complication or problem)
Out came the sunshine, dried up all the rain
And eency weency spider climbed up the spout again.
(resolution, how the problem is solved)
Waltzing Matilda is another example of narrative poetry, telling a story with an orientation, complication, crisis and resolution.
Poems that are not narrative poems are lyric poems. Lyric poetry tends to be more concerned with one person’s private experience being shared with others. They express ideas, feelings and experiences (without a problem happening), for example:
My Country
by Dorothea Mackellar
I love a sunburnt country
A land of sweeping plains
Of ragged mountain ranges
Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea
Her beauty and her terror – The wide brown land for me.
Onomatopoeia
Directions: Read each sentence and circle the onomatopoeic word. Also explain what makes this noise.
1. When Mum asked Tommy how his day went, Tommy just grunted.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
2. The best part about music class is that you can bang on the drum.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
3. While the cat cleaned himself, the thirsty dog slurped the dirty water from the puddle.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
4. After sweating it out on the court, Vince gulped down the Mountain Dew.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
5. Though she stepped very lightly, Vanessa’s heels still clacked on the hardwood floor.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
6. Ronald zipped up his sleeping bag as he packed up all of his belongings.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
7. Tim almost stepped on the snake and then he heard the rattle of its tail.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
8. When Bobby got home after a long day at school, he threw his books down with a thud.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
9. The two-year old crashed into the cabinet while chasing the dog around the kitchen table.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
10. The bride and groom were not surprised to hear the clinking glasses and they prepared to embrace.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
11. Brian was rapidly clicking his pen to annoy me, but it wouldn’t work this time.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
12. Angie sprayed her neighbor with the hose in a playful way; he didn’t mind since it was so hot.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
13. They knew that the principal was coming because they heard the jingle of his keys.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
14. Anytime anybody comes over to my house, my dog hides behind the couch and barks for hours.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
15. Chris saw the garbage truck driving right toward him so he honked his horn and waved his arm.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
16. I woke up to the sound of bacon sizzling in a frying pan and I knew that it would be a good day.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
17. The lawyer almost drove right into the ambulance while chasing after the wail of the sirens.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
18. Most musicians use a small piece of plastic, but Johnny Nickels used a coin to strum his guitar.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
19. Mark tried sneaking in the house after the party but the squeak of his shoes woke up Mom.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
20. Jenny tried to focus on the final exam but the ticking clock kept breaking her concentration.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
21. Barry felt very patriotic as the sunset and the flag flapped in wind.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
22. John was eager to begin taking notes so he started tapping his pencil on his desk.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
23. As the paintball splattered against the windshield, Kevin knew that he would be in trouble.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
24. As the fans packed into the stadium, the fireworks boomed overhead.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
25. When Reuben saw what he thought was a ghost, he shrieked like a banshee.
What made the noise? ________________________________________________________________
1. When Mum asked Tommy how his day went, Tommy just grunted.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
2. The best part about music class is that you can bang on the drum.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
3. While the cat cleaned himself, the thirsty dog slurped the dirty water from the puddle.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
4. After sweating it out on the court, Vince gulped down the Mountain Dew.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
5. Though she stepped very lightly, Vanessa’s heels still clacked on the hardwood floor.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
6. Ronald zipped up his sleeping bag as he packed up all of his belongings.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
7. Tim almost stepped on the snake and then he heard the rattle of its tail.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
8. When Bobby got home after a long day at school, he threw his books down with a thud.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
9. The two-year old crashed into the cabinet while chasing the dog around the kitchen table.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
10. The bride and groom were not surprised to hear the clinking glasses and they prepared to embrace.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
11. Brian was rapidly clicking his pen to annoy me, but it wouldn’t work this time.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
12. Angie sprayed her neighbor with the hose in a playful way; he didn’t mind since it was so hot.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
13. They knew that the principal was coming because they heard the jingle of his keys.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
14. Anytime anybody comes over to my house, my dog hides behind the couch and barks for hours.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
15. Chris saw the garbage truck driving right toward him so he honked his horn and waved his arm.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
16. I woke up to the sound of bacon sizzling in a frying pan and I knew that it would be a good day.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
17. The lawyer almost drove right into the ambulance while chasing after the wail of the sirens.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
18. Most musicians use a small piece of plastic, but Johnny Nickels used a coin to strum his guitar.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
19. Mark tried sneaking in the house after the party but the squeak of his shoes woke up Mom.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
20. Jenny tried to focus on the final exam but the ticking clock kept breaking her concentration.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
21. Barry felt very patriotic as the sunset and the flag flapped in wind.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
22. John was eager to begin taking notes so he started tapping his pencil on his desk.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
23. As the paintball splattered against the windshield, Kevin knew that he would be in trouble.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
24. As the fans packed into the stadium, the fireworks boomed overhead.
What made the noise? _________________________________________________________________
25. When Reuben saw what he thought was a ghost, he shrieked like a banshee.
What made the noise? ________________________________________________________________
Rhyming Poetry
Rhyming I-Spy
This is the same as I-Spy, but the player says: I spy with my little eye, something
that rhymes with... The player must first have identified an object in the room, and searched for a word that rhymes with it. So, if they have spotted a socket, they would say: I spy with my little eye something that rhymes with rocket.
If the class is working on a particular subject, for instance sea-life, and have a picture full of things found in the ocean, Rhyming I-Spy can be played with what can be seen in the picture only. This motivates the class to observe and identify their subject matter, giving them the necessary language and rhymes for writing poems on a set topic, which will be helpful when it is time for them to do their own writing.
Rather than the person with the correct answer playing next, the teacher can give each pupil a single go (with teaching assistants guiding those with weaker language skills).
Rhyming Tennis
Two players face each other, batting a rhyme back and forth. Players must use a
new word each time they bat, and it must be a full rhyme (full rhymes/assonance/ consonance are explained below). If a player repeats a word, says umm or cannot respond after five seconds, they have lost. The teacher may use their discretion as to how strictly this applies. Slang words (within the context of appropriate language) are allowed, but words must actually exist. If a player says a word and the other player thinks this is made up, the player must be able to prove the word exists by supplying its meaning. The winner stays on to face a new challenger.
It is important that the teacher chooses the rhyming word. If a tricky word is chosen the game is not much fun; the aim is to use words like sun to see how many rhymes the pupils can come up with. Avoid words with obvious embarrassing results, like duck, as pupils may even inadvertently use a corresponding swear word. If unsure, have a list of starting rhyme words written out beforehand. Here are a few examples of words with lots of obvious rhymes: eye...hair...skin...ears...score...wall...tree... blow...skip...wood...sun...pen...glue.
A tip the teacher can give the class is for each player to plan ahead while the other player is thinking of their word, and also to go through the alphabet to seek out
a rhyme. The teacher can also encourage pupils to use rhymes of more than one syllable, such as reply, deny, unfair, debonair etc.
You can play this in front of the whole class, to simulate a performance environment, with the rest of the class trying to think of rhyming words for the players. However, calling out words can cause confusion. If the class lacks this discipline, an alternative way of playing is in a circle, so pupils only think of one rhyme each, until somebody is out.
A variation on this game is for the class to be split into groups, and given a 2-minute time limit to write down as many rhyming words for “eye” (for example) as they can. The winning group is the one which comes up with the most rhymes.
This is the same as I-Spy, but the player says: I spy with my little eye, something
that rhymes with... The player must first have identified an object in the room, and searched for a word that rhymes with it. So, if they have spotted a socket, they would say: I spy with my little eye something that rhymes with rocket.
If the class is working on a particular subject, for instance sea-life, and have a picture full of things found in the ocean, Rhyming I-Spy can be played with what can be seen in the picture only. This motivates the class to observe and identify their subject matter, giving them the necessary language and rhymes for writing poems on a set topic, which will be helpful when it is time for them to do their own writing.
Rather than the person with the correct answer playing next, the teacher can give each pupil a single go (with teaching assistants guiding those with weaker language skills).
Rhyming Tennis
Two players face each other, batting a rhyme back and forth. Players must use a
new word each time they bat, and it must be a full rhyme (full rhymes/assonance/ consonance are explained below). If a player repeats a word, says umm or cannot respond after five seconds, they have lost. The teacher may use their discretion as to how strictly this applies. Slang words (within the context of appropriate language) are allowed, but words must actually exist. If a player says a word and the other player thinks this is made up, the player must be able to prove the word exists by supplying its meaning. The winner stays on to face a new challenger.
It is important that the teacher chooses the rhyming word. If a tricky word is chosen the game is not much fun; the aim is to use words like sun to see how many rhymes the pupils can come up with. Avoid words with obvious embarrassing results, like duck, as pupils may even inadvertently use a corresponding swear word. If unsure, have a list of starting rhyme words written out beforehand. Here are a few examples of words with lots of obvious rhymes: eye...hair...skin...ears...score...wall...tree... blow...skip...wood...sun...pen...glue.
A tip the teacher can give the class is for each player to plan ahead while the other player is thinking of their word, and also to go through the alphabet to seek out
a rhyme. The teacher can also encourage pupils to use rhymes of more than one syllable, such as reply, deny, unfair, debonair etc.
You can play this in front of the whole class, to simulate a performance environment, with the rest of the class trying to think of rhyming words for the players. However, calling out words can cause confusion. If the class lacks this discipline, an alternative way of playing is in a circle, so pupils only think of one rhyme each, until somebody is out.
A variation on this game is for the class to be split into groups, and given a 2-minute time limit to write down as many rhyming words for “eye” (for example) as they can. The winning group is the one which comes up with the most rhymes.
http://www.education.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/5248/poetry.pdf
(3 times)
O Lord, Kum-ba yah.
4. Someone'spraying,Lord,Kum-bayah,
(3 times)
O Lord, Kum-ba yah.
5. Someone'ssleeping,Lord,Kum-bayah,
(3 times)
O Lord, Kum-ba yah.
‘Kumba yah’ is a song from the West Indies. The words mean 'come by you'.
She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain
1. She'll be coming round the mountain, when she comes, (when she comes)
She'll be coming round the mountain, when she comes, (when she comes)
She'll be coming round the mountain, She'll be coming round the mountain, She'll be coming round the mountain,
when she comes.
Chorus
Singing aye, aye, yippie yippie, aye, Singing aye, aye, yippie yippie, aye, Singing aye, aye, yippie, yippie, Aye, aye, yippie, yippie,
Aye, aye, yippie yippie, aye. She'll be driving six white horses,
when she comes, (when she comes) She'll be wearing pink pyjamas,
when she comes, (when she comes) Oh we'll all go to meet her,
when she comes, (when she comes)
Oh we'll kill the old red rooster,
when she comes, (when she comes)
- Traditional forms of poetry have a regular rhythm pattern. This flow, beat, pulse and / or regular recurrence of stress can be identified by clicking fingers, clapping or drumming.
Rhythm contributes to the pace of a poem or song. Traditionally each line of poetry has a regular rhythm pattern. Rhythm happens because lines have ‘metre’. Metre is a measure of strong and weak beats in lines of verse. The beats or pulses are caused by stressed and unstressed syllables. Beats can be identified by clapping, clicking fingers, drumming, strumming or tapping. The following is an example of a rhythmic pattern.
When/ the golden/ sun/ is setting/ And/ your face/ I cannot/ see/ When/ of others/ you/ are thinking/
Will/ you sometimes/ think/ of me?
Possible teaching/learning ideas
- Talk about songs and poems having different patterns of rhythm or beats which add to the meaning and purpose of the song/poem.
- Model clicking your fingers to the rhythm or beat of Kumba yah, as you say the works of the song. Have learners say the song, clicking their fingers to the rhythm. Inform learners that this is a religious song form the West Indies and that ‘Kumb yah’ means ‘come by you’. (The slower walking pace suits its purpose and meaning).
- Model clicking your fingers to the rhythm or beat as you say She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain (or another song that has a strong rhythm). Have learners say the song, clicking their fingers to the rhythm. (The lively galloping pace suits its purpose and meaning).
- Compare the rhythms or beats of other songs. How are they different? Ask learners if they can identify and label the rhythms as ‘walking’ or ‘galloping’ rhythms. Do the slower and quicker rhythms suit the purposes of the songs?
- Learners
o reflectontheimportanceofwordchoiceinachievingrhythminapoemorsong o identifysongswith‘walking’or‘galloping’rhythms
o write a verse of a song they know and underline the stressed syllables.
- Sample poems are provided. Select poems based on learner context.
- Kum-bayah,myLord,Kum-bayah, Kum-ba yah, my Lord, Kum-ba yah, Kum-ba yah, my Lord, Kum-ba yah, O Lord, Kum-ba yah.
- Someone'scrying,Lord,Kum-bayah,
(3 times)
O Lord, Kum-ba yah.
(3 times)
O Lord, Kum-ba yah.
4. Someone'spraying,Lord,Kum-bayah,
(3 times)
O Lord, Kum-ba yah.
5. Someone'ssleeping,Lord,Kum-bayah,
(3 times)
O Lord, Kum-ba yah.
‘Kumba yah’ is a song from the West Indies. The words mean 'come by you'.
She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain
1. She'll be coming round the mountain, when she comes, (when she comes)
She'll be coming round the mountain, when she comes, (when she comes)
She'll be coming round the mountain, She'll be coming round the mountain, She'll be coming round the mountain,
when she comes.
Chorus
Singing aye, aye, yippie yippie, aye, Singing aye, aye, yippie yippie, aye, Singing aye, aye, yippie, yippie, Aye, aye, yippie, yippie,
Aye, aye, yippie yippie, aye. She'll be driving six white horses,
when she comes, (when she comes) She'll be wearing pink pyjamas,
when she comes, (when she comes) Oh we'll all go to meet her,
when she comes, (when she comes)
Oh we'll kill the old red rooster,
when she comes, (when she comes)
Spoonerismshttp://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/45/16345.pdf
Kinquering congs is a well-known example of a spoonerism. W. A. Spooner from Oxford, England, accidentally “invented” spoonerisms: he often mixed up the sounds at the beginning of his words.
What did W. A. Spooner mean to say instead of kinquering congs?
Here are some modern spoonerisms for you to “translate” into English – be careful with the spelling!
Did you hear the roar-bell ding?
Don’t forget to dock the law!
We had thick frog last fiday.
Do you like to bead in red?
I can fee my sootprints!
I caught a ban of soda.
Can you think of any spoonerisms yourself? Write them here.
Kinquering congs is a well-known example of a spoonerism. W. A. Spooner from Oxford, England, accidentally “invented” spoonerisms: he often mixed up the sounds at the beginning of his words.
What did W. A. Spooner mean to say instead of kinquering congs?
Here are some modern spoonerisms for you to “translate” into English – be careful with the spelling!
Did you hear the roar-bell ding?
Don’t forget to dock the law!
We had thick frog last fiday.
Do you like to bead in red?
I can fee my sootprints!
I caught a ban of soda.
Can you think of any spoonerisms yourself? Write them here.
Neologisms
This activity requires students to create their own neologisms from a list of given prefixes, roots and suffixes. Going through the process of word formation engages students in the sort of complex processing found to be effective in promoting vocabulary growth. This activity requires small groups of students to combine elements in plausible ways to create some new word for which they must invent a definition, and then challenge the other groups of students try to guess the made-up definition.
Procedures
The students should form teams of no more than four members, and receive copies of the activity's word element list consisting of various prefixes, roots and suffixes. In each round, each team combines a minimum of two elements from the given lists with other word elements that they know from other activities or experiences to form some new word, and then to write a definition for it. The definition may involve some embellishment, but should remain faithful to the elements that constitute the word. The word may have a maximum of 20 letters.
A sample round might proceed as follows:
1. Prior to the competition, each student should receive a copy of the word element list.
2. The class divides into teams consisting of 3-4 students. A typical class might have 6-8 teams.
3. The activity starts with each team sequestering itself and selecting at least two elements from the list to make up a new word. Since they are operating separately, several teams could conceivably end up using some of the same elements. For example, Team #1 might select words only from the Neologism! word element list, and use "ecto" (outside of), "arch" (rule, govern) and "ist" (one who) to come up with "ectoarchist," for which they might make up the definition "one who governs a nation while in exile." Team #2, however, might remember word elements from other lists, and combine "mega" (very), "tachy" (fast), "hipp" (horse), and "ine" (resembling a certain animal) to get "megatachyhippine," or "resembling a very fast horse."
One important point: You should encourage the teams to use as many of the twenty allowable letters as possible, but should limit the numbers of letters per word to twenty. This will prevent students from making up utterly ridiculous words like "macropaleopseudoichthymorphiconoclasm," for which students could make up a definition that no one could possibly guess; this makes the activity more competitive, and forces students to engage more seriously in the real process of word formation, rather than just randomly stringing together countless word elements. Each team should check its word and definition with the teacher before submitting it, to make sure that the definition is reasonable, and to make sure that the students use prefixes as prefixes and suffixes as suffixes; many students need some coaching in the art of word construction.
4. After each team has concocted its word and definition, the competition begins. Team #1 goes first, reading its word and writing it on the board, and then handing in its definition to the teacher. Each of the other teams then has two minutes to figure out the word's "meaning." They make their guesses, write them down, and turn them in to the teacher.
5. The teacher then reads each of the guesses. After reading them all, he or she makes a judgment as to which are correct. The guesses should be fairly close to the original in order to be acceptable. For instance, for the previously given definition for "ectoarchy," "Someone ruling a country who is outside the royal family," while a good guess, might not be acceptable, since it does not contain the key elements of the original; "A person who governs from afar," although closer, might also not be acceptable, because the key element of exile is missing.
6. After the teacher has read the attempts of the competing teams, he or she reads Team #1's "correct" definition and identifies those guesses which are acceptable as correct. Any team guessing the "correct" definition receives one point; Team #1 also receives one point for each "incorrect" guess.
7. Since all groups make up their words at the beginning of the activity, you can proceed directly from this juncture to a reading of Team #2's neologism. Each round is structured in the manner of the first; you may play as many rounds as time allows. At the end of the period, the team with the most points wins.
Condensed Procedures for Neologism!
1. Distribute the word element lists.
2. Divide the class into teams of 3-4 students.
3. Students create neologisms of no more than 20 letters, and check them with the teacher.
4. Team #1 reads its neologism, and the teacher writes it on the board. Other teams have 2 minutes to guess its meaning. They write down their definitions and turn them in to the teacher.
5. The teacher reads the definitions aloud, and then reads Team #1's "correct" definition. Teams guessing correctly get 1 point; Team #1 gets 1 point for each incorrect guess.
6. Repeat Steps #4 and #5 for each of the other teams.
Prefix
a - without
caco - bad
ecto - outside
endo - within
epi - upon, in addition
hetero - different
hier - sacred
holo - whole
homo - same
hypo - under, less than, too little
ideo, idea - idea
idio - one's own
iso - equal
macro - large
mega - large
meta - completely, beyond
olig - few
poly - many
pseudo - false
Roots
arch, archi - rule, govern
batho, bathy - depth
cephal - head
chrom - color
crypt - hide
dem - people
derm - skin
dyn, dynam - power
ethn - nation
geo - earth
gno, gnos - know
hem - blood
hipp - horse
ichthy - fish
icon - image, idol
morph - shape
ornith - bird
phot - light
rheo - flow
stat, stas - stand, stop
theo - god
therm - heat
Suffixes
-ac - having the properties of....
-algia, algy - pain of the....
-clasm - destruction of....
-cracy - government by....
-ia - the condition that....
-ic - someone or something which....
-ism - the belief that....
-ist - one who....
-itis - inflammation of the....
-latry - worship of....
-lysis - loosening of....
-machy, machia - war, fight between....
-oid - resembling....
-phoria - carrying or producing....
-poly - sale of....
-sis - the condition of....
METHOD #2
You can use Neologism! with any of the chapters in VCBS that emphasize word elements. Prior to the game, you should prepare a list of the word elements found in the desired chapter of VCBS so that students can combine them to invent new words and definitions as they do in Method #1.
As you can see in the following word element list based on Chapter Four, "Words Derived from Greek," a chapter may emphasize one word element more than others; in this case, the chapter contains more prefixes than roots and suffixes combined. Thus, you may wish to supplement this provided list with word elements from other chapters in the book, from the Method #1 list, or from your own materials so that students will have more versatility in creating their own words.
METHOD #2
Prefixes
a, an - not, without
dys - bad, ill, difficult
endo - within
eu - good, well, advantageous
exo - out of, outside
geo - earth, ground
hetero - different
homo - one and the same, like
hyper - over, above, beyond the ordinary
hypo - under, beneath, less than the ordinary
macro - large, long
micro - small
mis - hate
mon, mono - one, single, alone
peri - around, about, near, enclosing
phil, philo - loving, fond of
poly - many
Roots
bio - life
morph - form
path, patho, pathy - feeling, suffering, disease
pod - foot
tom, tomy - cutting, operation of incision
Suffixes
archy - rule
gee - earth, ground
logy - science, study, account
phile - one who loves or supports
This activity requires students to create their own neologisms from a list of given prefixes, roots and suffixes. Going through the process of word formation engages students in the sort of complex processing found to be effective in promoting vocabulary growth. This activity requires small groups of students to combine elements in plausible ways to create some new word for which they must invent a definition, and then challenge the other groups of students try to guess the made-up definition.
Procedures
The students should form teams of no more than four members, and receive copies of the activity's word element list consisting of various prefixes, roots and suffixes. In each round, each team combines a minimum of two elements from the given lists with other word elements that they know from other activities or experiences to form some new word, and then to write a definition for it. The definition may involve some embellishment, but should remain faithful to the elements that constitute the word. The word may have a maximum of 20 letters.
A sample round might proceed as follows:
1. Prior to the competition, each student should receive a copy of the word element list.
2. The class divides into teams consisting of 3-4 students. A typical class might have 6-8 teams.
3. The activity starts with each team sequestering itself and selecting at least two elements from the list to make up a new word. Since they are operating separately, several teams could conceivably end up using some of the same elements. For example, Team #1 might select words only from the Neologism! word element list, and use "ecto" (outside of), "arch" (rule, govern) and "ist" (one who) to come up with "ectoarchist," for which they might make up the definition "one who governs a nation while in exile." Team #2, however, might remember word elements from other lists, and combine "mega" (very), "tachy" (fast), "hipp" (horse), and "ine" (resembling a certain animal) to get "megatachyhippine," or "resembling a very fast horse."
One important point: You should encourage the teams to use as many of the twenty allowable letters as possible, but should limit the numbers of letters per word to twenty. This will prevent students from making up utterly ridiculous words like "macropaleopseudoichthymorphiconoclasm," for which students could make up a definition that no one could possibly guess; this makes the activity more competitive, and forces students to engage more seriously in the real process of word formation, rather than just randomly stringing together countless word elements. Each team should check its word and definition with the teacher before submitting it, to make sure that the definition is reasonable, and to make sure that the students use prefixes as prefixes and suffixes as suffixes; many students need some coaching in the art of word construction.
4. After each team has concocted its word and definition, the competition begins. Team #1 goes first, reading its word and writing it on the board, and then handing in its definition to the teacher. Each of the other teams then has two minutes to figure out the word's "meaning." They make their guesses, write them down, and turn them in to the teacher.
5. The teacher then reads each of the guesses. After reading them all, he or she makes a judgment as to which are correct. The guesses should be fairly close to the original in order to be acceptable. For instance, for the previously given definition for "ectoarchy," "Someone ruling a country who is outside the royal family," while a good guess, might not be acceptable, since it does not contain the key elements of the original; "A person who governs from afar," although closer, might also not be acceptable, because the key element of exile is missing.
6. After the teacher has read the attempts of the competing teams, he or she reads Team #1's "correct" definition and identifies those guesses which are acceptable as correct. Any team guessing the "correct" definition receives one point; Team #1 also receives one point for each "incorrect" guess.
7. Since all groups make up their words at the beginning of the activity, you can proceed directly from this juncture to a reading of Team #2's neologism. Each round is structured in the manner of the first; you may play as many rounds as time allows. At the end of the period, the team with the most points wins.
Condensed Procedures for Neologism!
1. Distribute the word element lists.
2. Divide the class into teams of 3-4 students.
3. Students create neologisms of no more than 20 letters, and check them with the teacher.
4. Team #1 reads its neologism, and the teacher writes it on the board. Other teams have 2 minutes to guess its meaning. They write down their definitions and turn them in to the teacher.
5. The teacher reads the definitions aloud, and then reads Team #1's "correct" definition. Teams guessing correctly get 1 point; Team #1 gets 1 point for each incorrect guess.
6. Repeat Steps #4 and #5 for each of the other teams.
Prefix
a - without
caco - bad
ecto - outside
endo - within
epi - upon, in addition
hetero - different
hier - sacred
holo - whole
homo - same
hypo - under, less than, too little
ideo, idea - idea
idio - one's own
iso - equal
macro - large
mega - large
meta - completely, beyond
olig - few
poly - many
pseudo - false
Roots
arch, archi - rule, govern
batho, bathy - depth
cephal - head
chrom - color
crypt - hide
dem - people
derm - skin
dyn, dynam - power
ethn - nation
geo - earth
gno, gnos - know
hem - blood
hipp - horse
ichthy - fish
icon - image, idol
morph - shape
ornith - bird
phot - light
rheo - flow
stat, stas - stand, stop
theo - god
therm - heat
Suffixes
-ac - having the properties of....
-algia, algy - pain of the....
-clasm - destruction of....
-cracy - government by....
-ia - the condition that....
-ic - someone or something which....
-ism - the belief that....
-ist - one who....
-itis - inflammation of the....
-latry - worship of....
-lysis - loosening of....
-machy, machia - war, fight between....
-oid - resembling....
-phoria - carrying or producing....
-poly - sale of....
-sis - the condition of....
METHOD #2
You can use Neologism! with any of the chapters in VCBS that emphasize word elements. Prior to the game, you should prepare a list of the word elements found in the desired chapter of VCBS so that students can combine them to invent new words and definitions as they do in Method #1.
As you can see in the following word element list based on Chapter Four, "Words Derived from Greek," a chapter may emphasize one word element more than others; in this case, the chapter contains more prefixes than roots and suffixes combined. Thus, you may wish to supplement this provided list with word elements from other chapters in the book, from the Method #1 list, or from your own materials so that students will have more versatility in creating their own words.
METHOD #2
Prefixes
a, an - not, without
dys - bad, ill, difficult
endo - within
eu - good, well, advantageous
exo - out of, outside
geo - earth, ground
hetero - different
homo - one and the same, like
hyper - over, above, beyond the ordinary
hypo - under, beneath, less than the ordinary
macro - large, long
micro - small
mis - hate
mon, mono - one, single, alone
peri - around, about, near, enclosing
phil, philo - loving, fond of
poly - many
Roots
bio - life
morph - form
path, patho, pathy - feeling, suffering, disease
pod - foot
tom, tomy - cutting, operation of incision
Suffixes
archy - rule
gee - earth, ground
logy - science, study, account
phile - one who loves or supports