Literary terms and poetry explained

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 1

How are you feeling today?

1. fantastic!
2. could be better
3. Ok
4. Excited

Lesson Goals

I can read and interpret a poem and understand some literary terms.

What do you know about poems?

Some Short Poems

Mr. Brown the Circus Clown

Mr. Brown, the circus clown

puts his clothes on upside down.

He wears his hat upon his toes

and socks and shoes upon his nose.

My Penmanship is Pretty Bad

My penmanship is pretty bad.

My printing’s plainly awful.

In truth, my writing looks so sad

it ought to be unlawful.

All My Great Excuses

I started on my homework

but my pen ran out of ink.

My hamster ate my homework.

My computer’s on the blink.

Which poem did you like best?

1. My penmanship is pretty bad
2. Mr Brown the Circus Clown
3. All my great excuses

What do you think the Rhyme Scheme will be?

What's the Rhyme Scheme?

read the poems below once again and analyse what their rhyme scheme is.

My Penmanship is Pretty Bad

My penmanship is pretty bad.

My printing’s plainly awful.

In truth, my writing looks so sad

it ought to be unlawful.

Mr. Brown the Circus Clown

Mr. Brown, the circus clown

puts his clothes on upside down.

He wears his hat upon his toes

and socks and shoes upon his nose.

All My Great Excuses

I started on my homework

but my pen ran out of ink.

My hamster ate my homework.

My computer’s on the blink.

ABAB

AABB

Look at this picture.
List four things you expect the poem to be about? (p. 81, ex. 58)

Read the poem on p.81

Read the poem on p.40

What are the similarities (overeenkomsten) between these two poems?

What are the differences (verschillen) between these two poems?

Now go to p. 230 in your stepping stones book.  Look up the meaning of these words...

Narrator

Setting

Stanza

Did you find the meaning of these words?  Do you understand?

Narrator = voice that tells the story, sometimes one of the characters

Setting = time and place in which a literary work takes place

Stanza = a set of lines within a poem, usually set apart from the rest of the poem by a blank line or indentation

Now read the poem on p. 81 "Summer Goes"

Answer the question under ex. 59

If you don't finish ex. 59 in class it is homework

What did you think of this lesson
about rhyming poetry?

1. I liked it!
2. I didn't like it!
3. Neutral

Should we do another lesson on poetry?

1. Yes
2. Mmmmh I don't know
3. No
4. Absolutely, but next month

I Have to Write 

a Poem for Class

  

-by Jack Prelutsky

I have to write a poem for class

But don't think I'll succeed,

I know I don't know all the words

That I am going to need.

I cannot quite imagine

How my poem's supposed to be —

I've got a sinking feeling

I'm not good at poetry.

My poem must have a meter

And it also has to rhyme,

It's due tomorrow morning…

How I wish I had more time!

I do not think that I can write

A poem the way I should —

But look…this is a poem right here,

And it is pretty good.