Poetry Elements

Grade 4 Reading | FL B.E.S.T. Standard: ELA.4.R.1.4

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What Makes Poetry Special?

Poetry uses special features like rhyme, rhythm, stanzas, imagery, and sound devices to create meaning and feeling. Understanding these elements helps you enjoy and analyze poems!

Stanzas and Verses

A verse is ONE line in a poem. A stanza is a group of verses (lines) that belong together, like a paragraph in a story.

Example Poem Structure
The morning sun shines bright, (verse 1)
Upon the dewy grass, (verse 2)
Birds sing with all their might, (verse 3)
As clouds go floating past. (verse 4)

This is Stanza 1 (4 verses grouped together)

Rhyme Scheme: The Pattern of Rhymes

We use letters to show which lines rhyme with each other. Lines that rhyme get the same letter!

AABB

Lines 1-2 rhyme
Lines 3-4 rhyme

The cat sat down (A)
Upon the ground (A)
It licked its paw (B)
And gave a yawn (B)

ABAB

Lines 1 & 3 rhyme
Lines 2 & 4 rhyme

I love to play (A)
Under the sun (B)
On every day (A)
It's so much fun (B)

ABCB

Only lines 2 & 4 rhyme

The wind blows cold (A)
Across the lake (B)
Through trees so old (C)
The branches shake (B)

Sound Devices: Making Music with Words

Alliteration

Words that start with the same sound

"Silly snakes slither slowly"
"Peter Piper picked peppers"

Onomatopoeia

Words that sound like their meaning

"The bee buzzed by"
"Thunder CRASHED and BOOMED"

Imagery: Painting Pictures with Words

Imagery uses descriptive words to help you see, hear, smell, taste, or feel what the poet is describing.

👁️Sight
👂Sound
👃Smell
👅Taste
✋Touch
Imagery Example
The golden sun sinks low, (sight)
While crickets chirp their song, (sound)
The warm, soft breeze blows, (touch)
As summer days grow long.

Rhythm: The Beat of Poetry

Rhythm is the beat you hear when you read a poem aloud. Some syllables are stressed (stronger) and some are unstressed (softer). Try clapping the beat!

da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM
"The SUN is SHIN-ing BRIGHT to-DAY"

When a poem has a regular beat, it sounds like music!

Your Turn! Practice with This Poem

The Thunderstorm
The lightning flashed across the sky, (A)
And thunder rumbled loud, (B)
The rain came pouring from on high, (A)
From every dark gray cloud. (B)

The pitter-patter on the roof,
Made such a splashing sound,
While puddles grew—here is the proof—
In pools upon the ground.
1. How many stanzas does this poem have?
2. What is the rhyme scheme of the first stanza?
3. Find an example of onomatopoeia in the poem and write it below:
4. What sense does "dark gray cloud" appeal to? (sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch)

Remember!

FAST Success Kit | Grade 4 | FL B.E.S.T. Standard: ELA.4.R.1.4