Poetry - Rhyme, Rhythm, and More
By Brenda B. Covert
1 When you heard that today's lesson was about poetry, did you think of the nursery rhymes of Mother Goose, sappy love poems that begin, "Roses are red, violets are blue," or a silly poem by Shel Silverstein about why Peggy Ann McKay can't go to school today? Maybe you thought of the lyrics to your favorite music. Or, maybe you groaned because you saw a writing assignment coming your way, and you just KNOW that you're not a poet. We should stop trying to turn you into one! If that's how you feel, try thinking of poetry as a game-a puzzle. Words are the puzzle pieces. Fit your words together according to the "rules," and you win! Find the right pieces, and you end up with an impressive word-picture of your own!
2 The tools we can use to craft a poem (other than pencil and paper) are rhyme, rhythm, meter, repetition, alliteration, assonance and consonance. How-and whether-any of these are used is the poet's choice.
3 The best-known poetic device is rhyme. When the words at the end of lines rhyme, they are called end rhymes. When the rhyme is arranged within the line itself, it is called internal rhyme. An example follows of internal and end rhyme: I enjoyed the shade in the hidden glade And spread out the picnic that I had made.
