Friday, May 16, 2014

5 Poetic Tools

My "Awesome Authors and Artists" Class got to learn five tools that make poetry sound fabulous:

1. end line rhyme- rhyme at the end of a line
2. internal line rhyme- rhyme in the middle of a line
3. repetition- words repeated 3-4 times
4. alliteration- 2 or more words starting with the same sound
5. onomatopoeia- words that sound like their meaning

My 4th and 5th graders did such a wonderful job with these tools that it was hard to pick just a few to put on the blog.  So I picked seven!!  Enjoy these fantastic poems, and see if you can find the tools listed above!

Caramel, by Anika (4th grade)

Soft, thick, gooey, sweet,
Caramel has a taste that nothing can beat.
Homemade or not, it's always great,
Once it's made, I can not wait.
Tasting the sugar melt in my mouth
Don't forget its beautiful color: brown!
Slurp, slurp, slurp!  Gulp, gulp, gulp!
Down goes the caramel, yum, yum, yum!


Fudge Cake, by Medha (4th grade)

Fudge cake is something sweet,
Jelly doughnuts can not beat.

Chomp! Chomp! Chew it in your mouth.
Fudge cake is the best in town!

Eat it with ice cream, eat it with berries,
Of course you can always eat it with a cherry!

Hot, cold, temperature doesn't matter
The next thing you know, you're eating the batter.

Frosted, iced, never bent,
Fudge cake is better when you share it with a friend!



Yummy Spaghetti, by Mathis (4th grade)

The stringy, yummy spaghetti
dashes down my hungry tummy.
The waiter says it is tomato saucey
I slurp it down to my amazed stomach,
Noodles left my plate 
and into my full tummy.
Yummy, yummy spaghetti
Into pieces in my tummy.

Are you hungry after reading those poems?! 

Tennis, by Ritik (5th grade)

I stand in the court
As I hold the racket in my hand.
I haul the ball in the air.
Read to serve.
My opponent swerves to the ball, and hits it.
Bang!
I hear the ball roar as it soars through the air.
Hit, hit, hit
I win the match and snatch the ball,
as I am enthralled with the trophy.

Can you tell what his favorite sport is??


The Cat, by Julia (4th grade)

Meow Meow,
Goes the tabby cat
Super thick fur and nice and fat
Click clack go her nails on the floor
Playing with her is a real bore!
Sleeps so much it drives me crazy,
Her movements are lazy, so life is hazy.
Snuggle, snuggle, cuddle, cuddle, cuddle
Tabby sleepy, wraps in a bundle
Purr purr purr...... 
Maybe there is something cute about her!!

I love how Julia uses her poetic tools so effectively, and how she changes her mind about the cat at the end!

 Ocean Reef, by Sofia (5th grade)

The ocean reef has many places to see
So very full of beauty
Swimming in the clear ocean
Makes you feel like tasting a good potion
Fish and other creatures too
Will greet you as you swim right through
Beaches with bright white sand
Making castles with your hands
Are you enjoying your day
Here at the bay?

Rain, by Leila (5th grade)

I sit inside on my bed and think,
When suddenly I hear a plink, plink, plink.
A grin on my face, I rush to the door,
A wet sensation, water galore!
Rain, puddles, water dripping from trees,
A wonderland, a wet everything.
I smile and run out to play,
Because rain does not come every day.
I splash and jump and laugh and clap,
And then a branch suddenly snaps.
The lightning starts, followed by thunder,
I find an overhang and go under.
Too windy, cold, and wet to go outside,
I walk away and let out a sigh.
And a little while later, what do you know?
Out there, in the sky, is a beautiful rainbow.

These girls paint such beautiful pictures in their readers' minds!

Great poetry everybody!!!  Don't you just love reading and writing poetry??
    


Thursday, May 15, 2014

Poetry Time! Let's try some Onomatopoeia!

My Budding Authors and Artists class learned the poetic tool "Onomatopoeia."  What does that big word mean?  Onomatopoeia is when words sound like their meaning, like "Boom," "Splash," and "Click."  Onomatopoeia is really fun to use in poetry!  Check out these samples!  (Some students liked to rhyme, too!)

Lightning, by Sienna (2nd grade)

I looked down at the ground
Hearing a cracking lightning sound
Boom, crack, and crash
Lightning coming closer, Flash!
It was getting very late.
It was getting close to eight.
Oh wait.
I heard the gate.
I went inside my room,
And I was warm soon.


Enormous Me, by Kendal (3rd grade)

I am a fish
Swimming in a dish
There is only one wish
I wish to 
Swish
and Swash
in the ocean.
I am a killer whale
I deserve better than this!
I would be near
The pier.
I would stay all year
With sharks
And not a tear of fear! 


McDonald's Rush, by Mitchell (3rd grade)

Welcome to my restaurant
Hamburger please
Kaching Bah-bing, sizzle sizzle splat
Kaching, vroom vroom room
Shhhhhh sssssss flip flop yummy, num num gulp
Thank you!
Squirt squirt, splat chit chat

May I have a burger please?
Thank you Sir!

Kaching, bah-bing,
Bye Restaurant!