MTOT Resources
Poetry types and poetic devices
Let's go!
Poetry is a type of literary text which aims to provoke a reader’s imagination and emotions.Use the index on the next page to discover examples of different forms of poetry and their features along with common poetic devices used in writing poems.
Continue
Poetry styles
I N D E X
Poetic devices
Limerick
Acrostic*
Triolet
Diamante*
- Alliteration
- Onomatopoeia
- Metaphor
- Simile
- Personification
- Imagery
Sonnet
Cinquain*
Calligram
Free verse
Haiku
Tanka
Adjective*
Concrete
Continue
*includes lesson plan
Lesson
Continue
Lesson
Continue
Continue
T A N K A
H A I K U
Continue
Adjective
Diamante
Six lines, accumulating a list of adjectives. Suggested pattern: Line 1: Noun
Line 2: Same noun + is/are + adjective
Line 3: Same noun + is/are + adjective 1, adjective 2
Line 4: Is/are + adjective 1, adjective 2, adjective 3
Line 5: Adjective 1, adjective 2, adjective 3 , adjective 4
Line 6: New (related) noun
Diamantepoem
Adjectivepoem
Seven lines long. The first and last lines have just one word. The second and sixth lines have two words.
The third and fifth lines have three words.
And the fourth line has four words.
This gives the poem its unique diamond shape
lesson
lesson
Continue
Continue
Continue
CALLIGRAM
CONCRETE POEM
Concrete poems take the shape of the object it describes. This visual type of poetry conveys its intent through the graphic patterns of words, symbols, and letters instead of only communicating it through words
A calligram is a set of words arranged in such a way that it forms a thematically related image. It can be a poem, a phrase, a portion of scripture, or a single word; the visual arrangement can rely on certain use of the typeface, calligraphy or handwriting
+info
+info
Continue
Continue
Poetic devices
These are special tools we can use to make our poetry more interesting. They help to spark emotions and paint vivid pictures in a reader's mind!
Continue
Words are butpictures of our thoughts
John Dryden
Continue
Get creative!
Start
Diamante poem
Doesn't rhymeTopic examples for the diamante poem could include:
- Opposites/antonym (eg day/night, hot/cold)
- Related concepts/synonym (eg cat/dog, winter/summer)
- Cause and effect (eg rain/flooding, sun/melting snow)
The colour-coded template indicates the format
Noun Adjective, AdjectiveVerb, Verb, VerbNoun, Noun, Noun, NounVerb, Verb, VerbAdjective, AdjectiveNoun
Cat
Gentle, Sleepy
Purring, Meowing, Scratching
Whiskers, Fur, Collar, Leash
Barking, Licking, Digging
Slobbery, Playful
Dog
Did you know that...
John Dryden was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate. He was the dominant literary figure and influence of his age. (1631-1700)
Adjective poem
Suggested Lesson Plan
- Review what adjectives are and how they describe/modify nouns. Brainstorm adjectives relating to specific topics, eg food, animals. Discuss position of adjectives and adjectival agreement, if necessary.
- Tell students that they are going to create a poem comprising mostly adjectives.
- Students create an adjective poem in groups, then alone (perhaps for homework).
- Extension activities could include students performing poems to the class and/or creating calligrams for display.
Note: this lesson can be used to connect with other curricular topics being studied or for descriptions of people, places, hobbies etc.
Winter
Cold, crisp
Freezing, biting, shivering
Snow, ice, sun, heat
Warming, glowing, shining
Hot, yellow
Summer
An acrostic poem is a poem in which the first letter of each line spells out a word or a message. Performing Orating Expressing Talking Reciting Your own unique voice Acrostics are easily adapted to a range of ages and stages. Lines can be made up of single words or whole sentences. Possible activities: Ask learners to brainstorm words on a particular topic and to use dictionaries, word banks and glossaries to find the target language equivalents of these before they write their own poems. Do a reading or listening comprehension exercise then ask students to highlight key words from the text/transcript that they could use in their acrostic poems. Acrostics can have practical uses too. For example, student may create an acrostic aide-memoire for words that they have difficulty learning to spell.
Cinquain Poems A cinquain is a five-line poem that uses adjectives, verbs and phrases to create an image of a person, place, or thing. Christmas tree! (a word describing the poem's subject) Red, Gold (two adjectives associated with the subject) Twinkling, sparkling, shining (three verbs about the subject) What do you have for me? (sentence about the subject) Bearer of gifts! (one or two words related to the subject) Visit this website for more information on writing cinquain poems
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MTOT Resources
Poetry types and poetic devices
Let's go!
Poetry is a type of literary text which aims to provoke a reader’s imagination and emotions.Use the index on the next page to discover examples of different forms of poetry and their features along with common poetic devices used in writing poems.
Continue
Poetry styles
I N D E X
Poetic devices
Limerick
Acrostic*
Triolet
Diamante*
Sonnet
Cinquain*
Calligram
Free verse
Haiku
Tanka
Adjective*
Concrete
Continue
*includes lesson plan
Lesson
Continue
Lesson
Continue
Continue
T A N K A
H A I K U
Continue
Adjective
Diamante
Six lines, accumulating a list of adjectives. Suggested pattern: Line 1: Noun Line 2: Same noun + is/are + adjective Line 3: Same noun + is/are + adjective 1, adjective 2 Line 4: Is/are + adjective 1, adjective 2, adjective 3 Line 5: Adjective 1, adjective 2, adjective 3 , adjective 4 Line 6: New (related) noun
Diamantepoem
Adjectivepoem
Seven lines long. The first and last lines have just one word. The second and sixth lines have two words. The third and fifth lines have three words. And the fourth line has four words. This gives the poem its unique diamond shape
lesson
lesson
Continue
Continue
Continue
CALLIGRAM
CONCRETE POEM
Concrete poems take the shape of the object it describes. This visual type of poetry conveys its intent through the graphic patterns of words, symbols, and letters instead of only communicating it through words
A calligram is a set of words arranged in such a way that it forms a thematically related image. It can be a poem, a phrase, a portion of scripture, or a single word; the visual arrangement can rely on certain use of the typeface, calligraphy or handwriting
+info
+info
Continue
Continue
Poetic devices
These are special tools we can use to make our poetry more interesting. They help to spark emotions and paint vivid pictures in a reader's mind!
Continue
Words are butpictures of our thoughts
John Dryden
Continue
Get creative!
Start
Diamante poem
Doesn't rhymeTopic examples for the diamante poem could include:
- Opposites/antonym (eg day/night, hot/cold)
- Related concepts/synonym (eg cat/dog, winter/summer)
- Cause and effect (eg rain/flooding, sun/melting snow)
The colour-coded template indicates the formatNoun Adjective, AdjectiveVerb, Verb, VerbNoun, Noun, Noun, NounVerb, Verb, VerbAdjective, AdjectiveNoun
Cat Gentle, Sleepy Purring, Meowing, Scratching Whiskers, Fur, Collar, Leash Barking, Licking, Digging Slobbery, Playful Dog
Did you know that...
John Dryden was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate. He was the dominant literary figure and influence of his age. (1631-1700)
Adjective poem
Suggested Lesson Plan
- Review what adjectives are and how they describe/modify nouns. Brainstorm adjectives relating to specific topics, eg food, animals. Discuss position of adjectives and adjectival agreement, if necessary.
- Tell students that they are going to create a poem comprising mostly adjectives.
- Students create an adjective poem in groups, then alone (perhaps for homework).
- Extension activities could include students performing poems to the class and/or creating calligrams for display.
Note: this lesson can be used to connect with other curricular topics being studied or for descriptions of people, places, hobbies etc.Winter Cold, crisp Freezing, biting, shivering Snow, ice, sun, heat Warming, glowing, shining Hot, yellow Summer
An acrostic poem is a poem in which the first letter of each line spells out a word or a message. Performing Orating Expressing Talking Reciting Your own unique voice Acrostics are easily adapted to a range of ages and stages. Lines can be made up of single words or whole sentences. Possible activities: Ask learners to brainstorm words on a particular topic and to use dictionaries, word banks and glossaries to find the target language equivalents of these before they write their own poems. Do a reading or listening comprehension exercise then ask students to highlight key words from the text/transcript that they could use in their acrostic poems. Acrostics can have practical uses too. For example, student may create an acrostic aide-memoire for words that they have difficulty learning to spell.
Cinquain Poems A cinquain is a five-line poem that uses adjectives, verbs and phrases to create an image of a person, place, or thing. Christmas tree! (a word describing the poem's subject) Red, Gold (two adjectives associated with the subject) Twinkling, sparkling, shining (three verbs about the subject) What do you have for me? (sentence about the subject) Bearer of gifts! (one or two words related to the subject) Visit this website for more information on writing cinquain poems