Elements of Poetry

       It is important to introduce your children and/or students to the elements of poetry. The elements of poetry include rhythm, rhyme/sound pattern, imagery, and shape. These elements help children develop an understanding about the poet's imagination and depth of emotion in their poem. You can start off introducing children to the elements of poetry through reading aloud a variety of poems and discussing the technique used by the poet to create the rhythm, sound, or shape. Children can then use these elements while creating their own poem.

Here are the elements of poetry and a description of each:

• Rhythm: The beat or movement of words in a poem. An example of rhythm can be seen in the story, The Pickety Fence by David McCord.
• Rhyme/ Sound Pattern: This affects the musical quality of poetry. The sounds of words convey the intended meaning of the poem. Alliteration, assonance, and onomatopoeia contribute to the creation of rhyme in poetry. An example of rhyme/sound pattern can be seen in the story Beautiful Soup by Lewis Carroll.
• Imagery: This involves one or more of the five senses the environment created by the poem. An example of imagery can be seen in the story Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices by Paul Janeczko.
• Shape: Words may be organized in a way to add meaning and/or create a visual image of the poem. An example of shape can be seen in the story Doodle Dandies: Poems That Take Shape by J. Patrick Lewis.