Poetry

Genre Study:

Poetry is a form of literature that uses rhythmic qualities of language and the content is designed to provoke emotional responses or meaningful reactions. Poetry often uses particular forms and conventions to expand the literal meaning of the words, or to evoke emotional or sensual responses. Assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhythm are devices used to add musical effects. Poems are often interpreted in multiple ways because of the use of ambiguity, symbolism, irony, and poetic diction. Metaphors and similes used in poetry often create a resonance and a layering of meanings, forming connections that were not previously perceived. Poetry is often easy to read or the vocabulary can be less complex because the major purpose behind poetic literature is to perceive a meaningful and emotional response from the reader. Poetry can be used in the elementary classroom to promote conversation about interpretations from the text. Poetry can also be used as mentor texts for using a specific reading comprehension strategy or for developing fluency and prosody.

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Selected Titles:

Hesse, K. (1997). Out of the dust. New York: Scholastic Press.

This story has a grade level equivalent of 5.1 and an interest level for grades 3-7. Out of the Dust is a collection of separate little poems that reads like a novel. Out of the Dust tells the story of a girl named Billie Jo, who struggles to help her family survive the dust-bowl-years of the Depression. Students can make connections to this text by relating to what life would have been like during the Great Depression as a child, just like Billie Jo. Readers will be able to have frequent resting points throughout the novel because the poem cycle contains short poems that read like separate chapters to tell the story. Some students can be able to empathize with Billie Jo because she has to take on the responsibility of her mother since her mother dies in a tragic accident. Students who are learning about writing their own poetry can use Out of the Dust as a mentor text for their own writing. Students can explore the power and structure of free-verse poetry when reading Out of the Dust. Karen Hesse writes other texts that are similar to Out of the Dust like Witness that are also free verse poetry which students can read after they explore Out of the Dust

Seuss. (1960). Green eggs and ham. New York: Random House Inc.

Green Eggs and Ham has a Lexile level of 30L and a grade level equivalency of Pre K to 2nd grade. Dr. Seuss writes Green Eggs and Ham with a repetitive and cumulative structure of the action and the readers can easily follow along with what the two characters are going to do. Green Eggs and Ham is one of Seuss's "Beginner Books", written in a very simple vocabulary for beginning readers. Seuss writes this text by using only 50 different words and manages to keep the story engaging for readers while having fluid rhythm and rhyme. Students can explore and recognize how to write poems with rhyme and that are interesting for the audience to follow and keep the flow of the text smooth. This text is a great source for building reading fluency for young and beginning readers.