Poetic Forms a La Petite

Poetic F orms e t i t e P a L a For Grades 3-5

Edited by Ainee Jeong

Poetic Forms Ă La Petite For Study and Use in the 3rd to 5th Grades

Edited by Ainee Jeong All original illustrations by Ainee Jeong

Table of Contents Chapter 1: The Acrostic……………….1 Chapter 2: The Ballad…………………6 Chapter 3: Blank Verse……………….12 Chapter 4: The Cinquain……………..18 Chapter 5: Found Poems……………...24 Chapter 6: The Haiku………………...30 Chapter 7: The Heroic Couplet………36 Chapter 8: The Limerick……………..42 Chapter 9: The Ode…………………..48 Chapter 10: The Sonnet……………...54 Glossary of Poetic Terms……………60 Index………………………………….64

Chapter 6: The Ballad

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About the Ballad A ballad is like a short story in poem form. Ballads were used throughout history as a way of storytelling. They’re almost always about lost love, supernatural things, or recent events—you can write a ballad about the news! Some ballads can be turned into songs.

Ballad Structure 1. Stanzas are usually 4 lines.

2. The first and third lines have 4 stresses (baDUMs), which is iambic tetrameter: ba-dum ba-dum ba-dum ba-dum.

3. The second and fourth lines have 3 stresses, which is iambic trimeter: ba-dum ba-dum ba-dum.

4. The rhyme scheme is abab or abcb.

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A Ballad about Ballads *Go through and mark the ba-dums!

Ballads have distinctive themes Their stanzas have four lines abab is the rhyme scheme abcb works fine.

As for the meter, read along See where the stresses go The meter can make this a song So iambs are good to know.

First and third lines have four da-dums The second and fourth have three Tetrameter and trimeter are some Terms you’ve learned already.

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Example Poem:

“The Bee Poem�

by Charles Ghigna A poem is a busy bee Buzzing in your head.

His hive is full of hidden thoughts Waiting to be said.

His honey comes from your ideas That he makes into rhyme.

He flies around looking for What goes on in your mind.

When it's time to let him out To make some poetry, He gathers up your secret thoughts And then he sets them free.

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DIY:

Taking what we just learned about

ballads, fill in the blanks with words you think fit. Remember the form and get creative!

The sky is _______ and _______ today But I am stuck inside.

Because of ________ , I cannot play ______________________.

I guess I’ll have to wait until ______________________ I’ll sit here at my windowsill And finish my ___________.

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