Form 1 English: Poetry

1. Form 1 English: Poetry In this unit you will learn to appreciate the use of eight poetic devices; simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, symbolism, alliteration, personification rhythm and rhyme. You will also learn to create your own examples of each device. Finally you will synthesize the devices into a piece of creative poetry.

2. Simile: we use a simile to compare one thing to another using the word like or as. • Create your own simple similes by completing the following phrases simply by adding a noun. • Example: The breeze is like a whisper. • Television is like... • Summer is like... • The moon is like... • A dream is like... • Night is like... • Anger is like... • Hands are like...

3. Developing your similes. • You can expand your similes using interesting adjectives and adverbs and by answering the following questions: Who? What? Where? When? Why? or How? You don´t need to answer all the questions. • Example: The breeze is like the sad whisper of a child lost in deep forest at sunset. • Now make five of your own extended similes using the simple similes you created earlier.

4. Now try to make similes using different words. Try to complete the following. Example: Expanding like a water balloon. Feeling like... Whispering like... Dreaming like... Yelling like... Opening like... Dancing like... If you are feeling creative you can expand them even more like this: Example: Humpty Dumpty was rolling down the hill like a big ball of cotton wool gently and slowing moving towards the sunlight.

5. More similes • Now try to compose your own similes by putting a noun and verb at the beginning of each phrase and a noun at the end. • Example: My reflection moved as swift as the wind. • ...as loving as... • ...as ancient as... • ...as magical as... • ...as strong as... • ...as brave as... • ...as blue as... • ...as mean as... • Can you think of any new similes which are fun. One of my favourite is As cool as a cucumber.

6. Metaphors: we use metaphors to make a direct comparison of two things without using likeor as.. • Now create your own metaphors by comparing one noun to another totally unrelated noun. • Example: Mary has a heart of gold. • War is a ... • The moon is a ... • Jaws of ... • A mind of... • Marriage is a ... • School is a ... • A kiss of ... • Cigarettes are... • Shoes are ... • Tears are ...

7. Metaphors about people. • Now use “I am...” or “We are...” to write metaphors in which you compare yourself to animals, places, ideas or things. Choose from the metaphor beginnings. • Example: I am a pearl. • I am or we are (something in nature)... • I am or we are (name an animal).. • I am or we are (name an age or an era)... • I am or we are (name a colour)... • I am or we are (name a place)... • I am or we are (name an abstract noun)... • Now answer the usual questions to expand your metaphor. • Example: I am a shiny pearl safe in its shell at the bottom of the deep, dark sea waiting for the diver to come and take me to the daylight.

8. More metaphors. • Now be creative and complete the following to create expansive metaphors of your own. Remember that you can make your work more interesting by asking the usual questions. • In the past I was a ... • In the mirror I am a ... • In my dreams I am a... • In my fears I am a ... • In my cat´s eyes I am a... • In these clothes I am a .... • In the future I´ll be a ... • Example: In the eyes of my angel fish I am a giant ruling the world with my threatening shadow.

9. Onomatopoeic words. • Onomatopoeic words are simply words that sound like their own meanings. One of my favourite is flip flops. Can you imagine what flip flops are? • Here are a few onomatopoeic words we use regularly. Can you add to the list? • moo • ding dong • quack • whisper • sizzle • bang • buzz • cuckoo • crack

10. Creating or using onomapatopoeic words. • Select a thing or place from the list below. Each thing or place has many sounds. Use onomatopoeic words to describe the place or thing. • A concert. • A restaurant. • A school playground. • A washing machine. • A football game. • A vacuum cleaner. • A zoo. • A car, plane, bike or train. • Air conditioning.

11. Symbolism: we use symbolism when we use something concrete to represent something abstract. For example in most of the world a while dove symbolizes peace. • Write what each thing or person symbolizes to you. • eagle • ring • money • flowers • babies • stars • telephone • book • computer • cow • water

12. Drawing symbols • Try to draw a symbol to represent the following abstract ideas. • power • greed • love • friendship • heaven • sadness • joy • fear

13. Personification: We use personification when we want to give life to an inanimate object. • Example: The sky looked sad, sighed loudly and let fall her big cold tears. • Here are some different ways to personify. • Use verbs that name human actions. Love remembers the good times. • Use adjectives that are usually used to describe people. The embarrassed clock covered its face. • Refer to objects, ideas, qualities and colour using personal pronouns. I called out to the ocean and she waved back to me. • Give things human body parts. The tree stretched his legs. • Construct a personality for an object by discussing its friends, home or job. Judgement works at the bank.

14. Create personification • Personify things, ideas and qualities by writing a human action next to each object below. • Oceans... • Wheels... • A stapler... • The sun... • Pollution... • Cars... • Maths... • A house... • Eyes... • Now expand your creations by answering Who? What? When? Why? or How? Remember that you do not have to answer all the questions.