Handout
Emory University

Emory University: The Limerick

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site gives a good description of limerick. Features details about the rhyme scheme and the different forms of limericks. References to the bawdy nature of this verse form.
Handout
University of Toronto (Canada)

University of Toronto: Representative Poetry Online

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A glossary of literary terms, primarily dealing with poetry, with definitions.
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Found Poems/parallel Poems

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Students compose found and parallel poems based on a descriptive passage they have chosen from a piece of literature they are reading.
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Lonely as a Cloud: Using Poetry to Understand Similes

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Young scholars identify similes in poetry and gain experience in using similes as a poetic device in their own work.
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: In the Poet's Shoes: Performing Poetry and Building Meaning

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Build a greater understanding of poetry and poet's voice. Develop and interpret a poem for a oral performance. Links include presentation rubrics and participation rubric.
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Poetic Form and Structure

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
This online lesson makes use of concrete poems to teach the structure and form of poetry. Uses a "Columbus Day," theme for the lesson, but can be used any time of the year.
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Strategy to Define: Identify Poetic Terms

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Online lesson plan offers teachers the ability to teach a "Four-square," strategy technique for poetic terms. Students explore websites and define terms such as alliteration, assonance, simile, and rhyme.
Website
University of Victoria (Canada)

The U Vic Writer's Guide: Literary Term: Ballad

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The University of Victoria's English department gives a comprehensive definition of the "ballad" poetic form. Short examples included.
Handout
University of Victoria (Canada)

The U Vic Writer's Guide: Literary Term: Elegy

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The University of Victoria's English department gives a comprehensive definition of the "elegy" poetic form. Example included.
Handout
University of Victoria (Canada)

The U Vic Writer's Guide: Literary Term: Epics

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The University of Victoria's English department gives a comprehensive definition of the "epic" poetic form. Short examples included.
Handout
University of Victoria (Canada)

The U Vic Writer's Guide: Literary Term: Free Verse

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A concise and thorough explanation of the term "free verse" in poetry. Provides a definition, differentiation from "blank verse," and an example from Walt Whitman.
Handout
University of Victoria (Canada)

The U Vic Writer's Guide: Literary Term: Ode

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The University of Victoria's English department gives a comprehensive definition of the "ode" poetic form. Short examples included.
Handout
University of Victoria (Canada)

The U Vic Writer's Guide: Literary Term: Sonnet

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The University of Victoria's English department gives a comprehensive definition of the "sonnet" poetic form.
Lesson Plan
University of Oregon

Pizzaz, Creative Writing & Storytelling: Bi Directional Spiraled Poems

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
This PIZZAZ (People Interested in Zippy and ZAny Zcribbling) lesson plan will engage learners in writing twist poems. Examples of ideas for these types of poems are provided. Variations of twist poems are listed as a way to provide for...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs: Language Arts: Lesson Plans: Language Arts: Shakespeare's Sonnets

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
The purpose of this lesson is to help students cope with unfamiliar language in Shakespeare's sonnets and to help them understand and appreciate both what he says and how he says it.
Unit Plan
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Elements of Literature: Poetry You've Got Rhythm [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A short but informational worksheet for students on the rhythmical sounds of poetry. Includes information about the different types of meter and feet, and allows students to make connections and analysis.
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Alliteration in Headline Poems

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
In this lesson, students will learn or review the topic of "alliteration" in writing. Then each student will create a 25-word headline poem that contains at least three examples of alliteration. [Requires Adobe Reader.]
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Finding Figurative Language in the Phantom Tollbooth

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Contains plans for four lessons that use The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster to teach about figurative language. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to handouts and to sites used in the...
Website
Other

Kids Lit: Poems by Kids

For Students Pre-K - 1st Standards
Student poets have contributed their poems for publication on this site. Read through the poems and contribute your own.
Lesson Plan
TES Global

Tes: Forms of Poetry

For Teachers 5th - 9th Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] These Several lessons provide students with an understanding with different types of writing forms: calligram, cinquain, diamante, haiku, and narrative.
Handout
Other

Kintespace: The Art of Poetry

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site is an analysis of rhythm, imitation, style, tone, and technique of poetry. References to imagists and their works are also included
Handout
Other

Lifestream Center: Lessons: Literary Concepts: Elements of a Story

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
This site offers a basic understanding of the elements of a story. It clearly defines each literary term.
Handout
Washington State University

Washington State University: Epigram/epigraph/ Epitaph/epithet

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site gives a definition of the word "epigram." It also includes a few examples of epigrams.
Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: Poetry Figurative Language

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart discusses various forms of poetry and gives examples of each. Figurative language is explored as a way of determining the meaning of a piece of literature.