Year 3 English · Reading poetry and plays · Lesson 8.1

Year 3 English: Poems, verse and stanzas

Part of the Year 3 English reading poetry and plays chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

8.1

Poems, verse and stanzas

Year 3
Recognise the parts of a poem: lines, verse and stanzas, Identify how the layout of a poem shapes its meaning

Story. Ruby found a page in her poetry book. The lines were short, and they were grouped together with gaps. What makes it a poem?

A poem is a piece of writing that is often set out in lines, not in full paragraphs. The poet decides where each line ends.

A group of lines in a poem is called a stanza. A gap, like a paragraph break, usually shows where a new stanza begins. The word verse can mean poetry in general, or one stanza of a poem.

Read these two poems. Then answer the questions in exercise 8A.

The Garden at Night

1The moon climbs slowly over the hill,
2and silver light falls soft and still.
3The garden sleeps beneath the tree,
4with shadows dancing soft and free.

5A fox trots past the old stone wall,
6and owls hoot their haunting call.
7The flowers lean and whisper low,
8until the tiny stars begin to glow.

The Harbour at Dusk

1The sun sinks low above the bay,
2and fishing boats sail slowly past.
3The gulls grow quiet, and the day
4folds up its gold, and fades at last.

5Each lamp becomes a golden star
6that shimmers on the water deep.
7The harbour bell rings soft and far,
8and all the boats are fast asleep.

A poem is made of lines. The lines are grouped into stanzas, with a gap between the stanzas.

Key ideas

A poem is often written in lines, not in full paragraphs.
A line is one row of words in a poem. The poet decides where each line ends.
A stanza is a group of lines. A gap often shows where a new stanza begins.
Verse can mean poetry, or one stanza of a poem.
Count the lines across the whole poem, and count the stanzas as separate groups.

Worked example 8.1.1

How many stanzas does The Garden at Night have?

Method. Count the groups of lines, with a gap between them.

Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: stanzas.
stanzas
Find the words that answer it. The text says:
The moon climbs slowly over the hill
Write the answer.
2

Check. There are two groups of four lines. ✓

Worked example 8.1.2

How many lines are in stanza 2 of The Garden at Night?

Method. Find where stanza 2 starts and ends.

Find the first line of stanza 2. Stanza 2 starts at line 5: A fox trots past the old stone wall.
line 5
Find the last line of stanza 2. Stanza 2 ends at line 8: until the tiny stars begin to glow.
line 8
Count the lines. Count from line 5 to line 8, including both lines: 8 - 5 + 1.
8 - 5 + 1 = 4
Write the answer.
4

Check. There are four lines in each stanza of this poem. ✓

Watch out. Do not count the gap, and do not forget to count the first line.

Worked example 8.1.3

Copy the first line of stanza 2 of The Garden at Night.

Method. Find stanza 2, then the first line in it.

Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: first line of stanza 2.
first line of stanza 2
Find the words that answer it. The text says:
A fox trots past the old stone wall,
Write the answer.
A fox trots past the old stone wall,

Check. Line 5 is the first line of the second stanza. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a line in a poem is not always a full sentence, and a stanza is not always the same length as a paragraph. Do not count the title as a line.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to point to each stanza with a finger, then count the lines in each one. Ask how they knew where a new stanza began.