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Primary English · Year 3Chapter 8 · Reading poetry and plays
Year 3 · Chapter 8

Reading poetry and plays

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Name the lines, verse and stanzas of a poem, and count them
  • Find rhymes by looking at the endings, and count the strong beats in a line
  • Find an image or a simile, and explain what it makes the reader picture or feel
  • Tell a rhyming poem, free verse and a narrative poem apart
  • Plan how to read a poem aloud, with pauses, tone and action
  • Read a play script: the cast list, the speakers and the stage directions, and read a part in role

You should already know

  • Retelling and discussing stories, and using evidence from the text (Chapter 7)
  • Word classes, and inverted commas for speech (Chapters 3 and 5)
  • Reading and joining in with simple poems and rhymes (Year 2)

Where this leads

  • Reading non-fiction and retrieving facts (Chapter 9)
  • Writing stories with characters, setting and plot (Chapter 10)
  • Writing poems and scripts of your own in Year 4

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 2 English, Year 3. Content: Recognise some different forms of poetry, including free verse, narrative poetry and rhyming poems, Discuss words and phrases that capture the reader's interest and imagination, Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning in a poem or a play, Prepare poems and play scripts to read aloud and to perform, using intonation, tone, volume and action, Understand rhyme, rhythm, verse and stanzas; name the cast list, speakers and stage directions in a play, Take on a role in a play script and read it aloud in role (spoken language: drama).

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWhich word class is beautifully in this sentence? She sang beautifully.
2
FAdd the inverted commas: Mum shouted, Dinner is ready.
3
FWhat is a character in a story?
4
FWhich conjunction joins the two parts of this sentence? I stayed inside because it rained.
5
FWhich question word asks for a time? (who / when / where)
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
Video lesson: Poems, verse and stanzasComing soon
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.

line 1line 2line 3line 4line 5line 6line 7line 8stanza 1stanza 2the gap between the stanzas
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.

  1. Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: stanzas.
    stanzas
  2. Find the words that answer it. The text says:
    The moon climbs slowly over the hill
  3. 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.

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

  1. Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: first line of stanza 2.
    first line of stanza 2
  2. Find the words that answer it. The text says:
    A fox trots past the old stone wall,
  3. 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.

Exercise 8A  Practice: poems, verse and stanzas

1
FHow many stanzas does The Harbour at Dusk have?
2
FHow many lines are in stanza 1 of The Harbour at Dusk?
3
FWhat is the name for one group of lines in a poem?
4
FWhich word can mean poetry, or one stanza of a poem?
5
FCopy the first line of The Harbour at Dusk.
6
FWrite the last word of line 4 of The Garden at Night.
7
FWhich line starts stanza 2 of The Garden at Night? Give the line number.
8
PSFind the line number where stanza 2 of The Harbour at Dusk begins.
9
PSWhere is the gap between the two stanzas of The Harbour at Dusk? Say which line it comes after.
10
PSIs The Garden at Night made of stanzas? How many gaps does it have? Explain how you know.
11
RExplain why a poet might start a new stanza.
12
RDoes a poem have to rhyme just because it has lines and stanzas? Explain.
8.2

Rhyme and rhythm

Year 3
Recognise rhyme and rhythm in a poem, Name a rhyme scheme from the endings of the lines
Video lesson: Rhyme and rhythmComing soon
Story. Tom wants two lines that end in the same way, like hill and still. Can you find a rhyme, and a strong beat, in these poems?

A rhyme is when two or more lines end with words that match. In this book, rhymes are checked by spelling: the endings must match on the page. For example, hill and still both end in -ill.

Rhythm is a pattern of strong beats that repeats. In this book, the strong beats are shown in bold, so you can count them on the page. In The Garden at Night, every line has four bold beats.

A rhyme scheme labels the lines of a stanza with letters. Lines that rhyme share a letter. Read the table.

SchemeWhat it meansExample from this chapter
AABBlines 1 and 2 rhyme; lines 3 and 4 rhymehill and still; tree and free
ABABlines 1 and 3 rhyme; lines 2 and 4 rhymebay and day; past and last
ABCBonly lines 2 and 4 rhymetown and down (The Lost Mitten)

Look at the strong beats in line 1 of The Garden at Night. Then read both poems.

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.

1moon2slowly3over4hill
Four strong beats in line 1 of The Garden at Night: moon, slowly, over and hill.

Key ideas

  • A rhyme is when lines end with words that match in spelling, such as hill and still.
  • In this book, rhymes are checked by spelling, so the endings must match on the page.
  • Rhythm is a pattern of strong beats. In this book, the strong beats are in bold.
  • A rhyme scheme uses letters: AABB, ABAB and ABCB are common patterns.
  • Lines with the same ending pattern share a letter.
Worked example 8.2.1
Which two words at the ends of lines 3 and 4 of The Garden at Night rhyme?

Method. Find the last word of each line, then compare the endings.

  1. Find the last word of each line. Line 3 ends with tree. Line 4 ends with free.
    tree / free
  2. Compare the endings in the spelling. Both words end in the same letters, so they rhyme.
    -ee and -ee
  3. Write the answer.
    tree and free

Check. Both end in -ee, so they rhyme.

Worked example 8.2.2
What is the rhyme scheme of stanza 2 of The Garden at Night?

Method. Write the last word of each line, and give each new ending its own letter.

  1. Write the last word of each line. These are the words at the ends of the lines.
    wall / call / low / glow
  2. Give each new ending its own letter. Lines whose endings match get the same letter. The first new ending is A, then B.
    wall: A call: A low: B glow: B
  3. Write the answer.
    AABB

Check. Lines 5 and 6 share a letter, and lines 7 and 8 share another. ✓

Worked example 8.2.3
How many bold beats are in line 6 of The Garden at Night?

Method. Find the bold words, then count them.

  1. Find the bold words in the line. In this book, the bold words are the strong beats.
    owls, hoot, haunting, call
  2. Count the bold words. There are 4 bold words, so there are 4 beats.
    4
  3. Write the answer.
    4

Check. The bold words are owls, hoot, haunting and call. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: rhyme is about the spelling of the endings on the page. Words such as bread and said may sound similar, but their endings are spelt differently, so they do not show a rhyme here. Also count only the bold beats.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Read one stanza aloud with your child. Then ask them to point to the words at the ends of the lines, and to tell you which words end in the same letters.

Exercise 8B  Practice: rhyme and rhythm

1
FWhich word rhymes with night? (cat / bright / dog)
2
FWrite a word that rhymes with tree. Its ending must match: it must end in -ee.
3
FDo the words at the ends of lines 1 and 2 of The Garden at Night rhyme? Answer yes or no, and say why.
4
FWhat is the rhyme scheme of stanza 2 of The Harbour at Dusk?
5
FHow many bold beats are in line 1 of The Garden at Night?
6
FWhich line of The Garden at Night ends with the word low?
7
PSIn stanza 1 of The Harbour at Dusk, which line rhymes with line 1?
8
PSWhich word does not rhyme with the others? (sun / run / cat / fun)
9
PSFinish the rhyme: The cat sat on the ____. The word must end in -at.
10
RTom says hill and hall rhyme because they both have two l's. Is he right? Explain using the spelling.
11
RWrite two lines that rhyme, with four bold beats in each line.
8.3

Words, pictures and feelings

Year 3
Discuss words and phrases that capture the reader's interest and imagination, Explain how word choice and imagery build a picture or a feeling
Video lesson: Words, pictures and feelingsComing soon
Story. Amira read a poem about rain on a window. The poet said the rain was like someone who wanted to come in. What did that make her picture?

Imagery is the words a poet uses to help the reader picture a scene, or to feel an emotion. A poet might choose a silver path so that we see a bright, shining line on the glass.

A simile compares one thing with another, using the word like or as. For example, the rain is like someone who wants to come in.

Word choice means that the poet picks one word over another. Ask yourself: why this word? What does it make me see or feel?

Read this poem. Then answer the questions in exercise 8C.

Rain on the Window

1Rain taps on the glass
2like someone who wants to come in.
3Each drop runs down slowly,
4joins another,
5and makes a silver path
6that wobbles all the way to the sill.

Find the worda picture or feelingAsk why it is therewhy this word?Explain the effectwhat the reader sees
Explaining imagery: find the word, ask why the poet chose it, then explain what the reader sees or feels.

Key ideas

  • Imagery is the words that help the reader picture a scene or feel an emotion.
  • A simile compares two things, using like or as.
  • A poet chooses words carefully: ask why this word, and not another one.
  • An answer about imagery gives a word or phrase from the poem, and explains its effect.
  • Several words can work together to build one picture.
Worked example 8.3.1
Which word in Rain on the Window describes the path that the drops make?

Method. Find the path in the poem, then the word that describes it.

  1. Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: path.
    path
  2. Find the words that answer it. The text says:
    a silver path
  3. Write the answer.
    silver

Check. The path is silver, so it shines. ✓

Watch out. Also accept: shining, if you explain it.

Worked example 8.3.2
Copy the simile from Rain on the Window.

Method. Find the word like, which starts the comparison.

  1. Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: simile.
    simile
  2. Find the words that answer it. The text says:
    like someone who wants to come in
  3. Write the answer.
    like someone who wants to come in

Check. A simile uses like or as. ✓

Worked example 8.3.3
What does the word wobbles tell us about the path?

Method. Think about how a path made of water might move.

  1. Find the word. The poem says the path wobbles all the way to the sill.
    that wobbles all the way to the sill
  2. Think about the picture. Something that wobbles moves a little, not in a straight line.
    not straight, but moving a little
  3. Explain the effect. The path looks uneven and a little shaky, like water running down a window.

Check. Water on glass runs in small wobbly lines. ✓

Watch out. Explain what the word makes the reader see, not only what it means.

Watch out

Watch out: not every comparison is a simile. A simile uses the word like or as. When you quote a word or phrase, copy it exactly from the poem.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to close their eyes while you read a line. Then ask what they can picture, and which word helped them to see it.

Exercise 8C  Practice: words, pictures and feelings

1
FWhich word in line 1 tells us what the rain does on the glass?
2
FWhat colour is the path that the drops make?
3
FWhich word tells us how each drop runs down the glass?
4
FCopy the words that tell us where the path ends.
5
PSWhat picture does the word taps help you see?
6
PSThe rain is compared to someone. What does the rain seem to want to do?
7
PSWhat feeling might the simile like someone who wants to come in give the reader?
8
PSCopy two words that describe how the water moves.
9
RWhy might the poet choose wobbles rather than moves?
10
RThe poet writes a silver path. Give another word that could describe the path, and explain how it changes the picture.
11
RWrite a simile for rain on a window, using like or as.
8.4

Forms of poetry: rhyming, free verse and narrative poems

Year 3
Recognise some different forms of poetry: free verse and narrative poetry, Compare two forms of poetry
Video lesson: Forms of poetry: rhyming, free verse and narrative poemsComing soon
Story. Ella's class has two poems on the table. One has rhymes, and the other tells a story. How are they different?

Poets choose different forms of poetry. Three common forms are these.

A rhyming poem has lines that rhyme, often with a regular beat pattern. The Garden at Night, in section 8.1, is a rhyming poem.

Free verse has no fixed rhyme or beat pattern. The poet chooses where each line breaks. Rain on the Window, in section 8.3, is free verse.

A narrative poem tells a story. It has characters, a setting and events in order. It may rhyme, or it may not.

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

The Lost Mitten

1One frosty morning, Ella ran
2to catch the bus across the town.
3A woolly mitten slipped and fell
4and landed in the snow, face down.

5She reached the bus, then turned around
6and saw her mitten in the snow.
7She knelt and brushed the flakes aside
8and felt a warm and happy glow.

Rain on the Window

1Rain taps on the glass
2like someone who wants to come in.
3Each drop runs down slowly,
4joins another,
5and makes a silver path
6that wobbles all the way to the sill.

Rhyming poemlines often rhymemay have a beat patternFree verseno fixed rhyme or beatthe poet picks the line breaksNarrative poemtells a storycharacters, setting, events
Three forms of poetry: a rhyming poem, free verse and a narrative poem.

Key ideas

  • A rhyming poem has lines that rhyme, and often a beat pattern.
  • Free verse has no fixed rhyme or beat pattern.
  • A narrative poem tells a story, with characters, a setting and events in order.
  • A narrative poem can rhyme, or it can be free verse.
  • Ask yourself: does it rhyme? Is there a beat pattern? Does it tell a story?
Worked example 8.4.1
Is Rain on the Window a rhyming poem? Explain.

Method. Check the endings of the lines.

  1. Find the last word of each line. Line 1 ends with glass. Line 2 ends with in.
    glass / in
  2. Compare the endings in the spelling. The endings -ass and -in are different.
    -ass and -in
  3. Write the answer.
    No.

Check. The endings are different, and so the poem is not a rhyming poem. ✓

Worked example 8.4.2
Is The Lost Mitten a narrative poem? Explain.

Method. Look for a character, a setting and events in order.

  1. Find a character and a setting. Ella is the character, and the setting is one frosty morning, across the town.
    Ella; one frosty morning, across the town
  2. Find events in order. A mitten falls, Ella turns back, and she brushes the snow aside.
    falls, turns back, brushes aside
  3. Write the answer.
    Yes. It tells a story with a character, a setting and events in order.

Check. A narrative poem is a poem that tells a story. ✓

Watch out. Free verse can have events too, but a narrative poem tells a clear story.

Worked example 8.4.3
Does The Lost Mitten have a rhyme scheme? Name it.

Method. Write the last word of each line, and give each new ending its own letter.

  1. Write the last word of each line. These are the words at the ends of the lines.
    ran / town / fell / down
  2. Give each new ending its own letter. Lines whose endings match get the same letter. The first new ending is A, then B.
    ran: A town: B fell: C down: B
  3. Write the answer.
    ABCB

Check. Lines 2 and 4 rhyme (town and down). A narrative poem can rhyme. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a poem with lines and stanzas is not always a rhyming poem. Free verse has no fixed rhyme, and a narrative poem may or may not rhyme.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child whether each poem rhymes, and whether it tells a story. Ask them to explain why they think so, using words from the poem.

Exercise 8D  Practice: forms of poetry

1
FWhat is free verse?
2
FWhich poem in this section is free verse? Name it.
3
FWhich poem in this section tells a story? Name it.
4
FWho is the main character in The Lost Mitten?
5
FWhere was Ella going?
6
FWhat slipped and fell?
7
PSPut these events in the order they happen in the poem. Write the letters in order.
(a) Ella reaches the bus, then turns around.
(b) Ella runs to catch the bus.
(c) She knelt and brushed the flakes aside.
(d) A woolly mitten slips and falls into the snow.
8
PSName two things that make The Lost Mitten a narrative poem.
9
PSIs Rain on the Window a narrative poem? Give one reason.
10
PSWhat is the setting of The Lost Mitten? Give the time and the place.
11
RWhy might a poet choose free verse for a poem about rain?
12
RWhich form would suit a poem about a school trip? Explain your choice.
8.5

Preparing a poem to read aloud

Year 3
Prepare poems to read aloud and perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action
Video lesson: Preparing a poem to read aloudComing soon
Story. Ruby is going to perform a poem at assembly. Before she starts, she marks the poem on paper, with pauses, a tone and an action.

When you perform a poem, your voice and body help the listener follow its meaning. Four things help you:

Pauses: stop for a moment at the end of a line, and for longer at the end of a stanza or a full stop.

Tone: the feeling in your voice, such as calm, happy or sad.

Volume: how loud or how quiet your voice is.

Intonation: how your voice goes up and down as you speak.

Plan on paper before you perform. Use one slash (/) for a short pause, and two slashes (//) for a longer pause. Write the tone, and an action, in the margin.

Read The Harbour at Dusk, then answer the questions in exercise 8E.

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.

Read it quietlyto find the meaningMark the pausesslash and double slashChoose a tonethe feeling in the voiceAdd an actiona movement that fits
Preparing a poem: read it quietly, mark the pauses, choose a tone, then add an action.

Key ideas

  • A performance uses pauses, tone, volume and intonation.
  • Pause at the end of each line, and for longer at the end of a stanza.
  • Choose a tone that matches the words, such as soft and calm for a quiet evening.
  • An action is a movement or gesture that matches a line.
  • Read the poem through at least twice before you perform it.
Worked example 8.5.1
Where is the longest pause in stanza 1 of The Harbour at Dusk?

Method. Find the end of the stanza, and mark the longest pause there.

  1. Find the end of stanza 1. A stanza ends where the next group of lines begins.
    stanza 1 ends at line 4
  2. Mark the longest pause. A longer pause shows the change to a new stanza.
    line 4: //
  3. Write the answer.
    At the end of line 4.

Check. Line 4 ends with last. The next line begins a new stanza. ✓

Watch out. Do not make the pause at the end of line 4 the same length as the one at the end of line 2.

Worked example 8.5.2
Which tone fits line 7, The harbour bell rings soft and far,?

Method. Read the words in the line and think about the feeling they give.

  1. Read the words. Soft and far suggest a gentle sound, a long way away.
    soft and far
  2. Choose a tone that matches. A quiet, calm tone fits a soft, distant bell.
    calm and quiet
  3. Write the answer.
    calm and quiet

Check. The tone matches the soft, distant sound. ✓

Watch out. Also accept: gentle, soft.

Worked example 8.5.3
Plan one action for line 5, Each lamp becomes a golden star.

Method. Choose a movement that matches the words of the line.

  1. Find the image. The lamp becomes a star, so the action can show something rising and shining.
    lamp becomes a star
  2. Plan the movement. Lift one hand slowly above your head, like a star rising.
    lift one hand slowly
  3. Write the answer.
    Lift one hand slowly above your head.

Check. The action links with the image of the star. ✓

Watch out. An action should help the listener see the line. It should not distract from the words.

Watch out

Watch out: do not read every line at the same speed and volume. Vary your tone and pauses so they match the meaning.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to read one stanza twice: once softly, and once with a clear voice. Ask them where they paused, and which word they said softly.

Exercise 8E  Practice: preparing a poem to read aloud

1
FWhat is tone?
2
FWhat is volume?
3
FWhich word in line 2 tells you to read slowly?
4
FWhere is the longest pause in stanza 2 of The Harbour at Dusk?
5
FWhat is intonation?
6
FIn your plan, what does a single slash (/) show?
7
PSWhich word in line 4 would you say most strongly? Give a reason.
8
PSWhich tone fits line 1, The sun sinks low above the bay,?
(a) calm   (b) angry   (c) excited
9
PSWhich way of reading line 7 is best?
(a) loudly and fast   (b) soft and slow   (c) angry and sharp
10
PSPlan an action for line 8, and all the boats are fast asleep.
11
RWhy does a performer pause at the end of a stanza?
12
RWrite a short plan for stanza 1 of The Harbour at Dusk: one pause, one tone and one action. Link each choice to a word or line of the poem.
8.6

Play scripts: cast lists, speakers and stage directions

Year 3
Read and perform a play script: the cast list, speakers and stage directions, Take on a role and read a part aloud in role (spoken language: drama)
Video lesson: Play scripts: cast lists, speakers and stage directionsComing soon
Story. Oscar and Ruth have a play to read in class. Who speaks first, and what should they do when the script says "He holds up a hat"?

A play script is written to be performed. It begins with a cast list, which names each character in the play.

Each line of speech starts with the speaker: the name of the character who says it, in capital letters, followed by a colon.

Stage directions tell the actors what to do, where to stand, or how to say a line. They are in brackets and italics. They are not spoken aloud.

When you read a part in role, you take the voice and feelings of one character. Think about how that character feels at each line, and choose a tone to match.

Read The Lost Hat, then answer the questions in exercise 8F. The numbers in the margin are for reference.

The Lost Hat

Cast list

  • OSCAR, a boy who has lost his red hat
  • RUTH, his older sister
  • MR OKAFOR, the lost property keeper at the station

1[A busy train station. Oscar and Ruth walk up to the lost property counter. Oscar looks worried.]

2OSCAR: Excuse me. I think I left my red hat on the train.

3RUTH: (sighing) You always lose things, Oscar.

4[Mr Okafor looks up from his desk and smiles.]

5MR OKAFOR: Good morning. Tell me about your hat.

6OSCAR: It is red, with a white stripe, and it has a bobble on top.

7MR OKAFOR: (checking a list) Let me see. Was it on the nine o'clock train?

8OSCAR: Yes! The one to the seaside.

9MR OKAFOR: (lifting a box from under the desk) Is this it?

10[He holds up a red hat with a white stripe.]

11OSCAR: (gasping) That's it! Thank you!

12RUTH: (laughing) Maybe you should write your name inside it next time.

13OSCAR: Good idea. I will.

14MR OKAFOR: Try to keep hold of it on the way home.

15[Oscar puts on the hat and grins. The lights fade.]

Cast listOSCAR, RUTH, MR OKAFOROSCAR: Excuse me. I think I left my hat.[A busy train station.]MR OKAFOR: Good morning.Speaker name: written in capitals, before the colonSpeech: the words the actor says aloudStage direction: in brackets and italics, not said aloud
A play script: the cast list, a speaker name, speech and a stage direction in brackets.

Key ideas

  • The cast list names every character in the play.
  • The speaker's name comes first, in capitals, before a colon.
  • Stage directions are in brackets and italics, and they are not spoken aloud.
  • To read a part in role, think how the character feels at each line.
  • Speech and stage directions together tell the story of the play.
Worked example 8.6.1
Who is the first speaker in The Lost Hat?

Method. Find the first line of speech. The speaker's name comes before the colon.

  1. Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: first speaker.
    first speaker
  2. Find the words that answer it. The text says:
    Excuse me. I think I left my red hat on the train.
  3. Write the answer.
    Oscar

Check. OSCAR is the name before the first colon. ✓

Worked example 8.6.2
How many stage directions are in The Lost Hat?

Method. Find each line that is in brackets and italics, or that is a stage direction in the script.

  1. Find the speech lines first. Every speech line starts with a speaker name and a colon, so these are not stage directions.
    OSCAR, RUTH, MR OKAFOR: 11 lines
  2. Find the stage directions. The other lines tell the actors what to do: lines 1, 4, 10 and 15.
    lines 1, 4, 10, 15
  3. Count them. There are four stage directions, one for each of those lines.
    4 lines

Check. Speech lines start with a speaker name and a colon, so the other lines are stage directions. ✓

Watch out. A direction in brackets inside a speech, such as (sighing), is not a separate line. Count only lines that stand alone.

Worked example 8.6.3
What does the stage direction in script line 10 tell the actor to do?

Method. Find script line 10, then the words that tell the actor what to do.

  1. Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: line 10.
    line 10
  2. Find the words that answer it. The text says:
    He holds up a red hat with a white stripe
  3. Write the answer.
    He holds up a red hat with a white stripe.

Check. The stage direction tells the actor to hold up the hat. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a stage direction is not spoken. Do not read the words in brackets and italics out loud as if a character says them.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to read one speech in role, as the character. Ask them how the character feels, and which stage direction tells them how to say the line.

Exercise 8F  Practice: play scripts, cast lists and stage directions

1
FName the three characters in the cast list of The Lost Hat.
2
FWho says, You always lose things, Oscar.?
3
FWho is Ruth in the play?
4
FWhat is the name for the list of characters at the start of a play script?
5
FWho is the speaker of script line 14?
6
FWhat is a speaker in a play script?
7
PSWhich script line is a stage direction that tells us where the play is set?
8
PSWhy is (sighing) in script line 3 written in italics and brackets?
9
PSIn script line 10, who is He?
10
PSRead script line 11 in role as Oscar. Which tone fits best?
(a) excited   (b) bored   (c) cross
11
RWhat does the stage direction in script line 15 tell the audience?

Chapter summary

SkillMethod
Poem, verse and stanzaA poem is written in lines. A stanza is a group of lines, with a gap before the next group. Verse can mean poetry, or one stanza.
RhymeLines that end in the same letters rhyme, such as hill and still. Check the spelling, not only the sound.
Rhythm and beatsA pattern of strong beats that repeats. In this book, the strong beats are bold, so you can count them.
Rhyme schemeLabel the lines with letters: AABB, ABAB and ABCB are common patterns.
Imagery and word choiceWords that help the reader picture a scene or feel an emotion. Ask why the poet chose the word.
SimileA comparison using like or as, such as like someone who wants to come in.
Forms of poetryA rhyming poem has rhymes; free verse has no fixed rhyme or beat; a narrative poem tells a story.
Performing a poemPlan pauses, a tone, volume, intonation and an action. Read it through at least twice.
Play scriptA cast list names the characters. Speakers come before a colon. Stage directions are in brackets and italics and are not spoken.
Reading in roleTake the voice of one character, think how they feel at each line, and choose a matching tone.

Can you…?

  • I can name the lines, verse and stanzas of a poem, and count them
  • I can find rhymes by looking at the endings, and name a rhyme scheme
  • I can count the strong beats in a line
  • I can find an image or a simile, and explain what it makes me picture or feel
  • I can tell a rhyming poem, free verse and a narrative poem apart
  • I can plan how to read a poem aloud, with pauses, tone and action
  • I can read a play script: the cast list, the speakers and the stage directions
  • I can read a part in role, and choose a tone that fits the character

Key terms

poem
a piece of writing that is often set out in lines, not full paragraphs
verse
poetry in general, or one stanza of a poem
line
one row of words in a poem; the poet decides where it ends
stanza
a group of lines in a poem, often separated from the next group by a gap
rhyme
lines that end with words that match in spelling, such as hill and still
rhythm
a pattern of strong beats that repeats
beat
a strong part of a line; in this book, the bold words
imagery
words that help the reader picture a scene or feel an emotion
simile
a comparison using the word like or as
free verse
poetry with no fixed rhyme or beat pattern
narrative poem
a poem that tells a story, with characters, a setting and events in order
tone
the feeling or mood in your voice when you read
cast list
the list of characters at the start of a play script
speaker
the character who says a line of speech; the name comes before a colon
stage direction
a note in brackets and italics that tells the actors what to do; it is not spoken aloud

Exercise 8Z  Check-up

1
Use the poem The Harbour at Dusk from section 8.1. How many lines does it have?
2
Write a word that rhymes with far. Its ending must match: -ar.
3
What is the rhyme scheme of stanza 1 of The Harbour at Dusk?
4
How many bold beats are in line 6 of The Garden at Night?
5
Which word in The Garden at Night describes the stars at the end of the poem?
6
Which poem in this chapter has no rhyme? Name it.
7
Is The Lost Mitten a narrative poem? Give one reason.
8
What is a stanza?
9
What does a stage direction tell the actor?
10
Explain how you would perform stanza 2 of The Lost Mitten. Give one pause and one tone.

Total 19 marks. Allow about 19 minutes.

Exercise 8X  Practice test questions

1
FName the word for one group of lines in a poem.[1 mark]
2
FWhich word rhymes with still? (ball / hill / cup)[1 mark]
3
FHow many lines does The Lost Mitten have altogether?[1 mark]
4
FWrite the rhyme scheme of stanza 2 of The Garden at Night. Then say which two words at the ends of lines 5 and 6 rhyme.[2 marks]
5
PSFind one simile in Rain on the Window and explain what it shows.[2 marks]
6
FIn The Harbour at Dusk, what does the day fold up?[1 mark]
7
RIs Rain on the Window a rhyming poem? Give one reason.[2 marks]
8
RExplain the difference between a speaker and a stage direction. Give one example of each from The Lost Hat.[3 marks]
9
RPlan stanza 1 of The Harbour at Dusk as a performance. Give one tone, one pause and one action, and link each to a line.[3 marks]
10
PSThe Lost Mitten is a narrative poem. Give its setting, its main character and two events in order.[3 marks]
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