Year 5 English · Writing stories and poems · Lesson 11.5
Year 5 English: Writing a poem: rhythm, pattern and figurative language
Part of the Year 5 English writing stories and poems chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
11.5
Writing a poem: rhythm, pattern and figurative language
Story. Read the model poem aloud, listening for the beat and the repeated phrase. The poet uses a pattern of lines to make the poem feel like a song.
Model poem: Morning Bells
Bells in the frost,
bright as a spoon on a tin,
wake the sleepy town
before the sun comes in.
Bells in the frost,
a hum of hope in the air,
the milk is on the step
and the cat is at the chair.
Key ideas
- Rhythm: the beat in the words. Count the stressed syllables in each line.
- Pattern: a repeated phrase or a repeated line shape, such as Bells in the frost.
- Figurative language: a simile (like or as), a metaphor, personification or alliteration.
- Rhyme is optional, but the sound must be deliberate.
Worked example 11.5.1
What repeated phrase is a pattern in the model poem?
Method. Look for the words that come back.
- Find the repeat. Bells in the frost starts both stanzas.Bells in the frost
- Name the pattern. It is a repeated phrase.repeated phrase
- Write the answer. Bells in the frost
Check. Bells in the frost. ✓
Worked example 11.5.2
Which figurative device is in bright as a spoon on a tin?
Method. Look for like or as.
- Look for the link word. As is used.as
- Name the device. Comparing bells to a spoon with as is a simile.simile
- Write the answer. simile
Check. A simile. ✓
Worked example 11.5.3
Which line of the model poem gives a human action to the bells?
Method. Look for a human action given to a thing.
- Look at the lines. Bells can not wake a town in real life, but in the poem they do.wake
- Name the line. Wake the sleepy town gives the bells a human action.wake the sleepy town
- Write the answer. wake the sleepy town
Check. Wake the sleepy town. ✓
Exercise 11E Practice: writing poems
1
FCount the lines in the first stanza of Morning Bells.
4
Method. Count the lines.
- Count. Bells in the frost is line 1, through before the sun comes in is line 4.four
- Write. Four.4
- Write the answer. 4
Check. 4. ✓
2
FWhich word rhymes with frost in the model poem?
none; the poem uses frost and comes in, not a rhyme for frost
Method. Look at the line ends.
- Check the line ends. Frost is not a rhyme in this poem.no rhyme
- Write. No rhyme for frost is given.no rhyme
- Write the answer. none; the poem uses frost and comes in, not a rhyme for frost
Check. No rhyme for frost. ✓
3
FWhich two words are alliterative in bright as a spoon on a tin?
bright and bells
Method. Look for the same first sound.
- Look for the sound. Bright starts with b; bells is in the first line.b sound
- Write the words. Bright and bells both start with b.bright, bells
- Write the answer. bright and bells
Check. Bright and bells. ✓
4
FWrite a line that uses alliteration with the sound s.
Accept any line with s words, such as Silver spoons slide softly down.
Method. Use several words that start with s.
- Choose the words. Silver, spoons and slide start with s.s words
- Write it. Silver spoons slide softly down.silver spoons
- Write the answer. Accept any line with s words, such as Silver spoons slide softly down.
Check. Alliteration with s. ✓
5
FWrite a simile about snow, using like.
Accept any simile, such as Snow falls like feathers from a torn pillow.
Method. Compare snow to something with like.
- Choose the comparison. Snow and feathers.feathers
- Write it. Snow falls like feathers.like feathers
- Write the answer. Accept any simile, such as Snow falls like feathers from a torn pillow.
Check. A simile about snow. ✓
6
PSWrite a metaphor about a river: say it is something else.
Accept any metaphor, such as The river is a silver ribbon.
Method. Say one thing is another.
- Choose the thing. A river.river
- Write it. The river is a silver ribbon.silver ribbon
- Write the answer. Accept any metaphor, such as The river is a silver ribbon.
Check. A metaphor about a river. ✓
7
PSGive a human action to the wind in one line.
Accept any line with a human action, such as The wind whispers at the window.
Method. Choose a verb a person might do.
- Choose the verb. Whispers is a human action.whispers
- Write it. The wind whispers at the window.whispers
- Write the answer. Accept any line with a human action, such as The wind whispers at the window.
Check. Personification. ✓
8
PSWhich pattern is repeated in Bells in the frost, / a hum of hope in the air?
the phrase in the frost or the line shape
Method. Look for repeated words.
- Look at the lines. In the frost appears in the first line.in the frost
- Name the pattern. A repeated line or phrase.repeated
- Write the answer. the phrase in the frost or the line shape
Check. A repeated phrase or line shape. ✓
9
PSWrite a line with a rhythm of four beats, about a bus.
Accept any four-beat line, such as The bus rolls down the hill.
Method. Say it aloud and clap the beats.
- Clap the beats. The bus rolls down the hill: four strong beats.four beats
- Write it. The bus rolls down the hill.hill
- Write the answer. Accept any four-beat line, such as The bus rolls down the hill.
Check. Four beats. ✓
10
RWrite a four-line poem about the morning, using a repeated phrase and at least one simile.
Accept any answer that writes four lines with a repeated phrase and at least one simile or other figurative device. For example: Morning, morning, golden and new / the sun is a coin, bright and true / the birds are awake, the sky is blue / morning, morning, I am here too.
Method. Choose a repeated phrase, then add one comparison.
- Choose the repeat. Morning, morning starts the poem.morning, morning
- Add a simile. The sun is a coin, bright and true.a coin
- Write the answer. Morning, morning, golden and new / the sun is a coin, bright and true / the birds are awake, the sky is blue / morning, morning, I am here too.
Check. The poem has a repeat and a simile. ✓
11
RExplain why a poet might repeat a line.
Accept any answer that says repetition creates a pattern or emphasis, or makes the poem sound musical. For example: to create a pattern, to build feeling, or to make the poem sound like a song
Method. Think about what repetition does to a reader.
- Look at the effect. A repeated line is easy to remember.easy to remember
- Explain. It creates a pattern that makes the poem feel like a song.song
- Write the answer. to create a pattern, to build feeling, or to make the poem sound like a song
Check. Repetition creates pattern. ✓