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Primary English · Year 5Chapter 9 · Reading poetry and plays
Year 5 · Chapter 9

Reading poetry and plays

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Find rhythm, rhyme and stanzas in a poem
  • Name a simile, a metaphor, personification, alliteration and onomatopoeia
  • Explain the effect of a figurative word or phrase
  • Recognise haiku, limericks, free verse, narrative poems and sonnets
  • Read a play script and say what its parts are for
  • Prepare a short scene or poem to perform

You should already know

  • Rhyme and rhythm in poetry (Year 4, Chapter 9)
  • Simile and expanded noun phrases (Year 4, Chapter 9)

Where this leads

  • Reading non-fiction: retrieving, summarising and fact or opinion (Chapter 10 of this book)

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 2 English, Year 5. Content: Explain how language, figurative language and structure create effects (RC-Y5g, RC2f), Identify poetry features: rhythm, rhyme and stanzas, and learn a poem by heart (RC-Y5h), Recognise poetry forms: free verse, narrative poems, haiku, limericks and sonnets (RC1h), Recognise play-script features: character names, stage directions, dialogue and scenes (RC-Y5i), Prepare and perform poems and scenes, and discuss words and phrases that capture the reader's interest (RC1f, RC1g, SL3).

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWhich two words rhyme: bright and light, or bright and bread?
2
FWrite the word that means a line of poetry is repeated, such as the words and so, and so.
3
FIn The wind is as cold as ice, is the comparison a simile? Write Yes or No.
4
FWrite the word for a group of lines in a poem.
5
FWrite the word for the words said by a character in a play.
9.1

Rhythm, rhyme and stanzas

Year 5
Identify poetry features: rhythm, rhyme and stanzas (RC-Y5h)
Video lesson: Rhythm, rhyme and stanzasComing soon
Story. Read the poem below aloud in your head, and listen for the beat. Poets use patterns of sound to make a poem feel like a song or a journey.

The Last Bus Home

The last bus rolls down Hollow Lane,
its headlights brushing wet grey stone.
A girl in red sits by the pane
and counts the streetlamps on her own.

The driver hums a song of rain.
The engine sighs. The doors click shut.
The town slides past, a sleepy train
of windows where the lights are cut.

At last the bus stops by the gate.
She steps out, slow, into the night,
and waves, though nobody can wait,
and climbs the path by lamplight.

Key ideas

  • Rhythm is the beat of a poem, the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.
  • Rhyme is when the end sounds of lines match, such as lane and pane.
  • A stanza is a group of lines in a poem, often separated by a space.
  • Look at the last word of each line to find the rhyme scheme.
Worked example 9.1.1
How many stanzas are in The Last Bus Home?

Method. Count the groups of lines separated by a space.

  1. Look at the layout. The poem has three groups of four lines.
    three groups
  2. Count. There are three stanzas.
    3
  3. Write the answer.
    3

Check. Three stanzas. ✓

Worked example 9.1.2
Which words rhyme in the first stanza: lane and pane?

Method. Check the end of lines 1 and 3.

  1. Find the line ends. Line 1 ends with lane; line 3 ends with pane.
    lane, pane
  2. Check the sound. Both end with the sound -ane.
    rhyme
  3. Write the answer.
    lane and pane

Check. Lane and pane rhyme. ✓

Worked example 9.1.3
How many lines are in each stanza of The Last Bus Home?

Method. Count the lines in one stanza.

  1. Count the lines. The first stanza has four lines.
    four lines
  2. Check another. The second stanza also has four lines.
    4
  3. Write the answer.
    4

Check. Four lines each time. ✓

Exercise 9A  Practice: rhythm, rhyme and stanzas

1
FWhich words rhyme with stone in the first stanza?
2
FHow many stanzas are in the poem?
3
FWhat is the last word of line 2 in the first stanza?
4
FWhich two lines in the second stanza end with rhyming words: lines 1 and 3, or lines 2 and 4?
5
FWhat is the colour of the girl's coat in the first stanza?
6
PSWrite the two rhyming words at the end of lines 2 and 4 in the third stanza.
7
FWhich word ends line 3 of the third stanza?
8
PSRead the first stanza aloud in your head. Does the line and counts the streetlamps on her own have a steady beat? Write Yes or No.
9
PSIn which stanza does the girl wave?
10
PSWhat is a rhyme scheme? Write the letters that show lines 1 and 3 rhyme, and lines 2 and 4 rhyme, in the first stanza.
11
RExplain what the rhythm of the first stanza is like: steady, fast or slow, and why.
12
RWrite a rhyme for the word town, and use it in a line.
9.2

Figurative language: how it creates effects

Year 5
Explain how language, figurative language and structure create effects (RC-Y5g, RC2f)
Video lesson: Figurative language: how it creates effectsComing soon
Story. A storm is a dramatic thing, and poets often describe it with pictures from everyday life. Read the poem and look for the words that make the storm feel close.

Storm Kitchen

The sky is a pan of boiling slate.
Thunder grumbles at the stove.
Rain taps its silver fingers on the glass,
and whispers, "Let me in."

Crash! goes the lightning, a spoon on a tin.
Splash! go the puddles on the lane.
Silver spoons of sleet slide down the drain
and hiss like kettles all in a row.

Key ideas

  • A simile compares two things using like or as: the moon was like a coin.
  • A metaphor says one thing is another: the sky is a pan of slate.
  • Personification gives human actions to things: rain taps its fingers.
  • Alliteration repeats the same first sound: silver spoons of sleet.
  • Onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like its meaning: crash, splash, hiss.
Worked example 9.2.1
What is the figurative device in The sky is a pan of boiling slate?

Method. Is one thing said to be another, or compared with like or as?

  1. Look for like or as. No like or as is used.
    no comparison word
  2. Name the device. The sky is said to be a pan, so it is a metaphor.
    metaphor
  3. Write the answer.
    metaphor

Check. A metaphor. ✓

Worked example 9.2.2
Which device is used in Rain taps its silver fingers on the glass?

Method. Does the rain do something a person does?

  1. Look at the action. Rain taps with fingers, which a person does.
    human action
  2. Name the device. Giving rain a human action is personification.
    personification
  3. Write the answer.
    personification

Check. Personification. ✓

Worked example 9.2.3
Find an example of onomatopoeia in the second stanza.

Method. Look for a word that sounds like the thing it describes.

  1. Look at the words. Splash sounds like water hitting the ground.
    sounds like
  2. Name the word. Splash is onomatopoeia.
    Splash
  3. Write the answer.
    Splash

Check. Splash. ✓

Exercise 9B  Practice: figurative language

1
FIs Thunder grumbles at the stove personification? Write Yes or No.
2
PSFind an example of a metaphor in the poem The Last Bus Home.
3
FWhich sound is repeated in silver spoons of sleet?
4
PSWhich device is used in a sleepy train, where the town is compared to a train?
5
PSName the device in The engine sighs.
6
PSWhich word is onomatopoeia in Crash! goes the lightning?
7
PSWhat effect does the word crash create?
8
PSWhat effect does the metaphor a pan of boiling slate create?
9
RWhich line of Storm Kitchen repeats a sound to create a sense of movement?
10
RExplain how the poet makes the rain sound alive in Storm Kitchen.
11
RWrite one simile of your own about the storm, using like or as.
12
RExplain the effect of the alliteration in Splash! go the puddles on the lane.
9.3

Forms of poetry: haiku, limerick, free verse, narrative poems and sonnets

Year 5
Recognise poetry forms: free verse, narrative poems, haiku, limericks and sonnets (RC1h)
Video lesson: Forms of poetry: haiku, limerick, free verse, narrative poems and sonnetsComing soon
Story. Poems come in many forms. Some have a set number of lines or syllables. Others follow a story, or have no rules at all.

A haiku and a limerick

Haiku: Quiet morning pond
one frog sits on a green leaf
the sun wakes slowly

Limerick: A cat who loved hats, bright and red,
wore a bowler and sat on the bed.
When the wind gave a shout,
it blew the bowler out,
and the cat chased it round the shed.

Key ideas

  • A haiku has three lines, with about 5, 7 and 5 syllables.
  • A limerick has five lines: lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyme, and lines 3 and 4 rhyme; it is often funny.
  • Free verse has no regular rhyme or rhythm.
  • A narrative poem tells a story; a sonnet has 14 lines and a set rhyme pattern.
Worked example 9.3.1
How many lines does a haiku have?

Method. Look at the layout of a haiku.

  1. Count the lines. The haiku has three lines.
    three
  2. Write the number. Three.
    3
  3. Write the answer.
    3

Check. Three. ✓

Worked example 9.3.2
How many lines does a limerick have?

Method. Count the lines in the limerick.

  1. Count the lines. The limerick has five lines.
    five
  2. Write the number. Five.
    5
  3. Write the answer.
    5

Check. Five. ✓

Worked example 9.3.3
Which form is the poem The Last Bus Home: haiku or narrative poem?

Method. Does the poem tell a story?

  1. Look at the content. The poem follows a girl on a bus and her walk home.
    a story
  2. Name the form. A poem that tells a story is a narrative poem.
    narrative poem
  3. Write the answer.
    narrative poem

Check. Narrative poem. ✓

Exercise 9C  Practice: forms of poetry

1
FHow many lines does a limerick have?
2
FHow many lines does a haiku have?
3
FIn the haiku, how many syllables are in the first line?
4
FIn the limerick, which lines rhyme with red?
5
FIn the limerick, which lines rhyme with shout?
6
FWhich form is a poem with a set number of lines, and that has three short lines: haiku or sonnet?
7
PSHow many lines does a sonnet usually have?
8
PSWhich form has no set rhyme and no regular rhythm: free verse or limerick?
9
PSIs the haiku about a season: Yes or No?
10
PSWhich poem form tells a story, such as a girl riding a bus home?
11
RWhy is the limerick funny? Choose one reason: A the rhyme is silly, B it has five lines, C it has a cat.
12
RWrite a three-line haiku about rain, with about 5, 7 and 5 syllables.
13
RExplain one difference between a haiku and a narrative poem.
9.4

Reading a play script

Year 5
Recognise play-script features: character names, stage directions, dialogue and scenes (RC-Y5i)
Video lesson: Reading a play scriptComing soon
Story. Maya works in her dad's shop. Read the play script below. Notice how it is set out: names, stage directions in italics, and the dialogue after each name.

The Shop Bell (a short scene)

Characters: MAYA (ten years old), MR OKAFOR (the shopkeeper), TOM (a customer, aged eleven).

Setting: A corner shop, late afternoon. A counter stands centre stage. A bell above the door rings when it opens.

(The bell rings. TOM enters, looking at his watch. MAYA stands behind the counter, sorting sweets.)

TOM: Have you got any sherbet lemons left?

MAYA: One bag, Tom. Dad says we will get more on Friday.

(MR OKAFOR enters from the back room, wiping his hands on a cloth.)

MR OKAFOR: Maya, the bread is still in the van. Could you fetch it?

MAYA: (sighing, quietly) Yes, Dad.

(MAYA exits. TOM looks around the shop and picks up a packet of crisps.)

TOM: (to himself) She always seems so grumpy.

MR OKAFOR: She is only tired, Tom. She has helped every day this week.

(The bell rings. MAYA returns, carrying a crate of bread, and smiles.)

MAYA: Tom, I saved you the last sherbet lemons under the counter.

Key ideas

  • Character names come before each line of dialogue, often in capital letters.
  • Stage directions tell the actors what to do, how to say a line, and where things are.
  • Dialogue is the words the characters say.
  • A scene is a part of a play, often with one setting and time.
Worked example 9.4.1
Who is the shopkeeper in the scene?

Method. Look at the character list at the top.

  1. Check the list. Mr Okafor is the shopkeeper.
    Mr Okafor
  2. Write the answer. Mr Okafor.
    MR OKAFOR
  3. Write the answer.
    MR OKAFOR

Check. Mr Okafor. ✓

Worked example 9.4.2
What is the stage direction that tells us how Maya sighs?

Method. Look for words in brackets and italics.

  1. Find the direction. Maya says Yes, Dad, sighing quietly.
    sighing, quietly
  2. Write the answer. The stage direction is (sighing, quietly).
    (sighing, quietly)
  3. Write the answer.
    (sighing, quietly)

Check. (sighing, quietly). ✓

Worked example 9.4.3
Where does the scene take place?

Method. Find the setting description.

  1. Find the setting. The setting says a corner shop, late afternoon.
    a corner shop
  2. Write the answer. The scene is in a corner shop.
    a corner shop
  3. Write the answer.
    a corner shop

Check. A corner shop. ✓

Exercise 9D  Practice: play-script features

1
FWho says Have you got any sherbet lemons left?
2
FWho enters the shop at the start of the scene?
3
FWhat is the stage direction that tells us where the bell is?
4
FWhich character is eleven years old?
5
FWhat does Maya bring back in the last part of the scene?
6
PSWho says She is only tired, Tom.?
7
PSWhat does Tom do after Maya leaves?
8
PSWhat is the purpose of the words in brackets and italics, such as (sighing, quietly)?
9
PSWhy does Mr Okafor call Maya to fetch the bread?
10
RWhich line in the scene shows that Maya has been kind to Tom? Write the line.
11
RExplain how the stage direction (sighing, quietly) helps the reader understand Maya.
12
RWrite one stage direction of your own for Tom, and say what it tells the actor.
9.5

Learning a poem by heart and performing a scene

Year 5
Prepare poems and play scripts to read aloud and perform, and discuss words and phrases (RC1f, RC1g, SL3)
Video lesson: Learning a poem by heart and performing a sceneComing soon
Story. Ruby wants to perform one stanza of The Last Bus Home at the assembly. She reads it slowly, marks the places to pause, and learns it stanza by stanza. Before she performs, she checks each word she is not sure of.

Preparing a performance

Read the poem aloud several times. Notice the rhythm and where the lines end.

Mark pauses with a slash (/) where the reader should stop for a moment.

Learn one stanza at a time, then join them together.

Key ideas

  • Learn a poem by heart in short parts, one stanza at a time.
  • Think about the mood and what each word means, so you can say it with feeling.
  • Choose a clear voice and a steady pace.
  • Practise until you can say it without looking at the page.
Worked example 9.5.1
Where should a reader pause in the line The driver hums a song of rain?

Method. Think about the natural break in the sentence.

  1. Find the break. The phrase a song of rain follows hums.
    after hums
  2. Choose the pause. A short pause after hums keeps the rhythm.
    after hums
  3. Write the answer.
    after hums

Check. After hums. ✓

Worked example 9.5.2
Which word would you say most slowly in The engine sighs to create a calm mood?

Method. Think about which word gives the mood.

  1. Look at the word. Sighs is a soft, long sound.
    soft
  2. Choose. Saying sighs slowly builds the calm mood.
    sighs
  3. Write the answer.
    sighs

Check. Sighs. ✓

Worked example 9.5.3
In a scene, how should Maya say Yes, Dad?

Method. Look at the stage direction.

  1. Find the direction. The direction says sighing, quietly.
    sighing, quietly
  2. Write the answer. Maya says it with a sigh, quietly.
    with a sigh, quietly
  3. Write the answer.
    with a sigh, quietly

Check. With a sigh, quietly. ✓

Exercise 9E  Practice: performing and discussing

1
FHow many stanzas will you learn for a performance of The Last Bus Home if you learn the whole poem?
2
FWhere should you pause in The town slides past, a sleepy train?
3
FWhich word of the first stanza is the rhyme for own?
4
FIn a play, what should an actor do after (MR OKAFOR enters from the back room)?
5
PSWhich word in Storm Kitchen would you say loudly to match the sound?
6
PSWhy might you pause before a line that begins with a sudden sound?
7
PSWhat mood does a steady rhythm create in The Last Bus Home?
8
RChoose one line from a poem you know well and say why a pause after it helps the meaning.
9
RAsk one question you could ask a friend about the scene, to check their understanding.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod
Rhythm, rhyme and stanzasRhythm is the beat; rhyme is matching end sounds; a stanza is a group of lines.
Figurative languageSimile (like/as), metaphor (one thing is another), personification (human actions), alliteration, onomatopoeia.
Poetry formsHaiku (3 lines, about 5-7-5 syllables); limerick (5 lines, funny); free verse (no rules); sonnet (14 lines).
Play scriptsCharacter names, stage directions in brackets, dialogue, and scenes.
PerformingLearn in short parts, mark pauses, and say the words with feeling.

Can you…?

  • I can find rhythm, rhyme and stanzas in a poem
  • I can name simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration and onomatopoeia
  • I can recognise haiku, limericks, free verse, narrative poems and sonnets
  • I can read a play script and explain its features
  • I can prepare a poem or scene to perform

Key terms

stanza
a group of lines in a poem
rhyme scheme
the pattern of rhymes in a poem, shown with letters such as ABAB
simile
a comparison using like or as
metaphor
a comparison that says one thing is another
personification
giving human qualities or actions to something that is not human
stage direction
words in a play script that tell the actors what to do or how to speak

Exercise 9Z  Check-up

1
Which two words rhyme in a girl in red sits by the pane: the last two words of lines 1 and 3 of the first stanza.
2
How many syllables are in the second line of the haiku, one frog sits on a green leaf?
3
Name the device in The sky is a pan of boiling slate.
4
Name the device in Rain taps its silver fingers on the glass.
5
Which word is onomatopoeia in Splash! go the puddles?
6
How many lines does a limerick have?
7
Who is the customer in the play scene?
8
What does the stage direction (The bell rings.) tell the actors?
9
What is a narrative poem?
10
Write one line of simile about a bus, using like.

Total 16 marks. Allow about 16 minutes.

Exercise 9X  Practice test questions

1
FHow many stanzas are in The Last Bus Home?[1 mark]
2
FName the device in The engine sighs.[1 mark]
3
FWhich form is a poem with three lines of about 5, 7 and 5 syllables?[1 mark]
4
PSName the device in a sleepy train, used to describe the town.[2 marks]
5
PSWhich two words in Silver spoons of sleet slide down begin with the same sound?[1 mark]
6
FWho says Tom, I saved you the last sherbet lemons under the counter.?[1 mark]
7
FWhich stage direction tells Maya how to speak when she says Yes, Dad?[1 mark]
8
RGive one effect of onomatopoeia such as crash in a poem.[2 marks]
9
RExplain how the rhythm of The Last Bus Home matches the bus journey.[3 marks]
10
RExplain why a play script uses names before lines, and stage directions in brackets.[3 marks]
← Chapter 8: Reading fiction: summarising and comparingChapter 10: Reading non-fiction: retrieving, summarising and fact or opinion →

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