Glossary
Acrostic A poem that uses a word written top to bottom to determine the first letter of each line.
Sample:
Poems
Poems are so much fun
Only fools don't like to read them
Everyone should memorize at least just one
Many people do it
So what are you doing today?
(by Rosanna Zeismer)
Alliteration Repetition of the beginning sounds
Seven sows sat singing sourly in the sewer stench.
Anonymous By or from a person that is not known, having no name
We could not find the name of the person that originally wrote the poem, so we credited it to Anonymous.
Cinquain Poem that uses the following format: Sample:
1 word title Student
2 words that describe title Learner Adventurer
3 words that express title's action Working Talking Trying
4 words that tell feelings of title Triumphant Successful Worrier Joyful
1 word that renames the title Scholar
(by Rosanna Zeismer)
Collection Group of things gathered from many places and belonging together.
The library has a large collection of books.
Concrete A poem where the words of the poem are arranged to match the shape of the subject of the poem.
(Ask your teacher for a sample poem.) (You may draw the shape of your subject, and then write your poem inside.)
Diamante Style of poetry that follows the following format: Sample:
1 word subject Dog
2 adjectives short, hairy
3 participles jumping, whining, eating
4 nouns related to subject wolf, guardian, consumer, friend
2 adjectives quiet, watchful
1 noun that is the opposite of the subject cat
(by Rosanna Zeismer)
Haiku Style of poetry that uses the following format: Sample:
Subject Flowers
5 Syllables Flowers red and gold
7 Syllables Bobbing, nodding in the wind
5 Syllables Summertime is here.
(Anonymous)
Illustrations Pictures and designs that show the meaning of words, songs, thoughts.
Kelly drew illustrations that displayed pictures about the story.
Legacy Something that is left by one person for another person to use or find in the future.
Grandma Jones left a legacy of stories in her daily writing journals.
Limericks A rhyming poem with 5 lines. (Very popular type of poem.)
Lines 1, 2, 5 rhyme with each other
Lines 3, 4 rhyme with each other
Plagiarism Taking and using someone else's thoughts, words, and ideas as your own without giving the owner credit.
Mikey turned in a poem that his mom had written as his own and learned that he had plagiarized.
Present To make public, tell about using words and props, turn in project and answer questions
Joseph will present the basketball team's trophy to Principal Edwards.
Simile Comparing two different things to each other using the words like or as to show that a comparison is being made.
Yolanda is glorious like a morning sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean.
Task Work to be done, duty, piece of work needing to finished.
Mother left Carole the task of pulling weeds in the garden.