ClassX Video Lessons Poetry for Kids | Learn about the different types of poetry and the parts of a poem.
Have you ever read a bunch of random words on a page? It probably wasn’t very fun, right? Reading is a lot more enjoyable when words are put together to tell a story. Great stories can paint amazing pictures in our minds!
There are many ways to tell a story, and one of those ways is called poetry. Poetry is the art of writing poems. Poems have different parts. The name of a poem is called its title, and the theme tells us what the poem is about. A single line in a poem is called a verse, and a group of lines together is called a stanza.
Poetry is a special kind of writing that makes us feel emotions and imagine things. A person who writes poems is called a poet. Poets choose their words carefully to give their poems rhythm and meaning. Sometimes poems rhyme, but they don’t have to.
Here’s a poem you might know:
“I sat there with Sally, we sat there, we too,
And I said how I wish we had something to do.
Too wet to go out and too cold to play ball,
So we sat in the house, we did nothing at all.”
This poem is from “The Cat in the Hat” by Dr. Seuss. Did you notice how the words “to,” “do,” “ball,” and “all” rhyme? That’s what makes it fun to read!
Poems often have a beat, just like music. Let’s try clapping along to this poem:
“I have a cute cat whose name is Pat,
He sleeps on the mat where I just sat.”
Can you feel the steady beat? Sometimes poets use repetition to create rhythm. Look at this poem by Shel Silverstein:
“Tell me I’m clever, tell me I’m kind,
Tell me I’m talented, tell me I’m cute,
Tell me I’m sensitive, graceful and wise,
Tell me I’m perfect, but tell me the truth.”
The words “tell me” are repeated, giving the poem its rhythm.
Acrostic poems are another fun type of poetry. Check out this poem:
“Students learning,
Children playing,
Hoping to make the world a better place.
Our teachers help us,
Our friends work with us,
Lessons for life are learned each day.”
Did you notice anything special? The first letter of each line spells “SCHOOL.” Isn’t that neat?
Poems can create pictures in our minds. Let’s look at “A Dragon’s Lament” by Jack Prelutsky:
“I’m tired of being a dragon,
Ferocious and brimming with flame,
The cause of unspeakable terror
When anyone mentions my name.”
Can you imagine the fierce dragon? Even though dragons are usually scary, this poem makes us feel a bit sorry for the dragon.
When you write a poem, think about how you want your reader to feel. Do you want them to feel scared or happy? Different words can make them feel different emotions.
Poems can be silly or serious, and they can rhyme or not. In just a few lines, a poem can tell a whole story. Now that you know a little about poetry, why not try writing a poem of your own?
Create Your Own Acrostic Poem: Choose a word that you like, such as “FRIEND” or “SUMMER.” Write this word vertically on a piece of paper. Then, think of a word or sentence that starts with each letter of your chosen word. Try to make it tell a little story or describe something special. Share your poem with a friend or family member and see if they can guess the word you chose!
Rhythm and Rhyme Hunt: Go on a poetry scavenger hunt around your house or classroom. Look for objects or pictures and try to create a short rhyming poem about them. For example, if you see a clock, you might write: “Tick tock, goes the clock, telling time with every knock.” Clap your hands to find the rhythm of your poem. Share your poem with your classmates and see if they can clap along with you!
Imagery Exploration: Find a quiet spot where you can sit and observe your surroundings. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds around you. What do you hear? What do you feel? Open your eyes and look around. Try to write a short poem that describes what you see, hear, or feel. Use words that create a picture in your mind. Share your poem with someone and ask them what images they see when they read it.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript, removing any unnecessary repetitions and ensuring clarity:
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[Music]
Poetry for kids! Would it be interesting or entertaining to read random words thrown on a page? Probably not. Reading is enjoyable when we put words together in a certain way to create a story. Great stories can produce wonderful images in our minds.
There are many different ways to write a story. One of those ways is called poetry, which is the writing of poems. Poems are made up of different parts. The title of a poem is its name, and the theme lets readers know what the poem is about. A single line in a poem is called a verse, and a group of lines separated by a space is called a stanza.
Poetry is a type of artistic writing that tries to stir a reader’s emotions and imagination. A poet is someone who writes poetry. A poet carefully chooses certain words and arranges them in a way that gives a poem rhythm and meaning. There are many different styles of poetry; often, poems rhyme, but they don’t have to.
Here’s an example of a poem that rhymes that you might be familiar with:
“I sat there with Sally, we sat there, we too,
And I said how I wish we had something to do.
Too wet to go out and too cold to play ball,
So we sat in the house, we did nothing at all.”
Did you recognize that poem? It is from the famous book “The Cat in the Hat” by Dr. Seuss. Often in poems, the last word of every other line rhymes. For example, in this poem, the words “to,” “do,” “ball,” and “all” rhyme.
Remember that the rhyming words in a poem are usually found at the end of a sentence, but the pattern of the words that rhyme is not always the same. Let’s look at these two poems:
“I have a cute cat whose name is Pat,
He sleeps on the mat where I just sat.”
Now let’s look at this poem:
“I have a cute cat, I like her a lot,
She sleeps on my mat, her name is Dot.”
This time, every other sentence rhymed. Did you notice the rhythm of those two poems? This time, let’s try clapping as we recite the first poem:
“I have a cute cat whose name is Pat,
He sleeps on the mat where I just sat.”
The beat of this poem is steady, just like the beat in music. Many poems also have a beat or rhythm. Sometimes, instead of a poem that rhymes, a poet will use something called repetition. Repetition is used to emphasize an idea or to create rhythm.
Notice the first part of each sentence in this poem by Shel Silverstein called “Tell Me”:
“Tell me I’m clever, tell me I’m kind,
Tell me I’m talented, tell me I’m cute,
Tell me I’m sensitive, graceful and wise,
Tell me I’m perfect, but tell me the truth.”
The words “tell me” are repeated throughout this poem, which also creates its rhythm.
Acrostic poems are another type of poetry. Look at this poem:
“Students learning,
Children playing,
Hoping to make the world a better place.
Our teachers help us,
Our friends work with us,
Lessons for life are learned each day.”
Did anything stand out to you? Here’s a hint: look at the first letter in each sentence. Do you see it now? The first letter of each sentence spells out the word “SCHOOL,” which is also what the poem is about. Isn’t that cool? That’s just one example of some of the neat things you can do with poetry.
The mood of a poem lets us know how a poet wants us to feel. Different words can evoke different emotions. Let’s look at this poem called “A Dragon’s Lament” by Jack Prelutsky:
“I’m tired of being a dragon,
Ferocious and brimming with flame,
The cause of unspeakable terror
When anyone mentions my name.
I’m bored with my bad reputation
For being a miserable brute,
And being routinely expected
To brazenly pillage and loot.
I wish that I weren’t repulsive,
Despicable, ruthless and fierce,
With talons designed to dismember
And fangs finally fashioned to pierce.
I’ve lost my desire for doing
The deeds any dragon should do,
But since I can’t alter my nature,
I guess I’ll just terrify you.”
What are some of the strong descriptive words that the writer used to help you know that this dragon was fierce? Do the words “terrifying,” “repulsive,” “claws that dismember,” and “brimming with flame” create the image of a frightening dragon in your mind? But the mood of the poem feels a bit different, doesn’t it? Do you almost feel bad for the dragon, even though dragons are typically scary? This poet has made us think differently about this dragon and maybe even feel sorry for him.
A poem can also create word pictures—images that your mind creates from the stories and words that you read. There are no illustrations in the poem about the dragon, but could you picture the dragon in your mind? If you read a story about a race car, can you see that car as it speeds around a track? Or what about a story about a princess and a castle? Can you see her as she sits on her throne? That’s your imagination at work. It’s also what makes a story more interesting. Even though there might not be pictures on a page, your imagination does the job of creating them for you. Those words and images can also create a mood or help us feel certain emotions.
Now let’s look at another poem by Jack Prelutsky called “Carpenter”:
“Carpenter, carpenter, build us a house,
A sweet little house for a mouse and a spouse,
A mouse and a spouse and a family too.
We know that you can, and we hope that you do.
Build it of brick so it’s cozy and warm,
To keep us from harm in a cold winter storm.
As soon as you finish, we’ll pay you with cheese.
Carpenter, carpenter, build our house, please!”
Can you picture the cozy house for the mice? The words “sweet,” “little,” “cozy,” and “warm” make us imagine a safe, warm little place.
When you write a poem, think about how you want your reader to feel. Do you want them to understand that someone is in a scary or dangerous situation, or do you want them to feel safe and calm? Different words can help your readers feel different emotions.
Poems can have different patterns or rhythms. They can be silly or serious; they can rhyme or not. In just a few lines, a poem can often tell an entire story.
Now that you know a little about poetry, how about you try writing a poem of your own? Be sure to subscribe!
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while ensuring clarity and readability.
