World
r fu l
The Wo nd e
e tr y
of Po
What Is Poetry?
Poetry is any written work with meaningful vocabulary choices that are
organised and ordered in such a way as to encourage any reader to imagine a
vivid scene or feel specific emotions.
Did You Know…?
Various scholars believe poetry started as part of early religious rituals
or as an early form of oral storytelling.
Types of Poetry
There are several types of poetry. Many poetry genres have a strict rhyming
scheme, metre count or structure that they must follow. In contrast, others have
only a few or no rules at all. Some of the most recognisable kinds of poetry are
epic poems, nursery rhymes, sonnets, odes, haikus, limericks and
free verse.
• Epic Poems: Epic poems are long, narrative poems normally written about
heroes or heroines. They often include other elements of a specific culture, such
as myths and legends. Some of the oldest and most famous epic poems are
Homer’s two ancient Greek poems about the Trojan War and its aftermath: the
'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey'.
• Nursery Rhymes: Nursery rhymes are short poems aimed at children. They
commonly date between the 15th and 19th centuries and follow a simple
rhyme, making children familiar with certain speech patterns. Some of the
most famous nursery rhymes are Hey Diddle Diddle and Humpty Dumpty.
• Sonnet: A sonnet is a highly structured poem comprising of 14 lines with a
specific number of stressed and unstressed syllables in each line. Some of
the most admired and studied sonnets are those written by famous, British
playwright William Shakespeare, such as 'Sonnet 116'.
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• Ode: An ode is an emotional and expressive poem that is typically short and
praises an individual, idea or event. One of the most famous ode poems is
'Ode to a Grecian Urn' by British poet John Keats.
• Haiku: A haiku is a poem that is made up of three simple lines. Each line
has a set number of syllables: five in the first and third lines and seven in
the second line. Haikus date back to 17th-century Japan.
• Limerick: Limericks are short, humorous verses with five lines. They also have
a specific rhyme scheme (aabba): the first, second and fifth lines all rhyme with
each other and the third and fourth lines rhyme with each other.
• Free Verse: Free verse is a type of poetry that follows the natural rhythms of
speech rather than any specific, organised pattern or rhyming scheme.
A famous free verse poem is 'Song of Myself' by American poet Walt Whitman.
World Poetry Day
Celebrated annually on 21st March, World Poetry Day was established by
UNESCO in 1999 to celebrate linguistic diversity by exploring poetry worldwide.
Celebrate World Poetry Day
There are many different ways to celebrate World Poetry Day: attending a poetry
reading, sharing favourite poems, writing or reading poems or learning more
about a specific type of poetry.
Glossary
linguistic: Having to do with the study of languages.
metres: The amount and differences between stressed and unstressed syllables.
rhyming scheme: A pattern of rhymes that are consistent throughout or appear
in a particular order within the lines of a poem.
UNESCO: This stands for the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Its goal is to promote
world peace and security through encouraging countries
to work together in education, arts, sciences and culture.
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The Wonderful World of Poetry
Questions
1. What kind of poem is 'Song of Myself'? Tick one.
○ode
○limerick
○haiku
○free verse
2. Which type of poem can date back as far as the 15th century? Tick one.
○nursery rhyme
○sonnet
○limerick
○haiku
3. What nationality was John Keats?
4. Look at the first paragraph. Find and copy one word that means the same as ‘colourful’.
5. Fill in the missing words.
Poetry is any written work with vocabulary choices that are
organised and ordered in such a way as to any reader to imagine a
vivid scene or feel specific emotions.
6. Summarise what you have learnt about poetry in 25 words or fewer.
7. Which kind of poetry would you like to try and write? Explain your answer.
8. What sort of events do you think a person might write an ode about? Explain your answer.
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The Wonderful World of Poetry
Answers
1. What kind of poem is 'Song of Myself'? Tick one.
○ode
○limerick
○haiku
○free verse
2. Which type of poem can date back as far as the 15th century? Tick one.
○nursery rhyme
○sonnet
○limerick
○haiku
3. What nationality was John Keats?
John Keats was British.
4. Look at the first paragraph. Find and copy one word that means the same as ‘colourful’.
vivid
5. Fill in the missing words.
Poetry is any written work with meaningful vocabulary choices that are organised
and ordered in such a way as to encourage any reader to imagine a vivid scene or feel
specific emotions.
6. Summarise what you have learnt about poetry in 25 words or fewer.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: There are many different forms of poetry that often
follow certain rules or have no rules. Poetry has been around for a very long time.
7. Which kind of poetry would you like to try and write? Explain your answer.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I think I would like to try and write an ode about the
last day of school. It is such a fun time and full of emotion that I think it would be a
good subject to write an ode about.
8. What sort of events do you think a person might write an ode about? Explain your answer.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I think Christmas might be a great event to write an
ode about because it is supposed to be full of good emotions and it has many different
smaller events, such as dinner or opening presents, going on within it.
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World
r fu l
The Wo nd e
e tr y
of Po
What Is Poetry?
Poetry is any written work with carefully chosen vocabulary that is organised
and ordered in such a way as to provoke an emotional response, a memory or an
imaginative scene in one’s mind. Some poems' structures and metres (the amount
and differences between stressed and unstressed syllables) can also create a
rhythm that gives their verses a sense of movement or atmosphere.
Various scholars feel poetry most likely started as part of early religious rituals.
Numerous other historians propose that it was probably an early form of oral
storytelling: a way of retelling the myths and legends of a culture.
Types of Poetry
There are many different forms of poetry. Several poetry genres have a strict
rhyming scheme (a pattern of rhymes that are consistent throughout or appear
in a particular order within the lines of a poem), a fixed metre count or a
specific structure that they must follow. In contrast, others have only a few or
no rules at all. Some of the most well-known types of poetry are epic poems,
nursery rhymes, sonnets, odes, haikus, limericks and free-verse poems.
• Epic Poems: Epic poems are long, narrative poems that are normally written
about a hero or heroine. They often include or express an individual culture's
myths and legends. Some of the oldest and most famous epic poems are the
Old English poem Beowulf and Homer’s two ancient Greek poems about the
Trojan War and its aftermath: the 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey'.
• Nursery Rhymes: Nursery rhymes are short poems aimed at children. Most
nursery rhymes date between the 15 th and 19th centuries and follow a simple
rhyme, often aiding children in becoming familiar with particular speech
patterns. Some of the most famous nursery rhymes are Hey Diddle Diddle
and Humpty Dumpty.
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The Wonderful Wor
of Poetry
• Sonnet: A sonnet is a strictly structured poem comprising of 14 lines with an
exact number of stressed and unstressed syllables in each line. Some of the most
recognisable sonnets are the ones written by famous British playwright
William Shakespeare, such as 'Sonnet 116'.
• Ode: An ode is a lyrical (emotional and highly expressive) poem that is
generally short and praises an individual, idea or event. One of the most
famous ode poems is 'Ode to a Grecian Urn' by British poet John Keats.
• Haikus: Haikus are poems made up of three simple lines. Each line has a set
number of syllables: five in the first and third lines and seven in the second line.
Haikus date back to 17 th-century Japan.
• Limerick: A Limerick is a short, humorous verses with five lines. They also have
a fixed rhyme scheme (aabba): the first, second and fifth lines all rhyme with
each other and the third and fourth lines rhyme with each other. Their original
form dates back to 19th-century Ireland.
• Free Verse: Free verse is a types of poetry that follows the natural rhythms of
speech rather than any specific, organised structure or rhyming scheme with a
particular number of syllables per line. A famous free verse poem is 'A Song of
Myself' by American poet Walt Whitman.
World Poetry Day
World Poetry Day is celebrated annually on 21st March and was adopted by
UNESCO in 1999. UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation. The day is used to celebrate linguistic (having to do with
the study of languages) diversity through the exploration of poetry by
the United Nations. The United Nations is a multinational organisation
established in 1945 to promote peace and security across the planet.
Celebrate World Poetry Day
There are many different ways to celebrate World Poetry Day: attending a
poetry reading, sharing favourite poems with friends, writing unique poems,
reading poems or learning more about a specific type of poetry. These ideas
would be a great way of marking the occasion and exploring the vast and
varied world of poetry.
visit [Link]
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The Wonderful World of Poetry
Questions
1. What kind of poem is Hey Diddle Diddle? Tick one.
○ode
○limerick
○nursery rhyme
○haiku
2. Draw four lines and match each poem to its author.
'Ode to a Grecian Urn' Homer
'Odyssey' William Shakespeare
'Sonnet 116' Walt Whitman
'Song of Myself' John Keats
3. What does UNESCO stand for?
4. Look at the section called What is Poetry?
Find and copy one word that means the same as ‘spoken rather than written’.
5. Fill in the missing words.
These ideas would be a great way of marking the and exploring the
vast and world of poetry.
6. Which kind of poetry would you prefer to read? Explain your answer.
7. What is your favourite nursery rhyme? Explain your answer.
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The Wonderful World of Poetry
8. Would you like to write a sonnet? Explain your answer.
9. What have you learnt about poetry that you didn’t know before?
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The Wonderful World of Poetry
Answers
1. What kind of poem is Hey Diddle Diddle? Tick one.
○ode
○limerick
○nursery rhyme
○haiku
2. Draw four lines and match each poem to its author.
'Ode to a Grecian Urn' Homer
'Odyssey' William Shakespeare
'Sonnet 116' Walt Whitman
'Song of Myself' John Keats
3. What does UNESCO stand for?
UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation.
4. Look at the section called What is Poetry?
Find and copy one word that means the same as ‘spoken rather than written’.
orally
5. Fill in the missing words.
These ideas would be a great way of marking the occasion and exploring the vast and
varied world of poetry.
6. Which kind of poetry would you prefer to read? Explain your answer.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I think I would like to read an epic poem about a Greek
god or goddess because I really like learning about them and I think it would be fun.
7. What is your favourite nursery rhyme? Explain your answer.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I think my favourite nursery rhyme is Baa Baa Black
Sheep because I always enjoyed singing it with adults when I was little.
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The Wonderful World of Poetry
8. Would you like to write a sonnet? Explain your answer.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I don’t think I would like to write a sonnet because it
seems pretty structured. I think it would be hard to write and keep within its rules.
9. What have you learnt about poetry that you didn’t know before?
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I have learnt that nursery rhymes are a form of poetry
and I have also learnt about World Poetry Day. I can’t wait to celebrate it this year.
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World
r fu l
The Wo nd e
e tr y
of Po
What Is Poetry?
Poetry is any written work that brings evocative images, emotions or memories
to mind based on its specific arrangement and use of words. In many poems,
meaningful vocabulary choices are organised and ordered in such a way as to
affect any reader and help them to feel or envision a poem’s intended purpose.
Some poems' metres (the amount and differences between stressed and unstressed
syllables) can also create a rhythm that gives their verses a sense of movement or
atmosphere.
It is believed by many that poetry has been around as long as history itself.
Numerous scholars hypothesise that it originated in various religions and was an
element of early rituals. Many other historians believe that poetry was an early
form of oral storytelling: a way of expressing the myths and legends of a culture.
Types of Poetry
There are many different kinds of poetry. Many poetry genres have a precise
rhyming scheme (a pattern of rhymes that are consistent throughout or appear
in a particular order within the lines of a poem), or a specific metre count or
structure that they must conform to. In contrast, other types have only a few
conventions or no rules at all. Some of the most famous and standard poetry
formats are epic poems, nursery rhymes, sonnets, odes, haikus, limericks and
free-verse poems.
• Epic Poems: Epic poems are long, narrative poems that are usually written
about a hero or heroine performing a series of heroic deeds. They often
include or express an individual culture's many myths and legends. Some
of the oldest and most famous epic poems are the Old English poem Beowulf
and Homer’s two ancient Greek poems about the Trojan War and its
aftermath: the 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey'.
• Nursery Rhymes: Nursery rhymes are short poems aimed at children. Most
nursery rhymes date between the 15th and 19th centuries and follow a simple
rhyme, enabling children to become familiar with certain speech patterns.
Some of the most famous nursery rhymes are Hey Diddle Diddle and
Humpty Dumpty.
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ld
The Wonderful Wor
of Poetry
• Sonnet: A sonnet is a strictly structured poem comprising of 14 lines with
a specific number of stressed and unstressed syllables in each line. Some
of the most recognisable sonnets are the ones written by famous British
playwright William Shakespeare, such as Sonnet 116.
• Ode: An ode is a lyrical (emotional and highly expressive) poem originally
meant to be sung. They're typically short and praise an individual, idea or
event. One of the most famous ode poems is 'Ode to a Grecian Urn' by
British poet John Keats.
• Haikus: Haikus are poems made up of three lines. Each line has a fixed
number of syllables: five in the first and third lines and seven in the
second line. Haikus date back to 17th-century Japan.
• Limerick: Limericks are short, humorous verses that typically contain five lines
and have a set rhyme scheme (aabba): the first, second and fifth lines all rhyme
with each other and the third and fourth lines rhyme with each other. Their
original form dates back to 19th-century Ireland.
• Free Verse: Free verse is a type of poetry that follows the natural rhythms of
speech rather than any particular, organised pattern or rhyming scheme.
In addition, free verse poetry does not need to rhyme or keep to a certain number
of syllables per line. A famous free verse poem is 'Song of Myself' by American
poet Walt Whitman.
World Poetry Day
World Poetry Day is celebrated annually on 21st March and was adopted by
UNESCO in 1999. UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation. The day is used to celebrate linguistic (having to do with
the study of languages) diversity through the exploration of poetry by the United
Nations. The United Nations is a multinational organisation established in 1945
to promote peace and security across the planet. It is a way to investigate
and honour famous poets and how poetry is embedded in different art
mediums, such as plays, songs and paintings.
Celebrate World Poetry Day
There are many unique ways to celebrate World Poetry Day: attending a poetry
reading or watching one online, sharing favourite poems with friends, learning
about a specific type of poetry, writing unique poems or reading a book of poetry.
These ideas would be a great way of marking the occasion and immersing oneself
in the beautiful and diverse world of poetry.
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The Wonderful World of Poetry
Questions
1. Which format of poetry is the 'Iliad'? Tick one.
○haiku
○ode
○limerick
○epic
2. Draw four lines and match each poetry format to its description.
lyrical poems that praise a person,
epic poems
an idea or an event
short poems with a simple rhyme
odes
that are aimed at children
long, narrative poems that are
nursery rhymes usually written about a hero
or heroine
short, humorous poems that have
limericks
five lines and specific rhymes
3. When is World Poetry Day celebrated?
4. Look at the first paragraph.
Find and copy one word that means the same as ‘imagine’.
5. Fill in the missing words.
It is a way to and honour famous poets and how poetry is
in different art mediums, such as plays, songs and paintings.
6. How do you plan on celebrating World Poetry Day? Explain your answer.
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The Wonderful World of Poetry
7. Do you think learning about famous poetry is important? Explain your answer.
8. Do you think learning how to write various genres of poetry is important? Explain
your answer.
9. What was the most important part of the text? Explain your answer.
10. Tick one box in each row to show whether each statement is true or false.
True False
Haikus have only three lines.
Beowulf is an epic poem.
Haikus originated in 18th-century Japan.
Sonnets must have 15 lines in total.
World Poetry Day was started by the UNESCO.
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The Wonderful World of Poetry
Answers
1. Which format of poetry is the 'Iliad'? Tick one.
○haiku
○ode
○limerick
○epic
2. Draw four lines and match each poetry format to its description.
lyrical poems that praise a person,
epic poems
an idea or an event
short poems with a simple rhyme
odes
that are aimed at children
long, narrative poems that are
nursery rhymes usually written about a hero
or heroine
short, humorous poems that have
limericks
five lines and specific rhymes
3. When is World Poetry Day celebrated?
World Poetry Day is celebrated annually on 21st March.
4. Look at the first paragraph.
Find and copy one word that means the same as ‘imagine’.
envision
5. Fill in the missing words.
It is a way to investigate and honour famous poets and how poetry is
embedded in different art mediums, such as plays, songs and paintings.
6. How do you plan on celebrating World Poetry Day? Explain your answer.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I think I would like to watch a poetry reading online. It
would be good to hear poetry read out loud rather than reading it silently so you can
better understand the rhythm and rhyme.
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The Wonderful World of Poetry
7. Do you think learning about famous poetry is important? Explain your answer.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: Yes, I think it is important to learn about poetry
because it has been around for such a long time, is written across many cultures and
is an art form in itself.
8. Do you think learning how to write various genres of poetry is important? Explain
your answer.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: Yes, I think it is important to learn about different
genres of poetry because you might find one you like to write and it can help pupils
better grasp vocabulary and grammar concepts.
9. What was the most important part of the text? Explain your answer.
Pupils’ own responses, such as: I think the most important part of the text is where the
author describes the various genres of poetry that are well-known worldwide. I didn't
understand the differences between certain kinds of poetry until I read it.
10. Tick one box in each row to show whether each statement is true or false.
True False
Haikus have only three lines.
Beowulf is an epic poem.
Haikus originated in 18th-century Japan.
Sonnets must have 15 lines in total.
World Poetry Day was started by the UNESCO.
Award 2 marks for all five correct.
Award 1 mark for four correct.
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