good to teach in classroom

1. Poetry, Drama, and
Prose
Featuring
Classic Nursery Rhymes

2. POETRY

3. What Is Poetry?
• Poetry is an expressive form of writing. It allows the
author to share an idea or insight with others in a
meaningful way.
• Poetry is not written in sentences and paragraphs like
prose. Instead, It uses different structures that make it
interesting to read.

4. • Verse – one line of poetry
• Stanza – group of verses
• Rhythm – beats or accented syllables
• Meter – pattern of beats or accented syllables
• Rhyme – syllables that sound similar
Structural Elements of
Poetry

5. Each line of poetry is called a verse. Verses are grouped into
stanzas.
Mary had a little lamb.
Its fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go.
How many verses are in the first stanza of “Mary Had a Little
Lamb”?
Right! This poem has four verses, or lines, per stanza.
Verses and Stanzas

6. Mary had a little lamb.
Its fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go.
He followed her to school one day,
Which was against the rule,
It made the children laugh and play
To see a lamb at school.
Verses and Stanzas
And so the teacher turned it out,
But it still lingered near,
And waited patiently about,
Till Mary did appear.
“Why does the lamb love Mary so?”
The eager children cry.
“Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know.”
The teacher did reply.
How many stanzas are in “Mary Had a Little Lamb”?
Right! It has four stanzas.

7. Rhythm means beat. Let’s find the beat in these lines of
poetry. Clap each stressed syllable as the poem is read.
Mary had a little lamb.
Its fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go.
Now let’s highlight the accented syllables as we read the
poem aloud together.
You can see that every other syllable is accented. This is the
poem’s rhythm.
Rhythm

8. Meter describes the arrangement of the rhythm.
Here you can see the meter for “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
Mary had a little lamb.
Its fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go.
How can you describe the meter of this poem?
The first line has four beats, the second line has three, the
third line has four, and the fourth line has three.
We’ll say it has a meter that is 4-3-4-3.
Meter

9. Rhyme happens when the sound of the last syllable(s) of a
verse sound like the last syllable(s) of another verse.
Mary had a little lamb.
Its fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go.
Here, snow rhymes with go.
We give a letter to each verse. Rhyming words get the
same letter. This poem has an abcb rhyming pattern. The
b’s represent snow and go because they rhyme.
Rhyme
a
b
c
b

10. Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Clap out the rhythm.
Each verse has four beats.
What about the rhyming pattern?
Yes, star and are rhyme, and high and sky rhyme. The
pattern is aabb.
More Practice
a
a
b
b

11. Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.
How many beats are in each verse?
This poem’s meter is 4-3-4-3. The first and third lines have
four beats, and the second and fourth lines have three.
Can you name the rhyming pattern?
Right. It would be abcb. The second and fourth lines rhyme,
but the first and third do not.
More Practice

12. PROSE

13. What Is Prose?
• Prose is ordinary language.
• Prose is written in sentences and paragraphs that may
include dialogue.
• Most of the literature we read is written in prose.

14. • Sentence – group of words that express a complete
thought
• Paragraph - sentences that are grouped together
• Dialogue – words or sentences that quote what a person
has said
Structural Elements of
Prose

15. A sentence is a group of words that express a complete
thought.
As Mary was coming home, she heard a strange little
patter, patter, patter behind her.
A sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a
period, question mark, or exclamation point.
Sentences

16. Sentences that are grouped together are called a
paragraph.
As Mary was coming home, she heard a strange
little patter, patter, patter behind her. She looked back
and saw something white! Mary felt a wee bit afraid and
began to run, but her foot struck a rock, and down she
tumbled. Before she could get up, something soft and
wooly was rubbing gently against her.
A paragraph is indented.
Paragraphs

17. Dialogue tells the speaker’s exact words.
“Oh, you darling lamb!” cried Mary, hugging it.
The lamb snuggled close.
Dialogue is also indented. The speaker’s words are placed
in quotation marks. A dialogue tag (cried Mary) tells who
said it.
Other text may be placed in a paragraph with dialogue.
Dialogue

18. DRAMA

19. What Is Drama?
• Drama can also be called a play.
• In its written form, a play includes a cast of characters,
dialogue, and stage directions.
• Drama may be organized in scenes and acts.

20. • Cast of Characters - list of characters in play
• Dialogue – words that tell the actors what to say
• Stage Directions – words that tell how the stage should look or
what the actors should do
• Setting - words that tell where and when a play takes place
• Scenes - sections of the play with similar setting
• Acts - major sections of a long play
Structural Elements of
Drama

21. A cast of characters is a list of the characters in a play.
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Cast of Characters
Mary
Lamb
Mother
Father
Teacher
Cast of Characters

22. Dialogue tells the exact words the actors should say.
TEACHER: Mary, what is seven times three?
MARY: What?
The character’s name is placed at the beginning, followed
by a colon. The words that follow the colon are spoken by
the actor. No quotation marks are used.
Dialogue

23. Some stage directions tell what the actors should do.
TEACHER [sternly]: Mary, what is seven times three?
MARY [jumping up]: What?
Stage directions are often written in italics and surrounded
by parentheses or brackets.
Stage Directions

24. The author may include the setting (where and when the
play takes place) in the stage directions.
Scene 3: The Lamb Goes to School
[On a warm, sunny day, Mary gazes dreamily
out the window of the old schoolhouse.]
Setting

25. A play may be broken into scenes and acts.
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Act 1
Scene 1: Mary Meets the Lamb
Scene 2: Mary Washes the Lamb
Scene 3: The Lamb Goes to School
Scene 4: The Lamb’s Diet
Act 2
Scene 5: How the Lamb Wouldn’t Jump
Scene 6: The Lamb Goes Boating
Scene 7: The Lamb Wins a Prize
Scenes and Acts

26. REVIEW

27. • Prose is ordinary language. It’s written in sentences and
paragraphs, and dialogue is placed in quotation marks.
• Drama is a play. It may be organized in scenes and acts.
Dialogue is not placed in quotation marks; instead, the
character’s name is placed before the words an actor
should say. Stage directions provide information about
how the stage should look and how actors should act.
• Poetry is expressive writing. It is written in verses and
stanzas. Poems are characterized by rhythm (beat) and
rhyme (syllables that sound alike).
Let’s Review

28. • Verse – one line of poetry
• Stanza – group of verses
• Rhythm – beats or accented syllables
• Meter – pattern of beats or accented syllables
• Rhyme – syllables that sound similar
Structural Elements of
Poetry

29. • Sentence – group of words that express a complete
thought
• Paragraph - sentences that are grouped together
• Dialogue – words or sentences that quote what a person
has said
Structural Elements of
Prose

30. • Cast of Characters - list of characters in play
• Dialogue – words that tell the actors what to say
• Stage Directions – words that tell how the stage should look or
what the actors should do
• Setting - words that tell where and when a play takes place
• Scenes - sections of the play with similar setting
• Acts - major sections of a long play
Structural Elements of
Drama