YEAR 4

POETRY BOOK

0

1

Haikus have a very special rhythm, can you count the syllabus?

A kingdom of wings,The voice of wings fluttering,

A tune gathering

My battered bike groansTwo wandering wheels wobble

Twisted spokes shout ‘No!’

2

Strong wind. Whips up leaves,

Blows the washing off the line,

And roars with pleasure.

3

Writing a HaikuHaiku is a Japanese form of poetry, which is made up of three lines

of 17 syllables. It goes in a pattern of 5, 7, 5. It made up of a simple image of a particular theme, person or is object. A haiku describes

one moment of time.

What do you think this Haiku is about?

Hot day. Burning sunDries the soil to yellow dustAnd toasts the pavements.

What about this one?

Ice on the front step - the sceneTwo men slip as they bring in what happens

A new cold freezer feeling

Writing our own haiku

Step one

Decide on a theme.

What is your theme? _______________________________________

Step twoOn line one think of a scene

On line two describe what happensOn line 3 describe how it feels.

Let’s have a go together.

Have a go at writing your own.

4

Now count the syllables.Line 1 Line 2 Line 3 Total

Writing you own haiku

5

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

Extension: Make up a haiku for each season of the year.

6

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

Kenning is an Old Norse term. It is use in writing to describe something without giving the name away. It looks at the

characteristics of a subject and then describes the qualities of what the thing is or what it does. It is a poetic phrase that is used instead

of the name for something.

Writing a kennings

Try to think of a title first. Then try to describe it without using title. We are going to use a thesaurus. We are going to build a picture of

the thing. It is almost like a riddle. It is in a list format mostly consisting of two words in a line.

Examples- what is the title?

7

Razor teethGrey missileButton EyeSharp finCold killerSea scavengerDustbin of the deep

A toe-nibblerA dark-dreamer

A paw padderA floor scratcherA warm sleeper A night creeper

A fur- cleanerA flea-finder

A mouse-hunterA house-minder

A secret-hoarderA china- breaker

A back street wailerA four-foot-lander

Think of some words to describe these things. Try to just use two words-

8

The sea

The sun

A king

A ship

Wave machine

Salt maker

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Extension: Make up four other kennings. Give them to a friend to work out their meanings

9

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

A narrative poem is a poem which tells a story. Highlight all of the words that you don’t understand.

Macavity's a Mystery Cat: he's called the Hidden Paw -For he's the master criminal who can defy the Law.

He's the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad's despair:For when they reach the scene of crime - Macavity's not there!

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,He's broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity.

His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare,And when you reach the scene of crime - Macavity's not there!

You may seek him in the basement, you may look up in the air -But I tell you once and once again, Macavity's not there!

Mcavity's a ginger cat, he's very tall and thin;You would know him if you saw him, for his eyes are sunken in.His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly domed;

His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed.He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake;

And when you think he's half asleep, he's always wide awake.

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,For he's a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.

You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in the square -But when a crime's discovered, then Macavity's not there!

He's outwardly respectable. (They say he cheats at cards.)And his footprints are not found in any file of Scotland Yard's.

And when the larder's looted, or the jewel-case is rifled,Or when the milk is missing, or another Peke's been stifled,

Or the greenhouse glass is broken, and the trellis past repair -Ay, there's the wonder of the thing! Macavity's not there!

And when the Foreign Office find a Treaty's gone astray,Or the Admiralty lose some plans and drawings by the way,There may be a scrap of paper in the hall or on the stair -

But it's useless to investigate - Mcavity's not there!And when the loss has been disclosed, the Secret Service say:

`It must have been Macavity!' - but he's a mile away.You'll be sure to find him resting, or a-licking of his thumbs,

Or engaged in doing complicated long-division sums.

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity.

He always has an alibi, and one or two to spaer:At whatever time the deed took place - MACAVITY WASN'T THERE!And they say that all the Cats whose wicked deeds are widely known

(I might mention Mungojerrie, I might mention Griddlebone)Are nothing more than agents for the Cat who all the time

Just controls their operations: the Napoleon of Crime!

Comprehension questions

10

1. What animal is Macavity?

_______________________________________________________

2. How do you know?

_______________________________________________________

3. What is Macavity’s nickname?

_______________________________________________________

4. Can you find 3 ways the author has described Macavity’s appearance?

_______________________________________________________

5. Can you find all of crimes that Macavity is accused of committing?

_______________________________________________________

6. What animal are Macavity’s movements compared to?

_______________________________________________________

7. Where might you find Macavity?

_______________________________________________________

8. What has gone missing from the foreign office?

_______________________________________________________

9. What is Macavity found to be doing when the crimes are uncovered?

_______________________________________________________

10.Why is Macavity described as “the Napoleon of Crime”?

_______________________________________________________

11.What two reasons are given as to why Macavity couldn’t have committed the crimes? _______________________________________________________

Use the descriptions in the poem to write a wanted poster for Macavity

11

12

Can you find any rhyming words in this poem by Dr Seuss?

I do not like them

in a house.

I do not like them

with a mouse.

I do not like them

here or there.

I do not like them

anywhere.

I do not like green eggs and ham.

I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

Not in a box.

Not with a fox.

Not in a house.

Not with a mouse.

I would not eat them here or there.

I would not eat them anywhere.

I would not eat green eggs and ham.

I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

I could not, would not, on a boat.

I will not, will not, with a goat.

I will not eat them in the rain.

I will not eat them on a train.

Not in the dark! Not in a tree!

Not in a car! You let me be!

I do not like them in a box.

I do not like them with a fox.

I will not eat them in a house.

I do not like them with a mouse.

I do not like them here or there.!

13

Internal rhyme is when there are rhymes within the same lineDinner-time Rhyme

Can you tell me if you please?Who it is that likes mushy peas?

Lois likes peas.How about Sam?Sam likes…………How about Vince?

Vince likes……………How about Kelly?

Kelly likes…………..How about Trish?

Trish likes……………How about Pips?

Pips likes………………How about Pete?

Pete likes………………How about Sue?

Sue likes…………………How about Greg?

Greg likes………………How about Pam?

Pam likes…………………

Write your own version of the poem._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

14

Rhyming couplets are when two lines rhyme.

The barber cut off all my hair.I haven't anything to wear.

I caught my finger in my fly.I'm so embarrassed, I might die.

Think of some words that rhyme with

15

Dark Sky

Fun Honey

Hat

Create your own rhyming couplets using the rhymes from the last page.

16

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Use some of the styles of poetry that we have learned about to write your own poem.

17

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________