#1 Poetry

Verses and Stanzas

• Each line is called a verse.

• Verses are grouped into stanzas.

• How many verses are in the first stanza of "Mary Had a Little Lamb"?

• There are 4 verses and 1 stanza.

How many stanzas are in the complete poem?

• Remember that a verse is one line.

• A stanza is a group of verses.

• There are 4 stanzas in this poem.

How can you describe the meter of this poem?

• The first line has 4 stressed beats, the second line has 3, the third line has 4 and the fourth line has 3.

• We consider the meter of this poem 4-3-4-3.

Clap out the rhythm.

• How many beats does each verse have?

• Each verse has 4 stressed beats.

• What is the rhyming pattern?

• The rhyming pattern is aabb.

How many beats (stressed syllables) are there per line?

• There are 4 beats per line

• What is the rhyme scheme?

• The rhyme scheme is aabb

What is the poem's meter?

• How many beats are in each verse?

• 4-3-4-3 is the meter.

• What is the rhyme pattern?

• abcb is the rhyme scheme

#2

#3

What do you notice about this poem?