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Learning Module in 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE
GRADE 11 HUMSS/ABM
GRADE 12 STEM
First Quarter, Week 3 Module No.3

ELEMENTS AND FORMS OF POETRY

LEARNING COMPETENCIES
Compare and contrast the various 21st century literary genres and the ones from the earlier genres/periods citing
their elements, structures and traditions ( EN12Lit-Id-25 )

OVERVIEW/ TO DO LIST
LEARNER
In this module the students will learn and understand the different elements and forms of literature
through various activities.
FACILITIATOR
Please guide your child in answering the activities given. You can help the learner through explaining
the instruction if it’s ambiguous. You can give examples in order for them to understand it more ( if needed).

INTRODUCTION OF THE LESSON

Poetry continues to be an important force in the world in the twenty-first century, and is arguably reaching,
and being enjoyed by, more readers than ever before, as the rise of Instagram poetry and prominent
YouTubers demonstrates. But what are some of the best poems of the twenty-first century – the best poems
of the century so far, anyway – which the poetry novice should read to get a sense of how poetry is being kept
alive, and developed, in the present century?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

√ Identify the different elements and forms of Poetry .

√ Construct a poem in a Creative way.
√ Appreciate poem through relating it in 21 st Century .

WHAT I KNOW

Watch this to have an overview what is poetry . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=314oyFLD2vc

LESSON PROPER
REVIEW
What are the different Genres of Literature?
Can you name some genres that you can remember ?

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

Poetry is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound, and rhythmic language
choices so as to evoke an emotional response. Poetry is the chiselled marble of language; it's a paint-spattered
canvas - but the poet uses words instead of paint, and the canvas is you.
COMMON FEATURES OF POETRY
●      It looks like a poem – if it looks like a poem and it reads like a poem, then the chances are pretty good
that it is, indeed, a poem. Poetry comes in lines, some of which are full sentences, but many of which are not.
Also, usually, these lines don’t run out to the margins consistently, like in, say, a novel. All this gives poetry a
distinctive and recognisable look on the page.
●      It often has some underlying form holding things together – while this isn’t always true (in some free
verse, for example) a lot of poetry conforms to a prescribed structure such as in a sonnet, a haiku etc.
●      It uses imagery – if the poet is worth his or her salt, they’ll endeavour to create images in the reader’s
mind using lots of sensory details and figurative language.

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●      It has a certain musicality – we could be forgiven for thinking that poetry’s natural incarnation is the
written word and its habitat the page, but the printed word is not where poetry’s origins lie. The earliest
poems were composed orally and committed to memory. We can still see the importance the sound of
language plays when we read poems out loud. We can see it too in the attention paid to musical devices that
are incorporated into the poem. Devices such as alliteration, assonance, and rhyme, for example. We will look
at many of these later in this article.
THE PURPOSE OF POETRY: WHAT IS POETRY FOR?
Poetry’s purpose is essentially to help us understand the world around us. It endeavors to show us things
anew that we may have previously taken for granted. It offers us new perspectives on the familiar.
Poetry’s purpose is to enable us to see the world with fresh eyes again, like those of a child. In doing this, it
helps us understand our world in a deeper way.
THE STRUCTURE OF POETRY
Rhythm:
This is the music made by the statements of the poem, which includes the syllables in the lines. The
best method of understanding this is to read the poem aloud, and understand the stressed and
unstressed syllables.
Meter:
This is the basic structural make-up of the poem. Do the syllables match with each other? Every line
in the poem must adhere to this structure. A poem is made up of blocks of lines, which convey a
single strand of thought. Within those blocks, a structure of syllables which follow the rhythm has to
be included. This is the meter or the metrical form of poetry.
Stanza:
Stanza in poetry is defined as a smaller unit or group of lines or a paragraph in a poem. A particular
stanza has a specific meter, rhyme scheme, etc. Based on the number of lines, stanzas are named
as couplet (2 lines), Tercet (3 lines), Quatrain (4 lines), Cinquain (5 lines), Sestet (6 lines), Septet (7
lines), Octave (8 lines).
Rhyme:
A poem may or may not have a rhyme. When you write poetry that has rhyme, it means that the last
words or sounds of the lines match with each other in some form. Rhyme is basically similar sounding
words like cat and hat, close and shows, house and mouse, etc. Free verse poetry, though, does not
follow this system.
Rhyme Scheme:
As a continuation of rhyme, the rhyme scheme is also one of the basic elements of poetry. In simple
words, it is defined as the pattern of rhyme. Either the last words of the first and second lines rhyme
with each other, or the first and the third, second and the fourth and so on. It is denoted by alphabets
like aabb (1st line rhyming with 2nd, 3rd with 4th); abab (1st with 3rd, 2nd with 4th); abba (1st with
4th, 2nd with 3rd), etc.
Theme:
This is what the poem is all about. The theme of the poem is the central idea that the poet wants to
convey. It can be a story, or a thought, or a description of something or someone; anything that the
poem is about.
Symbolism:
Often poems will convey ideas and thoughts using symbols. A symbol can stand for many things at
one time and leads the reader out of a systematic and structured method of looking at things. Often a
symbol used in the poem will be used to create such an effect.
Imagery:
Imagery is also one of the important elements of a poem. This device is used by the poet for readers
to create an image in their imagination. Imagery appeals to all the five senses. For e.g., when the
poet describes, the flower is bright red, an image of a red flower is immediately created in the readers
mind.
POEM STRUCTURES: TYPES OF POETRY AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS
Lyric Poetry
Lyric poetry concerns itself largely with the emotional life of the poet, that is, it’s written in their voice and
expresses strong thoughts and emotions. There is only one voice in a lyric poem and we see the world from
that single perspective. Most modern poetry is lyric poetry in that it is personal and introspective.
Narrative Poetry
As its name implies, narrative poetry is concerned with storytelling. Just as in a prose story, a narrative poem
will most likely follow the conventions of plot including elements such as conflict, rising action, climax,
resolution etc. Again, as in prose stories, narrative poems will most likely be peopled with characters to
perform the actions of the tale.
Descriptive Poetry

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Descriptive poetry usually employs lots of rich imagery to describe the world around the poet. While it most
often has a single poetic voice and strong emotional content, descriptive poetry differs from lyric poetry in
that its focus is more on the externalities of the world, rather than the interior life of the poet.
We have mentioned that poetry often hangs on the conventions of specific underlying structures. Let’s now
take a look at some of the more common of these subtypes and their defining characteristics.
SUBTYPES OF POETRY
Sonnet
Sonnets are predominantly concerned with matters of the heart. If you see a sonnet’s recognisably blocky
form on a page, there’s a good chance the theme will be love. There are two common forms of sonnet:
Shakespearean and Petrarchan. They differ slightly in their internal structure, but both have 14 lines. Let’s take
look at some more of the internal characteristics of both forms:
Petrarchan
●      Comprises 2 stanzas
●      The First 8 lines pose a question
●      2nd stanza answers the question posed
●      The rhyme scheme is: ABBA, ABBA, CDECDE
 
Shakespearean
●      Comprises 3 quatrains of 4 lines each
●      Ends with a rhyming couplet which forms a conclusion
●      The rhyme scheme is: ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG
Haiku
Haiku is a disciplined form of poetry that has its origins in 17th-century Japanese poetry. Usually, it is
concerned with nature and natural phenomena such as the seasons, weather etc. They are often quite
meditative in tone.
However, there are no real rules regarding themes, the only real demands here relate to structure:
●      They are written in three-line stanzas
●      1st line contains 5 syllables
●      2nd line contains 7 syllables
●      3rd line contains 5 syllables
Due to their short length and limited requirements, these are usually a lot of fun for students to write. They
can serve as a great introduction for students to attempt to write poetry according to specific technical
requirements of a form.
Elegy
Elegies are a type of poem that don’t really come with specific structural requirements but still constitute a
recognisable form of poetry. What makes an elegy an elegy is its subject, that is, death. Elegies are poems of
lamentation – the word elegy itself comes from the Greek word elegeia which means to ‘lament’.
●      A poem of reflection on death, or on someone who has died
●      Usually comes in three parts expressing loss:
○      grief
○      praise for the deceased
○      and, finally, consolation.
Limerick
Favorites of school children everywhere, the most defining characteristic of limericks are their renowned
humor. Given their well-deserved reputation for being funny and, on occasion, crude, it’s easy to overlook the
fact that beneath the laughs lie quite a tightly structured verse form.
●      5 lines in total
●      Distinct verbal rhythm
●      2 longer lines of usually between 7 to 10 syllables
●      2 shorter lines of usually between 5 to 7 syllables
●      1 closing line containing the ‘punchline’
●      Rhyme scheme is AABBA
Ballad
Ballads are a type of narrative poetry that has close ties to musical forms. Ballads written as poetry can often
easily be adapted as song lyrics. While ballads don’t have tight formal constrictions like some other forms of
poetry, there are enough in the way of distinguishable features to identify it as a form.
●      Tells a story, often using simple language
●      Often romantic, adventurous, or humorous
●      Arranged in groups of 4 lines or quatrains
●      Often uses alternating 4 and 3 beat lines
●      Rhyme scheme is usually ABAB or ABCB

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Ode
Another poetry form that traces its origins to Ancient Greece, odes were originally intended to be sung.
Nowadays, though no longer sung, the term ode still refers to a type of lyrical poem that addresses and often
praises a certain person, thing, or event.
●      The author addresses a person, thing, or event
●      Usually has a solemn, serious tone
●      Explores universal elements of the theme
●      Powerful emotional element, often involving catharsis
Odes written in the classical vein can follow very strict metrical patterns and rhyme schemes, however, many
modern odes are written in free verse involving irregular rhythm and without adherence to a rhyme scheme.
Epic
These are long narrative poems that recount heroic tales, usually focused on a legendary or mythical figure.
Think of works of literature on a grand scale such as The Odyssey, The Cattle Raid of Cooley, or Beowulf.
●      Employs an objective and omniscient narrator
●      Written in an elevated style
●      Recounts heroic events
●      Grand in scale
 
POETIC DEVICES / SOUND DEVICES
Alliteration
Meaning: This device involves the repetition of the initial consonant sound of a series of words, often
consecutively. Alliteration is most easily explained to students through looking at a few simple tongue
twisters, such as Peter Piper or She Sells Seashells.
Example:
Betty Botter bought a bit of butter
But, the bit of butter Betty Botter bought was bitter
So Betty Botter bought a better bit of butter
Assonance
Meaning: Similarly to alliteration, assonance involves the repetition of sounds in a series of words, often
consecutive words. However, rather than repeating the initial sounds, assonance focuses on the internal vowel
sounds that are repeated.
Example:
 We can find many examples of assonance in poetry and song. Here’s an example from the poetry of Edgar
Allen Poe: Hear the mellow wedding bells 
Consonance
Meaning: Consonance is the consonant-focused counterpart to assonance. It involves the repetition of
consonant sounds in the middle or at the end of words, as distinguished from alliteration where the initial
sound is repeated.
Example: The crow struck through the thick cloud like a rocket
Onomatopoeia
Meaning: Onomatopoeia refers to the process of creating words that sound like the very thing they refer to.
For many students, the first introduction to onomatopoeia goes back to learning animal sounds as an infant.
Words such as Oink! Chirp! Woof! and Meow! can all be thought of as onomatopoeic. Be sure to examine
these elements of poetry with your younger students first.
Example: Aside from animal noises, the names of sounds themselves are often onomatopoeic, for example:
Bang! Thud! Crash!
Rhyme
Meaning: Rhyme refers to the repetition of sounds in a poem. Various types of rhyme are possible, however
in English we usually use the term rhyme to refer to the repetition of the final sounds in a line, or end rhyme.
Letters are often used to denote a rhyme scheme. A new letter is ascribed to each of the different sounds. For
example, in the following example the rhyme scheme is described as ABAB.
Example:
 The people along the sand
All turn and look one way.
They turn their back on the land.
They look at the sea all day.
[From Neither Out Far Nor In Deep by Robert Frost]
Rhythm
Meaning: Rhythm in poetry involves sound patterning. A lot of classical poetry conforms to a systematic
regularity of rhythm which is referred to as the poem’s meter. This involves the combining of stressed and
unstressed syllables to create a constant beat pattern that runs throughout the poem. Each pattern of beats is

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called a foot. There are various possible combinations of stressed and unstressed syllables, or feet, and these
patterns have their own names to describe them. While it is impossible to explore all of these in this article,
we take a look at one of the more common ones below.
Example:
 Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
[Iambic pentameter i.e. five metrical feet of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables]
Metaphor
Meaning: Metaphors make comparisons between things by stating that one thing literally is something else.
Metaphors are used to bring clarity to ideas by forming connections. Often, metaphors reveal implicit
similarities between two things or concepts.
Example: We can find lots of examples of metaphors in our everyday speech, for example:
She’s an old flame Time is money Life is a rollercoaster
Simile
Meaning: Unlike metaphors that make comparisons by saying one thing is something else, similes work by
saying something is similar to something else. They commonly come in two forms. Those that make a
comparison using ‘as’ and those that make a comparison using ‘like’.
Example:
 She is as strong as an ox
She sings like a nightingale
Personification
Meaning: Personification is a particular type of metaphor where a non-human thing or idea is ascribed human
qualities or abilities. This can be in the form of a single phrase or line, or extended in the form of a stanza or
the whole poem.
Example:
 The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done –
“It’s very rude of him,” she said,
“To come and spoil the fun.”
[From the Walrus and the Carpenter by Lewis Carroll]

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

A. Give 2 Common Feature of Poetry and explain it on your own idea. ( 5 points each )

B. Direction: Enumerate the Types of Poetry and there characteristics

1.
2.
3.
C. Give two examples of each Poetic Devices.

a. Simile b. Metaphor
c. Metonymy d. Irony
e . Personification f. Synecdoche
g. oxymoron h. Onomatopoeia
i. Hyperbole

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

Name : Date :
Grade and Section:

Instructions: Make your poem base on your life’s story with at least 4-5 Stanza and apply the different
elements of the poem. Write you poem in a long bond paper and it should be artistically done.

CRITERIA
CONTENT 20
CREATIVITY 10
CHOICE OF WORDS 15
NEATNESS 5
TOTAL 50

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REFLECTION
Direction: read and answer the following question. Write it in 1 whole sheet of paper.
1. What do you feel upon composing your poem? How does it affect you emotionally?
2. As a Millennial, how are you going to relate literature or writing in the present times with the use
of technology?

REFERENCES
MELCS (MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCY)
Reading Literature in the 21st Century
The Phoenix Publishing House Inc.
Maria Gabriel P. Martin
Alona U. Guevarra
Emar Ivery Del Campo