Grade 7
60+ Minutes
Poetry
VideosELOISE COMBS is a 3rd grade student who lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She wrote this poem because she loves cats.
Congratulations to 826 Digital Writers’ Showcase Finalist, Eloise Combs! Watch her video and see the lesson below to learn how to write your own rhyme schemes in a poem. Read more about Eloise and the other finalists at www.826national.org/826-digital-writers-showcase-2023-finalists
Not all poems have to rhyme, but when they do, they generally use “rhyme scheme.” This is a term that describes specific sounds in a poem. When you want to identify the rhyme scheme in a poem, look at the last word in each line. In this lesson, you will analyze the impact of rhymes on a specific stanza of a poem. You will also write a poem with your own unique sound and rhyme scheme.
STEP 1
Watch the video and follow along with the Mentor Text on page 1 of the Rhyme Schemes — Handout. After you’ve watched the video, read the Mentor Text out loud to yourself (this part is important—poetry is a lot like music; it’s meant to be listened to!). Then, answer these questions in your writing journal: How does the poem make you feel? How does the rhyme scheme of the poem add to that feeling?
STEP 2
On page 2 of the handout, the rhyme scheme of each stanza of the Mentor Text is identified. Read the poem out loud again and answer these questions in your writing journal:
STEP 3
Rhyme schemes can help convey specific moods, or they can have a specific purpose. The Mentor Text changes up the rhyme scheme when the narrator asks a question, which adds to the mysterious tone. Follow the directions on page 3 to practice identifying rhyme scheme and how rhyme scheme adds to the overall feeling of a song or poem.
STEP 4
Finally, you will write your rhyming poem on page 4. Choose a rhyme scheme that supports the tone and purpose you’d like your poem to achieve. Follow the instructions on page 4 of the handout.
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