Grade 7
60+ Minutes
Poetry
VideosCongratulations 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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