Lesson 2: Parts of Speech and Rhymes in Poetry

You know that action verbs are words that show action. The author of the poem, "Gulls and Buoys," chose interesting action verbs for her poem. The action verbs are the most important words in the poem. They help the reader visualize the movement of the gulls.

In your journal, record the action verbs the author uses in the poem. On the page, "Strong Verbs," select an animal to illustrate, and then brainstorm a list of as many action verbs as you can think of related to the animal's movements.

Review the definitions of "noun" and "adjective." A noun is a person, place, or thing. An adjective is a word that describes a noun.

The author of the poem, "Watercolor Maine," uses many adjectives and nouns. These simple words create concrete pictures in the mind of the reader, or visual imagery, which we defined in Lesson 1. On the page, "Nouns and Interesting Adjectives," record five nouns the author uses along with the adjectives that make them come to life. Illustrate each noun according to the adjectives that describe them. For fun, you might want to try to do your illustrations in watercolors.

Reread "Islands in Boston Harbor" from My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States and "E for End Rhyme" in R is Rhyme. Identify the end rhyme words (hint: they come in groups of three) and record them in your journal.

Write an end rhyme poem in your journal. The poem can be about any subject, but the last word on one line must rhyme with the last word on another line. The rhyming lines can follow each other or can skip lines. Many poets believe it is important to write poems about ideas and events that have happened in their own lives.