Structural Features
of Literature
8RL3.1 Determine and articulate the relationship
between the purposes and characteristics of different
forms of poetry (e.g., ballad, lyric, couplet, epic, elegy,
ode, sonnet).
GETTING STARTED
Now, write the names of the following animals on the board:
leopard cow lion wolf sheep moose
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Now, write the words “Meat eaters” and “Plant eaters” on the board.
Ask students to put each animal into one of the two groups.
(Meat eaters: leopard, lion, wolf. Plant eaters: cow, sheep, moose.)
In this lesson, the student will
• review ways of discussing different types of poetry.
• examine how the characteristics and purposes of poetry are related.
Ask students what characteristics meat eaters have that help them get and
eat meat. (Possible answers: sharp teeth, claws, leanly built, run fast. etc.).
Now, ask them what characteristics plant eaters help them get and eat
plants. (Possible answers: snipping and/or grinding teeth, cheeks, large [or
many] stomachs that can digest tough materials, etc.) Point out to students
that these animals have characteristics that support their functions as
meat- or plant-eaters. In the same way, poems have characteristics that
support their purposes (i.e., what the poet ultimately hopes the poem
will accomplish upon its completion).
TAP STUDENTS’ PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
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Write the names of the following animals on the board:
hawk cow robin toad shark
salamander
frog
owl
bat
carp tiger
flounder
Ask the students what these things have in common. (Possible answers:
They are all animals, they all have backbones, they all have four limbs and
brains, they all need oxygen to live, etc.) Now write the words “Fish,”
“Amphibians,” “Birds,” and “Mammals” on the board. Ask students
to put each animal into one of the four groups.
Fish
Amphibians
Birds
Mammals
shark
toad
hawk
cow
carp
frog
robin
bat
flounder
salamander
owl
tiger
Using the Interactive Whiteboard
You can project each lesson page on the IWB to enhance instruction.
Here are some general suggestions for each part of the lesson.
Introduction: Use the highlighter tool to draw attention to each
vocabulary word.
Guided Instruction: As you guide students through the process of
answering the question that follows the reading passage, have them
use the pen tool to fill in missing text or to follow directions for
circling and underlining text.
Ask the students what characteristics of the animals led them to put them
into the groups that they did. (Examples: Fish have gills, live in water, have
fins, etc. Amphibians start out life in one water-adapted form and undergo a
metamorphosis; they have soft skin that dries out easily, etc. Birds have
feathers and wings, etc. Mammals have fur and produce milk, etc.) Point out
that the shared characteristics of different animals let them put those
different animals into groups. In the same way, the shared characteristics
of different poems can let you put those different poems into groups.
Structural Features of Literature
Guided Practice: Encourage students to use the IWB tools to
highlight, circle, or underline key words and details that will help
them answer the questions that follow the reading passage.
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8RL3.1
Introduction
AT A GLANCE
Read and discuss the introduction on page 1 with students to familiarize
them with common terms for discussing poetry and the names and
purposes of different types of poetry.
Structural Features
of Literature
STEP BY STEP
With students, read the information about poetic terms. Explain to
students that, just as scientists use special words to describe the
characteristics of animals, people can use special words to describe the
characteristics of poetry.
Introduction
Poetry uses the sounds, rhythms, and meanings of language to present ideas
and generate feelings. Here are some terms you can use when discussing poetry.
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• Stanza: A group of lines in a poem, similar to a paragraph in prose
• Couplet: Two successive lines that rhyme and have the same meter
• Rhyme scheme: The pattern of rhymes at the ends of lines, typically
marked by letters. Suppose a poem has a rhyme scheme abab. This means
that the first and third lines rhyme, and the second and fourth lines rhyme.
• Meter: The rhythm produced by a poem’s words, lines, and stanzas.
A poem’s meter can be regular and predictable or irregular and varied.
Meter is best sensed if you read the poem aloud a few times.
Point out that poems can be grouped by shared characteristics. For
example, most ballads are about popular heroes, consist of couplets with
easy-to-remember rhymes, have refrains, and in some cases are meant to
be sung. Other poem types are below.
• Elegy: Ask students if they know what a eulogy is. Explain that a
eulogy is a speech honoring the life and memory of a dead person.
Similarly, an elegy is a type of poem meant to mourn a person.
• Epic: Ask students if they have ever heard the word epic applied to
movies, such as Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. Explain that an epic is
a long poem about a brave hero who completes quests.
• Lyric: Ask students if, when they hear the word poetry, they think of
feelings expressed in fancy language. If a few agree, tell them that this
is just one type of poetry—lyric poetry—but not the only kind.
• Ode: Ask students if they’ve ever written a poem speaking to
anything non-human—animals, things, even ideas. If so, they’ve
written an ode.
• Sonnet: Tell students that a sonnet, more than the other poetic types,
has a very rigid form. If a poem has two stanzas, one with eight lines
and the other with six lines, they are reading one type of sonnet.
Think of these when reading from Henry Lawson’s “The Things We Dare Not Tell.”
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The fields are fair in autumn yet, and the sun’s still shining there,
But we bow our heads and we brood and fret, because of the masks we wear;
Or we nod and smile the social while, and we say we’re doing well,
But we break our hearts, oh, we break our hearts! for the things we must not tell.
This is the first of four stanzas in a longer poem. The stanza has two couplets,
so its rhyme scheme is aabb. The poem’s meter is regular and predictable.
There are many forms of poetry, each with its own purpose and characteristics.
Form
Purpose
Common Characteristics
Ballad
Tells a popular folk story,
often about a local hero
Short stanzas and couplets, often with a
refrain; like a song, from oral tradition
Elegy
Mourns the dead
Length, rhyme scheme, and meter can vary
Epic
Tells a story of mythic or
national heroes
Long and serious in tone; usually doesn’t
rhyme; meter is regular; from oral tradition
Lyric
Expresses poet’s feelings Short stanzas and rhyming lines; heartfelt
Ode
Speaks directly to a
person, thing, or idea
Sonnet Varies; often love poetry
Length, rhyme, and meter can all vary; tone
is lofty, grand
14 lines long; ends in a couplet
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Read aloud the excerpt of the poem “The Things We Dare Not Tell.” Then,
discuss the poem using the terms stanza, couplet, rhyme scheme, and meter.
If possible, repeat this exercise with a different poem. Accessible poems
include “The Road Not Taken” and “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”
Structural Features of Literature
8RL3.1 Determine and articulate the
relationship between the purposes and
characteristics of different forms of
poetry (e.g., ballad, lyric, couplet, epic,
elegy, ode, sonnet).
Structural Features of Literature
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Modeled Instruction
AT A GLANCE
Read the passage on page 2 with students and guide them as they answer
the comprehension question that follows.
Modeled Instruction
STEP BY STEP
Read this poem. Then answer the question below.
“A Song in Spring” by Thomas S. Jones, Jr.
Before Reading
O little buds all burgeoning with Spring,
You hold my winter in forgetfulness;
Without my window lilac branches swing,
Within my gate I hear a robin sing —
5 O little laughing blooms that lift and bless!
Tell students they are going to read a poem. Challenge them to use the
terms provided on the prior page and to identify the type of poem it is.
So blow the breezes in a soft caress,
Blowing my dreams upon a swallow’s wing;
O little merry buds in dappled dress,
You fill my heart with very wantonness —
10 O little buds all burgeoning with Spring!
During Reading
Read the poem aloud with students or have them read it silently. Remind
students that understanding stanzas, rhyme schemes, and so on can help
them better comprehend the poem and the poet’s intentions.
What is the rhyming pattern of the ode “A Song in Spring”?
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Read the question that follows the poem. Guide students through the
process used to answer the question. Pause as students follow directions
and fill in missing information. Then discuss each response.
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Next, direct students to answer the related Try It question. Read the
question aloud with students. Then have students, individually or in pairs,
write the answer. Last, discuss the answer as a class.
Using the Interactive Whiteboard
Next to the last word of line 1, write an “A.”
Read the rest of the poem. Write an “A” next to each line that rhymes with line 1.
Find the next line of the poem that does not have an “A” next to it. Write a “B” next to
the last word of that line.
Read the rest of the poem. Write a “B” next to each line that rhymes with first line
marked with a “B.”
Repeat this process until all lines in the poem are marked with a letter.
ANSWER: The rhyme scheme of “A Song in Spring” is abaab baaba
TRY IT
.
Reread the poem to answer the question.
What are two qualities indicating that “A Song in Spring” is an ode?
The poem directly addresses the buds that appear in
spring and uses a lofty tone (e.g., the word bless).
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Create a T chart using the IWB. Label the left column “A” and the
right column “B.” In the left-hand part of the chart, list all of the
words that students labeled “A” (e.g., Spring, swing). In the right-hand
part of the chart, list words the students labeled “B” (e.g., forgetfulness,
bless). Point out that poems with rhyming lines do not always have to
include perfect rhymes, such as in Spring and swing. Have students
practice writing additional words that fit into the “A” (e.g., swim)
and “B” (e.g., miss) categories.
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Locate the first stanza of the poem.
Structural Features of Literature
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After Reading
Structural Features of Literature
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Modeled Instruction
AT A GLANCE
Read the passage on page 3 with students and guide them as they answer
the comprehension question that follows.
Modeled Instruction
STEP BY STEP
Read this poem. Then fill in the blanks to answer the question below.
“She’s Somewhere” by Richard Le Gallienne
Before Reading
She’s somewhere in the sunlight strong,
Her tears are in the falling rain,
She calls me in the wind’s soft song,
And with the flowers she comes again.
Tell students they will be reading a poem in which the poet speaks about a
woman who seems to have left his life. Ask students if, based only on that
information, they can infer the type of poem it probably is.
5 Yon bird is but her messenger,
The moon is but her silver car;
Yea! Sun and moon are sent by her,
And every wistful, waiting star.
During Reading
Read the poem aloud with students. Remind students to pay attention to
the poem’s stanzas, rhyme scheme, and meter.
What kind of poem is “She’s Somewhere,” and how can you tell?
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Read the question that follows the poem. Guide students through the
process used to answer the question. Pause as students follow directions
and fill in missing information. Then discuss each response.
Does the poem address its subject directly (“you”) or indirectly (“he,” “she,” or “it”)?
The poem addresses its subject indirectly—“she,” “her,” and so on.
Does the poem tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end? no
Does the poem have the correct number of lines for a sonnet? no
ANSWER: The poem “She’s Somewhere” is best described as a(n) elegy because
the poet writes about someone who is no longer there
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Next, direct students to answer the related Try It questions. Read each
question aloud with students. Then have students, individually or in pairs,
write the answers. Last, discuss the answers as a class.
Using the Interactive Whiteboard
Reread the poem to answer these questions.
What is the rhyme scheme of “She’s Somewhere”?
abab cdcd
What are some words you can use to describe the tone of “She’s
Somewhere”?
Responses will vary.
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Using the IWB, help students uncover the poem’s rhyme scheme by
first highlighting the words strong and song. Next, circle the words
rain and again, underline the words messenger and her, and draw
boxes around car and star.
TRY IT
.
Structural Features of Literature
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After Reading
Who or what is the poem about? a “she” who is not physically present
Structural Features of Literature
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Guided Practice
AT A GLANCE
Have each student read the excerpt of the poem on page 4. They will then
read the poem on page 5 and ultimately answer the multiple-choice
questions on page 6.
Guided Practice
Think About It
STEP BY STEP
Before Reading
Read this excerpt from a poem about a military leader named
Aeneas. It begins with Aeneas speaking to his war-weary men, who
seek a new home. Use each Think About It to guide your reading.
adapted from John Dryden’s translation of
Vergil’s The Aeneid
Point out the Think About It questions next to the passages. Explain to
students that these questions will help them understand the passages’
types and purposes. Tell students that they will compare the poems on
pages 5 and 6 to answer the multiple-choice questions on page 6.
What suggests that the
events of The Aeneid
take place in a world that
is at least partly mythic?
TIP: Tell students that The Aeneid was written by the ancient Roman
poet Vergil more than 2,000 years ago; it was originally in Latin.
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Have students read the poems independently, using the Think About It
questions to guide their reading.
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After Reading
Have students answer the multiple-choice questions that follow both
poems. Make sure students understand that they should provide details
from each passage to support their answers.
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If you didn’t already
know that The Aeneid
was a poem, would you
have been able to figure
it out from this reading?
Why or why not?
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Latium: Italy; Aeneas is one of the legendary founders of Rome.
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Point out the Hints. There is one for each question. Tell students that the
hints provide clues that will help them respond to the questions. Remind
students to look back at the poems.
What role does Aeneas
seem to play, both to
his men and in his
society generally?
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For the Pair/Share activity, have students discuss their answers with a
partner. Encourage students to share the details from the poems that they
used to support their answers.
Structural Features of Literature
Follow up with a whole-class discussion of answers and supporting details.
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During Reading
“Endure, and conquer! Jupiter will soon make
our past and present woes disappear.
With me, you survived the rocks of Scylla
and defied the monstrous Cyclops.
What worse things are there to fear?
Resume your courage and dismiss your worries,
The hour of pleasure will soon come when
Your sorrows will be past, as benefits of Fate.
Through various hazards and events, we move
To Latium1 and the realms foredoom’d by Jupiter.
We are now called to the seat
Where Trojan kingdoms once again may rise.
Endure the hardships of your present state;
Live, and reserve yourselves for better fate.”
These words he spoke, but spoke not from his heart;
His outward smiles concealed his inward worry.
The jolly crew, unmindful of the past,
set to making a bountiful meal.
Some stripped the skin; some portioned out the meat;
Some tended to the cooking fires.
Stretched on the grassy turf, they dined, relaxing and
Restoring their strength …
Structural Features of Literature
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Guided Practice
Mini-Lesson: Identifying Types of Poetry
1. On the board or interactive whiteboard, write a four-column
table. Label the columns “Elegy,” “Epic,” “Ode,” and “Sonnet.”
Guided Practice
2. Prepare a series of poems to read to students. Aim to have at
least one example for each type of poetry listed on the board.
Think About It
Read the poem. Use each Think About It to guide your reading.
Brennan on the Moor
3. Read each poem to students, taking care to give enough
information to help students identify the type of poetry.
Who might consider
Brennan to be a hero?
Would everyone in his
society feel this way, or
just some people?
4. List the title of each poem in the proper column. Discuss with
students how the content and the structure of each poem helped
them identify it.
’Tis of a brave young highwayman this story I will tell
His name was Willie Brennan and in Ireland he did dwell.
It was on the Kilwood Mountains he commenced his wild career
And many a wealthy nobleman before him shook with fear.
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Can you imagine putting
the lines of this poem to
music? Why or why not?
One day upon the highway, as Willie he went down
He met the Mayor of Cashell a mile outside the town.
The mayor he knew his features, he said: “Young man,” said he
“Your name is Willie Brennan, you must come along with me.”
And it’s Brennan on the moor, Brennan on the moor
Bold, brave and undaunted was young Brennan on the moor.
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And it’s Brennan on the moor, Brennan on the moor
Bold, brave and undaunted was young Brennan on the moor.
Now Brennan’s wife had gone to town, provisions for to buy
And when she saw her Willie, she commenced to weep and cry.
He said: “Hand to me that tenpenny,” as soon as Willie spoke
She handed him a blunderbuss from underneath her cloak.
The poet refers to himor herself at different
parts of the poem. Does
this also mean the poet
is expressing his or
her feelings?
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Now with this loaded blunderbuss, the truth I will unfold
He made the mayor to tremble, and he robbed him of his gold.
One hundred pounds was offered for his apprehension there
So he, with horse and saddle, to the mountains did repair.
And it’s Brennan on the moor, Brennan on the moor
Bold, brave and undaunted was young Brennan on the moor.
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And it’s Brennan on the moor, Brennan on the moor
Bold, brave and undaunted was young Brennan on the moor
And ’twas Brennan on the moor, Brennan on the moor
Bold, brave and undaunted was young Brennan on the moor.
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Now Brennan being an outlaw upon the mountains high
With cavalry and infantry, to take him they did try.
He laughed at them with scorn until at last, ’twas said
By a false-hearted woman he was cruelly betrayed.
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Structural Features of Literature
Structural Features of Literature
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Guided Practice
ANSWERS AND SUPPORTING DETAILS
FOR DISCUSSION
With the class, discuss each answer, the supporting details, and the
reasons that those details support the answer.
Guided Practice
1 Supporting Details: Only Aeneas founds a city, only Brennan is betrayed,
and only Aeneas travels far to reach home. Both poems, however,
concern men whom others consider heroic.
Hints
Do Aeneas and Brennan
play the same role in
these poems and their
societies? In what
ways are the two
men different?
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1 The topic of The Aeneid is similar to that of “Brennan on the Moor”
in that both poems tell stories about
A founders of great cities.
B people whom some consider heroic.
C leaders who are betrayed by their followers.
D travelers who journey long distances to reach home.
Supporting Details: Responses will vary.
What qualities do most
epics share? What
qualities do most
ballads share?
3 Supporting Details: Both The Aeneid and “Brennan on the Moor” possess
meter, lines, and tone. The correct answer choice notes that “Brennan
on the Moor” consists of rhyming couplets, whereas The Aeneid
does not.
2 Which of these correctly states what makes The Aeneid an epic and
“Brennan on the Moor” a ballad?
A The Aeneid speaks directly to the subject of the poem. “Brennan
on the Moor” expresses the author’s feelings about the subject.
B The Aeneid has lines that do not rhyme. “Brennan on the Moor”
tells the story of a popular hero.
C The Aeneid tells a story of a mythic hero. “Brennan on the
Moor” has a rhyming, song-like structure.
D The Aeneid tells a story about a popular hero. “Brennan on the
Moor” mourns a dead person.
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Supporting Details: Responses will vary.
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2 Supporting Details: Throughout the excerpt from The Aenid, the poet
presents Aeneas as a hero through such lines as “though his heart was
sick with anxiety. / He wore a confident look and kept his troubles to
himself.” “Brennan on the Moor,” on the other hand, uses such lines as
“And it’s Brennan on the moor, Brennan on the moor / Bold, brave and
undaunted was young Brennan on the moor” to create a steady, songlike rhythm.
Use the Hints to answer the questions below. Circle the correct
answers and provide supporting details from both poems.
If a poem doesn’t rhyme,
does that also mean it
has no meter? Are
rhyme and meter the
same thing?
3 What formal characteristic does “Brennan on the Moor” have that
The Aeneid lacks?
A couplets
B meter
C lines
D tone
Supporting Details: Responses will vary.
PAIR
SHARE
With your partner,
share and discuss
your answers and
supporting details.
Structural Features of Literature
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To assign students more practice on this
topic, please visit the Queue tab in i-Ready.
Structural Features of Literature
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