Sick
By Shel Silverstein (1) “I cannot go to school today,” (A) (2) Said little Peggy ann McKay. (A) (3) “I have the measles and the mumps, (B) (4) A gash, a rash and purple bumps. (B) (5) My mouth is wet, my throat is dry, (C) (6) I’m going blind in my right eye. (C) (7) My tonsils are as big as rocks, (D) (8) I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox (D) (9) And there’s one more - that’s seventeen, (E) (10) And don’t you think my face looks green? (E) (11) My leg is cut, my eyes are blue - (F) (12) It might be instamatic flu. (F) (13) I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke, (G) (14) I’m sure that my left leg is broke - (G) (15) My hip hurts when i move my chin, (H) (16) My belly button’s caving in, (H) (17) My back is wrenched, my ankle’s sprained, (I) (18) My ‘pendix pains each time it rains. (I) (19) My nose is cold, my toes are numb, (J) (20) I have a sliver in my thumb. (J) |
Prickled Pickles Don’t Smile
By Nikki Giovanni (1) Never tickle, (A) (2) A prickled pickle (A) (3) ‘Cause prickled pickles (B) (4) Don’t smile (C) (5) Never goad (D) (6) A loaded toad (D) (7) When he has to walk (E) (8) A whole mile (C) (9) Froggies go courting (F) (10) With weather reporting (F) (11) That indicates (G) (12) There are no snows (H) (13) But always remember (I) (14) The month of December (I) (15) Is very hard (J) (16) On your nose (H) |
One of the best parts of poetry is the freedom to play around with sound. One way poets experiment with sound is by rhyming. Now, not all poetry has to rhyme and not all rhyming in poetry is the same. Poets use something called "rhyme scheme" to talk about the rhyme pattern present in a poem. In "Prickled Pickles Don't Smile," Niki Giovanni uses a rather interesting rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme for that poem is AABC DDEC FFGH IIJH.
How to create a rhyme scheme for a poem: Creating a rhyme scheme is fairly easy if you (1) can identify words that rhyme and (2) know your ABCs. You always begin with "A." Notice how I put an "A" at the end of both lines 1 and 2? The first line in a poem will be represented with an A. Notice how both poems begin with A and continue through the alphabet until the poem ends? What is "near rhyme"?: Near rhyme is when a poet uses words that sound similar but do not rhyme perfectly. Near rhyme can also be referred to as "slant rhyme" or "half rhyme." An example of near rhyme can be found in "Sick" by Shel Silverstein. Notice the poet uses "rains" to complete a near rhyme with "sprained"? What are internal rhyme and end rhyme?: Internal rhyme is rhyming that can be found within the line. End rhyme can be found at the end of the line. Both poems to the left primarily use end rhyme. Look at line 18 in "Sick." Notice the underline words? Here Silverstein uses internal rhyme when he uses "pains" and "rains" in the same line. |
Practice: Choose two songs and write the rhyme scheme
1. Mentor
For Robert Francis by Timothy Murphy Had I known, only known when I lived so near, I'd have gone, gladly gone foregoing my fear of the wholly grown and the nearly great. But I learned alone, so I learned too late. 2. Do not go gentle into that good night
Dylan Thomas Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night. Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. |
3. Sympathy
Paul Laurence Dunbar I know what the caged bird feels, alas! When the sun is bright on the upland slopes; When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass And the river flows like a stream of glass; When the bird sing and the first bud opes, And the faint perfume from its chalice steals- I know what the caged bird feels! I know why the caged bird beats his wing Till its blood is red on the cruel bars; For he must fly back to his perch and cling When he fain would be on the bough a-swing; And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars And they pulse again with a keener sting- I know why he beats his wing! I know why the caged bird sings, ah me, When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore- When he beats his bars and would be free; It is not a carol of joy or glee, But a prayer that he sends from his deep heart’s core, But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings- I know why the caged bird sings! |
4. Today is Very Boring
By Jack Prelutsky Today is very boring, It’s a very boring day, There is nothing much to look at, There is nothing much to say, There’s a peacock on my sneakers, There’s a penguin on my head, There’s a dormouse on my doorstep, I am going back to bed. Today is very boring, It is boring through and through, There is absolutely nothing that I think I want to do, I see giant riding rhinos, And ogre with a sword, There’s a dragon blowing smoke rings, I am positively bored. Today is very boring, I can hardly help but yawn, There’s a flying saucer landing In the middle of my lawn A volcano just erupted Less than half a mile away, And I think I felt an earthquake, It’s a very boring day. |