How can we make poetry more engaging for our upper elementary students? In this blog post, I will share ideas and resources to teach meter and rhythm in poetry with fun activities to spark your students’ interest and creativity.
Start by getting the handout. It includes printables and links to all the activities discussed in this post.
How to Teach Meter and Rhythm in Poetry
What are Meter and Rhythm?
Before we dive into the activities, let’s review some basic concepts. The meter is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry or music. For example, in the song “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” the syllables “row,” “your,” and “boat” are stressed, while the others are unstressed. This pattern creates a regular meter that sounds like “da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM.”
Rhythm is how the poem or song flows and sounds based on the meter, the rhyme scheme, the punctuation, and the tone. For example, in the same song, the rhythm is fast and bouncy, creating a cheerful mood.
Meter and rhythm are essential elements of poetry because they affect how we read, hear, and feel the poem. They can also help us understand the meaning and message of the poem. For example, a poem with a slow and steady rhythm may convey a sense of calmness or seriousness, while a fast and irregular rhythm may bring a sense of excitement or chaos.
Teaching Meter and Rhythm in Poetry Lesson
Activity #1: Hook
To hook your students’ attention and curiosity, show them this humorous video clip of Carol Burnett and Jim Nabors singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” as a round. A round is when different singers start the same song at other times and create harmony.
After showing the clip, ask your students to share their observations and opinions about the song’s flow.
- Do they notice that some words are stressed, and others are not?
- Is the song slow or fast?
- How does the “bouncy” sound make them feel? [Notice the stressed sounds resemble the movement of a boat floating down the stream.]
Don’t get into specifics about the meter and rhythm of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” in this hook activity. After completing the video lesson below, students will analyze this song again for specifics.
Activity #2: Video Lesson
Provide students with an organizer, which can be found in the “Student Packet” or accessed online. Next, have your students watch this video lesson on meter and rhythm in poetry. The video explains meter and rhythm, how to identify them in poems, and why they matter. The video also provides examples of different types of meter and rhythm from famous poems.
Depending on the needs of your students, choose the appropriate version of the organizer. Students can complete the organizer while watching the video lesson, ensuring active participation and note-taking.
Activity #3: Analyzing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
Now that your students have learned about meter and rhythm in poetry have them apply their knowledge to analyze “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” Remind them that this song has a simple and regular meter and rhythm, which makes it easy to sing as a round.
Ask your students to think of other songs or poems that have a similar or different meter and rhythm. Have them write down their examples on a separate paper or Google Docs sheet.
Activity #4: Poetry Jigsaw
For this activity, you must print cards with the first lines of eight poems written across two cards each.
The poems are:
- “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost
- “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
- “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll
- “If” by Rudyard Kipling
- “The Owl and the Pussycat” by Edward Lear
- “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost
- “The Tyger” by William Blake
- “Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer
Cut the cards apart and distribute them randomly among the students. You may need students to work with a partner, as there are 16 cards.
Next, instruct students to find a partner(s) with lines with the same meter or rhythm. Once students find their match, have them discuss the meter and rhythm of their poem.
Activity #5: Poetry Sorting
For this activity, you must print out these three sets of cards with four poems each.
The sets are:
- Set 1 – Regular/Irregular
- Set 2 – Fast/Slow
- Set 3 – Simple/Complex
Cut the cards apart and have students work with one set at a time. Have them sort each collection of poems into two stacks based on their meter and rhythm.
Cut the cards apart and distribute them randomly among the students. You may need students to work with a partner, as there are 16 cards.
Next, instruct students to find a partner(s) with lines with the same meter or rhythm. Once students find their match, have them discuss the meter and rhythm of their poem.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post and found some helpful ideas and resources for teaching meter and rhythm in poetry with fun activities. Using these activities, you can help your students develop their communication skills, appreciate the beauty and diversity of poetry, and express their creativity and voice.
Happy teaching!!
