Poetry, Drama, and Prose

Featuring
Classic Nursery Rhymes
POETRY
 What Is Poetry?
• Poetry is an expressive form of writing. It allows the
author to share an idea or insight with others in a
meaningful way.

• Poetry is not written in sentences and paragraphs

like prose. Instead, It uses different structures that
make it interesting to read.
 Structural Elements of Poetry
• Verse – one line of poetry

• Stanza – group of verses

• Rhythm – beats or accented syllables

• Meter – pattern of beats or accented syllables

• Rhyme – syllables that sound similar

 Verses and Stanzas
Each line of poetry is called a verse. Verses are
grouped into stanzas.

Mary had a little lamb.

Its fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go.

How many verses are in the first stanza of “Mary Had a

Little Lamb”?

Right! This poem has four verses, or lines, per stanza.

 Verses and Stanzas
Mary had a little lamb. And so the teacher turned it out,
Its fleece was white as snow. But it still lingered near,
And everywhere that Mary went, And waited patiently about,
The lamb was sure to go. Till Mary did appear.

He followed her to school one day, “Why does the lamb love Mary so?”
Which was against the rule, The eager children cry.
It made the children laugh and play “Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know.”
To see a lamb at school. The teacher did reply.

How many stanzas are in “Mary Had a Little Lamb”?

Right! It has four stanzas.
 Rhythm
Rhythm means beat. Let’s find the beat in these lines of
poetry. Clap each stressed syllable as the poem is
read.
Mary had a little lamb.
Its fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go.
Now let’s highlight the accented syllables as we read
the poem aloud together.
You can see that every other syllable is accented. This
is the poem’s rhythm.
 Meter
Meter describes the arrangement of the rhythm.
Here you can see the meter for “Mary Had a Little
Lamb.”
Mary had a little lamb.
Its fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go.
How can you describe the meter of this poem?
The first line has four beats, the second line has three,
the third line has four, and the fourth line has three.
We’ll say it has a meter that is 4-3-4-3.
 Rhyme
Rhyme happens when the sound of the last syllable(s)
of a verse sound like the last syllable(s) of another
verse.
Mary had a little lamb. a
Its fleece was white as snow. b
And everywhere that Mary went c
The lamb was sure to go. b
Here, snow rhymes with go.
We give a letter to each verse. Rhyming words get the
same letter. This poem has an abcb rhyming pattern.
The b’s represent snow and go because they rhyme.
 More Practice
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, a
How I wonder what you are. a
Up above the world so high, b
Like a diamond in the sky. b
Clap out the rhythm.
Each verse has four beats.

What about the rhyming pattern?

Yes, star and are rhyme, and high and sky rhyme. The
pattern is aabb.
 More Practice
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.
How many beats are in each verse?
This poem’s meter is 4-3-4-3. The first and third lines have
four beats, and the second and fourth lines have three.
Can you name the rhyming pattern?
Right. It would be abcb. The second and fourth lines
rhyme, but the first and third do not.
PROSE
 What Is Prose?
• Prose is ordinary language.

• Prose is written in sentences and paragraphs that

may include dialogue.

• Most of the literature we read is written in prose.

 Structural Elements of Prose
• Sentence – group of words that express a complete
thought

• Paragraph - sentences that are grouped together

• Dialogue – words or sentences that quote what a

person has said
 Sentences
A sentence is a group of words that express a
complete thought.

As Mary was coming home, she heard a strange little

patter, patter, patter behind her.

A sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with

a period, question mark, or exclamation point.
 Paragraphs
Sentences that are grouped together are called a
paragraph.

As Mary was coming home, she heard a strange

little patter, patter, patter behind her. She looked back
and saw something white! Mary felt a wee bit afraid
and began to run, but her foot struck a rock, and
down she tumbled. Before she could get up,
something soft and wooly was rubbing gently against
her.

A paragraph is indented.
 Dialogue
Dialogue tells the speaker’s exact words.

“Oh, you darling lamb!” cried Mary, hugging it.

The lamb snuggled close.

Dialogue is also indented. The speaker’s words are

placed in quotation marks. A dialogue tag (cried
Mary) tells who said it.

Other text may be placed in a paragraph with

dialogue.
DRAMA
 What Is Drama?
• Drama can also be called a play.

• In its written form, a play includes a cast of

characters, dialogue, and stage directions.

• Drama may be organized in scenes and acts.

 Structural Elements of Drama
• Cast of Characters - list of characters in play

• Dialogue – words that tell the actors what to say

• Stage Directions – words that tell how the stage should

look or what the actors should do

• Setting - words that tell where and when a play takes

place

• Scenes - sections of the play with similar setting

• Acts - major sections of a long play

 Cast of Characters
A cast of characters is a list of the characters in a play.

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Cast of Characters

Mary
Lamb
Mother
Father
Teacher
 Dialogue
Dialogue tells the exact words the actors should say.

TEACHER: Mary, what is seven times three?

MARY: What?

The character’s name is placed at the beginning,

followed by a colon. The words that follow the colon
are spoken by the actor. No quotation marks are used.
 Stage Directions
Some stage directions tell what the actors should do.

TEACHER [sternly]: Mary, what is seven times three?

MARY [jumping up]: What?

Stage directions are often written in italics and

surrounded by parentheses or brackets.
 Setting
The author may include the setting (where and when
the play takes place) in the stage directions.

Scene 3: The Lamb Goes to School

[On a warm, sunny day, Mary gazes dreamily

out the window of the old schoolhouse.]
 Scenes and Acts
A play may be broken into scenes and acts.
Mary Had a Little Lamb

Act 1
Scene 1: Mary Meets the Lamb
Scene 2: Mary Washes the Lamb
Scene 3: The Lamb Goes to School
Scene 4: The Lamb’s Diet

Act 2
Scene 5: How the Lamb Wouldn’t Jump
Scene 6: The Lamb Goes Boating
Scene 7: The Lamb Wins a Prize
REVIEW
 Let’s Review
• Prose is ordinary language. It’s written in sentences
and paragraphs, and dialogue is placed in
quotation marks.
• Drama is a play. It may be organized in scenes and
acts. Dialogue is not placed in quotation marks;
instead, the character’s name is placed before the
words an actor should say. Stage directions provide
information about how the stage should look and
how actors should act.
• Poetry is expressive writing. It is written in verses and
stanzas. Poems are characterized by rhythm (beat)
and rhyme (syllables that sound alike).
 Structural Elements of Poetry
• Verse – one line of poetry

• Stanza – group of verses

• Rhythm – beats or accented syllables

• Meter – pattern of beats or accented syllables

• Rhyme – syllables that sound similar

 Structural Elements of Prose
• Sentence – group of words that express a complete
thought

• Paragraph - sentences that are grouped together

• Dialogue – words or sentences that quote what a

person has said
 Structural Elements of Drama
• Cast of Characters - list of characters in play

• Dialogue – words that tell the actors what to say

• Stage Directions – words that tell how the stage should

look or what the actors should do

• Setting - words that tell where and when a play takes

place

• Scenes - sections of the play with similar setting

• Acts - major sections of a long play