Words that Sound Pleasant
Completion requirements
Unit 3
What Does It Mean to Explore?
Reader's Notebook
Words that sound pleasing to the ear
Poetry is intended to be read aloud or heard.
Consider the poems and nursery rhymes you heard as a child.
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are.
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are.
Starlight, starbright
First star I see tonight.
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight.
First star I see tonight.
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight.
Repetition – poems repeat words or phrases (twinkle twinkle), and sometimes even letters (starlight, starbright, star) (alliteration)
Rhyme – poems often have the right rhyming word at the end of a line (are/star)
Rhythm – poems have a rhythm you can clap or snap your fingers to as you do music
When reading poems in this unit, listen to audio recordings or read them aloud as you study them.
- As you read, listen for words that rhyme and for a rhythm to which you can tap your fingers as you do for music.
- Listen for letter sounds that repeat (alliteration).
Many poets repeat phrases or words to focus on important ideas:
Example:
These lines are repeated to emphasize the speaker's excitement.
Example:
Look at the stars! Look, look up at the skies!
O look at all the fire-folk sitting in the air!
Gerald Manley Hopkins
O look at all the fire-folk sitting in the air!
Gerald Manley Hopkins
These lines are repeated to emphasize the speaker's excitement.
The repetition of the same sound at the end of lines of poetry is called end rhyme. Consider the words at the end of the lines in this poem.
The rhyme pattern in this poem is AA, BB, AA. The music or tune itself follows the same pattern as the lyrics ABA. Can you hear the bouncy rhythm or steady beat of the poem as you read or sing it aloud?
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
Twinkle twinkle little star A
How I wonder what you are. A
How I wonder what you are A
Up above the world so high B
Like a diamond in the sky B
Twinkle twinkle little star A
How I wonder what you are. A
The rhyme pattern in this poem is AA, BB, AA. The music or tune itself follows the same pattern as the lyrics ABA. Can you hear the bouncy rhythm or steady beat of the poem as you read or sing it aloud?
Alliteration is the repetition of the sound made by a consonant at the beginning of words. In the lines below, w, m and s are repeated.
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight.
Have the wish I wish tonight.
She should shun the shining sun.
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