Poetry

Poetry is a fun way to use words. A poem can be short or long. Some poems rhyme, and some do not. Poets pick their words with care. They want the words to sound nice and share big feelings. Poems can make you laugh, think, or feel happy. People have written poems for thousands of years.

What Makes a Poem

Poems are not like stories in a book. They often have short lines. Many poems have a beat, like a drum. This beat is called rhythm. Some poems rhyme, which means words end with the same sound, like cat and hat. Poems can also use words that sound like noises, such as buzz or pop. Poets try to make each word count.

Kinds of Poems

There are many kinds of poems. A haiku is a short poem with just three lines. A limerick is a funny poem with five lines. A lullaby is a soft poem that helps babies sleep. Nursery rhymes are poems for kids, like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. You can even write a poem about your pet, your lunch, or a rainy day.

Fun Facts

• The oldest poem we know is more than 4,000 years old.
• A haiku from Japan has only 17 syllables in all.
• April is called National Poetry Month in the United States.

Did You Know?

Some rappers are a lot like poets! They use rhyme and rhythm to tell stories with their words.