4.10 More Patterns for Poems
Check It Out!
Count the syllables:
Burs / ting / in / bright / hues (5)
Spla/shing / co/lours / all / a / bout (7)
Au/tumn / leaves / de / scend. (5)
Now try one about a mouse.
Close your eyes and picture in your mind a mouse holding some cheese between its little paws. Picture the mouse chewing. Notice its full cheeks. Can you describe this picture in seventeen syllables? Three lines with syllable counts of 5, 7, 5?
Take a look at this haiku:
LINE ONE: 5 syllables Lit/tle / spot/ted / mouse
LINE TWO: 7 syllables Nibb / ling / on / your / chees / y / snack
LINE THREE: 5 syllables Cheeks / bulg / ing / as / you / chew (Oops! This has six syllables.)
Line three has too many syllables. We need to get this line down to five syllables. In your Learning Guide, complete #5 to try to write a third line for this haiku that has only five syllables. Then, return to this lesson.
