Poetry Madness: Elite 8, Game 1

Now that you have read through all of the poems and chosen a winner to advance to the Elite 8, the pressure has mounted. 

Read the winners of Game 1 and Game 3.
Your comment must include three paragraphs about the following:

1. Which poem's meaning is more important to you? 
2. What personal connection can you make? 
3. Which poet's craft do you enjoy more? Be sure to give examples.

• Poet's craft can include the following:

• repetition, imagery, personification, rhyme, alliteration, couplets, onomatopoeia, simile, metaphor, etc.

Poetry Madness: Game 8

Read Game 8 poems. Answer each question below. Remember to explain WHY you chose the winner based on poet's craft (rhyme, line breaks, punctuation, simile/metaphor, word choice, repetition) AND your personal connection to the meaning. Don't forget to write with M.I.N.T.S.!

Your post needs to include the following:

1. What is the meaning of the first poem? (Summarize in one sentence)

2. What is the meaning of the second poem? (Summarize in one sentence)

3. Based on the criteria, which poem did you choose and WHY? (Use examples writer's craft to support your answer!)

Here is an example of proficient writing:

The first poem, called “Some One,” is about someone who came knocking on somebody else’s door, and when he went to answer it, no one was there. The emotion is mysterious because he will never know who was knocking on his door.


The second poem, called “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me,” is a good poem about a girl telling someone that she is not scared of anything. The emotion is is happy because she is never scared of anything.


I will choose ”Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” because it is very deep and also much better than “Some One.” It also has a very good rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme is AAB. It also has very good personification. The personification is “Dragons running and going wild.” I think “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” is a very good poem.

Poetry Madness: Game 7

Read Game 7 poems. Answer each question below. Remember to explain WHY you chose the winner based on poet's craft (rhyme, line breaks, punctuation, simile/metaphor, word choice, repetition) AND your personal connection to the meaning. Don't forget to write with M.I.N.T.S.!

Your post needs to include the following:
1. What is the meaning of the first poem? (Summarize in one sentence)

2. What is the meaning of the second poem? (Summarize in one sentence)

3. Based on the criteria, which poem did you choose and WHY?

Here is an example of a proficient blog post:
The poem,”Do You Carrot All For Me,” is about a person writing a love note and instead of saying do you care for me they said do you carrot for me.  The mood of this poem is silly and romantic. The meaning of this poem is a love poem can be as creative as you want it to be.

The next poem,”The Castle in the Fire,” by Mary Jane Carter, is about a dragon guarding the princess because she got captured, and then comes a knight saves the lovely princess. The mood of this poem is serious and romantic. The meaning of this poem is that the good guys always win. 

I choose ”The Castle in the Fire” because I like the story better. Also, I like the rhyme scheme, ABCB. Finally, there is imagery. For example, it says ,”The back log crashed in two.” That is why ”The Castle in the Fire” is a clear winner. 

Poetry Madness: Game 6

Read the poems for Game 6. Answer each question below. Remember to explain WHY you chose the winner based on poet's craft (rhyme, line breaks, punctuation, simile/metaphor, word choice, repetition) AND your personal connection to the meaning. Don't forget to write with M.I.N.T.S.!


Your post needs to include the following:
1. What is the meaning of the first poem? (Summarize in one sentence)

2. What is the meaning of the second poem? (Summarize in one sentence)

3. Based on the criteria, which poem did you choose and WHY?

 ***Please tell me everything you think, but use your best writing. 

Here is an example of an advanced/proficient blog post:

The poem,”This Is Just to Say,” by William Carlos Williams, is an apology by the author about eating someone’s plums. The mood is humorous and the poem is very ridiculous. It is teaching people a lesson to not touch or eat other people’s things without asking.

The poem,”Choosing Shoes,” by Frida Wolfe, is about a person who is trying to choose the perfect show but can’t decide on a pair. The poem doesn’t really have a mood but it is teaching us that nothing is perfect like everything else.

I chose,”Choosing Shoes,” as the winner because I liked how it showed an example that everything is not perfect because the person couldn’t find the perfect shoes. I thought that was very interesting how the author choose shoes as an example. Anyhow, I liked the rhyme scheme (AAAB) because it went perfectly with the poem. It also had a simile when it said,”Stump-along-like-that shoes.” This poem should definitely be the winner.

Poetry Madness: Game 5

Read Game 5 poems. Answer each question below. Remember to explain WHY you chose the winner based on poet's craft (rhyme, line breaks, punctuation, simile/metaphor, word choice, repetition) AND your personal connection to the meaning. Don't forget to write with M.I.N.T.S.!

Your post needs to include the following:
1. What is the meaning of the first poem? (Summarize in one sentence)

2. What is the meaning of the second poem? (Summarize in one sentence)

3. Based on the criteria, which poem did you choose and WHY?

 ***Please tell me everything you think, but use your best writing. 

Here is an example of proficient writing:

The poem, “Who Has Seen the Wind?” by Christina Rossetti, is about how the wind passes. Nobody can actually see the wind, but you can feel it. The mood is calm because of the soft wind. This reminds me of when you are on a boat, the wind feels like it is compelling you away. The lesson is to like the wind, the wind can melt your bad thoughts away. It is like a dancer on a stage. Just plain beautiful! 

The poem, “If~,” by Rudyard Kipling, is about if things happen will you show grace. The mood is powerful, because if you don’t then bad things will happen. This reminds me of real life. If you feel useless, then people will treat you like that. The lesson is to believe in yourself, trust others, and show kindness. The person is talking to a young boy.

I really just have to choose “Who Has Seen the Wind?” It shows personification like, “but when the leaves hang trembling,” that wouldn’t actually happen. The poem also uses rhyme scheme of ABCC. This poem makes me feel very peaceful.

Poetry Madness: Game 4

Read Game 4 poems, If and Who Has Seen the Wind. Answer each question below. Remember to explain WHY you chose the winner based on poet's craft (rhyme, line breaks, punctuation, simile/metaphor, word choice, repetition) AND your personal connection to the meaning. Don't forget to write with M.I.N.T.S.!

Your post needs to include the following:
1. What is the meaning of the first poem? (Summarize in one sentence)

2. What is the meaning of the second poem? (Summarize in one sentence)

3. Based on the criteria, which poem did you choose and WHY?

 ***Please tell me everything you think, but use your best writing. 

Here is an example of proficient writing:

The first poem, “The Eagle,” by Lord, Alfred Tennyson, is about an eagle that is hunting, and he jumps off a crag into the water to get a fish. It is a powerful poem which shows the eagle as king of the skies.

The second poem, “Casey at Bat,” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, is about a baseball star that is over-confident. He lets down his team when they need him to win a game. The mood of the poem changes from the fans starting out hopeless, then hopeful when Casey comes to bat. Then  the mood shifts to anger and blame at the umpire, until finally ending in defeat.

I chose the poem “Casey at Bat” because I like baseball.The author uses a rhyme scheme of AABB. The author also uses a simile to emphasize the volume of the crowd’s roar. He  writes the roar is "like the beating of the storm waves on a stern and distant shore." This poem is a definite winner!