Forms of Poetry and Performance · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Poems come in different forms

English · Reading Comprehension · ages 7-10
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. When you perform a poem out loud, what should your voice match?

    • The number of lines in the poem
    • The number of syllables in each line
    • The feeling of the poem

  2. Which form of poetry tells a story with characters and events?

    • Free verse
    • Narrative poetry
    • Haiku

  3. Free verse poems always have a regular rhyme and rhythm.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. A haiku has three lines. How many syllables does the first line have?

    575
    • 5
    • 7
    • 3

  5. Read this poem: 'The wind blows soft, the grass bends low, no rhyme, just feelings flow.' What form is this most likely?

    • Haiku
    • Free verse
    • Narrative poetry

  6. Poppy performs her poem with her eyes on the paper the whole time. What could she change?

    • Read the whole poem twice
    • Hold the paper up in front of her face
    • Look up at her listeners sometimes

  7. Finish the rhyme: 'A frog sat down beside the log, and all the field was full of ___.' Which word keeps the rhyme?

    • mist
    • grass
    • fog

  8. Ravi is reading a poem slowly and softly, with long pauses. Which poem is he most likely reading?

    • A poem counting down to a rocket launch
    • A poem about missing a friend who moved away
    • A funny poem about a sneezing elephant

  9. Nell wants her poem to sound exciting, so she shouts every single word. What is a better plan?

    • Shout the words even louder
    • Read every word at the same flat volume
    • Read a bit faster and lift her voice on the words that matter most

  10. Kai wants a haiku. He writes 'Frost on the window' with 5 syllables, then 'the cat watches' with 4, then 'a bird in the tree' with 5. Which line breaks the haiku pattern?

    • The opening line
    • The middle line
    • The closing line
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Poems come in different forms W1-mt_gR5_n99Ntt-s1

  1. The feeling of the poem · Your voice is how listeners hear the feeling, so you match it to the mood.
  2. Narrative poetry · Narrative poetry has a plot and characters, like a story.
  3. False · Free verse doesn't follow a regular rhyme or rhythm; it flows more like natural speech.
  4. 5 · A haiku always starts with a line of 5 syllables.
  5. Free verse · It doesn't rhyme and doesn't tell a story, so it's free verse.
  6. Look up at her listeners sometimes · Looking up now and then keeps the listeners with you.
  7. fog · Fog ends with the same sound as log, so the rhyme carries on.
  8. A poem about missing a friend who moved away · A slow, soft voice with long pauses is how you read a sad or gentle poem.
  9. Read a bit faster and lift her voice on the words that matter most · Excitement comes from speeding up and lifting the important words. If every word is shouted, none of them stands out.
  10. The middle line · The middle line of a haiku needs 7 syllables, and 'the cat watches' has only 4.
Worksheet · LightMySky