METAPHOR
A metaphor is a figure of speech that lets the poet connect two different things to make a point. Metaphors don’t have to be based on facts. Stretching the truth brings an idea into sharper focus so the reader is sure to pay attention. In “Tent Pitching,” Sam calls the tent “a sturdy canvas cave.” By comparing the tent to a cave, Sam shows that he is confident in how they built it. “Provisioning” also has a metaphor.
ONOMATOPOEIA
Onomatopoeia is a word or phrase that lets the poet imitate a real sound. In “Rules for Eating S’mores,” all of the eating noises—slurp, chomp, lick, nibble, and gobble—are onomatopoeia. “Change of Plans,” “Dousing the Fire,” “By Lantern Light,” “Woodland Midnight Band,” and “Shadows Can’t Grab” also have onomatopoetic words and phrases.
PERSONIFICATION
Personification lets poets pretend that things or animals are humanlike. “Sleeping Bag Charm” and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Mighty Mars” are whole poems that use personification—they show Lucy talking to her sleeping bag and to Mars. Those are also poems of address. In “How to Build a Bonfire,” “wake a single small spark” is one line of personification within a narrative poem. Waking up is something normally done by a person or animal, not by a spark of fire.
REFRAIN
A refrain is a line or lines in a poem that show up more than once. It can stand alone or be part of a stanza. “Follow the Trail” has a refrain that is part of the rondel form, which includes these lines that repeat at the start, middle, and end of the poem: “One by one let’s follow the trail./Hike—Two—Three—Four.” “Sleeping Bag Charm,” “Song of the Beanie Weenie Barbecue,” “Goodbye, Last Night,” and “Woodland Midnight Band” also have refrains.
SIMILE
A simile is a way to describe something using the words like or as. To create a simile, the poet makes a comparison between two things that may not seem to be alike. It can be quite an exaggeration, as in this line from “Stick Together”: “The air feels gummy—like Super Glue.” The air doesn’t really feel like Super Glue, but comparing these two things is an interesting way to say that the air feels humid and sticky. “Sleeping Bag Charm,” “How to Build a Bonfire,” “By Lantern Light,” and “Tent Mates” each have a simile, too.
Poetic Forms and Stanza Patterns
Poetic forms and stanza patterns are used in a way similar to how Sam and Lucy use their road maps. Forms and stanzas help a poet move from the starting point of an idea to the ending point of a completed poem. Some forms and stanzas are quick and easy to follow, and others might take more time.
ALARM POEM
The job of an alarm poem is to alert someone to wake up or take action, just as an alarm would. In “Beware,” Lucy acts as the alarm when she thinks she hears a bear in the tent. Alarm poems don’t need to follow a specific rhythm or rhyme pattern.
AUBADE
An aubade features the sunrise and can be either joyful or sad. An aubade can rhyme, but it doesn’t have to, and it can take any form. In “Goodbye, Last Night,” Lucy is very happy to greet the sun as it rises. This poem is also a kyrielle.
BLANK VERSE VARIATION
Blank verse follows a rhythm pattern, but there isn’t end rhyme. “How to Build a Bonfire” is a variation of a blank verse poem. The third and fourth lines don’t have end rhyme. Instead, they follow the rhythm pattern set up in the first lines.
BLESSING POEM
A blessing poem lets the speaker give good wishes to someone or something. “Bedtime Blessing” is Grandpa’s lighthearted way of telling Lucy and Sam good night. Blessing poems may or may not rhyme or follow a set pattern.
CHANT POEM
As the title “Song of the Beanie Weenie Barbecue” suggests, a chant poem is a type of song. Instead of being set to music, though, a chant poem has a strong, catchy rhythm that lets people join in. Chant poems may have first been used for religious ceremonies. Today chant poems can be about any topic and don’t always rhyme.
CHARM POEM
A charm poem stems from wanting to make something better or to have a positive effect. A charm poem can be serious or upbeat and doesn’t have to follow a set pattern. “Sleeping Bag Charm” is Lucy’s cheerful way of trying to feel safe in the tent.
CINQUAIN
A cinquain is a stanza that has five lines. “Super Duper” is a cinquain that follows a twenty-two-syllable pattern created by the poet Adelaide Crapsey. Often the five lines form one long unrhymed sentence. The first line has two syllables, the second has four, then six, then eight, then back to two. “Rules for Eating S’mores” is a cinquain stanza of a different kind: It is a limerick.
CONCRETE POEM/SHAPE POEM
When a poet writes a poem in the shape of the topic, it’s known as a concrete poem. A concrete poem could be about anything and may rhyme, but it doesn’t have to. “Cannon Ball!” is a rhyming concrete poem. The words are rounded like a cannon ball (or a jumping swimmer). “How to Build a Bonfire” and “Dousing the Fire” are also poems that are shaped like their subjects.
CONFESSIONAL POEM
This form lets the speaker in the poem admit something. It could be about what someone did, feelings toward another person, or some other topic. In “Nighttime Critters,” Lucy confesses her camping fear. A confessional poem doesn’t have to rhyme or follow a special pattern.
CONFIDENCE POEM
A confidence poem is about determination or building up faith in someone. Lucy gives herself a pep talk in “Be Brave, Lucy.” This form could also be written so the speaker is helping someone else. It can be any length and may or may not rhyme.
COUNTING POEM
In a counting poem, the speaker will count. It’s up to the poet to decide which way to count, how high or low, and whether or not the poem will rhyme. It’s not as simple as listing numbers, though. A counting poem needs a purpose. In “Good to Go” Grandpa counts while he quickly gets ready to go camping with Lucy and Sam.
COUPLET
A couplet is small—it has just two lines. Poets usually use couplets to build longer poems. “Camp Ahoy” is a six-line poem made with three couplet stanzas. “Grandpa—Pros and Cons” is an example of a poem with two sets of couplets that have long lines. Many times couplets rhyme, but they don’t have to.
DRAMATIC POEM
In a dramatic poem, the speaker or speakers sound like they’re having a conversation. Dramatic poems can be for a single person or for several. When more than one character speaks, it’s almost like reading lines in a play. “Camp Ahoy” and “To Noises in the Night” are dramatic poems for one. “Wake-Up Call,” “Going Camping,” and “Shake Awake” are dramatic poems for two. “Change of Plans” and “Fishing Frenzy” are written for three voices.
EPIGRAM
An epigram is a very short poem. Often it’s no more than a single couplet. It usually rhymes and has a clever ending. “Opposite of Creepy” is an epigram that’s also an opposite poem.
EPIPHANY POEM
In an epiphany poem, the speaker has learned something new. The poem shows how the person’s way of thinking and behaving is changing. In “Shadows Can’t Grab,” Lucy is learning that she has been scared of things that aren’t so scary after all. Epiphany poems don’t have a set structure or rhythm and rhyme pattern.
FILL-IN-THE-BLANK POEM
This form includes a simple, fun test. The poet leaves off a word at the end of the poem and the reader gets to fill in the blank. For this poem to work, it needs to rhyme or have a very strong rhythm that gives a hint about the missing word. “Bedtime in the Forest” includes the hint word peep so readers might be able to guess the rhyming fill-in-the-blank word asleep.
FOURTEENER
The fourteener gets its name from the number of syllables in each very long line. Poets usually use seven iambic feet to make up the fourteen syllables. The fourteener in poetry has been used for many centuries. “Grandpa—Pros and Cons” is a fourteener with four lines.
FREE VERSE POEM
A free verse poem is a unique form—it doesn’t have any set patterns. Poets who write free verse decide line lengths, line breaks, the topic, and everything else. They may use poetic techniques, rhythm, and internal rhyme to express their thoughts. “By Lantern Light” is a free verse poem.
HAIKU
Haiku is a poem with three lines and seventeen syllables: Five syllables are in the first and third lines and seven syllables are in the second line. Many centuries ago, Japanese poets wrote the first haikus. Usually in this form the subject has some connection to nature. Although most haikus don’t rhyme, “Forest Glow” does have a gentle rhyme.
HOW-TO POEM
A how-to poem is just what it sounds like—the narrator shows or tells how to do something. In “Tent Pitching,” Sam explains how to put up a tent. “Bait Catchers” and “How to Build a Bonfire” are also how-to poems. This type of poem could take any form and doesn’t have to rhyme.
KYRIELLE
The kyrielle is a French form that’s written using quatrains. That’s a stanza with four lines. Each kyrielle line usually has eight syllables and the fourth line in each quatrain is a repeated line (a refrain). “Goodbye, Last Night” is a kyrielle. An example of a traditional eight-syllable kyrielle refrain appears in it: “Goodbye, last night. Hello, today.” This poem celebrates the sunrise, so it’s also an aubade.
LAMENT
A lament is a sad, serious poem. In it, the speaker expresses sorrow or longs for something lost. This type of poem can be any length and does not need to rhyme. “A Trick” is Lucy’s lament about her mom and dad not being able to go camping with her.
LETTER POEM
A letter poem is written in the form of a letter. This poem can be long or short and may or may not rhyme. “My Favorite Parts of Camping” is a rhyming letter poem.
LIMERICK
A limerick is a five-line rhyming poem. It has a set rhythm and rhyming pattern. The first, second, and fifth lines are longer, and their last words rhyme. The third and fourth lines are shorter and they rhyme at the end. Whether the subject is serious or lighthearted, limericks are quick and witty. “Rules for Eating S’mores” is a humorous limerick about eating a sticky dessert.
LIST POEM
A list poem is more than a random list of items. This form focuses on a specific subject and is put together with care. It may or may not rhyme and can be any length. In “Packing List,” Lucy names the items the family is taking on their camping trip. “Dousing the Fire” is a list poem that’s also a concrete poem.
LYRIC POEM
Long ago, lyric poems were sung to a tune played on a stringed instrument called a lyre. That’s how this form was named. Lyric poems no longer need to be accompanied by music, and they don’t need to rhyme. The lyric poem does have a musical, rhythmic quality. “Woodland Midnight Band” is a rhyming lyric poem that is also a serenade.
NARRATIVE POEM
In a narrative poem, the speaker describes what’s happening. Often in this type of poem, the speaker isn’t part of the action. In “How to Build a Bonfire,” Sam narrates and also shows how a bonfire is made. A narrative poem could include rhythm and rhyme, or could be a free verse poem.
OCTAVE/OCTET
An octave is a poem or a stanza in a poem with eight lines. Poets often use couplets or quatrains to form an octave. “Stick Together” has two quatrains of four lines each to make it an octave.
OPPOSITE POEM
An opposite poem makes a contrast between two things. It’s a form that was created by Richard Wilbur in the twentieth century. Opposite poems are written using rhyming couplets. They can be as many couplets long as the poet likes. In “Opposite of Creepy,” Lucy describes what comforts her at bedtime. Since this poem is very short, it’s also an epigram.
PARODY POEM
Writing a parody poem is a way to honor another poet. In this form, the poet chooses a few parts of an original poem to keep. The poet also decides what to change so that it’s not an exact copy of the original. “Song of the Beanie Weenie Barbecue” is a parody of a chant from the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. “Twinkle, Twinkle, Mighty Mars” is a parody of the nursery rhyme “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”
POEM OF ADDRESS
A poem of address lets the speaker talk to the subject of the poem. It’s usually a one-sided conversation, since the subject doesn’t normally reply. In “To Noises in the Night,” Lucy addresses spookiness, shadows, and strange noises. She talks to her sleeping bag in “Sleeping Bag Charm” and to the planet Mars in “Twinkle, Twinkle, Mighty Mars.” A poem of address can be short or long, and may or may not rhyme.
PUN POEM
A pun is a type of wordplay where one word or phrase is substituted for another. Depending on the words used, the result can be silly or more serious. In the pun poem “Race to the Lake,” Lucy says, “Three/Two/RUN,” instead of “Three/Two/One.”
QUATRAIN
You may already have an idea of what a quatrain is if you can count to four in a Romance language. It’s a grouping of four lines. They may stand alone or be used as stanzas within longer poems. Quatrain comes from the French word for “four,” quatre. “The Walls of Our Tent,” “Tent Mates,” and “Fishing Skills” are rhyming quatrains with different rhythm patterns and line lengths.
REPRISE POEM
A reprise poem is connected to a poem found earlier in a story. “Tear Down” is a reprise of the first Gone Camping poem, “Provisioning.” These two poems are linked by the same three-line tercet stanza and rhythm pattern. Since the characters are different at the end of a story, the words in a reprise poem reflect those changes.
RECIPE POEM
A recipe poem lists ingredients to make something. In that way, it’s a type of list poem. Recipe poems can be funny or serious and don’t need to rhyme. In “Song of the Beanie Weenie Barbecue,” Lucy gives ingredients and instructions for making beanie weenies.
RONDEL
A rondel is a French form with only two sets of rhymes. It usually has fourteen lines and a specific rhyme pattern. The first two lines become a refrain—they are repeated in the middle and at the end of the poem. In “Follow the Trail,” the repeated lines are “One by one let’s follow the trail./Hike—Two—Three—Four.” Once the repeated lines are plugged in, the poet can build the rest of the poem with two quatrains. “Follow the Trail” is a rondel for two, since Lucy and Sam both speak.
RONDELET
The rondelet is related to the rondel. It also has two rhyming sounds and a refrain. It’s much smaller, though, with just seven lines (a septet stanza). In “The Woods Ahead,” line one is two feet long and is repeated in lines three and seven. The other four lines each have four feet. Line four rhymes with the refrain, and the remaining lines rhyme with each other.
SEPTET
A septet is a poem of seven lines. It can also be a seven-line stanza within a poem. “The Woods Ahead” is a septet with the specific rhythm and rhyme patterns that create a rondelet. Septets don’t always rhyme or follow a set rhythm pattern.
SERENADE
A serenade is a song that’s played outside after dark. As a poem, the words themselves are songlike and don’t need a melody for the “music” to be heard. Serenades don’t have to rhyme, but to work best, they need a strong rhythm. In “Woodland Midnight Band,” some of the serenade music comes fr and the creatures living there. This is also a the forest ic poem.
SESTET/SEXTET
A sestet is a poem with six lines, or a six-line stanza within a bigger poem. Like other types of stanzas, the sestet doesn’t have specific patterns that need to be followed. “Shore Breakfast” and “A Trick” are both sestets, but each has its own unique rhyme and rhythm pattern.
TERCET/TRIPLET
A tercet or triplet is a three-line poem or stanza. The three lines often rhyme, but it’s not required. “Provisioning,” “Good to Go,” and “Tear Down” have rhyming tercet stanzas. “Forest Glow” is a ter
cet poem with the specific syllable count that makes it a haiku.
TONGUE TWISTER
Calling your poem a tongue twister gives the reader a clue that it might be tricky to read out loud. In this poem, carefully chosen sounds, words, and phrases challenge the reader to read smoothly. The faster the poem is read, the tougher it can become. A tongue twister wouldn’t need to rhyme or follow a specific form to be effective. “Fishing Frenzy” is a rhyming tongue twister for three readers.
WHAT-IF
In a what-if poem, the speaker makes guesses about a situation. Using this form, the poet can exaggerate a worry or hope about something that isn’t happening. This poem can take any form and may or may not rhyme. In the poem “If a Critter Creeps In,” Lucy imagines the creatures that could get into the tent.
WISH POEM
In a wish poem, the speaker really wants something and makes a wish to try and get it. In “Twinkle, Twinkle, Mighty Mars,” Lucy tells her wish to Mars. This is also a poem of address and a parody of the nursery rhyme “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Wish poems don’t have to include a set rhythm or rhyme, and they can be on any subject.
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