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Poems for 4th Graders

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Original poems in many forms, with questions on stanzas, rhyme, beats, the speaker, and theme.

Download the poems for 4th graders worksheets

Parts of a poem

A chart that explains line, stanza, verse, rhyme, rhythm, meter, speaker, and refrain, and a page to practice telling poems, prose, and drama apart.

  • Preview of the printable “Poem, Prose, or Drama?” worksheet: telling poems, prose, and drama apart by their parts: verse and stanzas, sentences and paragraphs, cast and stage directionsView all 2 pages

    Poem, Prose, or Drama?

    Telling poems, prose, and drama apart by their parts: verse and stanzas, sentences and paragraphs, cast and stage directions

    Answer key on page 2

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    2 pages51 KB

  • Preview of the printable “Parts of a poem” worksheet: knowing the parts of a poem: line, stanza, verse, rhyme, rhythm, meter, speaker, and refrainView larger

    Parts of a poem

    Knowing the parts of a poem: line, stanza, verse, rhyme, rhythm, meter, speaker, and refrain

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    1 page35 KB

Poems with questions

Original poems in many forms, each with questions about how it is built, what it means, and an answer key.

Write your own poem

A planning page that helps children gather details and a comparison, then write a poem in stanzas.

  • Preview of the printable “Write your own poem” worksheet: planning and writing an original poem with sensory details, a comparison, and stanzasView larger

    Write your own poem

    Planning and writing an original poem with sensory details, a comparison, and stanzas

    US LetterPDFA4PDF

    1 page29 KB

Print at 100% (actual size) for the cleanest tracing lines.

About these poems for 4th graders worksheets

A poem shares a feeling, a picture, or a story in a few carefully chosen words. Poems are written in lines, and the lines are grouped into stanzas, the way sentences are grouped into paragraphs in a story. Many poems use rhyme (words that end with the same sound, like sound and ground) and rhythm, the beat you hear when you read aloud. When the beat follows a pattern, that pattern is called meter: you can count the strong beats in each line, as in "the SUN came UP, the BIRDS aWOKE."

In 4th grade, children learn to talk about these parts of a poem and to explain how a poem is different from prose (stories and articles written in sentences and paragraphs) and drama (plays, with a cast of characters and stage directions). They also look for the speaker, the voice talking in the poem, and the theme, the message the poem leaves you with.

Every poem here is original and written for 9 and 10 year olds: a rhyming poem about Saturday pancakes, a free verse poem about jumping into the deep end, a story poem about a big moment in a baseball game, a list poem, a set of haiku, silly limericks, and a poem with a refrain about moving to a new house. Each one has questions and an answer key.

Standards

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.5Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3.DUse concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.5.AExplain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.

How to use them

  1. Start with the Parts of a Poem chart, and read it together.
  2. Read each poem aloud before answering the questions. Rhyme and rhythm are easier to hear than to see.
  3. Clap or tap the strong beats in a line to count them.
  4. Finish by writing a poem of your own with the planning page.

Teaching tips

  • Read a poem twice: once for fun, and once slowly to notice how it is built.
  • Ask "Who is talking?" to find the speaker. It is not always the poet.
  • For theme, look closely at the last stanza. Poets often save the big idea for the end.
  • Let children perform a poem for the family. Reading aloud builds fluency and confidence.

Questions teachers and parents ask

What kinds of poems are included?

Rhyming poems in four-line stanzas, free verse, a narrative poem that tells a story, a list poem, haiku, limericks, and a poem with a repeated refrain.

What is the difference between rhythm and meter?

Rhythm is the beat you hear when you read a poem aloud. Meter is a rhythm that follows a regular pattern, such as four strong beats in every line.

What is the difference between a poem, prose, and drama?

A poem is written in lines and stanzas. Prose is written in sentences and paragraphs, like stories and articles. A drama is a play, with a cast of characters, lines for each character to speak, and stage directions.

Are the poems original?

Yes. Every poem was written for this site, so you can print and copy them for your class or family.