Poetry Elements — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
Imagery only describes things you can see.
Corrected: Imagery describes things you can sense in many ways.
Limiting imagery to sight is inaccurate; the term includes sound, smell, taste, and touch as well as visual details.
2. Fix the sentence:
The poem rhymes ABAB, so lines 1 and 2 rhyme together.
Corrected: The poem rhymes ABAB, so lines 1 and 3 rhyme together.
An ABAB scheme means line 1 matches line 3 and line 2 matches line 4, not consecutive lines.
3. Fix the sentence:
Sensory words in a poem creates strong pictures.
Corrected: Sensory words in a poem create strong pictures.
The subject words is plural, so the verb must be create rather than the singular form creates here.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. If only the second and fourth lines rhyme, the scheme is ABCB.
Unrhymed lines get fresh letters A and C while the matching pair uses B twice, producing the ABCB label.
2. Pairs of back-to-back rhymes like sun/fun, day/play form AABB.
AABB stacks two rhyming couplets; each new sound uses the next letter, doubled for consecutive matches.
3. Alternating end rhymes form the ABAB scheme.
ABAB alternates two rhymes, so odd lines share letter A and even lines share letter B in regular rotation.
4. The phrase "crunchy red apple" appeals to taste and sight.
Crunchy suggests sound and feel while red is visual, so the phrase combines taste with sight imagery.
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.
1. How would you label cat/dog/hat/log as a rhyme scheme?
Sample answer: Cat rhymes with hat, and dog rhymes with log, so the scheme alternates and is labeled ABAB.
Because cat-hat and dog-log alternate, odd lines share letter A and even lines share letter B, giving ABAB.
2. Give an example of imagery and the sense it appeals to.
Sample answer: The phrase "buttery popcorn smell filled the room" appeals to smell and taste, both strong senses.
Strong imagery names a concrete detail and clearly connects to a particular sense, making the description memorable.