Grade by Grade
D. Composition: Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts · Writing for Real Audiences

Voice and Style: Imagery, Sound and Poetry

D2.3 D2.1 A1.2About 45 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can use imagery (sensory details) and sound devices like onomatopoeia and repetition.
  • I can write a diamante poem and a free verse poem, using line breaks on purpose.
  • I can choose a tone that fits my form and genre, and make my writing sound like me.

Words to know

voice
The personality of a writer that comes through in their words.
tone
The writer's attitude or feeling about the topic, like playful, serious or excited.
imagery
Words that create pictures in the reader's mind using the five senses.
onomatopoeia
A word that sounds like the sound it names, like crunch or buzz.
repetition
Repeating a word or line on purpose to make it stand out.
line break
Where a line of a poem ends. Poets choose line breaks to create pauses or emphasis.
diamante
A seven-line, diamond-shaped poem that often moves from one topic to its opposite.

Remember from Grade 4

In Grade 4 you used metaphor, personification, alliteration and hyperbole, chose a tone that fit your audience, and wrote haiku and free verse poems.

In Grade 5 you will add imagery and sound devices, use line breaks on purpose, and write a diamante. Most of all, you'll work on voice: writing that sounds like you.

Imagery: writing for the five senses

Imagery helps readers see, hear, smell, taste and feel your writing.

  • Sight: The northern lights rippled green across the sky.
  • Sound: Skates scraped and hissed on the ice.
  • Smell: The kitchen smelled of cinnamon and warm bread.
  • Taste: The maple taffy was sticky and sweet.
  • Touch: My scarf was stiff with frozen breath.
Green northern lights swirling in a starry sky above a snowy frozen lake and spruce trees.
The northern lights rippled green across the sky. What sight, sound or touch words would you use to describe this scene? AI-generated image
seeThe northern lightsrippled green.hearSkates scrapedand hissed.smellcinnamon andwarm breadtastesticky, sweetmaple taffytouchscarf stiff withfrozen breath
Imagery writes for all five senses. Each example comes from the lesson.

Sound devices

  • Onomatopoeia: words that sound like their meaning: crunch, splash, sizzle, honk, whoosh.
  • Repetition: repeating a word or line for effect: Snow on the roof, snow on the road, snow on my eyelashes.
  • Rhythm: the beat of the words when read aloud.
  • Alliteration (from Grade 4): the same starting sound: slippery, slushy sidewalks.
ToneWord choices that create itExample
Playfulsilly sounds, exclamation marks, jokesPlop! The snowball landed right on Dad's hat!
Seriouscareful, calm, formal wordsWe gather in silence to remember.
Peacefulsoft sounds, slow rhythmThe lake lies still beneath the moon.
Excitedshort sentences, strong verbsGoal! The crowd roared. We jumped.
Tone comes from word choice, sentence length and sound.
Worked example

Let's write a diamante

A diamante has 7 lines in a diamond shape and moves from one topic to its opposite. Pattern: 1 noun / 2 adjectives / 3 -ing verbs / 4 nouns (2 about the first topic, 2 about the second) / 3 -ing verbs / 2 adjectives / 1 noun.

  1. Line 1 (topic): Winter
  2. Line 2 (2 adjectives about winter): icy, quiet
  3. Line 3 (3 -ing verbs about winter): skating, shovelling, shivering
  4. Line 4 (4 nouns, the switch): snowflakes, mittens, sunscreen, sandals
  5. Line 5 (3 -ing verbs about summer): swimming, camping, sweating
  6. Line 6 (2 adjectives about summer): sunny, loud
  7. Line 7 (opposite topic): Summer

Winter

icy, quiet

skating, shovelling, shivering

snowflakes, mittens, sunscreen, sandals

swimming, camping, sweating

sunny, loud

Summer

Winter1 wordicy, quiet2 wordsskating, shovelling, shivering3 wordssnowflakes, mittens, sunscreen, sandals4 wordsswimming, camping, sweating3 wordssunny, loud2 wordsSummer1 wordtopicswitchopposite
A diamante grows from 1 word to 4 and shrinks back to 1, turning from one topic (winter) to its opposite (summer) in the middle line.
Worked example

Let's use line breaks on purpose

Turn this sentence into a short free verse poem: The loon dove under the dark water and came up far away, and I let out my breath.

  1. Free verse has no set rhyme or syllable count, so line breaks create the pauses.
  2. Put one image per line so readers picture each moment.
  3. Use a line break and white space before the surprise to build suspense.
  4. Give the last line its own space for emphasis.

The loon dove

under the dark water.

I waited.

I waited.

Far away, a black head popped up,

and I let out my breath.

The repeated line I waited makes the reader wait too.

Just for fun

Animals don't even make the same sounds in every language! In English a rooster says cock-a-doodle-doo, but in French it says cocorico. Onomatopoeia has an accent! 🐓

Finding your voice

Your voice is how you sound on paper. Read your writing aloud: does it sound like something you would say? Use words you love, details only you noticed, and your own way of seeing things. Then check that your tone fits the form: a playful voice works in a funny poem, but a thank-you letter to a veteran needs a respectful tone.

Hands-on activity

Five-senses walk and poem

You need: a notebook, a pencil, warm clothes if it's cold, and a grown-up.

  1. Take a 10-minute walk outside or around your home with a grown-up.
  2. Make a five-column chart: see, hear, smell, taste, touch. Write at least two details in each column. (Only taste things your grown-up says are safe, like a snack you brought.)
  3. Circle your three favourite details. Add one onomatopoeia word.
  4. Write a free verse poem of 6 to 10 lines. Use line breaks on purpose and repeat one line.
  5. Or write a diamante that moves from morning to night, or city to country.
  6. Read your poem aloud twice, in two different tones. Which tone fits best?

Your turn

1

Which sense does this imagery use? The bonfire crackled and popped.

2

Find the onomatopoeia: The bacon sizzled while the kettle whistled.

3

Write one line of imagery about a hockey rink using touch.

4

How many words go in line 3 of a diamante, and what kind?

5

Name the tone: Hooray! No school! Snow day!

6

Why might a poet repeat a line?

7

Write a diamante line 4 for Day → Night.

More practice: warm-up

1

What is imagery?

2

Give two onomatopoeia words.

3

How many lines in a diamante?

4

What is tone?

5

Does free verse need to rhyme?

More practice: on your own

1

Add imagery to: We ate pancakes.

2

Change the tone from playful to serious: Yay, the old maple tree is coming down!

3

Write lines 1 to 3 of a diamante about Spring.

4

Turn into free verse with line breaks: The wind howled all night and in the morning the world was white.

5

Which tone fits a thank-you letter to a Canadian veteran: playful or respectful? Why?

Challenge

1

Write a complete diamante from Seed to Tree.

2

Explain how line breaks can change the meaning or feeling of a poem.

3

Use imagery, onomatopoeia and repetition together in three lines about a thunderstorm.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which sentence uses onomatopoeia?

2.

Which sense does The lemon tasted sour use?

3.

Line 4 of a diamante has...

4.

Which line has a peaceful tone?

5.

Why do poets use line breaks?

6.

What is a writer's voice?

For parents and teachers

Big idea (D2.3): Grade 5 writers establish a personal voice, using varied language and stylistic elements to express thoughts, feelings and opinions, with a tone that suits the form and genre. Poems are one of the forms they draft (D2.1). Developing a personal voice connects to student voice and engagement (A1.2).

How to help at home:

  • Read poems aloud together, and let your child choose favourites.
  • Play the five-senses game anywhere: "Tell me one thing you hear, smell and feel right now."
  • Celebrate unusual word choices; that's voice!

Common difficulties:

  • Thinking poems must rhyme. Free verse and diamantes don't.
  • Imagery only for sight. Push for sounds, smells and textures.
  • Diamante line 4 confusion. Two nouns for the first topic, two for the second.

Safety note: On the senses walk, only taste food your grown-up provides.