Visual Lesson
Poetry Lab
See how a poem is built — mark its rhyme scheme, then count out a haiku’s 5-7-5 rhythm.
The Garden
We planted seeds all in a ,
then watered them each .
We watched the little sprouts all ,
then ran outside to .
Tap the last word of each line to hear it and label the rhyme.
Poetry words
- Stanza
- A group of lines in a poem — like a paragraph.
- Rhyme scheme
- The pattern of end rhymes, written with letters like ABAB.
- Syllable
- One beat in a word — “gar-den” has two.
- Haiku
- A short nature poem with lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables.
What is Poetry Lab?
Poetry Lab makes the two building blocks of a poem visible: rhyme and rhythm. Switch between two modes. In Rhyme scheme, a short four-line poem appears — tap the last word of each line to hear it, and the tool labels the rhyme pattern with letters beside the lines. In Haiku counter, tap each line of a nature haiku to hear it and see its syllable count checked against the classic 5-7-5 pattern.
How to use it
- Pick a mode at the top: Rhyme scheme or Haiku counter.
- Tap the highlighted end word (or a haiku line) to hear it and reveal its label.
- Matching rhymes share a colour and a letter, so ABAB, AABB, and ABCB stand out.
- Use Show scheme to reveal all the letters at once, or Next and Shuffle for a new poem.
- The speaker button mutes or un-mutes the reading voice — everything works with the sound off too.
Why it helps
Labelling rhymes with letters turns a fuzzy idea (“these lines sound alike”) into a clear pattern students can name and compare. Counting a haiku’s syllables line by line builds an ear for rhythm and meter — the same skill that later unlocks sonnets, ballads, and free verse. A short glossary keeps the key words — stanza, rhyme scheme, syllable, haiku — close at hand.
Good for
Grades 3–12: upper-elementary readers meeting rhyme and haiku for the first time, and middle- and high-school students analysing form, meter, and rhyme scheme in poetry.
Bring it to a lesson
These tools pair with the full curriculum — guided lessons that teach each concept, then send you here to see it and practice.