Part A
Select a song that you like and scan the lyrics, noting the rhyme scheme and meter. Then, respond to these questions:

What rhyme scheme and meter do the lyrics have? Is it a set meter, or does it vary?
How do you think the song type (rap, hip-hop, pop, country, etc.) influences the kind of meter it has?
Would you expect to find a similar rhyme scheme and meter in other songs in this genre?
If you recited the song lyrics as you would a poem, would it have the same rhythm and meter as it does as a song?
Does putting the lyrics to the musical arrangement alter the spoken rhythm of the words?

Part B
Write a four-line stanza of your own that would go well with music. After you write the stanza, answer these questions:

What rhyme scheme and meter does your poem have?
How do those qualities help express the meaning of the poem?
What genre of music do you see your poem fitting into?
In what ways is the musical genre you envision connected to the rhyme scheme and meter that you chose?