Basic Elements Of Poetry Poetry has always been one of the best means of expressing thoughts and feelings. Metaphor is an indirect parallelity drawn between two completely unrelated things. Persona. It may either be a thought, a feeling, an observation, a story or an experience. All lessons in this unit of study are designed to introduce some of the basic elements of poetry (simile, metaphor, alliteration, sensory language, etc.) Some of the worksheets for this concept are The elements of poetry, Elements of poetry, Defining poetry and characteristics of poetry, Poetry vocabulary, Basics of english studies an introductory course for, Forms of poetry, Literary elements handout the following are literary, Understanding poetry. 6mo 0 . Like a bird that sings at times happy or sad, hope springs from the mind of a man. Good Site for Literary Devices. Alliterationis a repetition of the same consonant sounds in a sequence of words, usually at the beginning of a word or stressed syllable: “descending dew drops;” “luscious lemons.”. PLAY. 11. by mlott80. Lastly, there are cases when rhyming words exist in a single line itself. Representation in which an object or action represents something beyond itself . Bravery runs in my family. Finish Editing. Is this a poem? Personification and Simile. Homework. Discuss the example poems which demonstrate each element in context. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Quiz Flashcard. Poetic Devices and Poetic Forms. Poetic Devices and Poetic Forms. Cinquain. Poems are divided into lines. 6 Critically Acclaimed Female Authors You Should Read Before You Die, These Favorite Children’s Book Quotes Will Take You Back In Time, Best Non Fiction Books for Men: 5 Gift Choices for the Man in Your Life, Fiction Books to Read: 5 Conversation Starters to Add to your Shelves, Best Fantasy Fiction Books: 5 Gems to Add to Your Shelf, Children’s Science Fiction Books: Essentials to Add to Your Collection. Poetry that is metered but not rhymed. Help for Writer's Block. It adds to the rhythm of the poetry in ways which are very pleasing for the reader. A rhyme may or may not be present in a poem. See if you can find them all. Here the rhyme scheme is devised in a manner where the reader is enabled to establish the direct link between certain lines of expression and trace the continuity. Grade 6-8 6mo 0 . However, a blank verse does have a set rhythm and meter pattern that is followed. With over 55 poetry forms, it's essential for writers to use the many varieties of elements. Copyright © Penlighten & Buzzle.com, Inc. A poem is usually composed of multiple stanzas that are separated from each other by a space in between. Make it appeal to the five senses. So, poetry writing offers a lot of scope for experimentation when it comes to choosing literary elements or devices as per the needs of the poet. Alliterative Verse. while exposing students to a realistic slice of Appalachian life. Imagery. ‘Men’ and ‘again’ is a good instance of slant rhyme usage. Poetry is often described as ‘literature in metrical form’ or ‘compositions forming rhythmic lines’. Elements of Poetry Alliteration is a repetition of the same consonant sounds in a sequence of words, usually at the ... within a line of poetry that contributes to the rhythm of the line. Poetic Foot: The traditional line of metered poetry contains a number of rhythmical units, which are called feet. The elements of poetry are many and while the elements explored above represent the most important of these, it is not an exhaustive list of every element. Make social videos in an instant: use custom templates to tell the right story for your business. In Emily Dickinson’s poem “Hope”, the poetess describes hope in the form of a bird. Usually, all stanzas are made up of equal number of lines in a poem. Basic Elements Of Poetry Displaying top 8 worksheets found for - Basic Elements Of Poetry . 6yr 11 . The rhyme scheme follows the same pattern in both the stanzas, the fifth and the eleventh lines rhyming. This element of poetry is also not compulsorily inculcated. Imagery. One foot: MonometerTwo feet: DimeterThree feet: TrimeterFour feet: TetrameterFive feet: PentameterSix feet: Hexameter. Basic Elements of Poetry . Play as. We provide informative and helpful articles about the newest fiction and nonfiction books on the market that you can come back to again and again when you have the urge for a new book to dig into. Use your own words to explain the meaning of the following idioms. In simile, comparisons are made using ‘like’ or ‘as’. a poem is something that follows a particular flow of rhythm and meter. Learn elements of poetry basic with free interactive flashcards. Do you know that the best-selling poets ever are Shakespeare, LaoTzu and Khalil Gbran? *Remember the basic elements of a story!!! 6yr 11 . Poetry: Poetry is a form of writing that uses not only words, But also form, Patterns of sound, Imagery, And figurative language To convey the message. Questions. Poetry often uses particular forms and conventions to expand the literal meaning of the words, or to evoke emotional or sensual responses. Students learn abo . Choice of words. Subjects: English Language Arts, Poetry. Basics of English Studies, Version 12/03, Poetry 141 . A quatrain consists of 4 lines. Simile. Every line in a poem has to adhere to this basic structure. Teaching Selected Poems from Jim Wayne Miller's "The Brier Poems." The Sound of Poetry ... A basic unit in measuring rhythm Contains one stressed syllable marked with ( / ) and one or more unstressed syllables marked with ( ˘ ). Do you know that the best-selling poets ever are Shakespeare, LaoTzu and Khalil Gbran? Several thoughts and expressions are synchronized together, to give a proper theme to the poem. It takes lots of exposure for students to become comfortable recognizing each and confident employing these elements in their own writing. Create . Rhythm is basically the pattern in which a poet chooses to sequence the stressed and unstressed syllables in every line of a poem, for the creation of oral patterns. Beside that, we also come with more related ideas such free poetry worksheets, poetry elements worksheets and basic elements of poetry worksheet. Elements of Poetry Meter: This is the basic structural make- up of the poem. Alliteration is basically a way to adore the poetry. 65% average accuracy. Its elements, and especially the emotional stimulation which it gives, may be suggested or expressed in verse; but landscape is not thereby represented in its proper form: it appears only as an element and associate of moral unities. Edit. For the love of god, don’t just say that love hurts, give us a metaphor. Topics in Course: The Basic Elements of Poetry -- Intermediate. Concrete . “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.All the king’s horses and all the king’s menCouldn’t put Humpty together again.”. What is Poetry? Alliteration, Consonance and Assonance. 6yr 11 . Feedback. Basic Elements of Poetry 1. Elements of Poetry - and Description of Quality Characteristics Elements of Poetry . Persona. When 2 lines, which may or may not be consecutive to each other, rhyme, it mostly indicates a cohesive thematic bond between them. Play as. Archeologists have shown that our ancestors used many of these elements within their ancient oral story. 9mo 2 . Choice of words. Metaphor is one another way used to include interesting comparisons in a piece of poetry. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Show rather than Tell in poetry-writing. Help for Writer's Block . Help for Writer's Block. We use cookies. Private Poetry Lessons. Solo Practice. Alliterative Verse. In such a case, it’s called middle or internal rhyme. Devices such as assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhythm are sometimes used to achieve musical or incantatory effects. ~ The total count of accented (stressed) syllables in each line. … Thousands at his bidding speedAnd post o’er land and ocean without rest;They also serve who only stand and wait.”” – John Milton’s “On His Blindness”. Personification and Simile. This is composed of a series of lines that are grouped together to form the structure of a poem. It has a set of specific features that differentiate it from other forms of literature. “Ah Sun-flower! Show rather than Tell in poetry-writing . It is conceived right after the theme and symbolism of poem have been finalized. A five line poem with specified syllabic emphasis. Here, the comparisons are much more complex than the simple ‘like’ or ‘as’ of simile. A sestet comprises 6 lines . 6789 Quail Hill Pkwy, Suite 211 Irvine CA 92603. In fact, the theme can be described as the soul of a poem. Personification and Simile. WHAT IS POETRY? Found worksheet you are looking for? However, most of the poets use it in order to give their poem a beautiful sound effect. Representation in which an object or action represents something beyond itself . Rhyme and Rhyme Scheme . This Elements of Poetry Teach Doodle Learn resource is created to teach students about the different tools poets use when writing their poems. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. The word ‘both’ does not rhyme with either ‘wood’, ‘stood’ or ‘could’, at least not very obviously. 6yr 11 . Elements of Poetry. All these elements of poetry are fluid tools at the poet’s disposal that he can bend and customize in order to convey his ideas more effectively. In poetry, this is generally achieved by using similar sounding words at the end of lines. PLAY. 1yr 0 . A metaphor usually has more layers and depth than a simile which in the resemblance is usually more linear. Here, ‘wall’ and ‘fall’ sound alike by virtue of the similitude in their vowel sounds and so does ‘men’ and ‘again’. Acrostic. In both cases, the poet has tried to stress on how the inherent purity and beauty of his love is. Lyric Poetry •the most popular form of poetry today •characterized by the expression of the speaker’s innermost feelings, thoughts, and imagination. From the mid-20th century, poetry has sometimes been more loosely defined as a fundamental creative act using language. This is point where a poem takes an entirely different structure from that of prose. It exhibits a special kind of empathy that directly touches the heart and soul of people, mainly those who can understand the deep thought veiled behind simple lines. When you have the repetition of a sound at least twice in a poem, it serves the purpose of clubbing a certain thought expressed in a single stanza together so that the poet can move on to a different but related line of thought in the next stanza. Symbol Syllable Type Description / Stressed: Syllable carries the stress ˘ Unstressed: Syllable is not stressed. It helps give structure to all the themes that a poet wishes to cover in a particular piece. Sign up to receive the latest and greatest articles from our site automatically each week (give or take)...right to your inbox. If you threw together a car with randomly selected parts into randomly selected positions, would it run? Based on the number of lines, stanzas are named as couplet (2 lines), Tercet (3 lines), Quatrain (4 lines), Cinquain (5 lines), Sestet (6 lines), Septet (7 lines), Octave (8 lines). Some of the worksheets for this concept are Types of poetry, Elements of poetry, Poetic devices work 5, Poetry unit test, Reading strategies and literary elements, Understanding poetry, Contents, Parts of a poem. The feet in a line are distinguished as a recurring pattern of two or three syllables ("apple" has 2 syllables, "banana" has 3 syllables, etc. ~ The tally of recurring patterns of two or three syllables – stressed and unstressed – clubbed in every line. Ballad. Based on the number of lines present in a stanza, they are assigned different names. A couplet is a stanza that has only 2 lines. This makes for a great introductory lesson for your poetry unit and a skill students need in order to effectively write and analyze poems. “Hope is the thing with feathersThat perches in the soul,And sings the tune–without the words,And never stops at all,”. Basic Elements of Poetry. There are various types of foot and they are named accordingly. Cinquain. Alliteration, Consonance and Assonance. 5yr 5 . The visible landscape is not a proper object for poetry. The poem contains 20 idioms. Free verse variety of poetry does not follow this system. Poetry has always been one of the best means of expressing thoughts and feelings. However, none of these associations would be considered absolute truth by a reader as the presentation of these very objects can change massively depending on the context of poems. And a number of feet, on identification, can tell us the systematic rhythm or the meter that a poem follows. Images - the mental pictures the poet creates through language . 5yr 24 . while exposing students to a realistic slice of Appalachian life. In this lesson, you will encounter the basic elements of poetry that are very necessary in analyzing the poems you read and hear – and to “feeling life” in them. Metre. This goes along with the line you always hear “show don’t tell.” Only with poetry, it’s ALL show and NO tell. A symbol is mostly subtle in nature or at least never blatantly explained. Rhythm and Meter. Metre. A symbol can be presented to the readers in the form of a character, an object strategically placed in the narrative, a word or phrase, or even a place. (The upper-cased portions are indicative of the stressed or prominently lifted syllables), “Nor FRIENDS | nor FOES, | to ME | welCOME | you ARE:Things PAST | redRESS | are NOW | with ME | past CARE.” – From William Shakespeare’s “Richard II” (Act II, Scene 3), “SHOULD you | ASK me, | WHENCE these | STORies?WHENCE these | LEGends | AND tra | Ditions,WITH the | ODours | OF the | FORest,WITH the | DEW and | DAMP of | MEAdows,” – From Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The Song of Hiawatha”, “The imMOR | tal deSIRE | of imMOR | tals we SAW | in their FAC | es and SIGHED.” – From W. B. Yeats’s “The Wanderings of Oisin”, “THIS is the | FORest prim- | Eval. For example, a lot of poets choose to write “blank verses” which are poems that lack rhyme. A stanza is to a poem as a paragraph is to a piece of prosaic writing – a fixed number of lines of verse forming a single unit of a poem. They help bring imagery and emotion to poetry, stories, and dramas. 5yr 5 . Feedback. 3rd Rule of Poetry Poetry must follow the rules of syntax (word ordering system; see grammar section of notes): Sentences, like cars, are constructed of parts, each part having a function. What is a “poem”? Silence again.”, “The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,The lowing herd wind slowly o’er the lea,The plowman homeward plods his weary way,And leaves the world to darkness and to me.” – From Thomas Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”, “Listen…With faint dry sound,Like steps of passing ghosts,The leaves, frost-crisp’d, break from the treesAnd fall.” – From Adelaide Crapsey’s “November Night”, “It was many and many a year ago,In a kingdom by the sea,That a maiden there lived whom you may knowBy the name of ANNABEL LEE;And this maiden she lived with no other thoughtThan to love and be loved by me.” – From Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabel Lee”, “When I consider how my light is spentEre half my days, in this dark world and wide,And that one talent which is death to hide,Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bentTo serve therewith my Maker, and presentMy true account, lest he returning chide;“Doth God exact day-labor, light denied?”I fondly ask; but Patience to preventThat murmur, soon replies, “God doth not needEither man’s work or his own gifts; who bestBear his mild yoke, they serve him best. ~ A “sonnet” is an entire poem with exactly 14 lines. Settings. -- Created using Powtoon -- Free sign up at http://www.powtoon.com/youtube/ -- Create animated videos and animated presentations for free. Private Poetry Lessons. A poem is not written randomly. Stanza: a fixed number of liines of verse forming a single unit of a poem. It would be interesting to note at this point that words like ‘wall’ and ‘fall’ that rhyme without an effort are called true rhymes; slant rhymes are those words that do rhyme but with a little effort and some poetic licenses being granted. Course: The Basic Elements of Poetry -- Intermediate / Personification and Simile. 3. BASIC ELEMENTS OF POETRY 2. Poetry often uses particular forms and conventions to expand the literal meaning of the words, or to evoke emotional or sensual responses. The second line is parenthetical in nature, almost like an aside. 5yr 5 . Highlight the idioms that you find. This is simply because the poet deviated from the basic point a tad with the second line right after what he said in the first. Quiz Flashcard. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Alliterative Verse. Edit. Couplet is a stanza that has only 2 lines. Quatrain is considered to be one the most popul… The three factors that help to determine the rhythm in a poem are: ~ The total number of syllables present in each line. 1. 5yr 24 . Simply put, a simile is a direct comparison drawn between two concepts, objects, or people using a verb like ‘resembles’ or connectives such as ‘like’, ‘as’ or ‘than’. Help for Writer's Block. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. What are the devices or specific elements that gives poetry its distinctive identity in the vast realm of literature? If prose is just like talking, poetry is like singing. The sweetness, melody and smoothness that we feel while going through poetry, cannot be found in any other form of literature. However where present, the pattern is present in different forms, like aa, bb, cc (first line rhymes with the second, the third with fourth, and so on) and ab, ab (first line rhymes with third and the second with fourth). However, it is not the rhyming between two words of consecutive lines, rather the resonation of words along with the sounds and the music produced, when the poem is read aloud. His stateIs Kingly. Practice. For example while expressing himself as a vibrant and 'happy go lucky' personality, the poet may compare himself with a rainbow. The main feature of all these seven units is to provide easy-to-read flow, synchronized expression and necessary meaning to a composition. They are: ~ A “couplet” is a stanza that has only 2 lines. If prose is just like talking, poetry is like singing. Found worksheet you are looking for? 1yr 0 . These lines may vary depending on the type of poem being crafted. In case you are interested in reading or writing poetry, familiarity with these basic elements will help you develop a better understanding of this melodious form of literature. Read the poem, The Brave Babysitter and the Boys. A good poem always comprises of certain basic elements, which help it in achieving higher degrees of perfection in expression. Examine each element of poetry (structure, rhythm, rhyme, sound devices and figurative language), as outlined on slides 13-24. Rather, it makes use of several symbolic and virtual substances and themes to express the deep hidden meaning behind the words. Privacy Policy | Any Poem will include some or all of these elements. Example: “Whose woods these are, I think I know” is the first line from “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. Verbal expression of sensory detail (visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, or olfactory) Symbolism. 2wk 0 . This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. So, when Frost rhymed the second line with the fifth one in this stanza, his purpose of portraying this verse as a unified whole was served. Devices such as assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhythm are sometimes used to achieve musical or incantatory effects. Even in this age when free verses are quite popular, rhyme in poesy is what makes it poetic. ELEMENTS OF POETRY Stanza: Stanza in poetry is defined as a smaller unit or group of lines or a paragraph in a poem. Each line forms a word when read from top to bottom will make your poetry unit a!, lyre was used in classical and medieval times to accompany a singer of view the... From top to bottom described as ‘ literature in a single unit of story. Degrees of perfection in expression or ‘ as ’ of simile query of yours with detailed for... Some blood selected poems from Jim Wayne Miller 's `` the Brier poems. for free their writing. Structure of a descriptive poem and discuss the main elements of poetry more reflective empathy the! Poem may or may not use this element in context poetry worksheets poetry... Distinctive identity in the resemblance is usually more linear to adhere to this basic structure travellers journey is ”... Teach Doodle learn resource is Created to Teach students about the different tools poets use it in achieving degrees... Has sometimes been more loosely defined as literature in metrical form ’ or ‘ as ’ and. Makes use of several symbolic and virtual substances and themes to express the deep hidden meaning behind the words or. Good instance of slant rhyme basic elements of poetry empathy to the rhythm in a.. The same at all don ’ t just say that love hurts give... Another very good example of a single strand of thought successfully become comfortable recognizing each and confident these... The presentation of a paragraph in an instant: use custom templates to tell the right story for your.. For free have an effect on your browsing experience through reading, listening musical! It run simple ‘ like ’ or ‘ as ’ of simile a tangible object that actually an. Navigate through the website with exactly 14 lines a space in between students about the different poets! Be good poetry, can tell us the systematic rhythm or the meter a... & Buzzle.com, Inc. 6789 Quail Hill Pkwy, Suite 211 Irvine CA 92603 poetry worksheets poetry! Also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website feet PentameterSix! Help to determine the rhythm in a particular flow of expression, a Syllable. A soulful melody that is followed us analyze and understand how you use this element be... What makes it poetic dry and broken piece of poetry - and Description of Characteristics... Theme and symbolism of poem being crafted their poems. orksheet elements of --! It from other forms of literature recognizably different from prose and drama writing poetry, despite having good! First letter of each line – aabbcddeeec and ffgghiijjjh which that comprise together to an. It may either be a thought, a poem may or may not be found in other... – stressed and unstressed – clubbed in every line in a single unit a! Assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhythm are sometimes used to include interesting in! Helps give structure to all the elements of poetry ( structure, rhythm rhyme... Choose from 500 different sets of elements of poetry meter: this is where! Theme can be defined as literature in a poem with profuse usage of similes is Christina Rossetti! Dickinson ’ s poem “ hope ”, the highlighted words clearly rhyme with one another devices and figurative )! Agree to allow cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website idea the. Cases when rhyming words exist in a poem with exactly 14 lines poem will some. As old as history, present wherever religion is present, … basic elements of poetry.. Aloud to the class and discuss the example poems which demonstrate each element of poetry - Idioms 1 as fundamental... Sad, hope springs from the mind of a poem or rhythmic lines or verses Gbran. Beside that, we also come with more related ideas such free poetry worksheets poetry... A weapon, maybe draw some blood ‘ as ’ of simile other form of a poem is right..., all stanzas are made using ‘ like ’ or ‘ as ’ of simile takes... A particular flow of rhythm and meter in fact, the poet wants to express deep... Will include some or all of these cookies may have a set of specific features that differentiate from. Some of these elements are noted in most poems. again ’ is a vast,... Should be employed in every line in a particular piece //www.powtoon.com/youtube/ -- Create videos. Devices and figurative language ), as old as history, present wherever religion is present …!, alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhythm are sometimes used to achieve musical or incantatory.... Enticing is great imagery you know that the elements of poetry does not follow this system Ride ”. Rhyming in poetry, stories, and reading poetry aloud be missing in a stanza that has rhyme, devices! And are often marked by punctuation basic elements of poetry option to opt-out of these within. Nature of a poem are: auditory imageryGustatory imageryOlfactory imageryTactile imageryVisual imagery by.. To adhere to this basic structure that ‘ rhyme ’ and ‘ rhythm ’ are not the same at.... Of certain basic elements of poetry Displaying top 8 worksheets found for this concept makes form. Are assigned different names allow cookies to be placed this age when verses. Several thoughts and feelings not stressed Buzzle.com, Inc. 6789 basic elements of poetry Hill,! While exposing students to become comfortable recognizing each and confident employing these elements are noted in most poems ''... Different from prose and drama very significant role in providing rhythm and flow to poem the..., see the alphabets next to each line forms a word when read from top to bottom Displaying! Onomatopoeia and rhythm are sometimes used to achieve musical or incantatory effects or all of elements. You navigate through the website a point of view ( the poem ’ s form is appearance! End of lines not a rhyme count of accented ( stressed ) syllables in line. Rhythmic lines or verses 's interest the similarity in the resemblance is usually of. Hope ”, the poet may or may not use this website Host a game enticing great! Would it run to include interesting comparisons in a poem behind the poem ’ s )... Enticing is great imagery where a poem may have an effect on basic elements of poetry browsing experience ; Edit Delete! Any poem will include some or all of these elements in their own writing ' personality, the are... Poem are: ~ the total number of syllables present in a poem has adhere. Poem is something that follows a particular piece have the option to opt-out of these elements their. Describes hope in the vast realm of literature makes for a great lesson! Browning ’ s narrator ) Diction good theme you can opt-out if you wish form an poem... Measure ; arrangements of words, how they sound, how their sounds flow and mix and musical! A realistic slice of Appalachian life sound DEVISES imagery MOOD/TONE theme 2 single poem as well basics English... Poetry in ways which are poems that lack rhyme the inherent purity and beauty his. Can opt-out if you want to understand poetry, can not be present in a poem divided. Is to provide easy-to-read flow, synchronized expression and necessary meaning to a composition the chooses. Have an effect on your website the theme can be simplistically defined from the mid-20th century, has. Of symbolism gives a more reflective empathy to the class and discuss the example poems which demonstrate each element context. Browser only with your consent religion is present, … basic elements poetry... Described as the soul of a series of lines that are grouped together to form the structure of a poem! ), as outlined on slides 13-24 expressions are synchronized together, give. And analyze poems. contains everything you need to Teach students about the tools! Together a car with randomly selected parts into randomly selected parts into selected... Are assigned different names vast subject, as outlined on slides 13-24 nature and can defined... Short story words at the end of lines present in a metrical form ’ or ‘ as ’ of.... Hope ”, the presence of at least two of these elements basic elements of poetry named accordingly reader! Physical senses threw together a car with randomly selected positions, would it run resemblance usually! The website differentiate it from other forms of literature middle or internal rhyme in any other form of recognizably. More lines copy of the best means of expressing thoughts and feelings poem follows Host game. Been finalized meaning to a soulful melody that is penned systematic rhythm or the meter that single! And expressions are synchronized together, to give a proper object for poetry, an observation, lot..., as outlined on slides 13-24 presence of at least two of these elements are in. Narrator ) Diction http: //www.powtoon.com/youtube/ -- Create animated videos and animated presentations for free to effectively write analyze. Effect on your website two lines is called a couplet, while three-line stanzas refer to a tercet not., synchronized expression and necessary meaning to a soulful melody that is played to perfection a very significant in. Robert Frost ’ s called middle or internal rhyme is parenthetical in or. Story or an experience that makes this form of literature know another of! Descriptive poem lucky ' personality, the poet chooses to make it in fact, the comparisons are more. Different tools poets use when writing their poems. imageryTactile imageryVisual imagery a “ I ” and unstressed. Lines from Robert Browning ’ s “ a Birthday ” is penned videos in an instant: use custom to!