new posts in all blogs
Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: National Poetry Month, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 26 - 50 of 474
How to use this Page
You are viewing the most recent posts tagged with the words: National Poetry Month in the JacketFlap blog reader. What is a tag? Think of a tag as a keyword or category label. Tags can both help you find posts on JacketFlap.com as well as provide an easy way for you to "remember" and classify posts for later recall. Try adding a tag yourself by clicking "Add a tag" below a post's header. Scroll down through the list of Recent Posts in the left column and click on a post title that sounds interesting. You can view all posts from a specific blog by clicking the Blog name in the right column, or you can click a 'More Posts from this Blog' link in any individual post.
April 10th is
Siblings Day. It is currently celebrated in 49 states. It was founded by Claudia Evart in 1995 to honor and celebrate siblings. After losing both of her siblings early in life in separate accidents, she knew how important siblings can be in our lives. Claudia selected April 10 in honor of her late sister, Lisette’s birthday. She later founded the Siblings Day Foundation with the goal of establishing a National Siblings Day.
Mary Ann Hoberman has written a number of poems about siblings. Here's one from the book
The Llama Who Had No Pajama: 100 Favorite Poems (1998).
BrotherI had a little brother
And I brought him to my mother
And I said I want another
Little brother for a change.
But she said don’t be a bother
So I took him to my father
And I said this little bother
Of a brother’s very strange.
But he said one little brother
Is exactly like another
And every little brother
Misbehaves a bit he said.
So I took the little bother
From my mother and my father
And I put the little bother
Of a brother back to bed.
Poem © Mary Ann Hoberman, 1998. All rights reserved.
Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers: A Collection of Family Poems (1991), written by Mary Ann Hoberman and illustrated by Marylin Hafner, contains 30 poems about any relative you can imagine, from the traditional nuclear family members to step-parents and siblings, cousins, and more.
The Little Sister StoreWhen my silly little sister
Knocks my blocks down on the floor,
I tell her I will sell her
At the little sister store.
She knows I'm only joking,
That there isn't such a shop;
But even though she knows it--
As least it makes her stop!
My Big BrothersWhen my big brothers have a fight,
Each one thinks that his is right.
(The only time that they agree
Is when they both gang up on
me!)
Poemx © Mary Ann Hoberman, 1991. All rights reserved.Relatively Speaking: Poems About Family, written by Ralph Fletcher with drawings by Walter Lyon Krudop, is a collection of 42 poems that together provide a loving picture of a family as they move through the year waiting on the arrival of a new baby. Told by a young boy, they are funny and poignant.
My Big Brother
Explained to me
about Santa Claus,
showed me how
to light a match,
taught me
my first curse.
Now he's sixteen
obsessed with friends,
girls, cars,
lifting weights
and I'm nowhere
on that list.
Poem © Ralph Fletcher, 1999. All rights reserved.
Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems, written by Kristine O'Connell George and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter, highlights the relationship between big sister Jessica and Emma, her little dilemma (sister!). Their relationship is funny, annoying, caring and oh so complex. Just what a relationship between sisters should be.
SnoopingOne good thing about a little sister
is that if I give her a boost
she can reach
that mysterious box
hidden
on the top shelf.
One bad thing about a little sister
is that she can't keep secrets.
When my secrets
are inside Emma,
they leak out slowly,
like air out of a balloon,
or fast —
in one enormous
Tattletale Explosion.
Poem © Kristine O'Connell George, 2011. All rights reserved.Take Two!: A Celebration of Twins, written by J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen and illustrated by Sophie Blackall, is a collection of poems organized into the sections Twins in the Waiting Womb, Twinfants, How to Be One, and Famous Twins. In addition to the poems, footnotes throughout the pages highlight "twin facts."
Learning to Tie Our ShoesEvery time I tie my shoe,
I think of me, I think of you,
And how the laces, side by side,
Are so much stronger when they're tied.
As one loop goes around the other,
Se we twins bong — sister, brother —
Safely knotted, like a shoe,
You to me, and me to you.
Poem © J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen, 2012. All rights reserved.
That's it for today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow for our next celebration.
April 9th is Name Yourself Day. While this holiday is referenced on a number of national calendar and "unofficial holiday" web sites, I can't find any information about where it began or why. I have friends who give themselves a new name every time they place an order at Starbucks, but I've never been inclined to give myself a new name. I do know that when my parents learned they would be getting a new baby (I was adopted), my mother wanted to name me Julie. I'm glad my father and siblings prevailed, as I like my name!
In honor of today's celebration, here are some poems about names. Surely you know we must begin with Shakespeare!
Romeo and JulietAct II. Scene II.(Juliet is speaking.)
’Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself though, not a Montague.
What’s Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O! be some other name:
What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name;
And for that name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.
When I thought about name poems, the poem that came to mind after Shakespeare was
The Naming of Cats, by T.S. Eliot. Click below to hear Eliot read it.
My Name is Jorge On Both Sides of the River, written by Jane Medina and illustrated by Fabricio Vanden Broeck, is a collection of 27 poems written in Spanish and English. They are written from Jorge's point of view and describe his experiences adjusting life in the United States. The poems are sometimes heartbreaking, but they are always honest. The first poem in the book describes the problems he has when others cannot pronounce his name.
Me llamo Jorge
Me llamo Jorge. Sé que mi nombre es Jorge. Pero todos me llaman —Chorg.
Chorg. ¡Qu´feo sonido! ¡Como un estornudo! ¡Chorg!
Y lo peor do todo es que hoy en la mañana una niña me llamó.
—Chorg— y volteé la cabeza.
No quiero convertirme
en un estornudo. I don’t want to turn into a sneeze! | My Name Is Jorge
My name is Jorge. I know that my name is Jorge. But everyone calls me George.
George. What an ugly sound! Like a sneeze! GEORGE!
And the worst of all is that this morning a girl called me “George” and I turned my head. I don’t want to turn into a sneeze! |
Poem © Jane Medina, 1999. All rights reserved.
, written by Francisco Alarcón and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez, is the 4th book in a series that highlights family and community through the changing seasons.
San Francisco
yo me llamo
Francisco
como mi abuelo
y como
el abuelo
de su abuelo
cómo me alegro
que esta ciudad
lleve el nombre
de San Francisco—
el santo patrón
de los animales
aquí mi nombre
todos lo saben
escribir | San Francisco
my name is
Francisco like
my grandfather
and like
his grandfather's
grandfather
I'm so happy
this city is
named after
Saint Francis—
the patron saint
of all animals
here everybody
knows how to
spell my name |
Poem © Francisco X. Alarcón, 2001. All rights reserved.
I'll end today on a somber note, with this poem by Billy Collins.
That's it for today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow for our next celebration.
April is National Poetry Month! All month long we’ll be celebrating by posting some of our favorite poems for Poetry Friday. For today’s Poetry Friday, we chose a poem from Under the Mesquite, written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall.
a mesquite in the rose garden
In the squint of the morning,
before anyone else is awake,
when the roaring sounds
of unbridled verses
rush furiously through my head,
the mesquite is my confidant.
I lean my back against its sturdy trunk
and read aloud every word
imprinted en mi corazón.
The mesquite listens quietly–
as if the poems budding in my heart,
then blossoming in my notebook,
are Scripture–and never tells a soul
the things I write.
Purchase a copy of Under the Mesquite here.
What are you reading for National Poetry Month? Let us know in the comments!
April 8th is
Draw a Bird Day. It is celebrated "as a way to express joy in the very simplest of things in life and as a way to help soldiers everywhere forget war and suffering even if only for a short time." Do visit the web site to read the story behind this day. Then draw a bird, share it, and spread a smile.
In thinking about birds today, I'm sharing snippets of poems in a form borrowed from Wallace Stevens. You'll recognize it as
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird.
Thirteen Ways of Looking at BirdsI.A thrush is thrilling as I write
Its obligato of delight;
And in its fervour, as in mine,
I fathom tenderness divine,
And pity those of earthy ear
Who cannot hear.
From Why Do Birds Sing? by Robert W. ServiceII.A bird sang sweet and strong
In the top of the highest tree,
He said, "I pour out my heart in song
For the summer that soon shall be."
From Spring Song by George William CurtisIII.Three lovely notes he whistled, too soft to be heard
If others sang; but others never sang
In the great beech-wood all that May and June.
No one saw him: I alone could hear him
From The Unknown Bird by Edward ThomasIV. The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
and he names the sky his own
From Caged Bird by Maya AngelouV.A lone gray bird,
Dim-dipping, far-flying,
Alone in the shadows and grandeurs and tumults
Of night and the sea
And the stars and storms.
From From the Shore by Carl SandburgVI.A bird came down the walk:
He did not know I saw;
He bit an angle-worm in halves
And ate the fellow, raw.
From Part Two: Nature, XXIII by Emily DickinsonVII.I wonder if God's helper on that fifth day—
making all the birds of air—
was so new to the business of creation,
he approached it with little care.
From Creation of the Marbled Godwit by Jane Yolenin Birds of a Feather, poems by Jane Yolen and photographs by Jason StempleVIII.In the sedge a tiny song
Wells and thrills the whole day long
In my heart another bird
Has its music heard.
From A Warbler by Walter de la Marein Rhymes and Verses: Collected Poems for Young People, written by Walter de la Mare and illustrated by Elinore BlaisdellIX.A bird is a bird as long as it is
there. Then it is a miracle our crumbs and
sunflower seeds caught and let go.
From Bird Watching by John Ciardiin The Collected Poems of John Ciardi, collected by Edward M. Cifelli and written by John CiardiX.I gave much credence to stragglers,
overrated the composure of blackbirds
and the folklore of magpies.
From Drifting Off by Seamus Heaneyin Opened Ground: Selected Poems, 1966-1996, written by Seamus HeaneyXI.The birds are heading south,
instinct is the oldest story.
They fly over their doubles,
the mute weathervanes,
teaching all of us
with their tailfeathers
the true north.
From The Birds by Linda PastanXII.From dawn to dusk in darkling air
we glean and gulp and pluck and snare,
then find a roost that's snug and tight
to brave the long and frozen night.
From Chickadee's Song by Joyce Sidmanin Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold, written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Rick AllenXIII.Now close the windows and hush all the fields;
If the trees must, let them silently toss;
No bird is singing now, and if there is,
Be it my loss.
From Now Close the Windows by Robert FrostJohn Muir Laws has some terrific resources for drawing from nature. Check out the
Drawing Birds Tutorial. (Teachers can download a high resolution PDF for use in their classrooms.)
I also found this
How to Draw A Bird page from easy-drawings-and-sketches.com to be helpful.
I've written about birds and poetry before. Check out
A is for Avian, a post from my 2013 National Poetry Month Project.
That's it for today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow for our next celebration.
April 7th is
World Health Day. Every year, the World Health Organization selects a priority area of global public health concern as the theme for World Health Day, which falls on the birthday of the Organization. The theme for 2016 is diabetes, a noncommunicable disease directly impacting millions of people of globally, mostly in low- and middle-income countries.
This day is a good one to focus on general overall health and the human body.
Random Body Parts: Gross Anatomy Riddles in Verse (2015), written by Leslie Bulion and illustrated by Mike Lowery, encourages readers to follow poetic and visual clues to determine the body part in question. At the end of the poem, readers are rewarded with the answer and a bit of information about the science. Here's a poem closely related to this year's theme for World Health Day.
Self-Importanceby Leslie BulionWolf what you will
Swallow all kinds of swill,
If I don't add my juices, you're toast.
Without me, chewed food,
Smashed with acids and brewed
In your turn, is plain useless. No Boast!
No other glands
Take the upper hand
With protein, carb,
and fat;
In one fell swoop
You'll have nutrient soup—
My enzymes see to that.
My other cells seep
Key hormones that keep
Your blood sugar levels on track.
Second biggest in size?
Among glands,
I'm the prize--
that big floppy liver's a hack!
Poem © Leslie Bulion, 2015. All rights reserved.The Blood-Hungry Spleen and Other Poems About Our Parts (2003), written by Allan Wolf and illustrated by Greg Clarke, is a collection of 35 poems that celebrates our gross, disgusting, fascinating, and amazing body parts and functions. It begins with a poem entitled "Our Amazing Body Language" and is followed by anatomically devoted sections with one or more poems. The poems are funny and sometimes silly, but still ultimately impart some real knowledge about the part under consideration. The illustrations are whimsical (many of the organs depicted have faces and arms and legs) and not necessarily anatomically correct, but they do convey the messages shared in the poems.
Here's one of my favorite poems from the collection.
Skinby Allan WolfIt's on your face. Beneath your hair.
It's here. It's there. It's everywhere.
It's on your elbows and your knees.
It covers those. It covers these.
It hangs on tight beneath your shirt.
It's in the dark beneath your skirt.
It heals itself when it gets hurt.
Your skin. Your skin. Your skin.
You've basically two layers of skin.
The outer layer is very thin.
The
epidermis is its name,
your largest organ, so they claim.
The surface of this layer is dead.
And though you cannot see it shed,
it does, while brand-new cells are fed
from just beneath your skin.
That's where the second layer lies,
the
dermis, and it's just your size.
It senses pressure, pain, and touch.
It sweats when you play ball and such.
It holds the hair tight to your head.
Pierre, Rosita, Franz, or Fred,
each body on the planet's spread
with skin, with skin, with skin.
It covers these. It covers those.
It's on your fingers and your toes.
It's in your ears and up your nose.
Your skin. Your skin. Your skin.
It wraps around your throat and chin.
It keeps germs out. It keeps you in.
The skin that we are all born in.
Your skin. Your skin. Your skin.
Poem © Allan Wolf, 2003. All rights reserved.
Science Verse (2004), written by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith, is a collection of science poems that parody poems by Joyce Kilmer, Lewis Carroll, Ann Taylor, Robert Frost and others, as well as nursery rhymes and childhood songs. One of these poems is about the spleen.
Lovely
by Jon Scieszka
I think that I ain't never seen
A poem ugly as a spleen.
A poem that could make you shiver,
Like 3.5 . . . pounds of liver.
A poem to make you lose your lunch,
Tie your intestines in a bunch.
A poem all gray, wet, and swollen,
Like a stomach or a colon.
Something like your kidney, lung,
Pancreas, bladder, even tongue.
Why you turning green, good buddy?
It's just human body study.
Poem ©Jon Scieszka. All rights reserved.
Two additional poems you may enjoy are
Their Bodies, by David Wagoner, and
The Author to His Body on Their Fifteenth Birthday, 29 ii 80, by Howard Nemerov.
That's it for today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow for our next celebration.
April is
National Kite Month. Kites were invented in China and first flown more than 2000 (some reports say 3000) years ago. The first kites were actually used for military purposes. The were used in World War I and II for observation, signaling, and target practice. Kite flying has also been used to study wind and weather. In fact, kites were used at one time to carry meteorological instruments and cameras. Today, kites are largely used for recreational purposes.
Now that you are in a mood to fly a kite (or sing about one), let's read a few of my favorite kite poems.
To A Red Kitefrom Something New Begins: New and Selected Poems by Lilian MooreFling
yourself
upon the sky.
Take the string
you need.
Ride high
high
above the park.
Tug and buck
and lark
with the wind.
Touch a cloud,
red kite.
Follow the wild geese
in their flight.
Poem © Lilian Moore, 1982. All rights reserved.
The kite, kept
Indoors, wears
Dead paper
On tight-
Boned wood,
Pulles at the tied
Cord only
By its weight—
But held
To the wind,
It is another thing,
Turned strong,
Struck alive,
Wild to be torn
Away form the hand
Into high air:
Where it rides
Alone,
Glad,
A small, clear
Wing, having
Nothing at all
To do
With string.
Poem © Valerie Worth, 1994. All rights reserved.
(I've looked all over for the original source for this, but can't find it,
though the image is all over Pinterest and attributed to Mr. Wonderful.) This poem is from the book
More Opposites, written and illustrated by Richard Wilbur.
The opposite of
kite, I'd say,
Is
yo-yo. On a breezy day
You take your
kite and let it
riseUpon its string into the skies,
And then you pull it
down with ease
(Unless it crashes in the trees).
A
yo-yo, though, drops
down, and then
You quickly bring it
up again
By pulling deftly on the string
(If you can work the blasted thing).
Poem © Richard Wilbur, 1991. All rights reserved.This acrostic poem is from the book
Spring: An Acrostic Alphabet, written by Stephen Schnur and illustrated by Leslie Evans.
Knees pumping, we run
Into the wind, strings
Taut,
Eyes fixed on the
Sky.
Poem © Stephen Schnur, 1999. All rights reserved.
I found a number of other good poems for kites. I've included them below. You'll find an image of the poem, as well as the cover of the book it came from. (Click on the image to enlarge and read.)
That's it for today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow for our next celebration.
By: JOANNA MARPLE,
on 4/5/2016
Blog:
Miss Marple's Musings
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
marilyn nelson,
Kwame Alexander,
No water River,
Charlotte S. Huck,
Marilyn E. Marlow,
Renee la Tulippe,
Interview,
poetry,
Jane Yolen,
Naomi Shihab Nye,
anthologies,
Lee Bennett Hopkins,
National Poetry Month,
Carole Boston Weatherford,
poetry for children,
Margarita Engle,
Add a tag
April is National Poetry month so to spice up my interviews I decided to talk to internationally renowned poet and anthologist, Lee Bennett Hopkins.
In 1989 he received the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion for “outstanding contributions to the field of children’s … Continue reading →
April is
Mathematics Awareness Month. First celebrated in 1986 as Mathematics Awareness Week, the goal of this celebration is to to increase public understanding of and appreciation for mathematics. In 1999 this weeklong celebration was extended to encompass the entire month of April.
Here is one of my favorite math-themed poems.
Arithmetic
by Carl Sandburg
Arithmetic is where numbers fly like pigeons in and out of your head.
Arithmetic tell you how many you lose or win if you know how many you had before you lost or won.
Arithmetic is seven eleven all good children go to heaven -- or five six bundle of sticks.
Arithmetic is numbers you squeeze from your head to your hand to your pencil to your paper till you get the answer.
Arithmetic is where the answer is right and everything is nice and you can look out of the window and see the blue sky -- or the answer is wrong and you have to start all over and try again and see how it comes out this time.
If you take a number and double it and double it again and then double it a few more times, the number gets bigger and bigger and goes higher and higher and only arithmetic can tell you what the number is when you decide to quit doubling.
Arithmetic is where you have to multiply -- and you carry the multiplication table in your head and hope you won't lose it.
If you have two animal crackers, one good and one bad, and you eat one and a striped zebra with streaks all over him eats the other, how many animal crackers will you have if somebody offers you five six seven and you say No no no and you say Nay nay nay and you say Nix nix nix?
If you ask your mother for one fried egg for breakfast and she gives you two fried eggs and you eat both of them, who is better in arithmetic, you or your mother?
In
Sandburg's Arithmetic (1995), an animated short based on the poem, Carl Sandburg narrates a beautifully illustrated film produced by Lynn Smith. You can preview the film below.
For a more mathematically inclined poem, here's one on my favorite irrational number.
Piby Wislawa SzymborskaThe admirable number pi:
three point one four one.
All the following digits are also just a start,
five nine two because it never ends.
It can’t be grasped,
six five three five, at a glance,
eight nine, by calculation,
seven nine, through imagination,
or even
three two three eight in jest, or by comparison
four six to anything
two six four three in the world.
The longest snake on earth ends at thirty-odd feet.
Same goes for fairy tale snakes, though they make it a little longer.
The caravan of digits that is pi
does not stop at the edge of the page,
but runs off the table and into the air,
over the wall, a leaf, a bird’s nest, the clouds, straight into the sky,
through all the bloatedness and bottomlessness.
Oh how short, all but mouse-like is the comet’s tail!
How frail is a ray of starlight, bending in any old space!
Meanwhile
two three fifteen three hundred nineteenmy phone number your shirt size
the year nineteen hundred and seventy-three sixth floor
number of inhabitants sixty-five cents
hip measurement two fingers a charade and a code,
in which we find how blithe the trostle sings!
and please remain calm,
and heaven and earth shall pass away,
but not pi, that won’t happen,
it still has an okay
five,
and quite a fine
eight,
and all but final
seven,
prodding and prodding a plodding eternity
to last.
Let's move from pi to twin primes. You needn't watch the entire video, but Harry Baker spins a love poem for lonely prime numbers in the early minutes. You need to hear it.
Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems, selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by Karen Barbour, is a collection of 16 poems on calculators, division, multiplication, fractions, time, and other mathematical topics. Here's an example.
Nature Knows Its Mathby Joan Bransfield GrahamDividethe year
into seasons,
four,
subtractthe snow then
addsome more
green,
a bud,
a breeze,
a whispering
behind
the trees,
and here
beneath the
rain-scrubbed
sky
orange poppies
multiply.
Poem © Joan Bransfield Graham, 1997. All rights reserved.
I've written about math and poetry before. Check out
M is for Mathematical, a post from my 2013 National Poetry Month Project.
I'll wrap this up with this helpful video on The Mathematics of Poetry: Rhythm, Meter, and Rhyme.
That's it for today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow for our next celebration.
April is
National Garden Month. The National Garden Bureau worked with 23 national horticultural organizations to legislate National Garden Week. Former President Reagan signed the Proclamation on April 18, 1986 and National Garden Week was celebrated for the first time in April of 1987. In 2003 the celebration was designed to encompass the entire month of April, and National Garden Month was celebrated for the first time.
Busy in the Garden, written by George Shannon and illustrated by Sam
Williams, is a collection of 24 poems that captures the joys of the garden.
Dig a little.
Dig a lot.
Dig a brand-new garden spot.
Plant a little.
Plant a lot.
Plant the seeds and bulbs you bought.
Wait a little.
Wait a lot.
Wait much longer than you thought.
Pick a little.
Pick a lot.
Share the best bouquet you've got!
Poem © George Shannon. All rights reserved.
I Heard it From Alice Zucchini: Poems About the Garden, written by Juanita Havill and illustrated by Christine Davenier, is a magical collection of poems, by turns both whimsical and scientific, about growing things. Here's the poem that opens the book.
When I Grow Up
In the still chill of a winter night
seeds on the gardener's bench
rattle their packets
with chattering.
"When I grow up,
I'm going to be . . . "
"The biggest watermelon."
"Greenest spinach."
"Toughest kale."
"A rutabaga round as the world."
"An everywhere zucchini vine."
"Cornstalk so tall I touch the sky."
Little seeds
with big plans,
chittering, chattering,
except for one,
not a murmur from his packet.
Hey, little seed,
what about you?
What will you be
when you grow up?
In the still chill of the winter night:
"I'm going to be FIRST!"
And the radish is right.
Poem © Juanita Havill. All rights reserved.
One Leaf Rides the Wind, written by Celeste Davidson Mannis and illustrated by Susan Kathleen Hartung, is set in a Japanese garden where a young girl counts the things she sees, like bonsai, koi, and lotus flowers. The left side of each spread contains an illustration of the objects being counted. On the right side of each spread is the printed numeral, a haiku describing the objects, and a footnote introducing readers to various aspects of a traditional Japanese garden. The book ends with a brief description of the Japanese garden and some information about haiku.
Here is an example.
9Hoping for some crumbs,
they nibble at my fingers.
Nine glittering koi.
Koi fish are admired for their colorful appearance and
hardiness. They are also a popular symbol of
determination and strength. Ancient legend tells of a koi
fish that struggled up a huge waterfall in order to be
transformed into a dragon.
Text and Poem © Celeste Davidson Mannis. All rights reserved.While this book isn't about gardens, it contains a favorite poem.
Bronzeville Boys and Girls, written by Gwendolyn Brooks and illustrated by Faith Ringgold, is a collection of 34 poems that celebrates living in an urban setting. Every poem is titled for a child or children from the neighborhood.
Tommyby Gwendolyn BrooksI put a seed into the ground
And said, "I'll watch it grow."
I watered it and cared for it
As well as I could know.
One day I walked in my back yard,
And oh, what did I see!
My seed had popped itself right out,
Without consulting me.
Poem © Gwendolyn Brooks. All rights reserved.I'll wrap up today with a poem from another book that is not about gardening.
Always Wondering: Some Favorite Poems of Aileen Fisher, written by Aileen Fisher and illustrated by Joan Sandin, is a collection of 80 poems organized around the themes Think about People, Suddenly, Such Things as These, and Whoever Planned the World.
Package of Seedsby Aileen FisherThey can't see their pictures,
they can't read the label--
the seeds in a package--
so how are they able
to know if they're daisies
or greens for the table?
It sounds like a fancy,
it sounds like a fable,
but you do the sowing,
the weeding, the hoeing,
and they'll do the knowing
of how to be growing.
Poem © Aileen Fisher. All rights reserved.That's it for today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow for our next celebration.
April is National Frog Month. Found on every continent, frogs and toads (which are just a type of frog) are amphibians belonging to the order Anura. Coming in a wide array of sizes and colors, there are more than 6000 species of frogs worldwide. Perhaps most surprising to many is the fact that frogs have existed on the earth for more than 200 million years. This fact leads nicely into my first choice for today's celebration.
Tadpole Rex, written and illustrated by Kurt Cyrus, is a story told in verse that includes dinosaurs, the story of a frog's growth and possible connection to these extinct creatures, and bold artwork with up-close and personal views of a range of creatures. And really, what reader wouldn't fall in love with a book that begins this way?
Deep in the goop of a long-ago swamp,
a whopping big dinosaur went for a stomp.
Stomp! went the dinosaur. Squish! went the goop.
Up came the bubbles--
Bloop.
Bloop.
Bloop.
The life cycle of the frog, the demise of the dinosaurs, the explosion of amphibians in the class aura--it's all here in a perfect combination of poetry and science. For those needing a bit more information, Cyrus has added an author's note that explains the "inner tyrannosaur" reference and shares a bit of frog history. Here's an excerpt.
Frogs really did live alongside tyrannosaurs and triceratops. In fact, frogs existed 100 million years before these particular dinosaurs evolved. Fossils show that some prehistoric frogs had short legs, while others had long. Some had wide heads, others narrow. And many, like Rex, had well-developed teeth. Frogs came in all shapes and sizes, just as they do today.
The author's note ends with information about the challenges that frogs face today--pollution, climate change, habitat loss, and more.
Toad by the Road: A Year in the Life of These Amazing Amphibians, written by Joanne Ryder and illustrated by Maggie Kneen, is a collection of 26 poems about the life cycle of the toad. Grouped by season—Spring-Summer, Summer, Late Summer-Fall, and Winter-Spring—each section contains from five to seven poems. On nearly every page readers will find a poem, illustration and brief bit of informational text. Most poems are told in the voice of a toad or group of tadpoles or toads. Here is one of my favorite poems from the book.
Zap, ZapMy tongue is a tool—
Far better than most—
For catching my breakfast,
Though I shouldn't boast.
It's long and it's swift
And it's covered with goo.
I flick it at cricket
And stick him like glue.
This poem is accompanied by the following bit of informational text.
A toad waits and watches an insect or worm creep near. Then it flicks out its sticky tongue to catch it prey. The toad swallows its meal whole and then wipes its mouth clean.
Poem and text ©Joanne Ryder. All rights reserved.Marsh Music, written by Marianne Berkes and illustrated by Robert Noreika, is a story in verse in which ten different species of frogs meet in a marsh to begin a concert that lasts through the night. Here is how it begins.
The rain has stopped.
Night is coming.
The pond awakes with
quiet humming.
Maestro frog hops to the mound
As night begins to fill with sound.
Peepers
peep pe-ep, peep, peep.
They have had a good day’s sleep!
Chorus frogs are hard to see.
Hear them chirping
do re mi.
Then the other frogs come in.
Soon the concert will begin.
Text ©Marianne Berkes. All rights reserved.
Back matter of the book includes a glossary of musical terms, as well as information about the species of frogs in the story. “The Cast” of amphibian performers includes “Maestro” Bullfrog, Spring Peepers, Chorus Frogs, American Toads, Green Frogs, Narrow-mouthed Toads, Wood Frogs, Pig Frogs, Green Tree Frogs, Leopard Frogs, and Barking Tree Frogs.
Lizards, Frogs, and Polliwogs, written and illustrated by Douglas Florian, is a collection of 21 poems that introduces readers to all manner of amphibians and reptiles, including polliwogs, the midwife toad, glass frog, wood frog, red-eyed tree frog, bullfrog, poison-dart frog, and spring peepers. Here's an excerpt.
The Glass Frogby Douglas FlorianUpon a tree
It’s hard to see
Which part is leaf
And which is me
Which part is me
And which is leaf
I’ve lost myself again—
Good grief!
Poem ©Douglas Florian. All rights reserved.You can find a wealth of resources to extend this topic in the
thematic list on frogs and toads. While you are enjoying some froggy poetry and verse today, why not fold yourself an origami frog?
That's it for today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow for our next celebration.
April is
Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM). This monthly celebration was created at the Smithsonian's
National Museum of American History in 2002 to "herald and celebrate the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz." April was chosen because many important figures in jazz were born in, such as in Lionel Hampton, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Tito Puente, and others.
"Jazz is a heartbeat—its heartbeat is yours." - Langston Hughes
One of the earliest poems with jazz as a subject was written by Carl Sandburg.
Jazz Fantasia
from Smoke and Steel. 1922.
by Carl Sandburg
DRUM on your drums, batter on your banjoes, sob on the long cool winding saxophones. Go to it, O jazzmen.
Sling your knuckles on the bottoms of the happy tin pans, let your trombones ooze, and go hushahusha-hush with the slippery sand-paper.
Moan like an autumn wind high in the lonesome tree-tops, moan soft like you wanted somebody terrible, cry like a racing car slipping away from a motorcycle cop, bang-bang! you jazzmen, bang altogether drums, traps, banjoes, horns, tin cans—make two people fight on the top of a stairway and scratch each other’s eyes in a clinch tumbling down the stairs.
Can the rough stuff … now a Mississippi steamboat pushes up the night river with a hoo-hoo-hoo-oo … and the green lanterns calling to the high soft stars … a red moon rides on the humps of the low river hills … go to it, O jazzmen.
Early poetry on jazz did not mimic the rhythms and syncopations of jazz music. It wasn't until the Harlem Renaissance when Langston Hughes embraced the nuances of jazz in his poetry. Today jazz poetry is defined by
Poets.org as "a literary genre defined as poetry necessarily informed by jazz music—that is, poetry in which the poet responds to and writes about jazz."
But what is jazz?
Here's a hint.
When I started researching this celebration, I came across a book in our music library entitled
The First Book of Jazz (1955). It was written by Langston Hughes and illustrated by Cliff Roberts. Hughes used the story of Louis Armstrong to highlight the history of jazz. Hughes said, "The story of Louis Armstrong is almost the whole story of orchestral jazz in America." In addition to describing the various musical forms that contributed to the development of jazz, Hughes also described the ten basic elements of jazz: syncopation, improvisation, percussion, rhythm, blue notes, tone color, harmony, break, riff, and the joy of playing.
This is a pretty amazing book that provides a terrific introduction to jazz. You can learn more about this title at
We Too Were Children, Mr. Barrie and the
Open Culture site. You can also see some terrific images of the illustrations at
The Invisible Agent.
Since many consider Langston Hughes to be the standard bearer for jazz poetry, let's start here.
You can read more about this performance at the National Endowment for the Humanities blog entitled
Art Works.
In addition to the poem performed in the video, this is one of my favorite jazz poems by Hughes. You can read a bit about it
Modern American Poetry.
The Cat and the Saxophoneby Langston HughesEVERYBODY
Half-pint,—
Gin?
No, make it
LOVES MY BABY
corn. You like
liquor,
don't you, honey?
BUT MY BABY
Sure. Kiss me,
DON'T LOVE NOBODY
daddy.
BUT ME.
Say!
EVERYBODY
Yes?
WANTS MY BABY
I'm your
BUT MY BABY
sweetie, ain't I?
DON'T WANT NOBODY
Sure.
BUT
Then let's
ME,
do it!
SWEET ME.
Charleston,
mamma!
You can learn more about Langston Hughes and Jazz poetry at
Perspectives Through Poetry: The Life & Legacy of Langston Hughes.
Another favorite jazz poem of mine is We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks. You can hear her read it at
The Poetry Foundation.
While not a book of jazz poetry,
Jazz Baby (2007), written by Lisa Wheeler and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, is a fabulous story in verse of the day in a life of a baby. Throughout the day, family, friends, and neighbors all take part in a jazz-themed dance party. The rhythm and meter are suitably bouncy and so much fun. Here's an excerpt.
Mama swings high.
Daddy swings low.
Swingin'-singin' Baby says,
"Go, Man, Go!"
So they Boom-Boom-Boom
And they Hip-Hip-Hop
And the bouncin' baby boogies
with a Bop-Bop-Bop!
You can watch and listen to
Alina Celeste, a family musician and teaching artist, read this title.
If you are looking for some additional children's poetry books on jazz, check out
J is for Jazzy, a post from my 2013 National Poetry Month Project.
That's it for today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow for our next celebration.
April 1st is April Fool's Day. This day of trickery, also known as All Fools' Day, has been celebrated in different cultures for a number of centuries. It was popularized in 1700 by English pranksters who played practical jokes on one another.
One of the earliest poems about this day comes from Poor Robin's Almanack, an English satirical almanac that was first published in 1663.
Poor Robin's Almanack, 1790The first of April, some do say
Is set apart for All Fool's Day;
But why the people call it so
Nor I, nor they themselves, do know,
But on this day are people sent
On purpose for pure merriment.
It seems appropriate that on the day I kick off this year's National Poetry Month project I share a favorite poem by Myra Cohn Livingston. It is from her book entitled
Celebrations.
April Foolby Myra Cohn LivingstonThe maple syrup's full of ants.
A mouse is creeping on the shelf.
Is that a spider on your back?
I ate a whole pie by myself.
The kitchen sink just overflowed.
A flash flood washed away the school.
I threw your blanket in the trash.
I never lie————I————
APRIL FOOL!
Poem © Myra Cohn Livingston, 1985
Kenn Nesbitt shares all kinds of poetry on his web site,
Poetry4kids.com. Here's his poem for April Fool's Day.
April Fool's Dayby Kenn Nesbitt
Mackenzie put a whoopie cushion
on the teacher's chair.
Makayla told the teacher
that a bug was in her hair.
Alyssa brought an apple
with a purple gummy worm
and gave it to the teacher
just to see if she would squirm.
Elijah left a piece of plastic
dog doo on the floor,
and Vincent put some plastic vomit
in the teacher's drawer.
Amanda put a goldfish
in the teacher's drinking glass.
These April Fool's Day pranks
are ones that you could use in class.
Before you go and try them, though,
there's something I should mention:
The teacher wasn't fooling
when she put us in detention.
Copyright © 2007 Kenn Nesbitt. All Rights Reserved.
From www.poetry4kids.comI learned long ago that it's a good idea to share your ideas for a project early, as you never know who might show up in support of your work. I was thrilled to receive a message from
Pat Lewis just a few days after posting my plans for this year. He graciously sent me a number of poems to share with you.
April Fool’s Day (April 1)by J. Patrick LewisThey say you’re the picture of pretty,
You’re as warm as the heat from the sun,
You’re the lock and the key to the city,
You’re the meat in a hamburger bun!
They say you’re the pick of the litter,
They say that you’re such a good egg.
But, kid, have you stopped to consider
Someone might be pulling your leg?!
Copyright © 2016 J. Patrick Lewis. All Rights Reserved.You can learn more about April Fool's day in this very short video from
The History Channel.
That's it for today. I hope you'll join me tomorrow for our next celebration.
I'm looking at the calendar and am excited that this Friday finally ushers in National Poetry Month! I've been doing a bit of housekeeping here on the blog. You'll notice there is now a page (see tabs along the top) for
National Poetry Month Projects. On it you'll find links to my National Poetry Month efforts since 2008.
From this page you can link to each year's project and find the posts for each day in the month. If you are interested in getting a sneak peak for this year, click on
Celebrations to find my list of topics for the upcoming month. I hope to see you back here Friday for the kick-off!
By: Samantha McGinnis,
on 3/22/2016
Blog:
First Book
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Mother Goose,
book recommendations,
poems,
National Geographic,
Langston Hughes,
Shel Silverstein,
National Poetry Month,
Sudan,
Ashley Bryan,
Where the Sidewalk Ends,
Andrea Davis Pinkney,
Shane W. Evans,
Nina Crews,
The Red Pencil,
Inside First Book,
Our Recommendations,
Sail Away,
Add a tag
April is National Poetry Month! We’ve selected our favorite poetry books for you to share with your readers of meter and rhyme.
From clever poetry favorites and nursery rhymes, to craftily created illustrations and novels in verse, you’ll find poetry for all ages to inspire even the most reluctant future-poets.
If you work with children in need, you can find these books of poetry and many more on the First Book Marketplace.
For Pre-K –K (Ages 3-6):
Neighborhood Mother Goose Written and illustrated by Nina Crews
Traditional nursery rhymes get a fun, modern treatment in this wonderfully kid-friendly collection. Illustrated with clever photos of diverse kids in a city setting, it’s a fantastic addition to any preschool library!
For 1st and 2nd Grade (Ages 6-8):
Sail Away Poems by Langston Hughes illustrated by Ashley Bryan
Legendary illustrator Ashley Bryan pairs the lush language of Langston Hughes with vibrant cut paper collages in this wonderful assortment of poems that celebrate the sea. It’s a read-aloud dream!
For 3rd & 4th grade (Ages 8-10):
Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings Written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein
Generations of readers have laughed themselves silly over the poems in this wildly imaginative collection from a beloved poet. Several members of our staff can recite poems from this book from memory – just ask. Giggles guaranteed!
For 5th and 6th Grade (Ages 10-12):
National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry: 200 Poems with Photographs That Squeak, Soar, and Roar! Edited by J. Patrick Lewis
An incredible gift for any kid, family, or teacher! Stunning National Geographic photos fill the pages of this huge anthology that introduces kids to poems both old and new. It’s a book they’ll never outgrow and will pull of the shelf again and again.
Grades 7 & up (Ages 13+)
The Red Pencil Written by Andrea Davis Pinkney, with illustrations by Shane W. Evans
Both heartbreaking and hopeful, this beautiful novel in verse tells the story of a Sudanese refugee whose spirit is wounded by war but reawakened by creativity and inspiration. Readers will be moved by this story of optimism in the face of great obstacles.
The post Monthly Book List: Our Five Favorite Poetry Books appeared first on First Book Blog.
I've finally selected the celebrations and topics for each day. I can't wait to dig in and see what kind of resources I'll be able to share.
I can't wait for April to begin! I hope you'll stop by to help me celebrate.
National Poetry Month is long over, but I believe in poetry EVERY day and still have forms and interviews to share. So without further ado, another wonderful poet weighs in on form.
* * * * *
How do you begin a poem? Or, how does a poem begin for you — with an idea, a form, an image, or something else?
Bob: I usually (but not always) start with the form. And it helps to have a theme in mind. For example, my book
Santa Clauses consists of 25 haiku “written” by Santa. Haiku are about nature, so when I started writing, I thought about things in nature that are unique to the North Pole, and that might make an impression on Santa. Pretty soon, I was writing poems about the northern lights, reindeer and snow hares.
How do you choose the form of your poems?
Bob: Most of the time I’m inspired by other poems. For example, I just finished a manuscript of 20 poems that I’m calling “skinny sonnets”. The form is based on a 14-word sonnet written by a poet named Frank Sidgwick in 1921. His abbreviated sonnet is called The Aeronaut to His Lady, and once I read it, I knew I had to try one for myself. The same thing happened with my book
Lemonade, which was inspired by an anagram-like poem called rain by a poet named Andrew Russ.
Are there any forms you haven't tried but would like to? Why or why not?
Bob: There are many forms I haven’t tried. I tend to gravitate toward shorter forms like haiku, cinquains, clerihews and limericks. I find them easier to wrap my head around. Call me a minimalist. I also don’t have a lot of time to write poetry with my day job in advertising, so the shorter forms work well with my schedule. That’s not to say that short forms are easy, or that I don’t rewrite my short poems many, many times. I do love the fact that you can say so much, and be so clever, with so few words.
What tools (rhyming dictionary, book of forms, etc.) do you use in writing poetry (if any)?
Bob: I love my rhyming dictionary. It’s paperback and the edges are well-worn from all of my quick-flipping back and forth. I also have quite a collection of poetry books for inspiration, mostly adult poets. Some are anthologies, others are by individual poets. One book that I return to again and again is
Poem-Making: Ways to Begin Writing Poetry by Myra Cohn Livingston.
What would you like students or children to know about poetry?Bob: First, poetry is about playing with words. So if you like playing with words, or seeing how other people play with words, chances are you’ll like reading and writing poetry. Second, don’t expect to like—or even understand—every poem you read. Poems are like books, and poets are like authors: you’ll like some more than you like others. Third, reading poems is a great way to slow down and appreciate the little things in life. I like to read a handful of nature poems before I go to bed. It makes me feel good and helps relieve any stress I may be feeling.
Finally, one of your esteemed colleagues suggested I ask for a poem in a foreign verse form. Would you be willing to share a poem for this project?
Bob:
I reach for firefly’s
flicker, but all I catch is
a handful of dark.
Poem ©Bob Raczka, 2015. All rights reserved.
A million thanks to Bob for participating in my Jumping Into Form interview and for waiting ever so patiently for it to post.
I’m sorry to see National Poetry Month end. Mine went out with a bang, though, in a wonderful Family Literacy Night celebration at an elementary school in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Happily, the date coincided with
Poem in Your Pocket Day.
What fun to see students so excited about poetry! To watch them proudly pull out and unfold their handwritten index cards. To hear them bravely recite their favorite poems.
I was able to narrow my own favorite poems down to eleven—quite an achievement, I think! I brought five copies of each to hand out in case anyone forgot theirs. I’m glad to say that I came home with only three poems and that many of the ones I handed out went to parents. I hope they’ll keep sharing.
On to May! For this
Teaching Authors series, we’re writing about animals.
Bobbi began with some favorite animal books.
For all of April (National Poetry Month), I wrote a haiku a day. (You can see the
April archive on my blog.) I looked back through the poems and found that 13 of the 30 addressed animals, mostly birds. Here in Wisconsin, we see a lot of birds migrating through to summer homes at this time of year, so that seems logical. One thing I loved about the daily haiku practice is that this year, I noticed.
Here’s one more haiku from this morning. I can’t seem to stop!
Squirrel winds her way
from limb to limb, encumbered
mouth full of dry leaves
The Poetry Friday Roundup is at
A Year of Reading, at least for now. Enjoy!
JoAnn Early Macken
On this last day of the month I thought I would wrap up this year's National Poetry Month project by highlighting books that focus on form and the writing of poetry.
When I was in high school I wrote free verse, largely that's all I really knew. While I recall writing the occasional haiku as a English assignment, I was never instructed on how to write poetry. Oh, how I wish I had been! Poetry can be so much fun to play and puzzle with. Trying to make your ideas and favorite words fit into a structured form can be a daunting task, but one that gives much satisfaction upon its completion.
Today I rely on a varied collection of books while writing poetry. In addition to the "adult" books on poetry reading and writing, I often turn to books for children and young adults to help me think about form and process. Here are some of the books I use with regularity.
Why, you may ask, do poems have rules? Why 17 syllables in a haiku? Why 14 lines in a sonnet? The answer is: rules make the writing of a poem more challenging, more exciting. Think of a game you enjoy, like baseball. Imagine how much less intriguing the game would be if there were no foul line or limit to the number of outs in an inning. The rules often ask, "Can you do a good job within these limits?" Knowing the rules makes poetry—like sports—more fun, for players and spectators alike.
What follows are 29 poetics forms. Each form is accompanied by some kind of visual clue in the top corner of the page. For example, the page for couplet shows two birds on a wire, epitaph shows a headstone, and ode shows a Grecian urn. Once the form has been identified, readers find a short informational description and poetic example. Here's what you'll find on the page for Riddle Poem.
The beginning of eternity
The end of time and space,
The beginning of every end,
The end of every place.
Anonymous
A riddle poem indirectly describes a person, place, thing, or idea. The reader must try to figure out the subject of the riddle. A riddle poem can be any length and usually has a rhyme scheme of abcb or aabb.
This volume not only contains many familiar forms, such as haiku, cinquain, acrostic and limerick, but also forms such as aubade, pantoum, villanelle, and double dactyl. At the end of the book readers will find a bit more background information on each of the 29 forms.
Getting From Here To There: Writing and Reading Poetry (1982, OP), written by Florence Grossman, is a book I pulled out of a discard pile years ago, but one that I still crack open. If you can find a copy, it would be worth your while to look it over. Here is how it begins.
Most people have never written poetry, yet most people, at one time or another. have had the vague sense of a poem lurking somewhere, something they had experienced that had to be told in a special way. This book is addressed to you if you have ever wanted to write a poem and did not know the place to begin, or if you have not trusted yourself because you thought you did not know the language of poetry.
... And rhyme? Most beginning writers are boxed in by rhyme because they're busy thinking about the word that will rhyme instead of allowing words and ideas to bounce off each other. For now, forget about rhyme. Focus on rhythm. When you begin to listen to yourself, the poem will find its own rhythm. It will find its own length. Once you get rolling, the poem will assume a life of its own. It will tell you what it has to say.
This is book is organized into the following chapters: (1) Lists; (2) Then; (3) Things; (4) Signs; (5) Image; (6) People; (7) Clothes, etc.; (8) Sound/Silence; (9) Persona; and (10) Dreams and Fantasies. What I love is that in the introduction to each chapter, Grossman gives readers a perspective and an insight into writing poetry that is often profound. Here is an example from the chapter "Things."
Paper clips, rubber bands, a book of matches, these small things that go about daily business of their lives—most people would never think of them as subjects of poetry. But as walls have ears and pillows have secrets, each of these things has its own story. It has been places and done things. For the poets it's a matter of tuning in, of holding the spool of thread until we have heard what it has to say. Look long enough at a pencil and the poem will begin.
In addition to these insights, each chapter contains numerous example poems, thought prompts, and writing suggestions. The text ends with a section entitled Some Notes on Self Editing. There are 10 bulleted items here that are pithy and helpful. Here are a few.
- What we are after here is honesty.
- We all have our own words, words that we've carried around with us for years, words that we've tried on and we're comfortable with. These are the words of "our voice" that tell the reader someone has written this poem. Be true to those words.
- Honest also means the exact word rather than the well-that-will-do word. Poetry is concise—no time to fool around with approximations. "The best words," says Wallace Stevens, "in their best order."
A Crow Doesn't Need A Shadow: A Guide to Writing Poetry From Nature (1994), written by Lorraine Ferra with illustrations by Diane Boardman, focuses on the "integration of our inner and outer landscapes. Through nature field trips, children and adults are invited to reflect on their personal place in the world." Sections of the book include: (1) Poetry Field Trips; (2) Building a Nature Wordscape; (3) Keeping a Nature Journal; (4) Other Explorations such as, finding a companion in nature, creating a landscape, colors in the natural world, dreaming up a place, nature in your hand, and more; (5) Anthology--a sampling of original poems by young authors; and (6) A Note To Educators (written by Mona Hirschi Daniels). The book begins this way.
Open the Door
An Invitation to Readers
Over three hundred years ago, the poet Matsuo Basho said, "To learn about a tree, go to a tree. Basho was considering more than the scientific facts you learn about trees. He was suggesting that the creatures of the natural world speak a language, one perhaps different from yours, but one you can understand if you listen with your imagination.
...Every chapter of this book, every poem, is a different door you can open to the natural world. Choose any of these doors, open it, and step quietly outside with your pencil, paper, and imagination.
In the section Creating a Landscape, Ferra shares a recipe poem by a twelve year old boy and guides readers through the process of writing their own. Here's an excerpt.
Look through a cookbook. As you read the directions for several different recipes, write down the verbs which tell you what to do with the ingredients. Make a list of about ten or twelve different verbs. Keep in mind that you probably won't use all the verbs you find. Be selective for your poem.
Some possible subjects might be a recipe for a cave, foggy morning, a bird refuge, a season or particular month, a moonlit field, a river, or a sunset. Once you decide on your subject, start listing some ingredients.
While there is no emphasis here on form, this is wonderful book for encouraging close observation, a skill so vital to the poet's craft.
(2000), written and illustrated by Avis Harley, uses the alphabet to organize 26 different poetic forms (two for the letter A and none for Y). Each page includes a poem written in the named form with information at the bottom of the page describing the form. Additional poetic forms are included in the end notes.
Leap Into Poetry: More ABCs of Poetry (2001), written and illustrated by Avis Harley, is a companion to FLY WITH POETRY that uses the alphabetic format to introduce a variety of poetic forms and techniques. Each letter introduces an arthropod in a poem that uses the stated form or technique. Facts about each animal are included in the end notes.
Write Your Own Poetry (2008), written by Laura Purdie Salas, is a book that provides a thorough introduction to the process and tools of writing poetry. There are chapters on poetic forms, language of poetry, imagery, point of view, meter and rhyme, and more. Jam-packed with sample poems, helpful tips and advice from poets, this is a comprehensive introduction to writing poetry.
(2006), written by Allan Wolf and illustrated by Tuesday Morning, is a how-to guide on becoming a poet for middle grades and young adults. The book begins this way.
Have you noticed how rhythm makes you move? How heave bass vibrates the door panels of passing cars? Have you noticed the colors of a rainbow? How the stench of fireworks burns your eyes? How you cold winter hands sting under warm water? To be a poet is to notice.
...
Poems are all around us, waiting to be written. The world teems with words, images, ideas, sights, sounds, colors, anecdotes, notions, and emotions. Just as water is the stuff of life to a fish, the world is the stuff of life to be a poet. all you need to do is dive in.
The book is divided into several sections, each color-coded for ease of use.
Poetry & You offers readers a quick guided tour of poetry, nine habits of successful poets (such as get gonzo over words, write every day and play), a writing pledge and more you.
Your Poetry Toolbox explains the tools of the trade, such as poetic devices and the anatomy of a poem.
The Poet's Decisions delves deep into the process of writing, providing lessons on point of view, tense, form, playing with structure, revising and much more.
Always Something to Write About provides ideas for journaling and writing prompts. The last major section,
Ta Da!: Presenting Your Work is about reading, performing and publishing poetry. Liberally sprinkled throughout the text are examples and lots of poems from a range of poets.
One of my favorite sections is entitled
Your Best Revising Tools. Having just spent a significant amount of time revising a poem, I can tell you how much these ring true. Here they are in abbreviated form.
- Time - It's very difficult to read a poem objectively on the day you wrote it. It's best to let it age—a day, a week, a month.
- An Audition - With poetry, there's no room for words that aren't pulling their weight. Make those words work for you. Make them prove they belong where they are.
- A Sense of Fearless Tinkering - Don't be afraid to take apart what you've done. . . . Take your poem apart and put it back together. Don't worry about the extra parts still on the floor.
- Highlighting the Poem's Golden Moments - Use a yellow highlighter to designate your poem's top three golden moments (be they a single work, a partial phrase, or an entire line) that are vital to the poem's life. . . . Once you've highlighted the poem's golden moments, examine the remaining words with a critical eye.
- Vivacious Vocal Cords - Poetry is ultimately a spoken art. . . . but it's also a great revision tool. It helps flag a poem's awkward phrases, blips, bleeps, and blemishes.
The book ends with appendices of selected poems and poets, as well as publishing resources for young writers.
How to Write Poetry, written by Paul Janeczko, is a Scholastic Guide that organizes the poetry writing process in easy-to-follow steps. The chapters on starting to write, writing poems that rhyme, and writing free verse poems all offer a wealth of information, sample poems, and "try this" suggestions. Different poetic forms are introduced along with checklists to keep writer's focused on important features. Includes an extensive glossary.
Poetry from A to Z: A Guide for Young Writers, written by Paul Janeczko, is a collection of 72 poems arranged alphabetically by subject. Also included are 14 poetry-writing exercises that show how to write specific types of poems and advice from more than twenty poets on becoming a better writer.
Poetry Matters: Writing a Poem From the Inside Out, written by Ralph Fletcher, is a good guide to writing poetry from the heart. Chapters deal with imagery, rhythm, crafting poems, wordplay, and more. Major poetic forms are defined and there is a section on ways to share your work. Interviews with Kristine O'Connell George, Janet Wong, and J. Patrick Lewis are included. A number of poems written by Fletcher are included as examples in these chapters.
The Place My Words Are Looking For: What Poets Say About and Through Their Work, selected by Paul Janeczko, is a collection of poems, advice, anecdotes, and recollections of 39 poets. Following their poems, poets describe
their inspirations, memories, where they get their ideas, their writing processes, and how they go about translating their ideas in to poetic form. If you are looking for additional resources on poetry writing, try these sites.
April may be ending, but that doesn't mean the poetry goodness must stop. I hope you'll revisit some of the posts from this month as you incorporate more poetry reading and writing in your classroom.
Thanks to everyone who has stopped by this month. It has been a joy sharing poetry with you.
While Michael Rosen and I connected over a possible interview, we had a series of interesting conversations about this project and my interest in form. I was thrilled when he offered to write a piece on form, so I gladly accepted. That is what I am sharing today.
I had to resist the temptation to highlight the points that struck a chord as I read, but I realized they may not be the same points that stand out for you. This is an important piece and part of a larger conversation. I hope teachers, writers, and poetry lovers alike will take these wise words to heart.
The Problem with Poetic Forms? Not Thinking of Them as Solutions
—Michael J. Rosen
(You can learn more about Michael at his web site.)After 35 years of teaching kids poetry (this would be some series classes and many visiting author workshops), I can report that writing poetry is way too easy for kids. And way too hard. Rhyme is too easy; and too hard. So are syllabics such as haiku. Dare I say that poetic form—any one—is both too easy and too hard. And these troubles (and there are many) stem from a fundamental absence of the very opportunities that poetry is supposed to provide for a writer: the rewards of challenging work, the gratification of a new perspective or appreciation, the stumbling upon breakthroughs and surprises.
Consider these fragments that follow “corrective measures.” Consider them notes—to myself, to my colleagues, to young writers—that aim to reframe the way we offer forms of poetry to children.
* * *
Form is structure. It’s support. It’s solidity. It’s what words and lines and sentences and narrative and images and ideas are build upon or within. Form keeps writers (kids and adults) from just saying the first words that come to mind, from being okay with (done!) whatever sentiment, observation, word choice, etc., hits the page first. We all need a challenge to our thoughts. Indeed, the poet W. B. Yeats said that poetry was a writer arguing with himself.
We need to let poetic form be the ring in which young writers can wrestle with their thoughts.
* * *
Think of the role that gravity plays in dance. It’s what makes lightness remarkable. Just how thrilling would a lift be in ballet, say, if gravity weren’t an issue? If a dancer could float across the stage in a leap. Dance would be an entirely different art if weightlessness were a factor.
Poetic form is gravity. It’s what adds weight to our words. It’s what adds bravura, boldness, and originality to our ordinary expressions.
* * *
Even if a poetic form—sonnet, tanka, ballad, limerick—possesses, by some definitions, a standard pattern or a required structure, it can’t be an ice-cube tray into which words are merely poured, frozen, and dumped out. That form has to be an ice sculpture in which the writing reveals something remarkable.
If we simply describe the structure of a form and agree that anything that “fits” it, is, indeed, a successful use of the form, that’s like saying that reading the progression of letters in a series of words is the same as comprehending what that sentence means.
* * *
Instead, poetic forms uncover possibilities. They don’t take “what we know” and simply add rhymes or break up lines. They take “what we don’t know,” and inch us, revision by revision, toward knowing. They take impressions and memories and general topics and things we’re curious about, and put them under pressure so that all the words begin interacting—banging into one another, ricocheting off the “walls” of the form—and, thereby, create heat and light. Yes, too often, we never give kids a chance to feel that illumination, that charge of power!
* * *
Another trouble: Ideas. In my book, we shouldn’t expect that what a kid writes about is going to be…wow! brilliant! truly inspired! utterly remarkable! And we shouldn’t set them up with that expectation. (That’s why the library isn’t filled with the work of kids, right?) So what’s our job as teachers? To help them master the forms? Oh, sure, to some degree. But more importantly, it’s to create exhilarating experiences, to afford enormous and unexpected pleasures, to make the writing of poetry a practice that nourishes and enlivens. A kid who loves the act…will continue it. Will get better at it. Will eventually master forms. And, eventually, will write poems of substance and significance. The great 20th century poet W. H. Auden believed that “hanging around with words,” was more crucial for a young person’s development as a writer than having something to say.
Give kids a chance to feel the rewards that come from concentration and struggle, the fulfillment that comes from puzzling, repeated attempts, and invention. See if you can’t remove the pleasure (that’s mostly just “relief”) from that initial coming up with something. And remove it from the “relief” of quickly turning in something, with its coincident pleasure of getting to go on to whatever’s next.
Sustain the pleasure of right now…for as long as possible.
* * *
For a reader or listener, rhyme can lift a poem into music, insinuate lines into memory, and afford the intrinsic pleasure of repetition. But for the writer, the role of rhyme is to challenge and, therein, elevate the language of the poem. Rhyme’s role is to be unrelenting, so that the writer must search for that just right word, adjust the line breaks or description or content or phrasing, in order satisfy the rhyme scheme…in a pleasing way.
Rhymes confer an aural emphasis on certain words—typically, end words, which are already cued up in that important terminal position. Ideally, rhyming words are important ones…that produce more than just a repetition of a syllable or vowel sound. And to that end: It’s key to remember that the first word in a rhymed pair doesn’t rhyme. It sets up the second word, so that I T R I N G S O U T…and, most often, we let kids work in a way that allows them to force a match to the first word in a rhyming pair with an unimportant second word. So the second word merely sounds—and sounds lame or illogical—rather than reveals something as it echoes.
So changing the whole way of composing rhymes is vital. Pry loose words that offer hackneyed or obtuse rhymes. Use a rhyming dictionary. Generate a pool of possible rhymes. Use a thesaurus to try a different word that might generate a whole new set of options.
* * *
Likewise, counting syllables, as in haiku or tanka or other forms, creates a similar trouble: That process should involve uncertainty, not certainty. It’s so easy to let kids feel the contentment of being quick and being done…rather than the genuine contentment with the work itself. Counting syllables should happen LAST. It, too should be part of the argument with the content itself. It should create tension. (Ah! Think of a line of poetry as a string on a violin or guitar. In order to resonate, that line has to be taut, not simply stretched out.) Syllabics causes compression and expansion that should initiate a new flow of words, options, and subject matter. The way kids are typically given the form, they stuff words into a syllabic form like tepid leftovers into a Styrofoam clamshell (that is typically left at the restaurant or in the car or in the back of the fridge…forgotten because, well, it really wasn’t that good in the first place!). [You must block that metaphor, and yet that goofy overextension does hint at why students lack motivation to revise or illustrate or read aloud something they drum up so easily and execute so hastily.]
* * *
One other trouble. When it comes to poetry, we don’t give kids enough time to dive in, come up for air, dive in again. And then we typically give them one chance. Try this form. Great! Now, let’s move onto some other form. And even writing poetry of any sort is typically confined to one unit or just a once-in-a-while treat (or torture). And this survey approach—one form after another—doesn’t let any familiarity or efficiency or experimentation kick in. So it’s like doing a preliminary sketch, and then adding the finishing touches and the frame…even before the perspective, the composition, the details, or the colors have been thought through.
Think of anything you’ve learned to do well—casting a fly-fishing rod, crimping the edges of a perfect pie crust, floating up into a yoga head stand. If you only had one chance to try these “forms,” your success is going to be limited. As will be the pleasure in the…frustrating? slapdash? improving?...accomplishment. How do we improve except by repetition?
Let me leave you with this: Practice doesn’t only make perfect. Along the way, practice makes for possibilities, including the possibility of enjoying the craft enough to…one day…master it.
* * *
Thank you, thank you, a million thank you's to Michael J. Rosen for providing us with such rich food for thought on form.
While Michael Rosen and I connected over a possible interview, we had a series of interesting conversations about this project and my interest in form. I was thrilled when he offered to write a piece on form, so I gladly accepted. That is what I am sharing today.
I had to resist the temptation to highlight the points that struck a chord as I read, but I realized they may not be the same points that stand out for you. This is an important piece and part of a larger conversation. I hope teachers, writers, and poetry lovers alike will take these wise words to heart.
The Problem with Poetic Forms? Not Thinking of Them as Solutions
—Michael J. Rosen
(You can learn more about Michael at his web site.)After 35 years of teaching kids poetry (this would be some series classes and many visiting author workshops), I can report that writing poetry is way too easy for kids. And way too hard. Rhyme is too easy; and too hard. So are syllabics such as haiku. Dare I say that poetic form—any one—is both too easy and too hard. And these troubles (and there are many) stem from a fundamental absence of the very opportunities that poetry is supposed to provide for a writer: the rewards of challenging work, the gratification of a new perspective or appreciation, the stumbling upon breakthroughs and surprises.
Consider these fragments that follow “corrective measures.” Consider them notes—to myself, to my colleagues, to young writers—that aim to reframe the way we offer forms of poetry to children.
* * *
Form is structure. It’s support. It’s solidity. It’s what words and lines and sentences and narrative and images and ideas are build upon or within. Form keeps writers (kids and adults) from just saying the first words that come to mind, from being okay with (done!) whatever sentiment, observation, word choice, etc., hits the page first. We all need a challenge to our thoughts. Indeed, the poet W. B. Yeats said that poetry was a writer arguing with himself.
We need to let poetic form be the ring in which young writers can wrestle with their thoughts.
* * *
Think of the role that gravity plays in dance. It’s what makes lightness remarkable. Just how thrilling would a lift be in ballet, say, if gravity weren’t an issue? If a dancer could float across the stage in a leap. Dance would be an entirely different art if weightlessness were a factor.
Poetic form is gravity. It’s what adds weight to our words. It’s what adds bravura, boldness, and originality to our ordinary expressions.
* * *
Even if a poetic form—sonnet, tanka, ballad, limerick—possesses, by some definitions, a standard pattern or a required structure, it can’t be an ice-cube tray into which words are merely poured, frozen, and dumped out. That form has to be an ice sculpture in which the writing reveals something remarkable.
If we simply describe the structure of a form and agree that anything that “fits” it, is, indeed, a successful use of the form, that’s like saying that reading the progression of letters in a series of words is the same as comprehending what that sentence means.
* * *
Instead, poetic forms uncover possibilities. They don’t take “what we know” and simply add rhymes or break up lines. They take “what we don’t know,” and inch us, revision by revision, toward knowing. They take impressions and memories and general topics and things we’re curious about, and put them under pressure so that all the words begin interacting—banging into one another, ricocheting off the “walls” of the form—and, thereby, create heat and light. Yes, too often, we never give kids a chance to feel that illumination, that charge of power!
* * *
Another trouble: Ideas. In my book, we shouldn’t expect that what a kid writes about is going to be…wow! brilliant! truly inspired! utterly remarkable! And we shouldn’t set them up with that expectation. (That’s why the library isn’t filled with the work of kids, right?) So what’s our job as teachers? To help them master the forms? Oh, sure, to some degree. But more importantly, it’s to create exhilarating experiences, to afford enormous and unexpected pleasures, to make the writing of poetry a practice that nourishes and enlivens. A kid who loves the act…will continue it. Will get better at it. Will eventually master forms. And, eventually, will write poems of substance and significance. The great 20th century poet W. H. Auden believed that “hanging around with words,” was more crucial for a young person’s development as a writer than having something to say.
Give kids a chance to feel the rewards that come from concentration and struggle, the fulfillment that comes from puzzling, repeated attempts, and invention. See if you can’t remove the pleasure (that’s mostly just “relief”) from that initial coming up with something. And remove it from the “relief” of quickly turning in something, with its coincident pleasure of getting to go on to whatever’s next.
Sustain the pleasure of right now…for as long as possible.
* * *
For a reader or listener, rhyme can lift a poem into music, insinuate lines into memory, and afford the intrinsic pleasure of repetition. But for the writer, the role of rhyme is to challenge and, therein, elevate the language of the poem. Rhyme’s role is to be unrelenting, so that the writer must search for that just right word, adjust the line breaks or description or content or phrasing, in order satisfy the rhyme scheme…in a pleasing way.
Rhymes confer an aural emphasis on certain words—typically, end words, which are already cued up in that important terminal position. Ideally, rhyming words are important ones…that produce more than just a repetition of a syllable or vowel sound. And to that end: It’s key to remember that the first word in a rhymed pair doesn’t rhyme. It sets up the second word, so that I T R I N G S O U T…and, most often, we let kids work in a way that allows them to force a match to the first word in a rhyming pair with an unimportant second word. So the second word merely sounds—and sounds lame or illogical—rather than reveals something as it echoes.
So changing the whole way of composing rhymes is vital. Pry loose words that offer hackneyed or obtuse rhymes. Use a rhyming dictionary. Generate a pool of possible rhymes. Use a thesaurus to try a different word that might generate a whole new set of options.
* * *
Likewise, counting syllables, as in haiku or tanka or other forms, creates a similar trouble: That process should involve uncertainty, not certainty. It’s so easy to let kids feel the contentment of being quick and being done…rather than the genuine contentment with the work itself. Counting syllables should happen LAST. It, too should be part of the argument with the content itself. It should create tension. (Ah! Think of a line of poetry as a string on a violin or guitar. In order to resonate, that line has to be taut, not simply stretched out.) Syllabics causes compression and expansion that should initiate a new flow of words, options, and subject matter. The way kids are typically given the form, they stuff words into a syllabic form like tepid leftovers into a Styrofoam clamshell (that is typically left at the restaurant or in the car or in the back of the fridge…forgotten because, well, it really wasn’t that good in the first place!). [You must block that metaphor, and yet that goofy overextension does hint at why students lack motivation to revise or illustrate or read aloud something they drum up so easily and execute so hastily.]
* * *
One other trouble. When it comes to poetry, we don’t give kids enough time to dive in, come up for air, dive in again. And then we typically give them one chance. Try this form. Great! Now, let’s move onto some other form. And even writing poetry of any sort is typically confined to one unit or just a once-in-a-while treat (or torture). And this survey approach—one form after another—doesn’t let any familiarity or efficiency or experimentation kick in. So it’s like doing a preliminary sketch, and then adding the finishing touches and the frame…even before the perspective, the composition, the details, or the colors have been thought through.
Think of anything you’ve learned to do well—casting a fly-fishing rod, crimping the edges of a perfect pie crust, floating up into a yoga head stand. If you only had one chance to try these “forms,” your success is going to be limited. As will be the pleasure in the…frustrating? slapdash? improving?...accomplishment. How do we improve except by repetition?
Let me leave you with this: Practice doesn’t only make perfect. Along the way, practice makes for possibilities, including the possibility of enjoying the craft enough to…one day…master it.
* * *
Thank you, thank you, a million thank you's to Michael J. Rosen for providing us with such rich food for thought on form.
In preparation for sharing forms this month, I wrote to a number of poets and asked if they would respond to a short list of questions on poetry, writing, and form. I'm thrilled every time one responds positively and find they have all been extremely generous with their time.
Today I'm sharing the thoughts of Kristine O'Connell George, author of numerous books of poetry for children including
Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems (2011),
Fold Me a Poem (2005),
Hummingbird Nest: A Journal of Poems (2004),
Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems (2002),
Little Dog and Duncan (2002),
Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems (2001),
Little Dog Poems (1999), and
Old Elm Speaks: Tree Poems (1998). Her first book of poetry,
The Great Frog Race and Other Poems (1997), was awarded the Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award from the International Reading Association.
How does a poem begin for you — with an idea, a form, an image, or something else?
Kristine: All of the above. Poems—and fledgling ideas—flit into my mental inbox in many different ways. Although it’s sometimes difficult to pinpoint why or how a particular idea will snag my attention, it’s most often because I have a personal connection with the topic. Perhaps it’s something I’ve seen, heard, experienced, or even dreamed.
Many of my poems (and rhymed picture books) were sparked by observation: The crows hassling a young hawk in our cedrus deodora tree; wind rustling aspen leaves; a puppy curling up in a splash of sunlight.
Book! (Clarion Books) was the result of spending time with a toddler who was beyond delighted when she suddenly realized she could ‘operate’ the pages of a board book all by herself. The poems in
Little Dog and Duncan (Clarion Books) were based on my observations of two rascally dogs while serving as hostess of doggie sleepovers.
While working on this interview, I decided to see to take a walk to see how many ‘poem ideas’ I could discover. Here’s a photo of one of them:
What’s interesting to me are not only the paw prints of a long-gone dog in old, cracked concrete, but also the position of the prints. I imagine a child—seeing that tempting swatch of wet cement—held the dog’s two front feet in one hand and pressed down firmly.
Sound also inspires poems: “Owl” in
Old Elm Speaks: Tree Poems (Clarion Books) was the result of hearing an owl calling late at night from our native oak tree. At 2 a.m.—with the lines of the poem were still circling in my head—I got up and wrote a draft. Sound also inspired “River Messages” and “Chipmunk” from
Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems. In both cases I tried to choose language that echoed the sound of a mountain river and a chipmunk’s chatter.
The poems in both
Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems (Clarion Books) and Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems (Clarion Books) were inspired by personal experiences. [Listen to poems from Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems and other titles at
Kristine O'Connell George: Poetry Aloud.] Camping and fishing trips in Colorado and family expeditions exploring ghost towns served as rich resource material for
Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems.
Dreams, and those muzzly moments of half-consciousness when one is drifting off to sleep or just waking up, are another wellspring of ideas and images for poems. A dream about flying in a windstorm—using a jacket as a sail—resulted in my first published poem, ‘Skating in the Wind.’ [Here is a young boy reading the poem at
Homemade Mama.] (While I often hope to discover good ideas in the notebook I keep by my bedside along with my handy-dandy flashlight pen, I rarely can decipher my scrawl.)
How do you choose the form of your poems?
Kristine: If I’m lucky, the poem will give me hints. Perhaps it’s tidy and polite and best tucked into cozy couplets. Maybe it’s a ‘free-range’ poem that longs to stretch its free verse legs into boundless white space. (Most of the poems in
Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems (Clarion Books) and
Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems (Clarion Books) are primarily free verse. In both cases, I ‘heard’ my narrator’s voices in my head as conversational.)
Sometimes I deliberately choose a ‘non-form’ that hints at a more formal structure. An example of this would be
Little Dog Poems and
Little Dog and Duncan (Clarion Books). Because the ideas for the poems captured discrete moments in the lives of two dogs, they could easily have been haikus. However, after much deliberation, I chose to create ‘looser’ poems (someone described them as haiku-ish) in the hopes that they might serve as easily-mastered templates for very young writers. (Based on the bushels of ‘Little Pet’ poems I have had the pleasure of reading, I think it worked out.)
Last, when I encounter a stubborn poem, I will rewrite (endlessly) in as many forms as possible until a form shouts: Me! Pick me! During school visits, I often share all (All!) of the revisions I wrote for ‘Polliwogs’ from
The Great Frog Race (Clarion Books). Students are astonished (and horrified) as I have them count the number of revisions. Forty seven!
What surprising things have you learned by accepting the challenge of fitting meaning into a structured form? What are the benefits of accepting these disciplined restrictions?
Kristine: In our poetry writing classes, Myra Cohn Livingston often had us rewrite poems in a variety of forms (and voices). This invaluable training forced me to think deeply about my topic and not merely skim the surface. As a result, I often write poems in strict metered and rhymed forms and then ‘deconstruct’ as I play with ideas, layout, and readability. What often remains is the sense of a form and, rather than rigid rhymed lines, there are internal/slant rhymes.
Sometimes, while writing in a structured, rhymed form, I discover that while it’s fun to read aloud, I’ve added so much padding that it distracts from and dilutes the main idea. Increasingly, I lean toward ‘less is more’ and often distill or condense longer poems into short, tight poems such as haikus. The four haiku about a flashlight in
Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems (Clarion Books) are an example of my ‘get on and off the page quickly’ approach
What tools (rhyming dictionary, book of forms, etc.) do you use in writing poetry (if any)? Kristine: All! I have yards of how-to poetry books of all flavors. While I do read and study these books, I don’t often refer to them when I am working on a poem. I may, however, dip into a rhyming dictionary if I am really, really stuck.
What would you like students or children to know about poetry?
Kristine: I keep thinking about Kate DiCamillo’s reply to a young reading asking why there are words in a book: "Words are a special way for me to tell you a story and I don’t have to be there. It’s like magic.” [A Conversation with Kate DiCamillo facilitated by Lisa Von Drasek of the Kerlan Collection can be v
iewed on YouTube.]
I think poetry is magic as well. It is nearly unimaginable to me how words—mere marks on paper—have this surprising power to make an intimate connection with a reader across centuries, continents, or cultures. I hope—at least once in a lifetime—that every student might experience that elusive, breath-catching moment when they realize that another human feels as they do. One of my favorite memories is of a 4th grader curled up in the corner of the library reading one of Myra Cohn Livingston’s collections. I’ve forgotten which collection it was, but not what the student told me as she hugged the book: “This lady is just like me.” I have also not forgotten what a very shy 3rd grader whispered to me after an assembly: “I feel like you wrote your poems just for me.” These experiences that connect us are what I’d like students to know about poetry. I’d also like students to know that—through poetry—they can send their own unique voices out in to the world.
Finally, one of your esteemed colleagues suggested I ask for a poem in a foreign verse form. Would you be willing to share a poem for this project?
Joan: Happily! Will you be naming said esteemed colleague? ;)
When asked to contribute a poem for Jan Greenberg’s
Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth Century American Art, I chose a pantoum to try to capture the repetition and sense of an echo in Kiki Smith’s ‘These Eyes.’ Here is the poem along with some interesting responses from students at
PoetryRed5-7.
Poem ©Kristine O'Connell George. All rights reserved.
A million thanks to Kristine for participating in my Jumping Into Form project this month.
In honor of National Poetry Month, we’ve dug up a video of actress Amber Tamblyn reading her original poem “Dear Demographic.” Throughout the performance, Tamblyn’s mother Bonnie plays the guitar.
The “Dear Demographic” piece can be found in Tamblyn’s 2009 collection, Bang Ditto. Harper Perennial released Tamblyn’s third poetry book, entitled Dark Sparkler, on April 7th.
I’ve known for a long time that I wanted to share The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan with you for National Poetry Month. The Dreamer is an invitation into the imaginative world of Pablo Neruda. Pablo Neruda is one of my favorite poets !! The Dreamer has allowed me to share my love of this poet with my children as we wander through his world and life in Chile.
It is a tale of day-dreaming, gathering those little items which catch our eye, while guarding and savoring them into a collection of our childhood. Pam Munoz Ryan does an incredible job of weaving facts into an incredible story of magic, nostalgia, and intrigue. Pablo Neruda’s real name was Neftali Reyes. He had a very stern and unbearable father. Protecting him were his step-mother, uncle, and sister. Along with everyday situations in his household and school, we are invited on wandering journeys to the rainforest where Neftali’s imagination is taken away by all of the fauna, insects, and animals which live in the forest.
Another trip takes us to the ocean where Neftali meets a librarian who gives him his hide-out for the summer. This turns into a spectacular adventure with his sister of trying to save a swan. Later Neftali learns of the movement to kick indigenous people out of their homeland from his uncle. As he grows, he takes up the cause to protect them. Making sure that he doesn’t seek the wrath of his father, he uses a pseudonym. His new last name Neruda was derived from a poet from Czechoslovakia.
One of the elements that makes this book such a treasure to read and hold are the simple but powerful illustrations of Peter Sis. His contributions to this magical story gives us a look into the world of a poet through the heart and eyes.
Equally as interesting is Pam Munoz Ryan’s telling of what inspired her to write this story. Also in the back are several beautifully selected poems of Pablo Neruda’s. This book is a poetic magical tale that is sure to inspire all of us to look at those simple things around us with the eye of a poet. Life is for living and experiencing and this book is an invitation to do just this.
Something To Do
A Word Box
In the story The Dreamer, Neftali Reyes loves to collect things. One of his most beloved collections are his words. Writing them on a piece of paper, folding it gently , and then placing it in his drawer; Neftali can return anytime he wants to and remember the words that caught his imagination. Let’s remember our friend Neftali by making a word box.
Supplies:
- One unfinished wood or paper mache box found in a craft store.
- Scrapbooking word stickers
- Mod Podge matt finish
- Brush
- Paper
Instructions:
- Taking your wooden box and the word stickers, put words all over your box in a design of your choosing.
- Once you’ve finished sticking your words on the box, brush Mod Podge all over the words and let it dry.
- You can use any kind of paper. We like to use paper with pretty colors on one side but white paper works just fine. Cut little pieces of paper that fit into your box. Start writing your favorite words down and saving them in your word box.
Beautiful Spanish Words
The Dreamer uses a beautiful mix of English and Spanish. I liked the way the Spanish was woven throughout the story without it being distracting. Each Spanish word followed with it’s English meaning. By using the Spanish language in this way, it brought the essence of Chile into the story.
Here’s a Spanish lexicon from The Dreamer. Be sure to write these words on colorful cards and put them into your word box.
- Adios:: Good-bye
- el viento:: the wind
- Porfa :: Please
- buena suerte:: good luck
- mapuche:: indigenous people in Aranucania
- Bravo:: Good Job
- la empanadas y el bistec:: Potato turnovers and steak
- Aqui Estoy:: I am here.
- El pan amasado:: Home made bread
- futbol:: soccer
- Amigo:: friend
- un escondite:: a hideout
- una chismosa:: a tattletale
- Amor:: Love
Poetry Explorations
In The Dreamer author Pam Munoz Ryan poses many questions to get us thinking in words. Let’s look at those questions and write a short poem about the Wind. Remember when Neftali’s hat and gloves gotten blown away by the wind. What do these questions inspire in you ?
- What does the wind give ?
- What does the wind take away?
- Where is the storehouse of lost and found ?
Let’s experience Time through words. By answering the following questions you can experience time in a new way. Write a little poem about time.
- What is the color of a minute? A month ? A Year ?
Reader’s Theater
A great way to instill active reading in our young readers is to practice in a Reader’s Theater setting. Set for four voices, author Pam Munoz Ryan has created this Reader’s Theater edition to her book The Dreamer.
I’d like to know…..
Have you read this book? If so, share your thoughts and comments below!
Homeschooling can be complicated and frustrating, especially if you are overloaded with information. The good news is that you don’t have to figure it out alone. Donna Ashton’s The Waldorf Home School Handbook is a simple and step-by-step guide to creating and understanding a Waldorf-inspired homeschool plan. Within the pages of this all-in-one homeschooling guide parents will find information, samples of lesson plans and curriculum, helpful hints and the secrets behind the three Areas for Optimum Learning. Join Donna as she guides you through the Waldorf method and reveals how to educate your children in a nurturing and creative environment. Visit the Waldorf Homeschool Handbook info page HERE.
The post Ready to Celebrate Poetry Month with The Dreamer? appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
What is a
concrete poem? On his web site
John Grandits says that "Concrete poems are poems that use fonts, and shape, and texture, and color, and sometimes motion."
Shadow Poetry distinguishes among concrete, shape and visual poetry in this way.
Shape and Concrete Poetry go hand-in-hand; however, Concrete or Visual Poetry don’t have to take on the particular shape of the poem’s subject, but rather the wording in the poem can enhance the effect of the words.
There are many terrific examples of concrete poetry in books for kids. I would like to share a few here. Keep in mind that concrete poetry is about the marriage of words and form. Therefore,
you need to SEE them to truly appreciate them. That means this post will have lots of links to sites where you can see the art in these poems.
Poetry Basics: Concrete Poetry (2009), written by Valerie Bodden, is an analysis of the concrete poetry form, beginning with its origins and history while providing a range of examples through the present day. Here are some of the things Bodden says about this form.
The goal of the type of poetry known as concrete is to have the shape or appearance of a poem reflect what the words express (p.3).
While most traditional poems are meant to be read, concrete poems are meant to be seen. Looking at a concrete poem can be almost like looking at a painting. In fact, if you try to read a concrete poem out loud, much of its meaning may be lost (p.12).
The book ends with a section entitled "Think Like a Poet," which provides steps and encouragement for readers to write their own concrete poems. Also included are a list of books for further reading, a glossary, and bibliography.
A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems (2005), selected by Paul Janeczko and illustrated by Chris Raschka, includes a wide range of poems that are cleverly shaped and written.
Eskimo Pie and
Popsicle are both poems in the shape of ice cream.
Swan and Shadow looks exactly like its title and is a lovely piece of work. You can
view an inside spread from the book and
download an activity page from the Candlewick web site. You can also get a
brief preview from Google Books. Notice that the table of contents is in the form of a table!
A Curious Collection of Cats (2009) and its follow-up,
A Dazzling Display of Dogs (2011), both written by Betsy Franco and illustrated by Michael Wertz, are collections that explore the peculiarities and absurdities of cats and dogs in wildly energetic ways. First, just look at those covers! If the use of animals in forming the letters of the titles doesn't immediately suck you in, then hopefully a few of these interior shots will. Michael Wertz has generously posted images from the books on his web site. Take a look at
Kids page to view them.
Two books written by Joan Bransfield Graham,
Splish Splash (2001) illustrated by Steve Scott, and
Flicker Flash (2003) illustrated by Nancy Davis, are collections of concrete poems about the physical world. SPLISH SPLASH is a collection of 21 poems about water in a myriad of forms, including crocodile tears, ice cube, popsicle, snow, hail, dew and more. FLICKER FLASH is a collection of 23 poems that explores natural and man-made light sources, including the sun, birthday candles, an incubator bulb, lightning, a firefly, and more. At Google Books you can see examples from both
Splish Splash and
Flicker Flash.
Here are two examples from
Flicker Flash. Keep in mind that these are shape poems, so they may not reproduce particularly well here.
Flashlight
F
L
A
S
H
LIGHT
click
one flick
I am the SUN,
I chase the shadows
one by one, growing scary,
jagged, tall - with brilliant beams
I ' L L M E L T t h e m A L L !
Sun"From
93,000,000
miles away I bring
you this dynamite, ring-
a-ding day. I'll shout in
your window and bounce
near your head to solar
power you out of
your bed."
Poems ©Joan Bransfield Graham. All rights reserved.Doodle Dandies, (2007) written by J. Patrick Lewis and illustrated by Lisa Desimini, uses wordplay and surprising "movement" to make the topics come alive. The 19 poems in this book cover a variety of subjects, including giraffe, weeping willow, skyscraper, baseball, basketball, the oyster family, and more.
Synchronized Swim Team uses the legs of upside-down swimmers to make its point, while
Creep and Slither appears in the shape of a snake, until midpoint when the bulging word bull frog announces what's been eaten. You can
view some poems/images from the book at Lisa Desimini's web site.
Meow Ruff: A Story in Concrete Poetry, written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Michelle Berg, is the story of a dog and cat trapped under a picnic table in a rainstorm. Since much of the verse forms the images on the page, readers will enjoy searching for the buried verses while reading the story. You can find a reader's guide at Joyce Sidman's site for
Meow Ruff.
Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word (2011), by Bob Raczka and illustrated by Nancy Doniger, might not be considered concrete poetry by some, but to really see the genius of what he's done you must LOOK closely! As the jacket flap says, "Play with your words! Part anagram, part rebus, part riddle—this brand new poetic form turns word puzzles into poetry. Using only the letters from a single word, each of the poems in this collection capture a scence from daily life and present a puzzle to solve." Check out the
Macmillan Books' photostream to view a number of images from the book.
Technically, It's Not My Fault (2004) and
Blue Lipstick (2007), both written and designed by John Grandits, are two collections designed for older readers. The first book is written from the point of view of a young boy named Robert. The poems reveal Robert's concerns with all things adolescent. He is at turns smart then immature. Poems topics include his older sister, the school bus (dubbed TyrannosaurBus Rex), ordering pizza for dinner, mowing the lawn and more. The second book is written from the point of view of Robert's older sister, Jessie. Her concerns are those of a typical teen, but Jessie is anything but typical. She is funny, sarcastic, and totally her own person. Poem topics include a bad hair day, a pep rally, volleyball practice, Advanced English, her mother's birthday and more. Both books use graphic design in unusual and surprising ways. You can see a few of the poems from
Technically and
Lipstick on Grandits' web site. You can see a few more images using Google Book Preview for both
Technically AND
Lipstick.
Concrete poems are fun to write and challenge children to think in different ways about the objects and events they see in their world. For additional ideas on writing concrete poetry, here are some resources you may find useful.
Before you go, here's one more piece that may interest you. Take a look at this Getty Museum video on How to Make a Visual Poem.
That's it for today. Join me back here tomorrow for an interview with Kristine O'Connell George.
View Next 25 Posts
Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers: A Collection of Family Poems (1991), written by Mary Ann Hoberman and illustrated by Marylin Hafner, contains 30 poems about any relative you can imagine, from the traditional nuclear family members to step-parents and siblings, cousins, and more. 
Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems, written by Kristine O'Connell George and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter, highlights the relationship between big sister Jessica and Emma, her little dilemma (sister!). Their relationship is funny, annoying, caring and oh so complex. Just what a relationship between sisters should be.
