This session’s curriculum has been Poetry Palooza! Students have thrown themselves headlong into odes, alliterative poems, free-form poems, riddle poems, nature poems and more. Students have sharpened their metaphors, honed their personifications and written through all five senses. The results speak for themselves. From: On Turning Ten, an examination of the free-form poem by Billy Collins
On Turning Ten
On turning ten I hope to still be able to Still play imaginary games Still want to learn about Greek Mythology Still have time to go swimming and ride my bike
What scares me about growing up is that I might not be able to imagine the same thoughts I am thinking right now ever
-Zoe K
From: Imitation of the poem “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me At All” by Maya Angelou
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Snakes slithering on the ground Spiders creeping up the wall Darkness in the sky Clowns with red noses Sharks swimming through water They don’t frighten me at all
-Zoe M
From: Poetry with a rhyme scheme
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Lightning strikes the highest peak Sometimes it makes a little leak You fall from so high in the air Sometimes you give me a little scare
-Dolci
From: Odes to things
Cookie
Sweet Yummy You are crunchy You make me happy and excited when I bite into you Lovely Awesome Appreciated
-Meera
From: Odes to things
Snow Leopard
I see you pounce around the forest missing, jumping, getting food Oh dear snow leopard why so prancy? why so pretty, why so dancy?
I see you try to climb trees high I see you fall, I see you cry. In the snow I see you eat I see you kill, I see you eat meat.
Oh dear snow leopard why so prancy why so pretty, why so dancy?
-Aidan
From: Odes to things and experiments with the 2nd person
Light
Sunny colors orange and yellow you help me see in the dark your light can change every part of my day at daybreak you’re up and lighting up my day at dusk your light is dark orange and the skies are purple, blue and pink people celebrate your light in Alaska
-Meilin
From: Odes to things and experiments with the 2nd person
Monkeys
O Monkeys swinging through the sunny trees O screeching, so ever can be I hear rustling through the leaves I see you through the greenish grass I watch you from my windowsill, playing
-Anonymous
From: A letter poem
Dear painting,
I am very glad you are here to excite my simplicity to add your color to my blank white surface And just so you know, my best color is orange So please can I have orange?
Sincerely, Canvas
-Ellie
From: A letter poem
Dear Wasabi
Dear Wasabi,
I like the spiciness you give to me. I like when you swim in the soy sauce.
Sincerely, Sushi
-Max