Children's Poetry
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Poetry Breaks: #4, #5

Poetry Break # 4

Mother Goose

 

Below is a humorous poem from Wendy Watson's collection that was totally new to me.

 

Diddlety diddlety dumpty,

The cat ran up the plum tree.

Half a crown to fetch her down,

Diddlety diddlety dumpty.

 

WENDY WATSON'S MOTHER GOOSE by Wendy Watson. N.Y.: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1989

 

Extension: Ask students to compose a similar but original rhyme using a different nonsense phrase with alliteration. Invite students to share their creations.

Block

Poetry Break # 5

A poem about a school or library

 

As a child, I was very shy, and books were my favorite companions. Langston Hughes, the famous Harlem Renaissance poet, also experienced much childhood loneliness, and books helped him cope.  In this poem, Tony Medina imagines Langston's world.

 

Libraries

 

Libraries

are a special place

for me

 

with their long tables

all smooth and shiny

and bookcases spilling

 

over

 

with books filled with

wonderful worlds

 

Libraries

are a special place

for me

 

to sit and stay

with books and books

and books of endless

 

beautiful words

 

keeping me company

taking my loneliness

and blues

 

away

 

LOVE TO LANGSTON by Tony Medina. N.Y.: Lee & Low Books, 2002.

 

Extension: a) Invite children to discuss what they do when they feel lonely and blue. b) Introduce bibliographical information about Langston Hughes and read several of his poems. Ask students if the poems speak to them. Why or why not?