Poetry Friday round-up with Michelle at Today’s Little Ditty
This month as I go through poetry every day with my students, inevitably favorite forms emerge. From her blog, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater introduced my students (and me) to the abecedarian form. One by one my students are trying this out. I have said it’s a very challenging form. Some rise to a challenge.
Kaiden has risen to this challenge not only using the form, but also repeating the word wonder. When he got stuck on a letter, he searched a list of Shakespeare words.
All the time wondering
Batty in the night for wonder
Can’t get any sleep from wondering
Dying to quench my thirst for wonder
Enclosing myself in books of wonder
Fascinated by wonder
Going insane from wonder
How did it become this way
I have no idea
Judged because of my wild hair from wondering too much
Kindling the fire of wonder
Loving every drop of wonder
Mourning without wonder
Not having any time for doing work because of wonder
Oblivious of all my dirty and messy ways
Prowling the library for wonder
Quivering without wonder
Rest is impossible with all this wonder
Sleep I can’t
Tearing up books
Unfortunately, I am addicted to wonder
Vigorously turning pages
Withering with out wonder
Xhaling because my wonder is filled
Zzz’s I can finally catch–Kaiden, 5th grade
Earlier in the week we danced with paintbrushes, making watercolor abstract paintings while listening to music. One selection led some of us artist/poets to think of water (rain). It’s been raining every morning for the last few days. I wrote a more playful poem while my 5th grader, Tobie, is thinking deeply and writing serious poems.
Tobie’s painting of water
As I sit intently
listening to the music that played
I thought of how there were many others
much more
than you could even imagine
Before you think
of planets in space
imagine drops of water in a sea
grains of sand on a beach
every blade of grass in a lawn
every second before dawn
–Tobie, 5th grade
Rainy Day
Rainy Day by Margaret Simon
Popping in puddles
painting balloons.
Sprinkles bubble.
Wet air
Wet hair.
I don’t care.
Let’s play anyway.–Margaret Simon
Follow the Progressive Poem to Matt Forrest’s Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme
Your classroom sounds like rich rainforest soil, Margaret. I love all three poems in their own unique ways. The joy in yours, the depth in Tobie’s – and I particularly liked his second stanza which is very sophisticated, and all the challenges Kaiden set himself in wondering. WonderFUL to read them!
I am impressed with the depth that is emerging in my students’ poems. I love having this place to share them with the world. Thanks.
Oh, these three selections were wonderful. What growth from your students!
Yes…let’s play! This is such a post full of joy. And painting! My soul is breathing happily. xxx
It’s always a great day for poetry in your classroom, Margaret! Much appreciation for Kaiden’s wonderings (wonder keeps me awake at night too!), Tobie’s deep thinking, and a brief pop in a poetry puddle to send me off me with a smile.
Clearly you are nurturing a classroom full of poets–what a gift!
We have a big storm coming, so guess I’ll be back to snow poems. Love your student’s wonder, & that “thought-filled” poem, too, Margaret. And love the “popping in puddles”. I just read a book called Puddle recently. Your poem would go in it very well! So much wonderful poetry to love in your classroom and with you too!
Wow! Great poems Margaret! The abecedarian on wonders is a great problem resolution poem…I also like the rainy painting and musings about water…talent all around!
I am just oohing and ahhing. Kaiden’s poem is terrific, and many of us in the creative tribe are recognizing ourselves in it, I see! (And, have you all seen the book Jama featured this week? WILL’S WORDS? I just ordered for myself!)
Tobie has offered us much to wonder at, written beautifully: “every blade of grass in a lawn/every second before dawn” – reminds me of William Blake, and that’s sky-high praise.
Thanks for sending us off with your joyous celebration of play! (When my kids were little, I always took them outside in rubber boots if it was raining.) :0)
Tobie, your poem has gone straight to my heart. Kaiden, your poem is a wonder itself! Margaret, thank you for inspiring me to bring more of my passions into my classroom!
[…] sat down with Kaiden to revise his abecedarian about wonder posted here. For the most part, this was an excellent piece of writing. The repeated word, wonder, was […]
How did I miss this WONDERful post, Margaret?