On Valentine’s Day last Thursday, I challenged my students to write a love poem without using the word love. On Facebook I had read Charles Ghinga’s poem for his wife Debra. I used it as a mentor text.
YOU ARE THE MOON
(for Debra)
You are the moon.
My only one.You bring light
Where there was none.©Charles Ghigna
After we read this poem, we brainstormed a list of things in nature that could serve as a metaphor as moon does in Charles’ poem. I pushed my students to be specific. Some of the more interesting things they listed:
sunflower
lily pads
stars
swans
sea eagle
grass
northern lights
I used a poetry resource by Sandford Lyne called Writing Poetry from the Inside Out. In this book, Sandy writes about “Poem Sketching” with word groups. The back is full of pages of word groups. I photocopied one of these pages to give to my students. Each student chose a word group to write from.
Magic happened. Was it writing about love without using the word? the model poem from Charles? the word groups from Sandy? or the magic that happens when writing in a safe community?
We cut out construction paper hearts and wrote our poems on them to give to someone special. I gave mine to Madison because I used a quote of hers. Chloe gave hers to me, probably because I loved it. And Madison gave hers to Chloe. Poetry gifts from the heart.
You can read more poems on our kidblog site.
Journey They Will Take
Two dolphins
under the sea
two deer
in the woods
and
the northern lights
watching
the four animals
coming together
On the journey they
will take.I think your feelings for me
are a midnight walk
where it’s easy to get lost.
My feelings for you are as bright as stars
when I’m alone.
I’m a neighborhood of sadness,
a pool of cries,
an ocean of regret.
Our feelings are as wild as animals.
by Jayden, 5th grade
My poem for Madison:
She says, “Did you know the sea eagle
has a wingspan of eight feet?”
I write it down in my notebook
realizing that her knowledge
opens the surface
of our classroom
like the blossom of a tulip.
Digging into depths
of learning
makes everyday
as fascinating
as the sea eagle.
–Margaret Simon
absolutely lovely. These poems make me want to write one…off to scribble
Oh, Margaret, these are magical! I agree with Linda–I’m diving back into my notebook, inspired by these wonderful poems!
Inspiration..Thanks, I just ordered the book also. It was not aware of this title.
Great! Sandy was a wonderful teacher. He died in 2007 but left behind this beautiful book.
What wonderful poems. Oh, how your posts inspire me – as a teacher and as a writer. And your students! Amazing! Now, to use some of those word groupings myself. Thank you!
Ah, Margaret! I always find such inspiration in your posts, and this one is at the top of the list. Thanks for sharing resources, your examples, and so much goodness. The line “I challenged my students to write a love poem without using the word love.” made me do a double take on my Valentine card from my husband. I will write about it on #PoetryFriday. I hope you stop by!
Oh my. I hate to pick a favorite, but “I think your feelings for me are a midnight walk where it’s easy to get lost.” Wow!
What a challenge to write a love poem without the word love! Here is a very quick rough draft of my thinking!
Sunflower,
lifting your sweet face
toward my rays
following me everywhere
I go
It is challenging to not use the obvious and overused word. Makes me wonder about other words we over use and this minimize the power. Wonderful thinking and writing exercise!
I was lucky enough to be at a school which hosted Sandy Lyne several years in a row. He was such a master teacher of poetry. His book is a treasure. Thank you for sharing this work!
Margaret, what an amazing assortment of love poems your students created. Jayden’s poem blew me away!
What a gift you have given these young writers. They will carry it always. xx
Thank you, Margaret, for sharing the love of poetry with your lucky students!
[…] her Slice of Life post this past Tuesday, Margaret Simon shared some word group love poems she’d written with her […]
Such a lovely post! Thank you for sharing these amazing poems! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
[…] when free time was abundant, I started fooling around with word group poems. Margaret Simon’s post inspired me so much that I purchased the Sandford Lyne book she mentioned. I haven’t read it […]