My students this year look forward to Poetry Friday when we read a poem and talk about what we notice, then try the form on. A few weeks ago we read Jane Yolen’s poem, “A Word is Not a Poem” that I had saved from her daily email poems. Having the form of her poem in hand, my students created interesting poem responses.
Jamison, 4th grade
A Laugh is Not a Smile
A laugh is not a smile
but it is a feeling inside you.
You can laugh once
but it’s best to laugh twice.
laugh laugh
A smile is not a frown
but it is a feeling inside you.
used in several ways,
to express love, and happiness.
smile smile
A.J., 6th grade
A Book is not a Word
A book is not a word ,
but a forest in a tree .
Used in many ways ,
it can even be funny .
A book is not a poem
You can only read it once ,
but best to read it twice .
Book , Book .
A book is not a song ,
the words you cannot spin .
Won’t know it going in
you will though coming out .
Tone , Note .
Reflections on the Teche 