| Module 2: Major Poets |
| Poetry Break #6: A Poem by Shel Silverstein Introduction: Ask the students what it means to be a friend. Does a friend always expect their friend to constantly do things for them? Or is it a give and take kind of relationship? The following poem is a humorous take on the expectations of someone towards whom they think will marry them. My Rules If you want to marry me, here's what you'll have to do: You must learn how to make a perfect chicken-dumplin stew. And you must sew my holey socks, And soothe my troubled mind, And develop the knack of scratching my back And keep my shoes spotlessly shined. And while I rest you must rake the leaves, And when it is hailing and snowing You must shovel the walk... and be still when I talk, And -- hey -- where are you going? From Where the Sidewalk Ends, Harper Collins Pub. (2004) Extension: Ask the students if they think that's what marriage is all about. Ask them if they think a man or a woman is doing the talking in this poem. Discuss what it means to be respectful in our relationships and friendships, and our expectations of each other. |
| Poetry Break #7: A Poem by Jack Prelutsky Introduction: Ask the students to listen carefully to the poem and to try to guess what the poem is talking about. Louder Than a Clap of Thunder Louder than a clap of thunder, louder than an eagle screams, louder than a dragon blunders or a dozen football teams, louder than a four alarmer or a rushing waterfall louder than a knight in armor jumping from a ten-foot wall. Louder than an earthquake rumbles, louder than a tidal wave, louder than an ogre grumbles as he stumbles through his cave, louder than stampeding cattle, louder than a cannon roars, louder than a giant's rattle, that's how loud my father SNORES! From Whisper and Shout: Poems to Memorize, edited by Patrice Vecchine (2002) Extension: Ask the students to think of an action or an object. Have them write clues about it in a poem (rhyming or free verse), before revealing it at the end. Ask for volunteers to read their poems and let their classmates try to guess what it is. |
| Poetry Break #8: A Poem by Judith Viorst Introduction: Ask the children if they've ever had their feelings hurt, or have felt let down by someone. Ask them how it feels. Is there physical pain along with that emotional pain? Read the following poem to share how this poet describes her pain and getting through it. Mending A giant hand inside my chest Stretches out and takes My heart within its mighty grasp And squeezes till it breaks. A gentle hand inside my chest With mending tape and glue, Patches up my heart until It's almost good as new. I ought to know by now that Broken hearts will heal again. But while I wait for glue and tape, The pain! The pain! The pain! From Judith Viorst's If I Were in Charge of the World & Other Worries, Atheneum (1984) Extension: Ask the students if they can relate to this poem. Ask them how going through something painful might make them more understanding and helpful towards someone else experiencing pain. |
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