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Pippin swims
Frodo circles round
Dorys blue

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Humorous poem regarding the game Clue

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Human Life by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (traded from Brittany)

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Human Life by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (traded from Brittany)

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If dead, we cease to be ; if total gloom
Swallow up life's brief flash for aye, we fare
As summer-gusts, of sudden birth and doom,
Whose sound and motion not alone declare,
But are their whole of being ! If the breath
Be Life itself, and not its task and tent,
If even a soul like Milton's can know death ;
O Man ! thou vessel purposeless, unmeant,
Yet drone-hive strange of phantom purposes !
Surplus of Nature's dread activity,
Which, as she gazed on some nigh-finished vase,
Retreating slow, with meditative pause,
She formed with restless hands unconsciously.
Blank accident ! nothing's anomaly !
If rootless thus, thus substanceless thy state,
Go, weigh thy dreams, and be thy hopes, thy fears,
The counter-weights !--Thy laughter and thy tears
Mean but themselves, each fittest to create
And to repay the other ! Why rejoices
Thy heart with hollow joy for hollow good ?
Why cowl thy face beneath the mourner's hood ?
Why waste thy sighs, and thy lamenting voices,
Image of Image, Ghost of Ghostly Elf,
That such a thing as thou feel'st warm or cold ?
Yet what and whence thy gain, if thou withhold
These costless shadows of thy shadowy self ?
Be sad ! be glad ! be neither ! seek, or shun !
Thou hast no reason why ! Thou canst have none ;
Thy being's being is contradiction.

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Human Life Poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge - Poem Hunter

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If dead, we cease to be ; if total gloom Swallow up life's brief flash for aye, we fareAs summer-gusts, of sudden birth and doom, Whose sound and motion not alone declare,But are their whole of being ! If the breath Be Life itself, and not its task and tent,If even a soul like Milton's can know death ; O Man !

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I am from Grey's Anatomy Chapter 1: Poem 1, a grey's anatomy fanfic | FanFiction

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I am from Grey's Anatomy It lives inside of me everyday Regardless if it is on or not Grey's Anatomy is my home

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Print This Poem

My Dog's Name Is "Cat"

Rate this poem

--Kenn Nesbitt

Copyright © 2018. All Rights Reserved.

Reading Level: Grade 2

Use This Poem

Would you like to use this poem in your classroom? Would you like permission to reprint, record, recite or broadcast this poem, or set it to music? Please click on one of the following links for permissions and reprint rights information:

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My Dog's Name Is "Cat" - Kenn Nesbitt's Poetry4kids.com

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Print This Poem Rate this poem --Kenn Nesbitt Copyright © 2018. All Rights Reserved. Reading Level: Grade 2 Would you like to use this poem in your classroom? Would you like permission to reprint, record, recite or broadcast this poem, or set it to music?

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This poem is really cute, it goes through describing all the scary things about the alien but in the end the scary alien is scared of the reader.

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Print This Poem

Rate this poem

I'm Frank, the friendly alien.
From deepest outer space.
My face is fairly friendly.
It's such a friendly face.

My teeth are sharp and pointed.
My eyes are big and red.
I have such friendly features
upon my friendly head.

My horns are green and shiny.
I have exactly three.
My nose is long and crooked,
the way a nose should be.

My ears are huge and scaly.
My tongue is brown and blue.
The people from my planet
all look friendly like I do.

My claws are shaped like daggers.
My hands are huge and hairy
I'd love to stay and tell you more
but you look much too scary.

--Kenn Nesbitt

Reading Level: Grade 1

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Frank the Friendly Alien - Kenn Nesbitt's Poetry4kids.com

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Print This Poem Rate this poem I'm Frank, the friendly alien. From deepest outer space. My face is fairly friendly. It's such a friendly face. My teeth are sharp and pointed. My eyes are big and red. I have such friendly features upon my friendly head. My horns are green and shiny.

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This is a great poem about being proud of who you are. Some students struggle with liking themselves, this poem encourages them to be proud of who they are.

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I Like Myself the Way I Am - Kenn Nesbitt's Poetry4kids.com

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Would you like to use this poem in your classroom? Would you like permission to reprint, record, recite or broadcast this poem, or set it to music? Please click on one of the following links for permissions and reprint rights information:

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Kenn Nesbitt was born on February 20, 1962 in Berkeley, California. He is married to his wife Ann and has a son, a daughter, and a cat. His first children's poem was written in 1994. According to poetry4kids he loves to eat food when no one is watching.

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In high school I, much like most girls my age, watched the Twilight movies and read the books. In Eclipse this poem was read by the main character. I love reading and I love poetry so I looked up the poem and looked into the poet who wrote it.

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Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

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Fire And Ice - Fire And Ice Poem by Robert Frost

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Read Fire And Ice poem by Robert Frost written. Fire And Ice poem is from Robert Frost poems. Fire And Ice poem summary, analysis and comments.

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I often think about this poem when making decisions. Am I making this decision because everyone else is or because they want me to do this or do I really want to do this?

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Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

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The Road Not Taken - The Road Not Taken Poem by Robert Frost

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Read The Road Not Taken poem by Robert Frost written. The Road Not Taken poem is from Robert Frost poems. The Road Not Taken poem summary, analysis and comments.

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A Question Poem by Robert Frost - Poem Hunter

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A Question by Robert Frost. .A voice said Look me in the stars And tell me truly men of earth If all the soulandbody scars Were not too much to pay for birth.. Page

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Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

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Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening Poem by Robert Frost - Poem Hunter

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Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening by Robert Frost. .Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My . Page

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Robert Frost was born on March 26, 1874  and died on  January 29, 1963. He married  Elinor Miriam White and had 6 children. He published his first poem in 1894.He wrote 254 poems in during his lifetime.

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This link is a compilation of resources of how to bring poetry into a k-5 classroom.

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April Is National Poetry Month

Lesson Plans

Shapes and Poetry Students in grades K-2 read the poem "Shapes" from A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein, and use geometric figures to create their own illustration for the poem.

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain Teaching Plan Students in grades K-2 record local weather and repetition and rhythm in the story.

Compiling Poetry Collections and a Working Definition of Poetry Students in grades 3-5 explore forms and craft elements of poetry as they read poems about everyday topics and themes. They collect favorite poems to compile their own anthologies.

Getting Started With Poetry Students in grade 4 listen to and read a variety of poems, discuss poetic language and form, and write their own modeled on those they have heard and read.

Tips for Teaching Poetry For K-12 teachers, here are a number of ways to bring poetry into the classroom.

Activities

Background Resources

Poems for Multiple Voices An annotated bibliography of poetry for 2, 3, and 4 voices.

Poems (Poetry Foundation)
Search Tool

Poets (Poetry Foundation)
Search Tool

Children's Poetry (Poetry Foundation)

Video

Classical Baby (I'm Grown Up Now): The Poetry Show: Video

Audio

Audio & Podcasts (Poetry Foundation)
Readings of poems and interviews with poets.

Printables
last updated: January 29, 2018

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Bringing Poetry to the Classroom, Grades K-5

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Shapes and Poetry Students in grades K-2 read the poem "Shapes" from A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein, and use geometric figures to create their own illustration for the poem. Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain Teaching Plan Students in grades K-2 record local weather and repetition and rhythm in the story.

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10 Ways to Use Poetry in Your Classroom- Reading Rockets

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10 Ways to Use Poetry in Your Classroom- Reading Rockets

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Often when I mention poetry during a workshop, at least one teacher laments, "I would love to do more poetry with students, but there's so much else to teach in my curriculum!" What I try to encourage (and I'm often helped big time by the workshop participants) is for this teacher to consider using poetry within her curriculum, as an integral part of her language, reading, and writing lessons, rather than as an add-on. In other words, I ask her to find a purpose for poetry.

Now, before you poetry purists flame me and cry out, "Poetry is in itself worth reading!" let me explain that I agree with you. I fondly recall organizing poetry picnics in third grade, where we would spread sheets and blankets on the field adjacent to the school playground and share favorite poems as we munched on morning snacks. So yes, I believe in poetry for its own sake.

But at the same time, I'm a realist. Many of us find it increasingly difficult to allocate the time to read poetry for its own sake; we would, in fact, like to discuss it beyond the month of April without needing an excuse or ( shudder) a learning objective.

So increasingly it seems that while teachers can name lots of good reasons for using poetry with children at an early age, they still wonder how they can continue to integrate poetry in later grade levels. I offer a few suggestions below. And even if you can't get through my ten reasons, do take the time to explore the recommended sites and resources appearing at the close of this post. I could in no way do justice to all the fantastic poetry books that are available, so I encourage you to share your favorite title in the comments section below.

1. Activate prior knowledge

Students are most receptive to new learning when they can connect it to what they already know. Poetry provides a quick and fun way to do this.

Recommended texts

The Year Comes Round: Haiku Through the Seasons
by Sid Farrar and illustrated by Ilse Plume

This text presents students with vignettes of each season in the signature haiku 5-7-5 syllable, three line form, focusing upon nature with a surprising perspective. Each month is represented by its own poem, and students can write their own after determining what makes a poem a haiku. Students can also unearth the literary devices employed by Farrar such as personification, metaphor, alliteration, and simile. A sample from the book:

Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys
by Bob Raczka and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Guyku stays true to the form and function of haiku, with each poem offering a funny twist in the final line. Apart from pure enjoyment, this book shows students (especially some of your hard to motivate boys) that poetry can be simple and straight forward and even fun. in "why I wrote Guyku," Raczka says, "When I was a boy, I didn't even know what a haiku was. But I did spend a lot of time outside with my friends. Nature was our playground, and we made the most of it - catching bugs, climbing trees, skipping stones, throwing snowballs. Now ... I realize that haiku is a wonderful form of poetry for guys like us. Why? Because a haiku is an observation of nature, and nature is a place where guys love to be." A sample from the book:

2. Establish theme

Teaching with a theme and its accompanying guiding questions isn't new to most of us, and the majority of teachers maintain a ready repertoire of methods to establish themes for classroom novels or other literature units (see some ideas and a huge list of Universal Themes in my How to Teach a Novel Handout). The perfect poem, however, can lead to a wonderful writing reflection or discussion that allows students to construct the theme and essential questions for themselves.

Recommended sites and texts for theme

The Children's Poetry Archive groups poems by themes, and my class always enjoys reflecting upon poems about death since, after all, every novel we read seems to be about death! Many poems on this site are read aloud by their authors, and my students especially love hearing The Carrion Crow read aloud.

A common theme in upper elementary and middle school novels is Change. Encourage an in-depth study of Change using Paul Janeczko's examination of Nothing Gold Can Stay in his new Heinemann title Reading Poetry in the Middle Grades. This highly recommended book features 20 thought-provoking poems from contemporary writers, with extensive lesson plans which help students to better understand each poem, and to apply it to other texts and their own experiences.

Students can compose and publish their own poems using the Theme Poems interactive from ReadWriteThink.

3. Explore language

If you're anything like me, you struggle to teach students grammar in way that is motivational or memorable. How many of us can recall learning our parts of speech and verb forms in deadly dull exercise books? While drill and example books might have a place in instruction, I'd recommend some verse to liven up the process of language learning.

Recommended sites

If you're seeking to help students learn parts of speech, check out the Language Adventures from Gibbs Smith. These highly engaging and hilarious books focus on discrete parts of speech through the incorporation of rhyme and humor, and later editions contain learning activities, definitions, and reproducibles related to the book's topics.

At The Poem Farm, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater shares wonderful original poems and teaching ideas. One of my favorites is Getting Dressed, a wonderful poem featuring personification. In addition to the many poems she shares on the site, you can have her work for your very own in her newly published collection of poems titled Forest Has a Song. In addition to the resources at Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's site, you can also download a Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Poetry Activity Kit, featuring ideas for "Forest Has a Song" as well as several other poems from HMH titles.

Finally, check out this Figurative Language lesson on personification and alliteration from TeachersFirst.

Recommended books

Alphabest: The Zany, Zanier, Zaniest Book about Comparatives and Superlatives
by Helaine Becker

This probably isn't a poetry book, since each page contains just three words (such as Fuzzy, Fuzzier, Fuzziest) but it reads like poetry, and helps kids understand how adjectives can be changed to compare two or more things. Author Helaine Becker sets the scene in a busy amusement park, and illustrator Dave Whamond delivers the goods with his spirited and wacky illustrations. Students can likewise choose a single adjective, and create images to illustrate its comparative and superlative forms.

Noisy Poems for a Busy Day
by Robert Heidbreder and Lori Joy Smith

Looking for poems with onomatopoeia? Check out Noisy Poems for a Busy Day by Robert Heidbreder and Lori Joy Smith. Short and fun, and easily replicated by students. Collect all your students' poems and create your own Busy Day anthology!

4. Focus on facts

Creating poetry is a wonderful way for students to share information they learned through class or independent study. What's fantastic about poetry is that it can bring life to otherwise dry and lifeless facts!

I can recall assigning fourth grade students to create poems for mathematical operations, and as a class creating couplets describing the most important names, places, events, and dates for the American Revolution. Students are incredibly receptive to these challenges! So after checking out some of the examples below, be sure to devise your own lessons to have students write informational poems in class as well.

Recommended texts

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors
by Hena Khan

In this book Hena Khan introduces young readers to the world of Islam by describing its colors and traditions in simple rhymes. Each poem serves as a definition, and the terms introduced are explained in greater detail in the book's end. Mehrdokht Amini's gorgeous bright and intricate illustrations make this book itself a treasure, perfect for reading with groups or sharing on a parent's lap. A sample from the book:

Animology: Animal Analogies
by Marianne Berkes and illustrated by Cathy Morrison

Animology introduces students to word relationships (also known as analogies) through the simplest of rhymes. Bold, full spread pictures show realistic depictions of the animals in their natural settings. Like all Sylvan Dell books, this one includes the "For Creative Minds" follow-up activities in the back of book, which can also be accessed at the publisher's site, along with an e-book preview, a video trailer, a 48 page teaching guide, and other resources.

Hey Diddle Diddle: A Food Chain Tale
by Sylvan Dell

This book features a wealth of support materials for classroom instruction (see the menu bar to the right on this page). In catchy rhyme, author Pam Kapchinske describes the the animals and complex relationships which make up a food web, the circle of life, and more specifically the ecosystem on a pond and forest habitat. Sherry Rogers' images capture each animal playing its part in this ongoing natural cycle.

5. Set a scene

Before launching a science, social studies, or math unit, I often used poetry to set the scene. The poems I chose from myriad books would spark discussion, curiosity, and prior knowledge, ultimately building excitement and anticipation for the new unit. If only all textbooks were nearly as engaging!

Recommended texts

Water Sings Blue
by Meilo So

So, provides the denizens of the deep with their own voices, priming student curiosity about life in the ocean. One of my favorites is the poem "Old Driftwood," wherein this artifact is described as a "gnarled sailor" ... "telling of mermaids/ and whales thi-i-i-s big/ to all the attentive/ astonished twigs." Another sample from the book:

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night
by Rick Allen

This book is a perfect poetry/informational text companion to Poppy or any other novel that takes place in the forest. Each of Joyce Sidman's wonderful poems about the nocturnal world of the woods is accompanied by a fact-filled sidebar, exploring the creatures described in the poems and in Rick Allen's beautiful relief print illustrations. The title poem in part reads: "Perched missile, almost invisible, you preen silent feathers, swivel your sleek satellite dish of a head."

This small excerpt gives you an idea of the book's sophisticated verse! The author cleverly formatted the poem "Dark Emperor" in the shape of an owl, and if your students are interested in creating concrete poetry like this, you might find that shape templates are a good way to get started. And if you're not familiar with Avi's novel Poppy, be sure to check it out! Boys find it easy to root for this strong female character because "she is, after all, a mouse."

6. Inspire writing

If you're seeking ways to get students writing, poetry is an effective vehicle to transport them to success. Take the opportunity to preview Poetry Mentor Texts online at the Stenhouse site; you'll be amazed at the simple steps to sophisticated writing using the lesson ideas presented there. In addition to Poetry Mentor Texts inspiring students to write their own verse, this book will also provide you with ideas for using poetry as a creative response format for other disciplines as well:

Recommended site

In an earlier post, I discussed writing "Valentines for Vermin" using Vulture Verses: Love Poems for the Unloved as a mentor text. The book closes with a request: "So many cards to write! So many animal friends! I may need some help. Do you know someone who is misunderstood? Will you help me write friendship notes, too?" Such a fantastic suggestion! Working in pairs or teams, students can research basic facts about other unloved animals that "scuttle, slither, buzz, and sting." A really fun and stress free way to get students writing creatively, with results which they'll be eager to share with others.

Recommended texts

Casey Back at Bat
by Dan Gutman

Students can extend or rewrite or revisit favorite or famous poems. In Casey Back at Bat, sports writer Dan Gutman revisits the classic American poem (the picture book version illustrated by Max Payne is one of my favorites). Choose similar narrative poems, and challenge students to extend them, revise them, or "answer them" with poems of their own.

ABCs of Poetry
by Avis Harley

If you're seeking inspirations for students to write poetry in a number of forms, you'll be amazed and delighted to read Fly with Poetry: An ABC of Poetry or Leap Into Poetry: More ABCs of Poetry. First, it's amazing that author/illustrator Avis Harley has found enough poem forms to write and illustrate not just one but two ABC collections, and second, she's done it by focusing solely on the topic of insects! So she not only presents and explains the poetry forms in detail, but these mentor texts teach students wonderful facts about dozens of creatures that crawl, climb, and fly as well. Extensions using other animal species are possible, although I can see these form poems being applied to almost any subject area.

Monster Goose
by Judy Sierra

Students love the idea of fractured fairy tales, so a book like Monster Goose by Judy Sierra is certain to be hit. The author's creepy and comedic new versions of classic childhood rhymes will inspire your students to want to create the same. After sharing a few poems such as Humpty Dumpty (below), provide students with a collection of unrevised rhymes, and see where their imaginations can take them. See, too, if their accompanying illustrations can be as entertaining as those of Jack E. Davis, illustrator extraordinaire of Bedhead fame. Davis not only captures a key moment of each poem, but also cleverly establishes and then breaks the borders of each illustration, creating an off-the-page effect.

7. See new perspectives

One of poetry's transcendent powers is its ability to refocus, if not totally transform, our point of view. It's far too simple for students (and teachers!) to lose themselves in their egocentric viewpoints, and fail to consider issues from another perspective. Poetry open students' eyes to new ways of seeing.

Recommended texts

Make Magic! Do Good!
by Dallas Clayton

A quirky and crazy collection of verses that collectively encourage readers to see the best in themselves, in others, and in every situation. So much of modern day communication relies upon snark and sarcasm, it's refreshing to find poems that are open and honest and encouraging, while at the same time remaining zany and random, which kids also appreciate. I also think that the way the book cover turns into a poster is a pretty cool twist!

Paul Revere's Ride
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Perspective, or point of view, plays a huge role in history and its interpretation. Although not entirely accurate in historic detail, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere remains a classic of American Literature. Check out this previous post where I discuss several picture versions of the text, and the unique perspective supplied by each.

Dogs Rule!
by Daniel Kirk

In Daniel Kirk's Dogs Rule! and his later Cat Power!, the author/illustrator profiles some of the furriest and funniest heroes of each species. See my Words and Images in Perfect Harmony post for more details, as well as teaching suggestions.

Book of Animal Poetry
by National Geographic

The National Geographic's Book of Animal Poetry is wonderful in that it often features multiple poems for a single animal. The zebra and the pig, for instance, are both celebrated by four different poets. Examining the poems, students can discuss what facts and features each poet chose to discuss. In what ways are their poems alike? Different? Older students can even attempt to identify the poem form used by each writer. After reading some of the examples in this book from both classic and contemporary writers, students can then try their own hand at describing animals both foreign and familiar. Such poems are an excellent addition to those animal reports and presentations which many teachers already include in their curriculum.

8. Ignite curiosity

Much has been said in educational texts about inquiry learning. From my own experiences, however, I find that students are naturally inquisitive, and there's not much more we need to do but focus their natural curiosity. Poetry can do this!

Recommended texts

A Strange Place to Call Home
by Marilyn Singer

This is an intriguing exploration into diverse and unique habitats of the world. In the preface, the author explains: "Extreme environments such as deserts, glaciers, salt lakes, and pools of oil may not seem appealing, yet in these places, there is often less competition and more safety from predators. So over time, a variety of animals have adapted to these challenging conditions. This collection of poems celebrates some of these great adapters and the risky places where they live." End notes give further explanation of each animal and its adaptations to its specialized niche, along with notes about the poetry forms employed for each piece. Below is a sample poem, written in sonnet form:

World Rat Day
by J. Patrick Lewis

A fun collection of unusual but authentic holidays, celebrated here in verse. Where else could you learn about Cow Appreciation Day, Limerick Day, or Chocolate-Covered Anything Day? Students will enjoy researching these and other wacky holidays, and even inventing their own to commemorate people, places, and events that are important to them. (See a video trailer here at the Candlewick Press site).

9. Provide pleasure

Okay, so you may think I cheated on this one. After all, I'm supposed to be giving you purposes for using poetry. But if we can't convince our students that one of reading's purest functions is pleasure, then I don't think we've really done our job.

So many poems and books of poems exist to fill this classification that I won't even begin to list them all here. So if you have a favorite poem or book you read with students for pleasure, please share it in the comments section below!

Recommended texts

A Dog is a Dog
by Stephen Shaskan

This book is an incredibly simple, yet funny and clever book about a dog who may not be a dog at all, but perhaps instead a cat ... or is it a squid? ... or a moose? This crazy dog sheds one disguise after another, and who knows what he'll be next? It's short, fun, and you'd better be prepared to read it more than once, although its simplicity, meter, and rhyme make it easily accessible to independent beginning readers. Also be sure to check out the cool stuff on the author's site.

10. Capture character

Most of us have assigned biography reports, only later to be disappointed when some students fail to capture the greatness of the men and women they studied. What's awesome about biographical poems is that they encapsulate the essence of what makes a person's life memorable and meaningful.

Recommended sites

Use the The Explorers' Graveyard lesson plan for sharing facts and findings when reading biographies. Again, the aim here is to get to what's worth knowing about this famous person.If you're looking for a funnier take of epitaphs, I recommend Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Verses by J. Patrick Lewis (yes, him again!), and illustrated by Simon Bartram. The hilarious and revealing tombstone tidings capture in the most clever way the humor of many professions. Take this one, for instance, written for a Book Editor:

Recommended texts

When Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Rights Leaders
by J. Patrick Lewis

A satisfying mix of heroes and heroines from the world-wide struggle for human rights. Familiar names such as Jackie Robinson, Harvey Milk, and Mohandas Gandhi share the pages with new discoveries such as Sylvia Mendez (Mexican-American-Purto Rican civil rights leader), Muhammad Yunus (Bangladeshi banker), and Dennis Banks (Cofounder of the American Indian Movement and Anishinabe political activist). Several artists collaborate to illustrate the poems, which can also lead to a discussion of what each artist chose to represent the whole of a person's life in a single image. For more teaching ideas integrating these poems with informational writing, see the related post at Two Writing Teachers blog.

Freedom Like Sunlight: Praisesongs for Black Americans
by J. Patrick Lewis

These poems are notable in that they capture the content of each person's character, rather then the rote facts of his or her life. John Thompson's realistically rendered illustrations help to make this title a standout.

Recommended online tools for writing poetry

Rhyme Brain isn't just another rhyming site; instead, it has three functions: rhyme creator, alliteration creator, and portmanteau creator. The results for the latter two tools are pretty impressive, and lend themselves to some real playfulness with language.

At WriteRhymes, it's as easy as "As you write, hold the alt key and click on a word to find a rhyme for it ... " That's it. You can Copy, Save, or Print from the site.

Recommended resources for poetry month

Keith Schoch is an educator, presenter, and advocate for reading. This article was published on his blog, Teaching with Picture Books. He also shares resources and recommendations through two other blogs: Teaching that Sticks and How to Teach a Novel.

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Often when I mention poetry during a workshop, at least one teacher laments, "I would love to do more poetry with students, but there's so much else to teach in my curriculum!"

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Activities for Teaching Poetry to Elementary Students

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National Poetry Month is an excellent time for teaching elementary students to write poetry. Interactive activities, such as an Author's Day, foster a lifelong love of poetry, words, and reading.

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Reasons for Teaching Poetry in the Classroom 

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Reasons for Teaching Poetry in the Classroom 

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Why is poetry important? Read the five reasons that support the importance of poetry in primary school and instill a love for poems in the classroom.
By Proud to be Primary

Read the five reasons that explain the importance of teaching poetry, and instill a love for poems in the classroom. Children will love these activities that build reading, writing, and language skills.

Why Teach Poetry?

There tend to be two types of teachers when it comes to poetry: Ones who love it and bring it into the classroom freely and often. Then others stay clear. The reason for this may be because they don't think it fits with the curriculum and what they are teaching. They may not "have time" to fit it in. Or they may not enjoy poetry themselves, and this prevents them from introducing it in the classroom.

If the love is not there *yet* for you, I give you this challenge. Give it a try! Open a book of poems. Read the odd poem to your class. Find a poem that goes along with your classroom theme and share. Ask children about their experiences with poetry and how it makes them feel.

Why is Poetry Important In Primary School

Poetry has a place in our curriculum. It can be taught as part of reading, writing, and language lessons, and it fits easily into classroom themes, projects, and celebrations. It can add additional value to our studies. Poem of the week activities can be easily implemented to strengthen language arts lessons.

This post includes five reasons to teach poetry in the classroom. If you are a poetry advocate already, I hope you gain some additional insight and ideas to strengthen your program. If you are reluctant to teach poetry, I encourage you to read the reasons why and to find out for yourself. The reasons listed, as well as FREE activities to try, will help guide you in the right direction!

1. Build Reading, Speaking, & Listening Skills

Why teach poetry? Children need to learn to read a variety of texts and poems are one of those forms. The unique thing about poetry is that we often read aloud, repeat often, and share in groups. When children are listening to poems orally, they are building their listening skills. They learn to attend to the words they hear and to think about what those words mean together.

When sharing poems in a classroom, look at, and read them together. Children are strengthening their reading skills and build reading fluency through repeated reading. The dots connect in a child's brain when they see it, hear it, and say it aloud. Children begin to listen to the rhythms and rhyme present in poems. Reading fluency develops as verses are practiced and read many times. Rachel Clarke says "As teachers when we use poetry with children we are modeling how to read it, building familiarity with it, and widening children's reading horizons,"

Reading comprehension also results in discussions about meaning, connecting, and visualizing. Encourage children to imagine the poem as it is read aloud. They can draw a picture or think quietly about what they hear. Ask children to share what they consider a poem is about or what they believe a word or line means. Naturally, children will connect to what they hear. Ask children to share their connections to their own experiences.

2. Explore Language & Vocabulary

Poetry provides teachers with a special tool: A tool that can be broken down and evaluated in parts. A tool that can use used to teach many literacy skills.

Poetry often contains words that rhyme for effect. Children can learn about phonics and letter sounds by listening for and locating rhyming words. A poem can be used to teach sentence structure, parts of speech, and many grammar skills. Teaching grammar in engaging ways can be a struggle. Poetry can help!

Poetry builds vocabulary. Children get exposed to words they have not heard before, and they listen to them in context. Discuss new terms with children and ask them to point out the ones they hear for the first time. This exercise provides a venue for ELL learners to learn and build language. Not only do children hear new words, but they are also learning how words are chosen for effect and to create imagery.

Explore a poem of the week during a class meeting. Encourage children with activities such as locating sight words, finding new terms, or focus on a particular skill you are teaching in class. Poetry Mats are a valuable resource for practicing many skills. Poetry offers a way to teach that is memorable and motivational. The opportunities to learn through poetry are endless!

3. Inspire Writing

Teach how poems are constructed and the words they contain. It is the first step to writing. Different types of poems have various components. In poetry, we learn how to put words together to form meaning and context. We learn how to choose the right words to create imagery and effect.

When we break poems down into their parts, we learn a lot about how writing comes together. We learn how to follow a pattern and put words in a particular order. The simple patterns found in some poems are fun to follow, and great places for children to start learning to write. Writing poetry is a transferable skill that will help children write in other ways and styles.

Start teaching poetry to children early as they begin to learn to write. A good poetry writing unit includes planning and brainstorming activities, templates to practice and write, and ways to display poetry. Start by teaching simple poetry forms that follow a pattern so children can make connections. Try these free lessons as a fun start: acrostic poetry, shape poetry, autobiography poetry.

4. Encourage Creative Thinking

Poetry is a form of expression. Writing it lets us get out our feelings and thoughts on a subject while reading it encourages us to connect and find meaning in our experiences.

Poetry can have a positive impact on the social and emotional learning of children. It may offer them a new way of thinking about something. It can put things into words that children may not know how to express otherwise. Poetry encourages children to express themselves and their feelings.

Jeanette Winterson, a poet, and writer, once said, "It isn't a hiding place. It is a finding place." Poetry inspires children's imaginations to run wild.

5. Build a Love for Reading

As children learn to read, expose them to a variety of styles and types of text. As teachers, we want them to love the act of reading and what they read as they learn. Learning to read can be hard work, and the books children learn first often lack that unique ingredient. Poetry is different. It has that special sauce that children crave and so much more!

Children have a natural curiosity to foster and encourage with poetry. It creates enchantment and wonder in a child's mind. Poems encourage kids to imagine new worlds and experiences.

Poetry is great to share with children, but also have available for them to choose and read independently. Poems provide enjoyment and laughter. Poems are engaging and fun to read! They encourage kids to move with the rhythms they hear and add actions.

Teach poetry to children; otherwise, they may miss out on it completely. Children tend not to choose books of poems to read if they haven't been exposed before. Break this barrier and share it with them. Build a love for poetry together!

Children's Poetry Books

It is essential to find great examples of poems to share with children. Jack Prelutsky, Dennis Lee (a Canadian poet fav), Dr. Seuss, and Shel Silverstein are a few fantastic authors who have written a variety of poetry and books for children. I guarantee if you share any of the selections below, you will build a love of poetry that will last a lifetime!

Try Poetry Activities Today!

Click the image below to download a FREE sample poem and activities from on Poetry Mats!

Poetry Resources

Integrate the following resources into the primary classroom and any language arts curriculum. Each offers a wealth of engaging poems and activities to build a ton of skills and a love of poetry!
Poetry Mega Bundle
See the three poetry resources in action!
Poem of the Week Poetry Mats Poetry Writing unit

Learn More About Teaching Poetry
Ultimate Guide to Teaching Poetry to Kids Poetry Writing for Kids Shape Poetry Poetry Activities Poetry Books for Kids
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FREE Poetry Email Series

Sign up for the poetry email series filled with tips to get you started, strategies for success, and tons of FREE poems and poetry writing tutorials you can access right away. Everything you need to have fun and build reading skills with poetry!

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Why is Poetry Important? 5 Reasons to Teach Poetry in the Classroom

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Why is poetry important? Read the five reasons that support the importance of poetry in primary school and instill a love for poems in the classroom. By Proud to be Primary Read the five reasons that explain the importance of teaching poetry, and instill a love for poems in the classroom.

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Poems Kids Like - Read a selection of poems appropriate for young kids, poems for teens, and poems for the young at heart by such poets as Lewis Caroll, Jack Prelutsky, Shel Silverstein, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, and more.

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List of Best Poetry Books for Elementary Students

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List of Best Poetry Books for Elementary Students

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Best children's poetry books (221 books)

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221 books based on 288 votes: Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein, When We Were Very Young by A.A. Miln...

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Must-Share poems for Elementary Students

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Must-Share poems for Elementary Students

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With so many great children's poems out there, it's hard to pick favorites! But we accepted the challenge, asking for suggestions from the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook and gathering recommendations from our staff. Here are a some poems that will help start a good poetry discussion in your classroom. Most of these are excerpts; look for the links to the full poems under each image.
Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!
1. "Casey at the Bat" by Ernest Lawrence Thayer

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2. "Tan" by Malathi Michelle Iyengar

Get the full poem and others like it in this book.

3. "The Corn-Stalk Fiddle" by Paul Laurence Dunbar

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4. "Since Hanna Moved Away," by Judith Viorst

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5. "Drum Dream Girl" by Margarita Engle

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6. "My Chinatown" by Kam Mak

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7. "Friends" by Abbie Farwell Brown

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8. "Reading" by Jacqueline Woodson

Learn more about this poem and Jacqueline Woodson.

9. "The Tyger" by William Blake

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10. "Knoxville, Tennessee" by Nikki Giovanni

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11. "Maggie and Milly and Molly and May" by e.e. cummings

Get the full poem here.

12. "How to Paint a Donkey" by Naomi Shihab Nye

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13. "The Purple Cow" by Gelett Burgess

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14. "Val" by Gwendolyn Brooks

Get this poem and learn more about this collection of poetry in the book Bronzeville Boys and Girls.

15. "The Dream of Shoji" by Kimiko Hahn

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16. "Poor Old Lady" by Anonymous

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17. "After the Winter" by Claude McKay

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18. "Rathers" by Mary Hunter Austin

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19. "Homework! Oh, Homework!" by Jack Prelutsky

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20. "The Eloquent Young Elephant" by Sheree Fitch

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21. "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein

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22. "Moon Festival" by Marilyn Singer

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23. "Unexpected Holiday" by Alma Flor Ada

Learn more about Alma Flor Ada and her poems here.

24. "The Quarrel" by Maxine Kumin

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25. "Ode to My Shoes" by Francisco X. Alarcón

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26. "The Parakeets" by Alberto Blanco

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27. "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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28. "The Rainbow" by Christina Rossetti

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29. "Halfway Down" by A.A. Milne

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30. "Caged Bird" by Maya Angelou

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31. "The Spider and the Fly" by Mary Howitt

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32. "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost

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33. "Wallet Size" by Nikki Grimes

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34. "Adventures of Isabel" by Ogden Nash

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35. "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll

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36. "Mrs. Mitchell's Underwear" by Dennis Lee

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37. "The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee" by N. Scott Momaday

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38. "The Swing" by Robert Louis Stevenson

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39. "Autumn" by Alexander Posey

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40. "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley

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41. "Marshlands" by Emily Pauline Johnson

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42. "Amelia's First Ski Run" by Nora Marks Dauenhauer

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43. "I, Too" by Langston Hughes

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44. "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams

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45. "Coquí" by Carmen Bernier-Grand

Learn more about Carmen's poetry here.

46. "The Dentist and the Crocodile" by Roald Dahl

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47. "Dino Thought" by Jane Yolen

Learn more about Jane Yolen's poetry right here.

48. "Bee! I'm Expecting You!" by Emily Dickinson

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49. "To Catch a Fish" by Eloise Greenfield

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50. "Ode to Teachers" by Pat Mora

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What's your favorite poem to use in class? Come share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. Plus, our must-share poems for middle school and high school.

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58 Must-Share Poems for Elementary School

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With so many great children's poems out there, it's hard to pick favorites! But we accepted the challenge, asking for suggestions from the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook and gathering recommendations from our staff. Here are a some poems that will help start a good poetry discussion in your classroom.

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Winter: Poems for Kids | Academy of American Poets

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Winter: Poems for Kids - The following poems explore the themes of winter, snow, and cold weather and are appropriate for young people."London Snow" by Robert BridgesWhen men were all asleep the snow came flying..."There's a certain Slant of light (258)" by Emily DickinsonThere's a certain Slant of light...

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The following poems about summer and warm weather are appropriate for young people.more poems for kids"A Boat, Beneath a Sunny Sky" by Lewis CarrollA boat, beneath a sunny sky..."Fishing on the Susquehanna in July" by Billy CollinsI have never been fishing on the Susquehanna...

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The following poems about spring, growth, and renewal are appropriate for young people.more poems for kids "Chansons Innocentes: I" by E. E. CummingsIn Just- spring..."Spring is like a perhaps hand" by E. E. CummingsSpring is like a perhaps hand...read the lesson plan

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Autumn: Poems for Kids - The following poems about the autumn season are appropriate for young people.more poems for kids"Besides the Autumn poets sing (131)" by Emily DickinsonBesides the Autumn poets sing...

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Pricelessness Of A True Friend, My True Friend, True Friend Poem

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A true friend is a rare gem, and I'm blessed with one - the inspiration for this poem. If you also have that special friend, I hope this helps you celebrate him/her. You may hum the good old My Mother tune as you read. Hope you enjoy it.

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I know a little language of my cat, though Dante says

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I have four cats at home so I feel this poem. I even find cat hair on things that have been at school the whole year.

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Cat Hair by Author Unknown a Cat Poem at CatQuotes.Com.

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Cat Hair by Author Unknown a Cat/Kitten Poetry at CatQuotes.com Home of everything to do with cats/Kittens including Proverbs/Sayings/Movies etc.

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Ravens are large black birds that can appear to be very scary but they are actually really intelligent creatures. While I was reading this poem it reminded me about a video I recently watched. In the video there was a raven named Mischief, who could do all sorts of things, he could talk, cough, and make different noises all on cue. I could totally see someone yelling at a raven and them yelling back.

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Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore-

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-

Only this and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow;-vainly I had sought to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow-sorrow for the lost Lenore-

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-

Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me-filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating

"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-

Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-

This it is and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,

"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;

But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you"-here I opened wide the door;-

Darkness there and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore?"

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"-

Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.

"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice;

Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore-

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;-

'Tis the wind and nothing more!"

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door-

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door-

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,

"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,

Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore-

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,

Though its answer little meaning-little relevancy bore;

For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being

Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door-

Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,

With such name as "Nevermore."

But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

Nothing farther then he uttered-not a feather then he fluttered-

Till I scarcely more than muttered "Other friends have flown before-

On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before."

Then the bird said "Nevermore."

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,

"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store

Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster

Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-

Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore

But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,

Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;

Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking

Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore-

What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore

Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;

This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining

On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,

But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,

She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer

Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.

"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee-by these angels he hath sent thee

Respite-respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore;

Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!-prophet still, if bird or devil!-

Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,

Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted-

On this home by Horror haunted-tell me truly, I implore-

Is there- is there balm in Gilead?-tell me-tell me, I implore!"

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!-prophet still, if bird or devil!

By that Heaven that bends above us-by that God we both adore-

Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,

It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore-

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting-

"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!

Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!

Leave my loneliness unbroken!-quit the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,

And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted-nevermore!

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The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe | Poetry Foundation

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Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

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Hear "The Tell-Tale Heart" read aloud.
The Tell-Tale Heart

True! - nervous - very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses - not destroyed - not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily - how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture - a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees - very gradually - I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.

Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded - with what caution - with what foresight - with what dissimulation I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it - oh, so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly - very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man's sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha! - would a madman have been so wise as this? And then, when my head was well in the room, I undid the lantern cautiously - oh, so cautiously - cautiously (for the hinges creaked) - I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long nights - every night just at midnight - but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber, and spoke courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring how he had passed the night. So you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.

Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door. A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers - of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea; and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly, as if startled. Now you may think that I drew back - but no. His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness, (for the shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers,) and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily.

I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man sprang up in the bed, crying out - "Who's there?"

I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down. He was still sitting up in the bed listening; - just as I have done, night after night, hearkening to the death watches in the wall.

Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or of grief - oh, no! - it was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me. I say I knew it well. I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart. I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise, when he had turned in the bed. His fears had been ever since growing upon him. He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not. He had been saying to himself - "It is nothing but the wind in the chimney - it is only a mouse crossing the floor," or "it is merely a cricket which has made a single chirp." Yes, he has been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions: but he had found all in vain. All in vain; because Death, in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim. And it was the mournful influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to feel - although he neither saw nor heard - to feel the presence of my head within the room.

When I had waited a long time, very patiently, without hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little - a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it - you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily - until, at length a single dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the crevice and fell upon the vulture eye.

It was open - wide, wide open - and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness - all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones; but I could see nothing else of the old man's face or person: for I had directed the ray as if by instinct, precisely upon the damned spot.

And now have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over acuteness of the senses? - now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well, too. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.

But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I held the lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray upon the eye. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant. The old man's terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! - do you mark me well? I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me - the sound would be heard by a neighbor! The old man's hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked once - once only. In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes. There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eye would trouble me no more.

If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.

I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye - not even his - could have detected any thing wrong. There was nothing to wash out - no stain of any kind - no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had caught all - ha! ha!

When I had made an end of these labors, it was four o 'clock - still dark as midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street door. I went down to open it with a light heart, - for what had I now to fear? There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbor during the night; suspicion of foul play had been aroused; information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers) had been deputed to search the premises.

I smiled, - for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, I mentioned, was absent in the country. I took my visitors all over the house. I bade them search - search well. I led them, at length, to his chamber. I showed them his treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.

The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct: - it continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definitiveness - until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears.

No doubt I now grew very pale; - but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased - and what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick sound - much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath - and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly - more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men - but the noise steadily increased. Oh God! what could I do? I foamed - I raved - I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder - louder - louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! - no, no! They heard! - they suspected! - they knew! - they were making a mockery of my horror! - this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! - and now - again! - hark! louder! louder! louder! louder! -

"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed! - tear up the planks! - here, here! - it is the beating of his hideous heart!"
Edgar Allan Poe January 1843 Illustration by Harry Clarke

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Hear "The Tell-Tale Heart" read aloud. True! - nervous - very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses - not destroyed - not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute.

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This poem started off as a joke, like the if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it does it make a noise? But instead of the "does it make a noise" part it continues on to this deep reflection on death and how it comes about so quickly. I found it to be very interesting and thought provoking.

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Wolf's Trees - If trees fall in a wood and no one hears them,

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Hymn to the Night By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Hymn to the Night By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Hymn to the Night - I heard the trailing garments of the Night

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Just one glance from across the way, / you caught my eye I could not stray. / You left me . Published at the web's largest poetry site.

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Moonlily - When we play horses at recess, my name

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Cheesy goodness. / Marinara heaven. / Crusty bread. / Toppings galore. / Tasty fullness.. Published at the web's largest poetry site.

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How Do I Love Thee? By Elizabeth Barrett Browning

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How Do I Love Thee? By Elizabeth Barrett Browning

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My letters! all dead paper, mute and white!
And yet they seem alive and quivering
Against my tremulous hands which loose the string
And let them drop down on my knee tonight.
This said-he wished to have me in his sight
Once, as a friend: this fixed a day in spring
To come and touch my hand. . . a simple thing,
Yes I wept for it-this . . . the paper's light. . .
Said,Dear, I love thee; and I sank and quailed As if God's future thundered on my past. This said,I am thine-and so its ink has paled With lying at my heart that beat too fast. And this . . . 0 Love, thy words have ill availed If, what this said, I dared repeat at last!

Beloved, my Beloved, when I think
That thou wast in the world a year ago,
What time I sate alone here in the snow
And saw no footprint, heard the silence sink
No moment at thy voice ... but, link by link,
Went counting all my chains, as if that so
They never could fall off at any blow
Struck by thy possible hand ... why, thus I drink
Of life's great cup of wonder! Wonderful,
Never to feel thee thrill the day or night
With personal act or speech,-nor ever cull
Some prescience of thee with the blossoms white
Thou sawest growing! Atheists are as dull,
Who cannot guess God's presence out of sight.

When our two souls stand up erect and strong,
Face to face, silent, drawing nigh and nigher,
Until the lengthening wings break into fire
At either curvèd point,-what bitter wrong
Can the earth do to us, that we should not long
Be here contented? Think. In mounting higher,
The angels would press on us and aspire
To drop some golden orb of perfect song
Into our deep, dear silence. Let us stay
Rather on earth, Belovèd,-where the unfit
Contrarious moods of men recoil away
And isolate pure spirits, and permit
A place to stand and love in for a day,
With darkness and the death-hour rounding it.

How much do you love me, a million bushels?
Oh, a lot more than that, Oh, a lot more.

And to-morrow maybe only half a bushel?
To-morrow maybe not even a half a bushel.

And is this your heart arithmetic?
This is the way the wind measures the weather.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow'st.
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

O my Love sent me a lusty list,
Did not compare me to a summer's day
Wrote not the beauty of mine eyes
But catalogued in a pretty detailed
And comprehensive way the way(s)
In which he was better than me.
"More capable of extra- and inter-
Polation. More well-traveled -rounded multi-
Lingual! More practiced in so many matters
More: physical, artistic, musical,
Politic(al) academic (I dare say!) social
(In many ways!) and (ditto!) sexual!"
And yet these mores undid but his own plea(s)(e)
And left, none-the-less, the Greater Moor of me.

About this poem:
"No, really, a found poem; however, I also find, that if one reads thirty or so Shakespearean sonnets in a row (out loud), something is bound to happen."

Olena Kalytiak Davis

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My letters! all dead paper, mute and white! And yet they seem alive and quivering Against my tremulous hands which loose the string And let them drop down on my knee tonight. This said-he wished to have me in his sight Once, as a friend: this fixed a day in spring To come and touch my hand.

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This was read in the live action Beauty and the Beast.

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A Crystal Forest

The air is blue and keen and cold,
With snow the roads and fields are white
But here the forest's clothed with light
And in a shining sheath enrolled.
Each branch, each twig, each blade of grass,
Seems clad miraculously with glass:

Above the ice-bound streamlet bends
Each frozen fern with crystal ends.

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The air is blue and keen and cold,With snow the roads and fields are whiteBut here the forest's clothed with lightAnd in a shining sheath enrolled.Each branch, each twig, each blade of grass,Seems clad miraculously with glass:Above the ice-bound streamlet bendsEach frozen fern with crystal ends.

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Explaining My Depression to My Mother By Sabrina Benaim

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Explaining My Depression to My Mother By Sabrina Benaim

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I saw this on Facebook the other day. My best friend in high school struggled with depression, and even though I tried my best to be there for her I never really knew how to help her. This a very interesting poem describing depression

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Sabrina Benaim - Explaining My Depression to My Mother

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Frustrations With A Brother By "Leia Organa"

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Frustrations With A Brother By "Leia Organa"

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Frustrations With A Brother by Leia Organa

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Why does my brother / Have to be so rude? / Belching and sneering / Just to ruin my mood /. Published at the web's largest poetry site.