Happy National Poetry Month! Thanks for dropping by my Poem Starter Video party.
Today’s poem comes from?The Poetry Friday Anthology (Common Core K-5 edition): Poems for the School Year with Connections to the Common Core
(Pomelo, 2013), edited by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong.?It’s one of my favorite?anthologies to recommend to teachers because of its extraordinary range of poets/poems and its terrific and easy teaching tips. The poem I’m’sharing today is by the fabulous?Nikki Grimes. Hearing Nikki speak at the SCBWI conference in L.A. back in 2006 (I think) is what helped me learn how to put poetry collections together, and I’ll always be grateful for that!
Riddle
My job is not
to beat the drum,
or help you hear,
however much I cling
or swing from your ear,
or stud your lobe
with globes of glitter.
But, large or small,
I can call attention
to your face,
any time, any place,
without ever whispering
a word.–by Nikki Grimes, all rights reserved
And here is my Poem Starter Video:
[wpvideo JwhU7iJa]
The wonderful Robyn Hood Black has the Poetry Friday Roundup. Don’t miss a chance to check in on the poetry happenings!
I enjoyed meeting Nikki at our regional SCBWI conference a couple of months ago. Great job reading her poem here – isn’t it a fun one? – and your discussion of internal rhyme.
She is just a force–and so multi-talented! Thanks, Robyn:>)
I enjoyed meeting Nikki at our regional SCBWI conference a couple of months ago. Great job reading her poem here – isn’t it a fun one? – and your discussion of internal rhyme.
She is just a force–and so multi-talented! Thanks, Robyn:>)
First: it is so GREAT that you have “LAURA’S COPY” stickered on the front of your book. No one will dare “borrow” it (indefinitely) from you now! Second: yes, YES, internal rhyme is the BEST suggestion for young writers who love to rhyme! Sprinkling rhyme and slant (or “almost” or “off”) rhyme into a poem at random brings such richness and sophistication to a poem. This is a super poem starter, Laura. And, of course, a SUPER poem by Nikki Grimes!
Yeah–got to protect my treasure:>) I pass it around at inservices, so….
Every time I do workshops, some kids are dejected when I tell them they can’t rhyme for the project we’re doing. I’m going to start offering internal rhyme as an option. Don’t know why I never thought of it. So I’ll bring this and a few other examples, and kids will LOVE them.
First: it is so GREAT that you have “LAURA’S COPY” stickered on the front of your book. No one will dare “borrow” it (indefinitely) from you now! Second: yes, YES, internal rhyme is the BEST suggestion for young writers who love to rhyme! Sprinkling rhyme and slant (or “almost” or “off”) rhyme into a poem at random brings such richness and sophistication to a poem. This is a super poem starter, Laura. And, of course, a SUPER poem by Nikki Grimes!
Yeah–got to protect my treasure:>) I pass it around at inservices, so….
Every time I do workshops, some kids are dejected when I tell them they can’t rhyme for the project we’re doing. I’m going to start offering internal rhyme as an option. Don’t know why I never thought of it. So I’ll bring this and a few other examples, and kids will LOVE them.
I like the internal rhyme suggestion, too. Nice video!
I like the internal rhyme suggestion, too. Nice video!
A STAR PLAYER’S JOURNEY
I can’t run on a slant, I have a trick
Knee that won’t allow me to cut on a dime,
I retired from football while in my prime.
However, all’s not lost, what has stayed the same
Is being thankful for having played this game.
(C) Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.
A STAR PLAYER’S JOURNEY
I can’t run on a slant, I have a trick
Knee that won’t allow me to cut on a dime,
I retired from football while in my prime.
However, all’s not lost, what has stayed the same
Is being thankful for having played this game.
(C) Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.
I am loving the videos! I can’t believe that I get to see them all month! I look forward to each one!
I am loving the videos! I can’t believe that I get to see them all month! I look forward to each one!
It’s a great idea to teach kids there “is” a different way that poets rhyme, Laura. I loved the Nikki Grimes’ poem. I have her book Grandmothers & treasure it. I didn’t mean to write a sad poem, but this is what came. It is interesting to become aware of the ‘internal’ rhyme. Thank you for my lesson too!
My dog, Sam, greeted everyone
who was sent to visit my mother
as she spent her final days.
But he wanted her petting, not theirs.
(C)Linda Baie, all rights reserved
It’s a great idea to teach kids there “is” a different way that poets rhyme, Laura. I loved the Nikki Grimes’ poem. I have her book Grandmothers & treasure it. I didn’t mean to write a sad poem, but this is what came. It is interesting to become aware of the ‘internal’ rhyme. Thank you for my lesson too!
My dog, Sam, greeted everyone
who was sent to visit my mother
as she spent her final days.
But he wanted her petting, not theirs.
(C)Linda Baie, all rights reserved
Like you, I never thought about offering internal rhyme as an option. Great idea! And Nikki’s poem, sigh, what’s not to love?
Aren’t you thinking–Why didn’t that ever occur to me? I am!
Like you, I never thought about offering internal rhyme as an option. Great idea! And Nikki’s poem, sigh, what’s not to love?
Aren’t you thinking–Why didn’t that ever occur to me? I am!
I love Nikki’s poems. Though I missed her at the recent Southern Breeze conference, I saw her at one of local schools some years back. Love her work. Thanks for this poem starter, it has me thinking.
Thanks, Doraine!
I love Nikki’s poems. Though I missed her at the recent Southern Breeze conference, I saw her at one of local schools some years back. Love her work. Thanks for this poem starter, it has me thinking.
Thanks, Doraine!