1. Poetry & Verse
By Amber Cokash
RLA526

2. From Shel Silverstein’s
Where the Sidewalk Ends

3. When you
think of
poetry, what
words come to
mind?

4. What is poetry?
• An invitation to the senses to experience language in a unique
way…
• The ability to evoke emotions, as well as a deeper sense of
thinking…
• “Writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness
of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a
specific emotional response through meaning, sound and
rhythm.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition)
http://www.poetry.org/whatis.htm
A helpful website about the origins of poetry

5. http://disney.go.com/disneyjunior/a-poem-is/a-poem-is-videos-episodes/mice-1832782
Poetry is popular today, especially with children.
The Disney Channel has a series of
commercial-length videos that play in between
shows. Many of the poems are narrated by
famous people, including Vanessa Williams,
Jessica Alba and Whoopi Goldberg.
This video is for the poem “Mice” by Rose
Fyleman and narrated by Katie Holmes.

6. http://disney.go.com/disneyjunior/a-poem-is/a-poem-is-videos-episodes/mothers-song-
1832775
Another video from The Disney
Channel’s series “A Poem Is…”
This is Jennifer Garner narrating
the Mother’s Song lullaby.

7. It all comes down to the
language…
• Whether it’s the flow of the language or the imagery it produces, poetry
is an experience of words and language.
• Poetry began in the oral tradition, with storytelling. Epic poems, such as
Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey are two of the most famous.
• Read the poem out loud and let your ears be the initial judge.
• How is the flow? The rhythm? How does the poem sound when read
aloud?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il5ERdRTiGg
The link will bring you to an audio book reading of The Odyssey.

8. History of children’s poetry
Nursery rhymes, manners and collections of
sayings are included in this interactive
timeline of children’s poetry.
http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/111225

9. The many forms of
poetry…
• Narrative
(tells a story)
http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/poetry/narrative.html
• Lyrical
(rhyming schemes that express emotional feelings)
http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/poetry/lyric.html
• Free verse
(no discernible pattern; flows freely on the page)
http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/poetry/free_verse.html
(Hancock, p.133)

10. More forms of poetry…
• Haiku
(17 syllables in 3 lines with a focus on seasons or symbols of a season)
• http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/poetry/haiku.html
• Limerick
(5 line poem where the 1st, 2nd, and 5th lines rhyme and the 3rd and 4th lines rhyme)
One of the most famous limericks is “Hickory Dickory Dock.” This link will bring you to a
video clip for the poem. Follow along with the rhyming pattern.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afh_jTTzbm8

11. Still more forms of poetry!
• Concrete
(carries a portion of its meaning through its shape)
Poem from
Outside the
Lines:
Poetry at Play
by
Brad Burg.

12. What makes a great poem?
Author & educator Joan I. Glazer cites 5 basic criteria to
distinguish a great poem:
1. A fresh/original view of the subject is presented
2. Insight/emotion is shown or felt
3. Poetic devices are used effectively
4. Language is used effectively
5. The voice or persona within the poem appears to be sincere
(Hancock, p. 139)

13. Kindergarten to 2nd grade
Classic
Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss
DRA 16
Interest level K-2
Read aloud or independent
Summary: Sam-I-Am mounts a determined campaign to convince another Seuss character to eat a
plate of green eggs and ham. Dr. Seuss turns 50 easy words into magic in this time-honored
classic. (Borrowed from Scholastic’s website: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/green-eggs-and-ham)
Efferent Aesthetic
Which words did Dr. Seuss use to rhyme
with box?
Have you ever had to try something to eat
that you didn’t like? Were you like Sam-I-Am
or the other character?
Did you learn a lesson from this story? If so,
what is it?
Seuss, D. (19881960). Green eggs and ham. New York: Beginner Books.
Suggested poetry…

14. Kindergarten to 2nd grade
Classic
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin & John Archambult
Reading level 1.9
Interest level Grade K-2
Read aloud or independent read
Summary: An adventurous rhyme about the alphabet and what happens when they all try
to climb a coconut tree. The whimsical and catchy verses will have readers (and listeners
alike) bouncing with the sing-song melody of the words. Brightly colored illustrations pair
nicely with the fun story.
Efferent Aesthetic
What happened when all of the letters were in
the coconut tree?
Why do you think the letter “a” snuck out of
bed at the end of the story?
Which letter got a black-eye from falling out of
the tree?
Martin, B., Archambault, J., & Ehlert, L. (1989). Chicka chicka boom boom. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

15. Kindergarten to 2nd grade
Classic
Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. & Eric Carle
Reading level DRA 4
Interest level K-2
Read aloud or independent
Summary: “A Bald Eagle soars, a Spider Monkey swings, a Macaroni Penguin struts,
and a Red Wolf sneaks through Bill Martin Jr's rhythmic text and Eric Carle's vibrant
images, and all are watched over by our best hope for the future — a dreaming child.”
(Borrowed from Scholastic’s website: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/panda-bear-panda-bear-what-do-you-see)
Efferent Aesthetic
What is the first animal that the panda bear sees? Why does the Dreaming Child see the animals
“all wild and free” at the end of the story?
What is the sea lion doing “by me?”
Martin, B., & Carle, E. (2003). Panda Bear, Panda Bear, what do you see?. New York: H. Holt.

16. Kindergarten to 2nd grade
Contemporary
Outside the Lines: Poetry at Play by Brad Burg & Rebecca Gibbon
Reading level 2.5
Interest level K-3
Group or independent read (with everyone able to see pictures)
Summary: A collection of concrete poems with beautiful illustrations. Twenty-two poems
that bring the reader down slides and zig-zagging through a soccer field. The illustrations
pull the reader in and make the poems even more entertaining.
Efferent Aesthetic
What is something else found outside that the
author could have written another poem about?
Which poem was your favorite? Why?
Did you find any of the poems difficult to read
because of the pictures/layout? Which one(s)
and why?
Burg, B., & Gibbon, R. (2002). Outside the lines: poetry at play. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

17. Kindergarten to 2nd grade
Contemporary
Yo! Yes? by Chris Raschka
DRA 4
Interest level Grade 3-5
Read aloud (with two students—one taking each part)
Summary: "An effective, unusual 34-word story of the beginnings of a friendship,
accompanied by wild and wonderful illustrations. Against pastel backgrounds, in vibrant,
colorful images, an African-American boy and a white boy meet on the street. [Their]
one- and two-word exchanges on each spread lead to a tentative offer of friendship,
sealed as both boys jump high in the air and yell "Yow!" — School Library Journal,
starred review (Borrowed from Scholastic’s website: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/yo-yes).
Efferent Aesthetic
Why is the second boy sad in the poem? Have you ever said “hi” to someone you walk
past without knowing them?
Do the boys become friends at the end of the
poem? How can you tell?
Raschka, C. (19981993). Yo! Yes?. New York: Orchard Books.

18. Kindergarten to 2nd grade
Contemporary
Meow Ruff: A Story in Concrete Poetry by Joyce Sidman & Michelle Berg
Lexile Level: 140L
Interest level K-2
Group read aloud (with specific attention to words in pictures)
Summary: This is an adorable picture book of concrete poetry that stars a cat
and dog who become friends after braving a thunderstorm together. The pictures
are packed with detail. Vocabulary is also used to help illustrate the story.
Efferent Aesthetic
Do the dog and cat get along in the beginning of
the book? Which picture shows this?
Which was your favorite description (i.e. the
cloud, picnic table, etc)? Why?
What are some words used to describe the
sidewalk?
Sidman, J., & Berg, M. (2006). Meow ruff. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

19. 3rd to 4th grade
Classic
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
DRA 40
Interest level Grade 3-5
Independent, group or read aloud
Summary: “Here in the attic of Shel Silverstein you will find Backward Bill, Sour Face Ann, the
Meehoo with an Exactlywatt, and the Polar Bear in the Frigidaire. You will talk with the Broiled Face,
and find out what happens when someone steals your knees, you get caught by the Quick-Digesting
Gink, a mountain snores, and they’ve put a brassiere on the camel. From the creator of the beloved
poetry collections Where the Sidewalk Ends and Falling Up, here is another wondrous book of
poems and drawings.” (Borrowed from Scholastic’s website: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/light-attic)
Efferent Aesthetic
What article of clothing is forgotten in the poem
“Something Missing?”
How would you react if you saw an eyeball in a
gumball machine? (“Gumeye Ball”)
Have you ever come up with a silly excuse for
something? If so, what was the excuse and what
situation was it for? (“Kidnapped!”)
Silverstein, S. (1981). A light in the attic. New York, N.Y.: Harper & Row.

20. 3rd to 4th grade
Classic
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Reading level 3.9
Interest level Grade 3-5
Independent, group or read aloud
Summary: “Where the sidewalk ends, is where Shel Silverstein’ s world begins. You’ll meet a
boy who turns into a TV set, and a girl who eats a whale, as well as Sarah Cynthia Sylvia
Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant
diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the
dentist. Shel Silverstein’s masterful collection of poems and drawings is at once outrageously
funny and profound.” (Borrowed from Scholastic’s website: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/where-sidewalk-
ends)
Efferent Aesthetic
What types of people does the author invite into
the book? (“Invitation”)
Have you ever felt like the character in the poem
“Sick?” If so, when/what was the situation?
What are three things that “Hector the
Collector” collected?
Silverstein, S. (1974). Where the sidewalk ends the poems & drawings of Shel Silverstein. New York, N.Y.: HarperCollins Publishers.

21. 3rd to 4th grade
Classic
A Visit to William Blake’s Inn by Nancy Willard and Alice & Martin Provensen
Reading level 4.8
Interest level Grade 3-5
Independent or group (with discussion)
Summary: This book is a collection of poems by William Blake. Although the inn is
fiction, the illustrations make the reader feel that this imaginary place could have actually
existed. The last page offers readers (and travelers) advice from William Blake himself.
Efferent Aesthetic
Did William Blake actually own an inn or was it
an imaginary setting?
What do you think Blake’s advice to travelers (at
the end of the book) means? Why?
Find an example of personification in one of the
poems.
Willard, N., Provensen, A., & Provensen, M. (1981). A visit to William Blake's inn for innocent and experienced travelers. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

22. 3rd to 4th grade
Contemporary
Grow: A Novel in Verse by Juanita Havill & Stansislawa Kodman
Reading level Grade 3-5
Interest level Grade 3-5
Independent reading
Summary: Two young children, both from troubled homes, find friendship while creating a
community garden. Berneetha is a special education teacher who lives in the
neighborhood and helps get the garden project growing. The story is filled with both
sadness and heartwarming moments.
Efferent Aesthetic
Who was driving the car that killed Berneetha’s
cat, SamiSue? Why is this important?
Have you ever participated in a community
garden/project? How did it make you feel?
Was the community garden able to remain where
it originally started? Why? Where was it moved
to?
Havill, J., & Kodman, S. (2008). Grow: a novel in verse. Atlanta: Peachtree.

23. 3rd to 4th grade
Contemporary
Please Bury Me in the Library by J. Patrick Lewis & Kyle M. Stone
Reading level DRA 28
Interest level Grade 3-5
Read aloud, independent or group read
Summary: “There's nothing like curling up with a good book, but you have to be careful. Before you know
it, a minute turns into an hour, an hour turns into a day, and a day may turn into . . . eternity. Inspired by
the likes of Edward Lear, X. J. Kennedy, and Lewis Carroll, the author of "Arithme-Tickle "and
"Scien-Trickery "has created a collection of original poems about books and reading that range from
sweet to silly to laugh-out-loud funny. Newcomer Kyle M. Stone's clever, witty, and endearing
paintings make this the perfect treat for book lovers of all ages.” (Borrowed from Scholastic’s website:
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/please-bury-me-library)
Efferent Aesthetic
What word is spelled out with the letters in the
poem “Necessary Gardens?”
Can you think of a funny title for a book you
enjoy? (“What If Books Had Different
Names?”)
What is a haiku? (“Three Haiku”)
Lewis, J. P., & Stone, K. M. (2005). Please bury me in the library. Orlando, Fla.: Gulliver Books/Harcourt.

24. 3rd to 4th grade
Contemporary
Speak to Me (And I Will Listen Between the Lines) by Karen English & Amy Bates
Reading level DRA 40
Interest level Grade 3-5
Read aloud, group or independent
Summary: “In a series of candid free-form poems, Karen English presents the thoughts of six
third-grade children in one day and one classroom at an inner-city public school. Inspired by her
own experience as an elementary school teacher, Ms. English captures voices that reflect a
range of emotion and interest children will easily identify with, and Amy June Bates's
watercolors breathe pictorial life into the characters.” (Borrowed from Scholastic’s website:
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/speak-me)
Efferent Aesthetic
Which student doesn’t “care about anything?” (“I
Don’t Care”)
Compare the “sad-like” flower to the students on
Friday in the poem “I Gave My Teacher A
Flower.”
List 3 things that Rica likes about Neecy.
(“What I Like About Neecy”)
English, K., & Bates, A. J. (2004). Speak to me: (and I will listen between the lines). New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

25. 5th to 6th grade
Classic
Rainbows Are Made by Carl Sandburg
Reading level 5.9
Interest level Grades 3-5
Independent or read aloud
Summary: This collection of seventy poems celebrates the writings of famed author Carl
Sandburg. The selection of work was chosen and sorted into six sections by fellow poet
Lee Bennett Hopkins. Each section starts with a quote from Sandburg, starting with
“poetry is…” Lee Bennett Hopkins also provides the introduction.
Efferent Aesthetic
What is the setting of the poem “Grass?” What is the significance of the poem “Soup?”
What is Sandburg trying to tell us about famous
people?
Are you a writer or a wrapper? (“Paper I”)
Sandburg, C., Hopkins, L. B., & Eichenberg, F. (1982). Rainbows are made: poems. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

26. 5th to 6th grade
Classic
Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson edited by Harold Ron Bloom
Reading level 4.2
Interest level Grade 7-12
Independent, group or read aloud (with discussion)
Summary: A detailed introduction provides background information about the life of
Emily Dickinson, as well as her love for poetry. This collection contains 36 poems, as well
as simple, yet beautiful illustrations. In some poems, there is even a glossary at the end with
words that students may not be familiar with.
Efferent Aesthetic
Do any of the poems have actual titles (that are
not the first line of the poem)? If so, which ones?
Choose one poem and decide on a title for it.
Explain why you chose that title.
What is the “narrow fellow in the grass?” (pg 29)
Dickinson, E., Bolin, F. S., & Chung, C. (1994). Poetry for young people. New York: Sterling Pub. Co.

27. 5th to 6th grade
Classic
You Come too by Robert Frost
Reading level Lexile Measure®:1120L
Interest level Grade 6-8
Independent, group or read aloud (with discussion)
Summary: A collection of poems by the talented Robert Frost. The forward provides
hints to readers to look for the deeper meanings in the poems. The collection includes
such classics as “The Pasture,” “Fire and Ice” and “The Road Not Taken.”
Efferent Aesthetic
Before reading the book, do you know any
Robert Frost poems?
Why did Frost take “the road less traveled by?”
(“The Road Not Taken”)
Does Frost believe the world will end in fire or
ice? (“Fire and Ice”)
Frost, R. (1959). You come too; favorite poems for young readers ([1st ed.). New York: Henry Holt and Co.

28. 5th to 6th grade
Contemporary
A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson & Philippe Lardy
Reading level 7.4
Interest level Grade7-9
Read aloud
Summary: In 1955, people all over the United States knew that Emmett Louis Till was a fourteen-
year-old African American boy lynched for supposedly whistling at a white woman in Mississippi. The
brutality of his murder, the open-casket funeral, and the acquittal of the men tried for the crime drew
wide media attention. Award-winning poet Marilyn Nelson reminds us of the boy whose fate helped
spark the civil rights movement. This martyr's wreath, woven from a little-known but sophisticated form
of poetry, challenges us to speak out against modern-day injustices, to "speak what we see." (Borrowed
from Scholastic’s website: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/wreath-emmett-till)
Efferent Aesthetic
What do you know about Emmett Till (before
reading the book)?
Do the illustrations influence the mood/tone of
the book? Why or why not?
What is the last sonnet made of? (are the lines
familiar?)
Nelson, M., & Lardy, P. (2005). A wreath for Emmett Till. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

29. 5th to 6th grade
Contemporary
Edgar Allan Poe’s Pie: Math Puzzlers in Classic Poems by J. Patrick Lewis & Michael Slack
Reading level 5.4
Interest level Grade 1-4
Read aloud or independent
Summary: A prime example of how to connect two subjects (math and English). Math
problems are cleverly disguised in rhymes and verses that are inspired by such classic
poets as Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and Edward Lear (and yes, Edgar Allan Poe,
too!).
Efferent Aesthetic
Choose a poem and try to solve the math
problem associated with it.
Are you familiar with any of the original poems
that these math problems were inspired by? If so,
which ones?
Which math problem poem did you find to be the
easiest? Most difficult? Why?
Lewis, J. P., & Slack, M. H. (2012). Edgar Allan Poe's pie: math puzzlers in classic poems. Boston: Harcourt Mifflin Harcourt.

30. 5th to 6th grade
Contemporary
Vile Verses by Roald Dahl
Reading level 5.3
Interest level Grade 3-6
Read aloud or independent
Summary: “Think of your very favorite Roald Dahl moment and surely a delightfully vile
verse can’t be far away.” The front jacket flap beckons readers to immerse themselves into
the interesting world of Roald Dahl. This collection of poems includes excerpts chosen
from Dahl’s previously published works, as well as some surprises at the end. The
illustrations that accompany the verses truly help set the tone.
Efferent Aesthetic
What happens to Goldilocks at the end of
Roald Dahl’s version of the poem?
Do the illustrations make the poems more clear
to understand or more confusing? Give an
example.
Do you have a favorite Roald Dahl book? If so,
are there any “vile verses” from that book?
Dahl, R. (2005). Vile verses. New York: Viking.

31. My choice!
Classic
Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman & Eric Beddows
Reading level 5.2
Interest level Grade 3-5
Read aloud (with two students)
Summary: This award winning book of poems welcomes readers into the world of insects.
They are intended to be read aloud by two people, sometimes reading together, others
reading their own individual parts. When put together, it creates a truly magical poetry
experience.
Efferent Aesthetic
What does it mean to serenade
someone/something? (“The Moth’s
Serendade”)
Did you find the poems more difficult to read
independently or with two people? Why?
What is a chrysalis? (“Chrysalis Diary”)
Fleischman, P., & Beddows, E. (1988). Joyful noise: poems for two voices. New York: Harper & Row.

32. My choice!
Classic
The 20th Century Children’s Poetry Treasury by Jack Prelutsky & Meilo So
Reading level 3.9
Interest level Grade 3-5
Read aloud, independent or group read
Summary: "A generous collection with a distinctly upbeat tone, this gives a taste of the
best poets writing for children over the last several decades. Lobel's drawings imbue the
whole with action and graphic images as inventive as the verse. Successfully geared to
meet home, school, and library needs." — (starred) Booklist .(Borrowed from Scholastic’s website:
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/random-house-book-poetry-children)
Efferent Aesthetic
Who is Jack Prelutsky? Why would he be chosen
to select the poems for this collection?
Have you ever felt like the description in the
poem “When I Was Lost?”If so, when?
Did Jack Prelustky put any of his poems in the
collection? If so, which ones?
Prelutsky, J., & So, M. (1999). The 20th century children's poetry treasury. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

33. My choice!
Classic
Something Big Has Been Here by Jack Prelustsky & James Stevenson
Reading level DRA 28
Interest level Grade 3-5
Read aloud, independent or group read
Summary: The companion to the bestselling The New Kid on the Block contains
wonderful, funny new poems that children of all ages will adore. Here are four vain and
ancient tortoises, a rat of culture, a meatloaf that defies an ax, five flying hotdogs, and
more people, animals, and things that will amuse and delight. (Borrowed from Scholastic’s website:
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/something-big-has-been-here)
Efferent Aesthetic
What is a wunk? (“I Am Wunk”) Have you ever felt tired of being something
particular, like in the poem “I Am Tired of Being
Little?” What were you tired of?
What is some of the advice the uncle gives in “My
Uncle Looked Me in the Eye?”
Prelutsky, J., & Stevenson, J. (1990). Something big has been here. New York: Greenwillow Books.

34. My choice!
Contemporary
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
Reading level DRA 50
Interest level Grade 6-8
Independent read (or listen to audio book)
Summary: “Jack hates poetry, but his teacher won't stop giving her class poetry assignments.
Then something amazing happens. The more he writes, the more Jack learns he does have
something to say…Written as a series of free-verse poems, Love That Dog shows how one boy
finds his own voice with the help of a teacher, a writer, a pencil, some yellow paper, and of course,
a dog.” (Borrowed from Scholastic’s website: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/love-dog)
Efferent Aesthetic
Who is the poet that Jack writes to and invites to
his school?
Would you be able to write a poem inspired by a
pet you have or had in the past? Why or why not?
How do Jack’s feelings about poetry change
from the beginning of the story to the end? Use
evidence from the text to support your answer.
Creech, S. (2006). Love that dog. New York: HarperCollins. (CD audio book).

35. My choice!
Contemporary
The Taking of Room 114: A Hostage Drama In Poems by Mel Glenn
Reading level 6.5
Interest level Grade 9-12
Independent or read aloud (with discussion)
Summary: This is a series of poems written by students who are held hostage by their
history teacher. It’s an intense book directed toward the older student, however, it was so
griping that the reader just gets sucked into the story. With a mix of characters including
not only the students, but parents, administration and spectators, this book will keep your
attention to the last word.
Efferent Aesthetic
Which teacher takes the class hostage? What
subject does he teach?
If you were a student in the class, how would you
feel?
Who is the mysterious Michael that is referred to
throughout the story?
Glenn, M. (1997). The taking of Room 114: a hostage drama in poems. New York: Lodestar Books.

36. My choice!
Contemporary
A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems by Paul B. Janeczko & Chris Raschka
Reading level 5.1
Interest level Grade 4-7
Independent or read aloud (with access to illustrations)
Summary: This whimsical collection of 30 concrete poems will grab your attention from
the copyright page. Chosen by Paul Janeczko and illustrated by Chris Raschka, the
poems will bring the reader into the magical world of poetry. Topics range from dandelions
to a tennis game (that makes the reader feel like they’re actually watching a tennis match
while reading the poem) and all things in between.
Efferent Aesthetic
What is a queue? (“Queue” pg 14) Do you think the illustrations correspond well
with the poems? Why or why not?
What shape do the words make in the poem
“Sky Day Dream?”
Janeczko, P. B., & Raschka, C. (2001). A poke in the I. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

37. http://www.glogster.com/amberlee326/poetry-books/g-6ktbsou800eriukngj3vta0
The Voice
by
Shel Silverstein
There is a voice inside of you
That whispers all day long,
"I feel this is right for me,
I know that this is wrong."
No teacher, preacher, parent, friend
Or wise man can decide
What's right for you--just listen to
The voice that speaks inside.
Hopefully the voice inside you guides you to poetry…