Keeping the Kiddos Busy

A list poem is just that: a poem that consists of a list of things about a given subject. A list poem does not have to have regular rhythm and rhyme, but it can.  Writing one is easy: choose a topic, write a list of things related to the topic, then fix the the wording until it sounds just right as a poem. You can add introductory and concluding lines if you want, as well as refrains. One popular example of a list poem is the song My Favorite Things  from Sound of Music . Here are other examples , just to illustrate how easy it is to write good list poems. Indeed, who would have thought that a list could be poetic? But it can! Now, it's your turn to try writing list poems.

My parents introduced me to poetry at a very young age. To this day, they recall how I could recite "The Owl and the Pussycat" from memory, and how I used to laugh with childlike delight at the word "bong-tree". That is what poetry appreciation is all about. It's not about big words like "caesura" and "iambic pentameter" or decoding obscure messages in poems, although these can come later. It is about falling in love with language and discovering the power of words. I owe my current vocations as a lawyer and as a writer to many things, but I am sure having been introduced to poetry at a young age had something to do with them. How do you teach your children poetry appreciation? Just read poems aloud to them.  Let them enjoy the sound of the words: the rhythm, the rhyme, the repetition of words and sounds... You can start off your children with the same " The Owl and the Pussycat " poem I started out with.  Another exercise ...

In my first-ever post in this blog , I wrote about haiku writing. Another poetic form that children can have fun experimenting with is the cinquain. A cinquain has five lines. The first line has 2 syllables. The second line has 4 syllables. The third line has 6 syllables. The fourth line has 8 syllables. The fifth line has two syllables. A cinquain can be about anything. It does not have to rhyme, but it can have rhymes in it. Here is an example of a cinquain composed by Ken Nesbitt: Ice Cream Ice cream. Cold and yummy. I love its sweet richness as it finds its way into my tummy. (By the way, he has a wonderful website called poetry4kids.com , which has a page of tips on how to write cinquains.) Here is another example which I composed just now: Virus Virus - How I hate it. It makes the people sick And it keeps me from going out To play. Now, you and your kids try it.

Words are free, easily available, and can do a lot of things.  It is no wonder that my friends and I turn to writing as a way to beat boredom during these days of community quarantine. Introducing kids to poetry writing is a fun way to help use their time productively during these days. One short but expressive poetry form they (and you as well) can learn is the haiku. A haiku is a verse with three lines. The first has 5 syllables, the second has 7, while the third has 5. Modern haiku writers usually do not strictly follow this syllable scheme, however, and usually the syllable scheme gets lost in English translations of haiku in Japanese. Haiku are usually about nature. Writing a haiku is like taking a photo of something interesting using your camera phone, except that you are using words instead of your phone. Want to try it? Here are some tips: 1. Start by observing your surroundings. Take note of the sights, sounds, feelings, scents, and tastes you ...