It’s Poetry Friday and I’m glad to be back. Last week I missed posting
on Friday – but I had a really good excuse. I was in Singapore, attending the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC), as well as checking out this amazing city, which I had not visited before.
At the AFCC I participated in two panel sessions, ran an eight hour masterclass (on the subject of book reviewing) and also presented a one hour session on the value of poetry and verse novels. So, because it’s Poetry Friday, I thought I would share a poem which I shared in that session, and talk a little bit about why I shared it.
This is my first published poem for children which appeared in the School Magazine in 2002:
Summer Salad
Cool
Crisp
Crunchy
Carrot
Luscious
Leafy
Lacy
Lettuce
Delicious
Delectable
Delightful
Dressing
Summer Salad
(Copyright Sally Murphy)
I shared this poem in my session for two reasons: firstly, because it is special to me as my first published children’s poem, and secondly, because I was talking about why we share poems with children.
My feeling is that, even in the educational setting, poetry should be fun. Summer Salad could be used for lessons on healthy eating, or alliteration, or even to begin a writing exercise (crafting a list poem).
But, when children read it, what I hope is that first and foremost they will enjoy the way it plays with words, using vocabulary which is interesting and, perhaps, unfamiliar. Words like ‘luscious’, and ‘delectable’ might be new to child readers, and so the poem invites them to find out what they are, to enjoy playing with these words.
If all we want to do is use poetry to teach stuff, then I may as well have written:
Eating healthy salad
Is very good for you
You should go and find
A lettuce leaf to chew!
(copyright Sally Murphy)
Bleh. Writing poetry (and sharing it with children in or out of the classroom) should not be a cynical exercise in force feeding them poetry OR salad.
If we write poetry that invites readers to connect with the topic, with the language, with the emotions expressed, educational benefits are likely to follow. But the pleasure should be foremost!
Have a great Friday. You can see more poetry posts at the roundup, which this week is hosted at Jama’s Alphabet Soup.
“When children enjoy something, they are more likely to learn from it, ”
You are singing my song. 🙂
Love the poem, and now I’m hungry from a crisp, crunchy salad.
Thanks Karen. Glad you can sing with me. Duets are such fun 🙂
Hi, Sally – and, Amen! Thanks for sharing your poem and travels. (I was hoping you might have gotten to meet Myra, too.) I’m sure your masterclass and panel sessions were terrific.
[Since it’s summer here, we’ll be enjoying lots of salad!]
Thanks Robyn. I really had such an amazing time. I’m still abuzz!
Hi Sally,
The Salad poems are amazing. I think it does show the beauty of the words, the loveliness of poetry. I completely agree with your perspective in teaching poetry. I for one appreciated poetry in fifth grade. My teacher had a wonderful way of showing us how powerful and beautiful poetry was without being complicated or forced.
Thanks so much.
I love list poems! And have gotten some terrific writing out of kids when I share them. This one is definitely going in my file! Thank you!
Carol
P.S. I hate preachy poems! Or books with heavy-handed morals! Bleah!
Thanks Carol. Yes, I love writing list poems with kids.
Good reminder to choose rich poems to share with children and then step back and let them find whatever it is in the poem that speaks to THEM!
Thanks Mary. Yes, sometimes children find amazing things in poems, and make connections which astonish me.
A tasty romp of a poem, Sally. And what a great conference to attend and participate in too!
Thanks Michelle 🙂
Mmmm, your summer salad poem is delicious! List poems are some of my favorites because they invite the reader in instantly with the white space. Thanks for sharing, Sally! And welcome home from Singapore – what an amazing conference to attend/present at! =)
Love that cool refreshing poem, Sally, and hearing about your time in Singapore. It sounds like such a beautiful amazing place and I’m sure your sessions were inspiring and illuminating.
Totally agree that pleasure should be foremost when it comes to poetry — making that emotional connection and celebrating the musicality of language. 🙂
What a great opportunity!
Loved your thoughts on writing and using poetry with kids.
How wonderful and lucky you were to be at the Asian Festival. It’s one I would love to attend.
Sometimes fun poems are the ones we remember best, not the ones learned in lessons. And these are such fun poems they really make me want to eat salad today (which I happen to love anyway). I can just hear the cruch of crisp lettuce and smell that carrot.
I read an essay recently that talked about how some poems for kids sound like they should be used in reform school – dull little doses of morality (snore…)
I love your alliterative poem, Sally, and I bet kids respond to its music! Thanks for sharing it. And by the way, if you’re ever in Seattle (from Australia, well, chances are slim…sigh) I will sign up for that book reviewing workshop!
Thanks Julie. Funnily, my son lived and worked in Seattle for three years – but I never got over to visit him. Maybe one day! Singapore was only my second ever trip outside Australia but I have the big now and want to go everywhere!
I’m with you, poetry should not always be made into a lesson, unfortunately, that’s the only way many teachers can justify using poetry in the classroom. That being said, I often discover interesting little bits of information that I like to share in my poems. The important thing is for me to recognize when the line has been crossed into “teaching a lesson,” and knowing how to pare the preach!
I agree there is a balancing act between teaching and enjoyment. I think it’s fine if poetry is used in a lesson – but when the primary purpose of the poem is to teach something it is less likely the children will enjoy it. When children enjoy something, they are more likely to learn from it, so pleasure first, education second.
How wonderful that you were at the Asian Festival & then presented, too. I assume you got to meet Myra Garces-Bacsal? I had the pleasure of taking over a class this year (one more time) & again had a poetry group (middle school age). We shared poems by others and wrote too. They share such beautiful ones, a nice entry into what they like. Some did write list poems; those who dislike lists for their own planning love writing lists of other things!
Thanks Linda. Unfortunately I didn’t get to meet Myra. There were so many people there and it was a wonderfully busy event. I agree, list poems can be a great way to get kids playing with poetry.