I read this article in the Washington Post called Why kids need poetry in their lives and how to spark their interest in it.
Since April is National Poetry Month, I thought it would be fun to share this Magazine Poetry project with Haiku the kids and I did last summer.
A Haiku poem is a Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world.
We each wrote a Haiku poem and then created a collage using magazine letters.
Big eyes, chubby hands,
Round bellies. Kind, joyful hearts.
Happy, safe, and loved.
“Henderson babies”
The poems and collages turned out nice, but mostly I enjoyed spending time with the kids. Sometimes we talked. Sometimes we were lost in thought. Sometimes we stopped looking for letters to cut out to read an article.
Even if they moaned and groaned at first, I know they appreciated the time together. It’s one of those things that wouldn’t have happened if we were busy with camps and summer travel
I find poetry to be as beautiful as it is intimidating. When a poem is good like, “The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman, it leads me somewhere but I am blind to the destination and a little nervous. And then, all at once, the meaning appears, and it’s like I experience the whole poem in fast re-wind and with a satisfying ahhhh… I say, “now I get it.”She writes,
Where can we find light in this never-ending shade… What just is, isn’t always justice… As we grieved we grew… History has its eyes on us… Merge mercy with might and might with right.
The new dawn blooms if we free it/ If only we are brave enough to see it/ If only we are brave enough to be it.
The Hill We Climb
A good poem begs to be read and re-read always with a new perspective… I guess all good art is like that.
This month I’m going to try and write a poem a day. I found this list of 168 Poetic Forms for Poets There are a few in there I’m going to try out. I’m way out of my comfort zone so my expectations are in the basement. I’ll let you know how it goes.
What is your experience with poetry? Do you read it beyond the books that used to put your babies asleep? Do you hate it? Love it? Have a favorite poet or poem? Let me know in the comments below.
