I want to post several poems this April in honor of National Poetry Month. Here's a new poem written for a seventh-grade literature class by my 12-year-old son. I think he's got a lot going on in this--possibly more than even he knows. It is a prime example of what can come from an exercise in stylistic imitation. This poem imitates "Swift Things Are Beautiful" by Elizabeth Coatsworth.
Loud Things Are Beautiful
by H.C.S.
Loud things are beautiful
like a lion roaring,
a bear rearing back,
the raindrops pouring.
A hyena’s laugh, 5
a busy town,
a gunshot,
Bang! The target is found.
Quiet things are beautiful,
calm, and sweet: 10
a honey drop oozing,
a butterfly’s wingbeat.
The sun in its beauty,
the moon in its peace,
the calm of the desert, 15
the sheep's woolly fleece.
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What a powerful imitation by a 7th-grader. Coatsworth's poem is the perfect poem to encourage young students' emulation of concrete images. H.C.S. would provide an excellent example of what can be done to encourage good writing.
ReplyDeleteIsabel Wringing