“A Poem for S.” by Jessica Greenbaum was this week’s selection. After hearing it read aloud by two student volunteers, there were many opening comments regarding the fact that almost every line in the poem begins with a letter of the alphabet, continuing in successive order. I explained that this was an example of an ancient poetic form called abecedarian, which is similar to the acrostic, then asked which letter(s) were missing, and why? We considered that the poet may have intentionally left out Y, perhaps because she doesn’t like the letter; perhaps on purpose, to throw her readers off the abecedarian pattern, making her poem more interesting; or perhaps the question, “Why leave out the Y?” verbally replaces that very letter. I also asked could she have made a mistake, explaining that such writing ‘errors’ can lead to more unusual and/or memorable poems. In addition to analyzing its form, we also discussed the poem’s meaning, recognizing some very sophisticated language along with the poet’s focus on religious themes, among other elements.
For writing, students were asked to create their own variations on the abecedarian template. Some examples of their rather impressive results follow.
Ms. Rupp, 2nd Grade
Words
Carolina B.
Admirable
Babbly
Careful
Darling
Edible
Fudge
Grass
Happy
iPod
Jumpy
Kippur
Loopy
Monkey
Nap
Oops
Pot
Queen
Rain
Start
Tart
Up
Victorious
Wobbly
X-ray
Yap
Zebra
Untitled
Tiara H.
A
Big
Cat
Decided
Everyday
Frankenstein
Gives
Him
A
Bag
Containing
Doritos
Eggs
Fish Fillets And
Guacamole
A
Big
Catfish was on the shelf I
Decided
Eating It
Fresh off the grill
Untitled
Anif O.
A girl is mean
because she is
crazy
did not be funny
everybody is not mean
friends are awesome
A Poem for Mr. Dean
Eli O.
By my son of life.
Cause it is in my soul of life.
Digging the power of it.
Eli is cool of my soul.
Funny as a bird in the sky.
Googling in the moonlight.
Hair in the world of life.
Intersecting the soul.
Jump like an elephant.
Kacoon in the tree.
Limbo in the beautiful land.
Moonlight of your soul.
No playing in the house.
Opera in the beach.
Parrots singing in the light.
Run like a cheetah.
Swim like a dove.
Tooth as big as a shark.
Up is a great flight.
Van is a locomotive.
What is the soul.
X-ray is fun of your soul.
Z is the end of me in your soul.
At the Zoo
Kallie W.
Bats! Why the heck are there bats?
Cats would be better.
Dogs
Eat
French Fries at the zoo!
Goose, silly old goose
Had an
Ice-cream. I said,
“Jumping! No jumping!
Know what I mean?” I said. He just
Laughed. So did the
Monkeys.
Numb person laughs. Amusing.
Ooooh! Giraffes! Ew, they
Peed on my face!
Questions? I guess you wanna
Run fast.
So fast you want
To kick me. Not funny.
Ugh you are so annoying.
Violins think you are annoying, too.
Without telling me, you kicked me!
X-rays will probably hate you!
You are so mean!!
Zachary hates you, too.
Ms. Beaudry, 2nd Grade
Apples Because
Rebecca B.
An apple because they make me
Barf. An apple because
Cats can only eat meat.
Deciding if I want one. I don’t!
Eat apples every day. No!
Focus on apples. No! No!
Got to eat apples. No! No!
Have to eat apples. No! No!
Ice. I would rather eat ice.
Jogging away from the apple man.
Kick those apples. Heyaaa!
Love for apples! What!? No!
Monkeys eat these apples!
No! monkey man said.
Oops. Apples falling from the sky.
Popcorn! Yes! No more apples.
Questions as I finished the tale.
Rumbling noises from outside…
Stumbling, I look. An apple farm!
To my horror! Oh my!
Ummm…I stare not knowing what to do.
Velociraptors ran out. Phew!
What!? I’m confused.
X-ray? I see an x-ray? It’s mine!
Yellow. The farm is yellow!
Cats! Yay. No more apples!
The Kooky Lagoon
Ailey K.
Zing
your
x-ray
when
vending machines
understand money
trials
so
recite
quietly,
proceed
one sound,
never used in harmony.
Marching in unison,
looking out the foggy window,
kites flying.
Jenuine jewels floating,
initially trapped in words,
hinged to learning in cabins
getting ready to ride
five waves,
everywhere in
danger to
come inside.
Black holes and wedding rings,
at the kooky lagoon.
ABC
Tierra M.
A
Beautiful
Colored cat
Does
Each
Funny, yet
Good
Hairstyle.
In
Jail on a
Kangaroo’s hair.
Let the kangaroo’s hair grow.
Meet the baby kangaroo.
No.
On the count of 3 they break out of jail.
Pound pound the kangaroo goes.
Queen kangaroo has something to say.
Round this whole wide world tonight
So much work.
Tonight?
Universe help those poor things.
Vroom a car came a kangaroo was driving it.
Wow!
X I am not doing this.
Yes, do it.
Zoom the car goes.
Theory of Everything
Carter M.
A theory of this or that or a hat.
Be my best friend or be my worst.
Could you make a time machine.
Dried out scalp can you cure it.
Everything is everything right.
Fire is bad right.
Great is great right.
Is everything what it is.
Ms. Schwartz, 2nd Grade
Untitled
Jason F.
apes
bats are speedy
cats are good
dogs are good and bad
elephants are big
frogs are green
gorillas are black
hippos are gray
Untitled
Samuel M.
A bad cat once pee pee on me.
But I didn’t like it and got mad.
Cats are really what I hate.
Donuts are better than cats.
Elephants can stomp on them.
Fish are the only thing they eat.
Untitled
Victor S.
A boy named Victor eats a
Banana. Victor
Can play Top Grade Panda
Daily. He eats ice cream in the
Evening. Victor lives in PT, it is
Far from China. Victor is a
Great boy.
Untitled
Angel Y.
Mom is cool
it is noon
open your eyes
pizza is yummy
the queen is pretty
rabbit is cute
tchai is good
yo yo is fun
V I don’t know
way are you
x-math
your new cat
zipped the coat
Ms. Ward, 2nd Grade
Untitled
Roman C.
Ari is a friend.
Bees can buzz.
Cats can climb.
Dalton likes Pokémon.
Eggs crack.
First I will do my homework.
Goats can go crazy.
How can you climb a tree?
I will go to the gym.
John likes baseball.
Karsten likes hockey.
Untitled
Karsten E.
Hockey is great.
It is also the best sport.
Just a little more excitement.
Karsten is my name and I play hockey.
Let me score goalie.
Untitled
Dalton F.
Awesome like me.
Bees will kill me.
Untitled
Phoenix G.
Phoenix is going to Washington, DC.
Quilt is a big blanket.
Roman won the World Cup.
Saturn is a planet with rings.
TV is awesome.
Umbrellas keep the rain from your body.
Violins are things you put on your head.
My Singing Monsters
Miles K.
Nobody can go to level 10 in My Singing Monsters in 3 days.
Oh I can’t believe I just did that.
Precisely I’m the champion.
Quonquajulation, a duck would say to me!
ROAR and a lion would say cool too!
Ms. Carlson, 4th Grade
Poeam
Micaela J.
Mine
No mine for this
Ofly strange
Poeam. Don’t
Question it when you
Read it
So you don’t get
Too confused. If you don’t
Understand
Very much
When you read it, that is fine.
Untitled
Maddi L.
alligators chomp through water
babies cry softly in their beds
colorful flowers are blown by the wind
dancing little girls twirl
elephants in tutus prounce around
flying butterflies flitter their wings
giant dogs bark very loud
happy kangaroos jump up and down
injured cats meow in pain
juggling clowns as happy as can be
Animals
Graham S.
A mouse running across the hall.
Bats flying in the bathroom.
Cats munching on fish.
Dolphins swimming in the bathtub.
Elephants stampeding in the living room.
Flies buzzing around.
Garter snakes slithering.
Hippos standing in the shade.
Iguanas walking around.
Jaguars running everywhere.
Kittens mewing.
Lizards showing off.
Many cheetahs runnings.
Ostriches honking.
Penguins waddling.
Quails chirping.
Raving cawing.
Snakes biting.
Toads hopping.
Unicorns flying.
Vipers hissing.
Whales swimming.
Zebras eating grass.
A Funny Story
Asia W.
A person looks like a
Bean she’s not so skinny
Cause her hair is short and fuzzy
Dictionaries eat her clothes
Exactly like it is its nose
Funny but silly as can be.
Mr. Chau, 4th Grade
Unknown
James B.
Apples need to eat stuff
Boring, school is
Catering to Chick fil A
Dylan does that
Every month
Fighting high winds
*Groan*
Hi!
Jumping
Kangaroos
Loser!
May I ask why you are reading this?
Never read this
Octopus
Puppies
Quack
Routinely
Seven
Times
Under
Velcro straps.
Welcome says
Xavier
Yaks
Zero of them to be.
Why Do They Kick Me
Autumn D.
All the time I can’t
Bear to see the
Crazy people
Dancing in the
Early morning laughing at
Funny jokes that
Gray dogs make while they
Huff and puff
I still don’t know why
Jumping people
Kick me
The Poem of the Letters
Jason L.
A
Big
Coward
Does
Everything
Forward
Good
Hi
I’m
Just
Kind of
Little
Me
Not
Outside
Please
Quit
Right
Stop
To
Umbrellas
Vanish
With
X-rays
Yes
Zombie
Letters
Jake L.
But why!
Couldn’t you try
Don’t try it’s
Fine
Go away
Hurry I don’t want to see you
I don’t!
. . .
. . .
Let’s go together instead
My car is outside
Now we go
Oh no! We can’t
Please come
Quickly!
Run to the train
Soon we go
Together
Untitled
Bryce W.
Apples
Bananas
Cantaloupes
Dogs
Mr. Cox, 4th Grade
Weird Words
Turner F.
Killer
lions
murder
no
octopuses?
Story
Jude G.
Funny
Gorillas
Hate
Ignorant
Jelly
Kings’
Lollipops
Many
Naughty
Opposite
Parties
Untitled
Saul G.
All the time, I get in trouble
Because the people think I took their
Car, but then I said that’s so
Dumb! Me taking a car is
Extreme, but when I explained, I
Farted, and people will laugh,
Guaranteed. In jail, I met a
Hippie, who was so
Intelligent, who told a lot of
Jokes, but weirdly he
Killed 50,000
Lions on the
Moon, but I said
Nah, that’s not true.
Ooh! I’m so scared, then he
Punched me in the face and said bye,
Quenn boy.
Roughly, I punched him, and
Said, “I’m Saul!” Feeling 6 feet
Taller, I played the
Ukulele. It was
Violet,
Wet, and had bones that were
Yellow. My sentence was up, so I
Zipped home and had fun.
A Lovely Day
Alec S.
A lovely day.
Butterflies flying.
Chirping birds.
Dry throat.
Eek! I’m thirsty!
Fast is the speed I must act.
Glass of water, here I come!
Hoo boy! That is refreshing!
I’m hungry.
Just
Kidding!
Lovely day.
Man. It’s raining!
NOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOO!
Petition to this rain!
Quite some
Rain!
SALLY! I’M HOME!
Taking off coat
Under my breath, I’m
Vowing to never go NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Wow, I’m tired.
XxXxXx (sound of brushing teeth)
*Yawn*
Zzzzz
The Things About You
Tyler T.
A for all the amazing things you’ve done.
B for the balls you’ve hit me with.
C for the cat you got off my face.
D for you deciding to get the cat off my face.
E for the times you were eager to do these things.
Ms. Travis, 4th Grade
Untitled
Anthony L.
Amazing super heroes
Baffled when
Catastrophe happens
Deadly
Eating
Fails the mind of
Giraffes wearing
Hats
In the
Jurassic time period where animals
Knew to
Leave when
Mammals
Named
Ostriches
Playing the
Quiet game while
Reading
Stories
To
Use on a
Vacation
When
X-rays that
You get freaked out like the
Zombie apocalypse
Dry Erase Marker
Raven R.
Animals are things that you can find in the wild.
Bees like to sting people
Deer tastes good
Fear is a bad feeling
Getting ready for PARCC testing.
Hello everybody
I like waterslides
Knowledge is in my brain.
