Outstanding Odes from 6th graders

For the third week in our mini-residency Dulles 6th graders explored odes. Odes are poems that praise and celebrate people, places, and things. On Tuesday we read “Ode to Kool-Aid” by Marcus Jackson. In his poem he uses similes and alliteration to celebrate the delicious drink and memories from his youth. “Purplesaurus Rex, Roarin’ Rock-A-Dile Red, Ice Blue Island Twist, Sharkleberry Fin; on our tongues, each version keeps a section, like tiles on the elemental table.” Students wrote ode’s poems praising the special people and things in their lives.

On Thursday we continued the theme of celebration by listening to the spoken word poem “Ode to the Selfie,” by poets Megan Falley and Olivia Gatwood. Spoken word poems are usually performed onstage in front of an audience and has elements of theatre, stand-up comedy, storytelling, and music. In their poem Falley and Gatwood celebrate themselves through body positivity and self-acceptance. “Today there was a lipstick named after your pout/Today you loved the gap between your teeth/Today your freckles were sprinkles on ice cream.” Inspired by Falley and Gatwood, students wrote ode poems about the positive things that they love about themselves and what makes them unique.

Come join the celebration and give praise to these outstanding odes!