POEMS ARRANGED BY EVENT OR TOPIC

I am aware that poetry is often difficult to ‘fit in’ to the teaching curriculum when there are so many other priorities, and I have found that a good way to address it is to combine it with a topic that is being taught. The right poems can therefore educate on a topical level as well as a figurative language level, so when I find the inspiration I research subjects and write poems specifically for this purpose. I have therefore listed many of my poems into categories according to the subject, event or topic that they relate to, and have included any research that I have found useful where appropriate. All of my poems which fit into topicwork are listed below, but I have separated them further into specific topics of ENCOURAGEMENT AND INSPIRATION, FOOD, HISTORY AND EVENTS, (PEOPLE & HISTORIC EVENTS, TUDORS, VICTORIAN MINING, WORLD WAR TWO), NATURE, CREATION & THE WORLD ABOUT US (ANIMALS, FLOWERS PLANTS AND TREES, INSECTS/ MINIBEASTS/ SPIDERS, SEASIDE, SEASONS, WEATHER), SEASONAL POEMS (BONFIRE NIGHT POEMS, CHRISTMAS POEMS, HARVEST/ THANKSGIVING POEMS AND SONGS, MOTHERS DAY PERFORMANCE POEMS AND SONGS), and finally SENSES POEMS. Each of these are listed in the drop down menu from the TOPIC POEMS, and will therefore provide a smaller, more specific list of the poems which will interest you.

Queen Primary World War Two children’s poems

19 April 2012

    Having done a World War Two workshop with year five children at Queen Primary, they produced some fantastic poems of different forms, including acrostic & shape poems, using lots of figurative language, such as alliteration and metaphors.  Click here to go to the page of World War Two poems that the children wrote.

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Meet the Lemurs at Yorkshire Wildlife Park

18 April 2012

The following poem is my adaptation of one written by Lucy, an 8 year old poet whose poem won one of my poetry competitions.  Her poem was so effective and full of figurative language  (including alliteration, metaphors and personification) that it made me want to see these fabulous animals.

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From Prince to King

6 March 2012

    Can you recognise this person from the descriptive kenning?  The poem deliberately starts with the vague characteristics, and progresses towards the finer details that make the subject clearer.

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Evacuee

6 March 2012

    This rhyming, rhythmical shape poem is written in a list format but in the shape of a suitcase and includes a metaphor and a couple of moments of alliteration.  Thinking of the moment during World War Two when a child was evacuated to the country, I tried to put all of the thoughts […]

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Dancing Leaves

3 March 2012

      This simple shape poem considers the texture and the behaviour of the leaf, and includes a metaphor as well as demonstrating personification.

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Coming To My Senses

2 March 2012

    This rhyming, rhythmical senses poem looks at all the different ways that we can use our senses within our surroundings.

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Cattitude

28 February 2012

      This cat poem is just a bit of rhyming fun with an obvious bit of word play in the title, but anyone who has ‘owned’ a cat will relate to the “Cattitude” that I am referring to!

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Bonfire Night

28 February 2012

  This rhyming, rhythmical alphabet poem is packed full of alliteration, and combines all of the sights, sounds and emotions (good and bad) of bonfire night.  An ABC poem is a good way to think of all of the elements of bonfire night, as there is endless inspiration in the occasion itself, and this poem […]

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Awe and Wonder

27 February 2012

  This nature poem combines my love and appreciation of spring with my Christian faith, so I was torn as to whether to include this poem in the nature category.  However, I felt that it captured the gentility and the feelings that Springtime evokes, as well as having an unusual rhyme pattern, so I hope […]

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All About You

27 February 2012

    I wrote this rhythmic, rhyming poem to encourage you to write about yourself.  Poetry is often a very personal thing, because it  says so much about the writer’s thoughts, feelings and outlook on life, yet we rarely realise ourselves how interesting we each are as individuals.  I love those moments when two people […]

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