Beautiful Butterfly

This very tiny and simple butterfly poem uses word play (flutter by, butterfly), alliteration (repeating the ‘b’s and the ‘p’s), and is written in the style of a list poem (the repetition of beautiful butterfly).  It has a delicacy and gentility like the butterfly it talks about.  This is a favourite with very young children.

Beautiful butterfly fluttering by

Beautiful butterfly, up in the sky

Beautiful butterfly, lovely to see

Please pretty butterfly, flutter by me.

This poem was a lesson to me as I was oblivious to its effectiveness until readers started to comment on it.   We often make the mistake of thinking that poems should be wordy and clever, but simple and effective has a special appeal of its own and can often be more difficult to achieve.

Tagged as: alliteration poem, butterfly poem, children's poem, insect poem, list poem, word play