POETRY ANTHOLOGY

BY: KELLY JANIK

KELLY JANIK

Table of Contents:

Introductory Note,pg.1-2

Poems,pg.3-15

Bibliography,pg.15

Childrens poetry is known to grasp the attention of young readers through a series of characteristics shown throughout the history of poetry. In order to classify childrens poems as good the poems need to have at least six specific qualities according to my logic. The first important quality a poem should have is a sense of humor, without humor children wouldnt feel entertained and willing to listen to the poems. I believe children respond well to a humorous tone rather than a serious tone in a poem. A second quality would be the rhyming scheme in a poem, since children are emergent or beginner readers anytime they can find a connection with several words and a pattern in the story is a great educational experience. A third quality involves a poem having some sort of inventive spelling in order to keep the rhyming scheme throughout the poem such as hickle me, tickle me, pickle me. Inventive spelling gives the young reader a sort of child-like theme in the poem. The fourth quality of a good poem having some sort of storyline so children feel a connection with the characters and can easily follows the poem. Without a storyline poems would be hard to comprehend for children since the poem holds no true purpose. A fifth quality of a good childrens poem would be a sense of imagination to the young reader. Childrens literature is famous for having fairy tales that feed on the childrens imaginations. Without imagination the child will not feel a connection to the poem or even have a sense of imagery. The sixth quality of a good childrens poem has a premise of emotion/s throughout the poem in order for children have an idea of what to feel. These six qualities I feel are the most important to have in childrens poetry in order to aide the emergent and beginner readers to fall I love with Literature.

The childrens poem My Puppy Punched Me In My Eye by Ken Nesbitt displays a several qualities of a good childrens poem. The whole poem is filled with humor, imagination, emotions, and many other traits. The poem starts of with a list of things the childs pet did to him and the readers are left guessing throughout the poem until they come to the ending. This poem is light-hearted and genuinely funny which attracts young readers and allows them to visualize the poem. The language and descriptor words in the poem make it easy for young reader to visualize the events actually happening to them along with the character in the story.

Comical Poems
My Puppy Punched Me In The Eye My puppy punched me in the eye. My rabbit whacked my ear. My ferret gave a frightful cry and roundhouse kicked my rear. My lizard flipped me upside down. My kitten kicked my head. My hamster slammed me to the ground and left me nearly dead. So my advice? Avoid regrets; no matter what you do, don't ever let your family pets take lessons in kung fu. --Kenn Nesbitt,2009

Swimming Ool Swimming in the swimming pool is where I like to "B," wearing underwater goggles so that I can "C." Yesterday, before I swam, I drank a cup of "T." Now the pool is just an "ool" because I took a "P."

--Kenn Nesbitt,2001

Im Late For School I got up late for school today, And nearly missed the bus! I hurried down the stairs, Wolfed my toast, and caused a fuss!

I quickly threw books in my bag, My pens, my lunch and shorts. Grabbed my coat from out the cupboard, Took my bat and ball for sports.

I slid across the kitchen floor, And hopped around the cat! Then expertly rolled over, Jumped back up and grabbed my hat!

I belted out of our front door, Spun round and swung it shut. Saw the bus was waiting for me, I felt I had time to strut!

I climbed aboard and then froze still, And knew that things weren't right! My friends fell down in fits of fun, And pointed with delight!

My face went red, I couldn't breathe,

For in my haste I knew! I'd forgotten to wear trousers, Jumper, shirt, my socks and shoes! -Gareth Lancaster,2003

Looth Tooth I've got a looth tooth that wigglth and jigglth and wrigglth. I move it around but it never comth out of my mouth. I pull it, I yank it, I twirl it, I thpank it, but it jutht never theems to want to come out of ith houth.

I'd call the Tooth Fairy, but she'th kinda thcary, Tho I thtill cannot theem to be free of thith wiggly looth tooth, that to tell you the truth, ith makin' a thap outa me.

I'm going to give it one thuper thtrong yank, cuth I really could uthe thome money. Great Scott! It's out! At last, it's out! But now I'm talking funny. -Arden Davidson,1998

Dirty Face Where did you get such a dirty face, My darling dirty-faced child? I got it from crawling along in the dirt And biting two buttons off Jeremys shirt. I got it from chewing the roots of a rose And digging for clams in the yard with my nose. I got it from peeking into a dark cave And painting myself like a Navajo brave. I got it from playing with coal in the bin And signing my name in cement with my chin. I got if from rolling around on the rug And giving the horrible dog a big hug. I got it from finding a lost silver mine And eating sweet blackberries right off the vine. I got it from ice cream and wrestling and tears And from having more fun than youve had in years. -Shel Silverstein Now We Are Six When I was one, I had just begun. When I was two, I was nearly new. When I was three, I was hardly me. When I was four, I was not much more.

When I was five, I was just alive. But now I am six, I'm as clever as clever. So I think I'll be six now and forever. -A.A. Milne,1927

Some Things Don't Make Any Sense At All

My mom says I'm her sugarplum. My mom says I'm her lamb. My mom says I'm completely perfect Just the way I am. My mom says I'm a super-special wonderful terrific Little guy. My mom just had another baby. Why? Judith Viorst

Short Love Poem It's hard to love The tallest girl When you're the shortest guy, For every time You try to look Your true love in the eye You see Her bellybutton.

-Judith Viorst

The Hen The hen is a ferocious fowl, She pecks you till she makes you howl.

And all the time she flaps her wings, And says the most insulting things.

And when you try to take her egss, She bites large pieces from your legs.

The only safe way to get these, Is to creep on your hands and knees.

In the meanwhile a friend must hide, And jump out on the other side.

And then you snatch the eggs and run, While she pursues the other one.

The difficulty is, to find A trusty friend who will not mind. -Lord Alfred Douglas

Serious Poems
Left Alone So many things we never got to do So many conversations we never got through I feel lost and empty now Every day I ask, how? I could feel nothing when you died I felt I wanted to run and hide Run and hide cause I felt blind Peace and and clarity I couldn't find They say when you die your soul just flies away I wanted to chase your soul, so for another day you could just come and stay You were my Grams, you taught me how to stand on my own Now that youre gone, I feel as though I cant do it alone I've tried so hard to see things through and become the person you wanted me to be Sometimes its just so hard being me I'd give anything if I could just talk to you once more To see you walk through the door and tell me that everything was going to be alright for sure When I look into the sky I picture you staring down Which is why I have no reason to frown All the things you taught me, all the songs we use to sing Now youre gliding under Gods precious wings I hope Hes taking good care of you because now youre in His place I hope all your worries and all your fears have left your face I never got so say goodbye that was the worst part

But I know that when you left secretly you said goodbye to my heart So when I lay myself into bed tonight I know you'll always be there to hold me tight. -Jonathan P.Lanier The Arrow and the Song I shot an arrow into the air, It fell to earth, I knew not where; For, so swiftly it flew, the sight Could not follow it in its flight. I breathed a song into the air, It fell to earth, I knew not where; For who has sight so keen and strong That it can follow the flight of song? Long, long afterward, in an oak I found the arrow, still unbroke; And the song, from beginning to end, I found again in the heart of a friend. -HENRY W. LONGFELLOW The Boy Who Never Told a Lie Once there was a little boy, With curly hair and pleasant eye A boy who always told the truth, And never, never told a lie. And when he trotted off to school, The children all about would cry, There goes the curly-headed boy The boy that never tells a lie. And everybody loved him so, Because he always told the truth, That every day, as he grew up, Twas said, There goes the honest youth. And when the people that stood near Would turn to ask the reason why, The answer would be always this: Because he never tells a lie. -Unknown

Love Between Brothers and Sisters Whatever brawls disturb the street, There should be peace at home; Where sisters dwell and brothers meet, Quarrels should never come. Birds in their little nests agree; And tis a shameful sight, When children of one family Fall out and chide and fight. -ISAAC WATTS.

What Makes You Better Than Me Who are you to think of me the way you do? who gave you the right to rant about me? Tell me who deemed you the man or the judge? Why do you hold in so much jealousy? Who are you to stare and make fun and make me your next casualty? You silly little person what makes you think in anyway that you are better than me? Material things you may have more of but that is not what makes me. I am a very beautiful person inside and I am filled with nothing but generosity. So when and if you ever wizen up and begin to understand that there is more to life then cruelty. you will come to this place where I am at. Filled with love, joy, everlasting happiness and much assurance. Hopefully you can see past all the hurt that you are spitting out. Come on it's time to grow up and understand what this life is really about Because money and things don't make a person only Your inside makes who you are Don't continue to be so harsh to others learn to shine brighter than that shooting star So again I must ask of you be true to who you really are In everyway I think of you as a beautiful person so what makes you so much better than me? -Carolyn Lewis,2008 SWEETHEART If you were my sweetheart, I never would roam,

I'd sit down by the fire and tell you a poem, And if an angel came To call your name I'd stay with you just the same. -Anonymous Where The Sidewalk Ends There is a place where the sidewalk ends and before the street begins, and there the grass grows soft and white, and there the sun burns crimson bright, and there the moon-bird rests from his flight to cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black and the dark street winds and bends. Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow we shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow and watch where the chalk-white arrows go to the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow, and we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go, for the children, they mark, and the children, they know, the place where the sidewalk ends. -Shel Silverstein,1974

GOD

God is very great and strong

He listens to us all day long And teaches us to do what's right But nobody knows what He does at night. -Anonymous

A Life Lesson THERE! little girl, dont cry! They have broken your doll, I know; And your tea-set blue, And your play-house, too, Are things of the long ago; 5

But childish troubles will soon pass by. There! little girl, dont cry!

There! little girl, dont cry! They have broken your slate, I know; And the glad, wild ways Of your school-girl days Are things of the long ago; But life and love will soon come by. There! little girl, dont cry! 10

There! little girl, dont cry!

15

They have broken your heart, I know; And the rainbow gleams Of your youthful dreams Are things of the long ago; But Heaven holds all for which you sigh. There! little girl, dont cry! -James Whitcomb Riley 20

Bibliography
Attenborough, Liz. Poetry by heart: A child's book of poems to remember. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2001.

Bennett Hopkins, Lee, ed. Oh, No! Where are my pants? And other disasters: poems. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2005. Print.

Dahl, Roald, and Quentin Blake. Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes. New York: Knopf, 1983. Print.

Milne, A. A., and Ernest H. Shepard. When We Were Very Young. New York: Dutton, 1961. Print.

Morrison, Lillian. Slam dunk. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 1995.

Nesbitt, Kenn, and Ethan Long. My Hippo Has the Hiccups: And Other Poems I Totally Made up. Naperville, IL: Source Jabberwocky, 2009. Print.

Silverstein, Shel. A Light in the Attic. New York, NY: Harper & Row, 1981. Print.

Silverstein, Shel. Where the Sidewalk Ends: The Poems & Drawings of Shel Silverstein. New York: Harper and Row, 1974. Print.

Whipple, L., comp. Celebrating America, a collection of poems and images of the American spirit. Philomel, 1994. Print.