English Short Notes

Today I Wrote This Poem

By: Kenn Nesbitt

Kenn Nesbitt is an American children's poet. On June 11, 2013 he was named Children's Poet
Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. He was the last one to receive this title before they changed
the name of the foundation. He has written more than twenty books for children. His poems have
also appeared in numerous bestselling series, including the popular Kids Pick the Funniest
Poems series, with nearly two million copies in print. His work has been published in hundreds of
school textbooks around the world, as well as national television programs, and numerous
children's magazines. Kenn travels the country, visiting more than sixty schools each year, sharing
his wacky brand of poetry with kids nationwide, and helping to create a new generation of poetry
lovers.

A. Word-Meanings
1. Poem – A piece of writing that expresses feelings and ideas using imaginative language
2. Poet – A person who writes poetry
3. Metaphors – A way to compare two things that are otherwise incomparable
4. Simile – A device to compare two things, using words ‘AS’ and ‘LIKE’
5. Acrostic – A Poem in which particular letters are used to form a word or words
6. Diamante – Poem in shape of a diamond
7. Haiku – Poem with 3 lines and usually 17 syllables, written in traditional Japanese style
8. Personified – Representing objects, qualities, etc. as humans (in Art and Literature)

B. Give the rhyming words in the poem (Eg. things – feelings)

1. Good - Should
2. Plot - Got
3. Me - Simile

C. Verbal Analogy (Eg. Good – bad)

1. Sure – Unlikely
2. Deep – Shallow
3. Inside – Outside

D. What do you think the following words refer to?

1. Metaphor – A way to compare two things that are otherwise incomparable
2. Simile – A device to compare two things, using words ‘AS’ and ‘LIKE’

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E. What do the following terms mean? (from the poem)

1. Alliteration – the repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighbouring words or
syllables for example – Wild and Woolly, Threatening Throngs.
2. Narrative – Something that is narrated for example - story.

F. Write true of false

1. The student was very happy with his poem – False
2. The poem does not have the things which the teacher has taught – True
3. The poetry shares the feelings of the student – True
4. Diamante poems are of 3 lines only – False
5. The bag is as heavy as a rock is an alliteration – False
6. Your dress looks blood red is a metaphor – True

G. Tick the correct answers [✓]

1. The student isn’t happy with his poem because

(i) it doesn’t have the things a poem should.
(ii) he got bad remarks from his teacher.

H. Question-Answers: -

Q1. What is Kenn Nesbitt famous for? What title did he receive from the poetry foundation?
A1. Funny Poems for Children.
Children’s Poet Laureate.

Q2. In Which field did Kenn study?

A2. Computer Science

Q3. Which is the famous website by Kenn where all his poems are available ?
A3. Poetry4kids

Q4. Name the famous society he belongs to.

A4. Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Q5. The number of schools Kenn visits on his tour around the country.
A5. Sixty

Q6. In which bestselling series his poems are included?

A6. Kids Pick the Funniest Poems.

Q7. “Today I wrote this poem” Who do you think I refers to in this poem?
A7. ‘I’ refers to the boy who wrote the poetry as his schoolwork and got A++++ from his teacher.

Q8. Give an example of a metaphor and a simile each.

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A8. Simile -
Metaphor -

Q9. “It doesn’t have the things my teacher says it should.” Write any two things a poem should have for
it to be good.
A9. Two things a poem should have for it to be good are - Acrostic and Diamante.

Q10. Her hair is a flowing river. Underline the Metaphor in this sentence

Q11. “It doesn’t share the feeling I have deep inside me.” Explain this line?
A11. This line means that the poem does not reflect the boy’s emotions. It is not as heart-touching as a
poem should be and he is not able to show his true sentiments through this poem.

Q12. How do you think alliterations, metaphors and similes help in writing an effective poem?
A12. Alliterations, metaphors and similes bring out the emotions in a poetry and help the readers to
understand the poets feeling clearly. They engage the reader by making the poetry more interesting,
therefore hooking the reader into reading more.

Q13. What do the terms diamante and haiku mean in poetry writing? Find one difference between the two.
A13. Diamante means a poem in shape of a diamond and Haiku means a poem with 3 lines and usually 17
syllables, written in traditional Japanese style.

Q14. What is an acrostic poem? Explain.

A14. An acrostic poem is a poem in which particular letters are used to form a word or words. Typically,
the first letters of each line are used to spell the message, but they can appear anywhere.

Q15. Which of the following is an acrostic, diamante and haiku?

A15. ACROSTIC DIAMANTE HAIKU

Q16. What message is the poet trying to convey?

A16. The poet is trying to convey, that writing poetry is a boring and difficult task for most children.
However, even if our creation may not be the greatest, we should be happy about writing it and enjoy it.

Q17. Write and acrostic poem using your name.

A17.

Q18. Write a Haiku poem on the theme CLOUDS.

A18.

Q19. Answer in one sentence: What type of poems you like to read and why?
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A19.

Q20. Do you think writing a poem is easy? Justify your answer.

A20.

Q21. Find any 3 funny Haiku, Diamante and Acrostic poems written for kids and name the poets.
A21.

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