This week the challenge is to write a poem to include a selection of the most fantastic things that you love about our world. Similar to the feelings poems back in Week 2, this style lends itself perfectly to the senses. What are your favourite smells? Sounds? Tastes? It is also a wonderful opportunity to capture the things you love most about our natural world. You could also explore ‘fantasy’ ideas in this style of poem if you choose (eg From my Magician’s hat I will pull… ‘The breath of a dragon.’)
There are a couple of variations on the theme captured in the following examples. The first two model the ‘In my Box’ idea, where you imagine that you have a ‘special box’ to keep all of the things that you really love. On a similar theme, you could write about ‘In my Wizard’s hat’ or ‘In my Magician’s hat’ if you want to make the title a bit more ‘magical or mystical’, or ‘In my Secret Garden’ or ‘In my World’ if you want your title to reflect more on nature.
These poems start off with a simple line; (In my box I will keep… In my Magicians hat I will hide… In my world I will place…etc…). It’s important to think of a good opening line to lead into the rest of your poem! You might choose to make your poem rhyme (as with the second ‘In my Box’ example or the ‘From my Magician’s Hat’ example), but your poem certainly doesn’t have to rhyme.
I have also shown a slightly different example entitled ‘My Seven Wonders’. The Seven Wonders of the World actually relate to amazing ancient architecture, and include the Pyramids of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus, the Temple of Artemis, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Colossos of Rhodes and the Pharos of Alexandria. Rather than focus on architecture, the seven wonders in my poem have deliberately focused on nature. What would be the seven most magnificent natural phenomena in the world if it were down to you? If you go for a ‘Seven Wonders’ poem it’s a good idea to carry out a little research and try to include a few ‘wonders’ that are less familiar to everybody as this adds a little extra interest and mystery.
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In my Box
In my box I will keep…
A summer sunrise,
A starry night,
The gentlest of waves lapping onto the beach,
An electric thunderstorm,
The smell of freshly cut grass,
The taste of strawberries and cream,
And the deep, relaxing sound of the clarinet.
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In my box
In my box I will hold…
Glistening winter cobwebs,
A sparkling diamond ring,
The warmth of summer beaches,
And the opening signs of spring,
A win for the mighty Ipswich Town,
A pure sapphire sky,
A playful pod of dolphins,
And granny’s apple pie,
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In my Secret Garden
In my secret garden I will hide…
Swallowtail butterflies,
The full moon,
A field of wild Welsh poppies,
The scent of English lavender,
The sound of a hooting midnight owl,
The sweet taste of butterscotch,
The flight of a kestrel
And the elegance of a trumpeter swan.
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From my Magician’s Hat
From my magician’s hat I will pull…
The breath of a dragon,
The slither of a snake,
A silver waterfall,
A sunlit lake,
Morning birdsong,
The buzz of bees,
The purr of a cat,
And whistling trees,
The power of an eagle,
A golden fleece,
The glow of a firefly
And a world of peace.
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My Seven Wonders
Tip of Everest,
Iquitos Amazon of Peru,
Ice caves of Antarctica,
The heart of Mount Bosavi,
Saharan Hamada,
The Iguazu Falls
And the mysterious depths of the Great Barrier Reef,
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Have fun with your poetry, and remember to send me your poems – head@skyswood.herts.sch.uk