Granddaughter is currently in the 8th grade but she is in 9th grade English earning high school credit. She was fussing the other afternoon because they were doing a poetry unit and she “doesn’t do” poetry. I felt her pain — I didn’t like poetry in school either. I remember having to memorize “Abou Ben Adam” by Leigh Hunt. Memory work wasn’t my strong suit and neither was poetry I didn’t understand so I only got the first line memorized but I remember it to this day!
I did, however, like poetry in my own space. My mother was big on monthly book clubs — the kind you subscribed to and you got a new book each month for something like $1.99 or so. We belonged to the Nancy Drew book club and the Best In Children’s Books book club. Once in a while we would get an extra “something” and this book was one of those extras
I remember when the book came — and my copy was this exact one, I still have it although it has lost it’s front cover — and I laid on the living room floor on a quilt and started reading. I loved it — I didn’t have to memorize it and it made sense to me. A couple of these poems in the photo above were also in a book I had when I was much younger — The Bumper Book — it was beautifully illustrated and I loved the poems it held.
I still have this book, albeit without the front cover, and I still love it. I have bought copies for my grandchildren for hefty prices at antique stores since it has been out of print for awhile.
So, I grew up and along came my children and I shared my poetry books with them but there was a new kid on the block — Shel Silverstein — and we started reading his poetry.
The kids loved him and, honestly, so did I. One of my favorite poems was this one —
We used to get so tickled reading it — nowadays I am sure kids have no clue what a “Frigidaire’ is. So sad. But, I still laugh when I read about the big ol’ polar bear with his seat in the meat and his face in the fish.
And then this one, also by Shel Silverstein
All credit to Shel Silverstein for his illustrious work.
So, today I shared the Polar Bear poem with my granddaughter on his morning text - she acknowledged it but I am not sure if she laughed. I hope she did. We will discuss it after school.
4 comments:
I can still recite Abou Ben Adam even after all these years!! I find that amazing since I can barely remember what I ate for supper last night. I do hope your grand will find some poems that appeal to her..I hope she has an inspiring teacher to convince her.
Hello! Oh, I am a poetry lover! I love all the old poems, especially the ones for children. I homeschool my daughter, and she just memorized a favorite:
Trees
by
Joyce Kilmer
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
Thank you for this post. Loved it!
Hi Granny! Well, I think I need to go back and read the entire poem again — maybe now I would enjoy it! That is wonderful that you can remember it though, I can remember the ONE line I managed to memorize! Have a wonderful day, GM!
Hi, Billie Jo! “Trees” was a favorite of mine as well. I have a “thing” for trees, I love them, so this poem was always right up my alley. I am sure you daughter did a wonderful job of memorizing it — it is a lovely visual. Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
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