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dull artist
Joined: 20 Jun 2004
Location: Osan
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 Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 9:47 pm Post subject: Easy poems for middle schoolers? |
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| A few of my middle school girls have to do a poetry performance where they recite a poem in English. Does anyone know an appropriate poem for this age group? All the poems I think of turn out to be too complicated when I look them over again. All the websites I go to have really horrible, cheezy poems. Help. |
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Grotto
Joined: 21 Mar 2004
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| Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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Ozymandias by Percy Shelley
Words:
Stripped
day by day of all my garments
dry naked tree,
in my solitary withered mouth
fresh words
will still blossum
By Alaide Foppa
Poem:
Every morning I forget how it is
I watch the smoke mount
In great strides above the city
I belong to no one.
Then, I remember my shoes,
How I have to put them on,
How, bending over to tie them up,
I will look into the earth
by Charles Simic |
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manlyboy
Joined: 01 Aug 2004
Location: Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
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| Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 10:18 pm Post subject: |
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Rudyard Kipling wrote some excellent stuff. This is my favourite from "The Jungle Book". I translated this into Indonesian at university. Challenging for middle schoolers I know, but not impossible.
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MOWGLI'S SONG THAT HE SANG AT THE COUNCIL ROCK WHEN HE DANCED ON SHERE KHAN'S HIDE
The Song of Mowgli --
I, Mowgli, am singing.
Let the jungle listen to the things I have done.
Shere Khan said he would kill -- would kill!
At the gates in the twilight he would kill Mowgli, the Frog!
He ate and he drank. Drink deep,
Shere Khan, for when wilt thou drink again?
Sleep and dream of the kill.
I am alone on the grazing-grounds.
Gray Brother, come to me!
Come to me, Lone Wolf, for there is big game afoot.
Bring up the great bull-buffaloes, the blue-skinned herd-bulls with the angry eyes.
Drive them to and fro as I order.
Sleepest thou still, Shere Khan? Wake, O wake!
Here come I, and the bulls are behind.
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Rama, the King of the Buffaloes, stamped with his foot.
Waters of the Waingunga, whither went Shere Khan?
He is not Ikki to dig holes, nor Mao, the Peacock, that he should fly.
He is not Mang, the Bat, to hang in the branches.
Little bamboos that creak together, tell me where he ran?
Ow! He is there. Ahoo! He is there.
Under the feet of Rama lies the Lame One! Up,
Shere Khan! Up and kill! Here is meat; break the necks of the bulls!
Hsh! He is asleep. We will not wake him, for his strength is very great.
The kites have come down to see it.
The black ants have come up to know it.
There is a great assembly in his honour.
Alala! I have no cloth to wrap me.
The kites will see that I am naked.
I am ashamed to meet all these people.
Lend me thy coat, Shere Khan. Lend me thy gay striped coat that I may go to the Council Rock.
By the Bull that bought me I have made a promise -- a little promise.
Only thy coat is lacking before I keep my word.
With the knife -- with the knife that men use -- with the knife of the hunter, the man, I will stoop down for my gift.
Waters of the Waingunga, bear witness that Shere Khan gives me his coat for the love that he bears me.
Pull, Gray Brother! Pull, Akela! Heavy is the hide of Shere Khan.
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The Man Pack are angry. They throw stones and talk child's talk.
My mouth is bleeding. Let us run away.
Through the night, through the hot night, run swiftly with me, my brothers.
We will leave the lights of the village and go to the low moon.
Waters of the Waingunga, the Man Pack have cast me out.
I did them no harm, but they were afraid of me. Why?
Wolf Pack, ye have cast me out too.
The jungle is shut to me and the village gates are shut. Why?
As Mang flies between the beasts and the birds so fly
I between the village and the jungle. Why?
I dance on the hide of Shere Khan, but my heart is very heavy.
My mouth is cut and wounded with the stones from the village, but my heart is very light because I have come back to the jungle.
Why?
These two things fight together in me as the snakes fight in the spring.
The water comes out of my eyes; yet I laugh while it falls. Why?
I am two Mowglis, but the hide of Shere Khan is under my feet.
All the jungle knows that I have killed Shere Khan.
Look -- look well, O Wolves!
Ahae! My heart is heavy with the things that I do not understand. |
Here's all the poems from "The Jungle Book".
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/KipJung.html
And here's all of Kipling's poems.
http://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets/kipling/kipling_ind.html |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 10:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Robert Frost should be okay for them. Something like "the Road less Travelled" might launch a good discussion even. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 11:08 pm Post subject: Re: Easy poems for middle schoolers? |
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| dull artist wrote: |
| A few of my middle school girls have to do a poetry performance where they recite a poem in English. Does anyone know an appropriate poem for this age group? All the poems I think of turn out to be too complicated when I look them over again. All the websites I go to have really horrible, cheezy poems. Help. |
What about some song lyrics? Beatles stuff... |
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Toby
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Wedded Bliss
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| Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 12:56 am Post subject: |
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I'm not a pheasant plucker,
I'm a pheasant plucker's son,
I'm only plucking pheasants
'Til the pheasant plucker comes.
It is not easy, but man is it funny trying to get them to remember it and recite it.
It's had me in stitches, plus the class. |
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dull artist
Joined: 20 Jun 2004
Location: Osan
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| Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 3:30 am Post subject: |
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| Very good suggestions. Thanks for your help. |
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ajuma
Joined: 18 Feb 2003
Location: Anywere but Seoul!!
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dull artist
Joined: 20 Jun 2004
Location: Osan
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| Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 7:10 am Post subject: |
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| Thanks ajuma! A bunch of stuff there. I was looking for a blend of easy reading and lack of cheeziness. I think I found some good stuff on that site. Thanks all, for saving my ass. |
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