For a change of pace, after two shorter poems, this week I brought in Elizabeth Bishop’s lengthy and detailed “The End of March,” which is also appropriate since April has just begun. Bishop’s narrative poem describes the speaker’s walking along the beach near Boston with some companions, observing things along the way; it has some sophisticated vocabulary for 4th graders, and we went over some of its tougher language, but the students were still able to identify images of a cold oceanside, with tracks in the sand (made by a dog, or – a lion?) and washed-up kite string (where’s the kite?), as well as an abandoned house on the beach. We talked about the speaker’s frame of mind, as well as Bishop’s use of repetition and figurative language to set the scene, and the poem’s curious ending evoking a “lion sun.”
For writing, students imagined taking a walk somewhere and described that journey.
Ms. Carlson
Room 316
Walking on the Mountain
Arly D.
The snow glows white on the mountain bright
not a footprint to be seen
a kingdom of isolation
and it looks like I’m the queen.
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside,
couldn’t keep it in, heaven knows I tried
don’t let them in, don’t let them see,
be the good girl you always have to be
conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know…
well now they know…
let it go! Let it go!
Can’t hold it back anymore,
let it go! Let it go!
Turn away and slam the door,
I don’t care what they’re going to say,
let the storm rage on,
the cold never bothered me anyway.
It’s funny how some distance
makes everything seem small,
and the dears that once controlled me,
can’t get to me at all.
It’s time to see what I can do
and test the limits
and break through.
A Walk in Candyland
Kennedy F.
You see a chocolate path leading
to all of the gingerbread houses.
You look up to see how beautiful
the sky is. Full of cotton candy
clouds. You see gingerbread
men help old people with candycanes
cross the street.
You walk along a trail covered
with lollipop trees and licorice
flowers. There’s a forest up
ahead full of Peeps bunnies
and Doves. There are pop
rock mountains higher than
you can see.
Walking over the Rainbow
Larissa G.
Going up up up
Walking over the Rainbow
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo Violet
Walking over the Rainbow
No longer are the clouds above me,
I am over the clouds
Walking over the rainbow
Up up up, caught in a fantastic dream
Walking over the rainbow
Down, down, down to find the
pot of gold. Finally I halt to
stop to grab the pot. Walking
under the rainbow. The pot turns
to face me. There is no pot, there’s a
Wool Poo!
Uh-oh, trouble. Up, up, up, walking
over the rainbow.
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Noah J.
The sun is bright and beaming down.
You hear the creeks and sounds.
So majestic so beautiful it’s just nature.
You think you’re dreaming but it feels so
You hear the rustles in trees but you’re
not afraid. You take a sip of water
and take in the view. Then you see the
sun going down and just like that you’re
off the steep hill. Back in your cabin
you think about how good it was to be
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Diego R.
I’m here lost in
a cave not knowing how to
get out. I just started walking
forward. Bats and bugs everywhere.
They are here and there. Ten days
of walking feeling like falling
then I just stop, a cliff
6,000 feet down or so,
thinking, what to do? I
figure it out I’ll just keep walking
forward…ouch
Taking a Walk
Hope W.
1, 2, 3, 4
Who’s that knocking at my door
5, 6, 7, 8
I’m hurrying up trying not to be late
I’m coming I’m coming
out the door and by the shore
Walking
Charlie Z.
I took a walk on the sandy beach.
I feel the grainy, rough sand,
and feel the cool, silky water.
I see the smooth hard rocks
and the big, white boats.
I feel like I’m walking somewhere
when I’m really walking nowhere.
I watch as the fishing boats slowly come in
and families walking home.
Mr. Chau
Room 220
I Was Walking to the Store
Marquon G.
I was walking to the
store I saw many people
I saw kids, I saw
a few dogs, I also saw
houses boarded up. I saw
bottles cans all over
the street. All full of trash.
And I saw homeless people
I really want to help
the homeless people but
I did not have enough
for all of them.
A Walk Somewhere
Leah J.
Going to the playground
Got my cousins on the side.
Heading down the hill
Ready to move down the slide.
Stop to get nachos
With peppers, cheese, and guacamole!
Five minutes away from the park
Oops a dog about to bark.
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Milan J.
Walking in a girls type of world
Shopping at the mall until you can drop.
Everything cute and free!!!!!
Hanging with friends and family.
What more could you ask for???
This is what happens in a girls type of
World!!!
Autumn
Analyss L.
I’m walking
in autumn
with lots
of autumn
leaves.
The colors
are red
yellow orange
and brown.
My friend
meets me
half way
and we
start picking
apples.
My friend
said she
wished it
was berry
season so
we can pick
cherries.
Imagine You’re Taking a Walk
Prathmesh P.
A walk across dimensions,
a walk around the galaxy,
a walk across heaven;
or Mars; why not?
The forgotten planet:
can be walked on.
But a walk is a walk,
even if it’s on my street.
How much do I love walks?
Lots
Tons
Bunches
If I were to ask on a number scale:
no number equals how I feel.
And this I tell you,
is no fib.
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Mia S.
I was walking on the beach.
The sand was so soft and
funny as if I were in heaven!
My feet made a funny reaction. It
was so fun just like the sun. That day
on the beach was so darn sweet.
Sometimes I imagine me walking all the
time on the beach. I love ice-cream
when I walk on the beach and
jump around a hip and hip flips
jump all around in a great big
town!
August
Mekhi T.
I was walking on the beach
I saw surfers
I heard laughter
and Romance
I saw sand angels
and sand castles
crabs, I saw beach
balls. Finally I saw
A GREAT WHITE SHARK!
Mr. Cox
Room 312
The Walk to Lunch
Alexis A.
Walk over here, walk over there,
walk through the woods to Lunch.
Pass this Stream, pass this River,
walk over it to Lunch. Walk
on this Log over the Swamp all
the way to Lunch. Walk on
the trail, Left, Right finally
we’re here at Lunch.
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Xavier A.
I was walking to a dragon
and it looked mad
then it turned happy
then I was mad.
Above the Sky
Grace C.
Midnight Black, starry sky
Flaming chunks go flaring by
Comets dancing Bright and true
Dark vortexes eating you
Pressure happens in a snap of time
Pressing you down no matter how
Moons, with fury acts of war
Chips of space around our Earth
Endless Walk
Zoe G.
I’m here in the dog park
with Parker and Boo. McKenna
and Macy with Devon. Boo wants
to play with Devon all day, when
Macy runs away, but Devon
runs after his true love
Macy
Walking Lonely
Isabel T.
Oh, the waves crashing the shore.
The breezy feeling,
makes you feel calm.
I see someone playing happily,
lucky them,
I’d wish somebody could accompany me.
I’m so lonely.
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Michael W.
I’m walking to
Minecraft world.
On my way
there I saw the
beach. I saw a
bird nest. I saw
lakes and arcades.
The March to Freedom
Corina W.
The horrible sounds in the air,
people shouting, screaming,
white, blue, red.
No one seems to care,
who fights for freedom
whose face is terror
who feels so deafly,
whose will is
powerful.
March!
