Joshua Mehigan employs powerful yet odd similes in his poem, “The Fair.” We discussed the comparisons they made, and how he structured his poem to accommodate one per stanza. What are the benefits of such organization? How does each stanza work independently, as well as part of the whole? What effects are achieved? Each stanza also concludes with some interesting language that we readily parsed in class, such as, “The fair / was no fair,” which plays on multiple meanings of fair, and the poem’s puzzling final three lines: “Later that month, in with the rest at church, / were people no one knew, / though none could tell exactly who was who.” The use of rhyming couplets further emphasizes this statement, and we mulled over its possible meanings, especially considering what happens after fairs pack up and move on to the next town.
Returning to definitions of fair, the 4th graders were tasked with writing about things they considered to be unfair.
Mrs. Rupp, 4th Grade
LIFE
Saanvi B.
Life is unfair because you never
get money when you are a child. If
you work you sometimes get
little money.
You have to get money to be successful.
You have to work to get money.
Unfair!
Julian D.
As I play Minecraft
My time is almost up
I look at my sister
And she doesn’t get up
I wander upstairs
To tell my dad
But he said,
“Mind your business lad!”
I become sad
So I get mad
And run out the door
Then start kicking pebbles
On the sea shore
Race
Sophia H.
My race is black
it goes way back
when Africa
was under attack
Slavery
the worst word
makes me gag like
a bird eating a worm
Equal rights
everyone should be
treated the same
no one should be
hurt in this game
Love
the white should
treat us right
everyone should
beam with delight
Black
proud as can
be
just like a jungle
with 10 million
trees
Race
Unfair
Zoi P.
Unfair is the meaning of school
Not only are we wasting our childhood
Fun is also what we are not getting
At school it is sometimes fun but most of the time no
I only like school on certain days but
Right now it’s OK
What’s Unfair?
Kalista R.
What’s unfair
Hmm let’s see when,
write a list down.
Garbage and allergies
emotions and pollution
it’s raining cats and doggies.
Chatterboxes bullies
chores and weight pulleys
apples and onions
Twinkies and bunions
robbers and Post-Its
that aren’t really sticky
all of the things that I hate, how ’bout 3’s?
Mrs. Carlson, 4th Grade
Unfair
Hannah J.
My brother
Always getting downtime on his
X-box.
Me I always have to read.
But if he doesn’t get downtime neither
do I if I’m done working and he’s
not then I have to clean or work ugghh.
He’s always getting attention
but I never do (sigh).
My Sister Is Unfair
Kamahria M.
Something that is unfair
is
that my sister gets to have
the big teddy bear even
though I asked for it before
she was born so now I don’t get it.
Something else that is unfair
is that I will be able to
get a dog but now I can’t
because my sister is born.
Sometimes my sister is unfair.
Unfair
Jude O.
I do not think
it is fair that
some
people
can’t
buy
medicine
to
help
them
live
and
have
a
good
life.
Totally Unfair
Beck R.
Life is unfair and everything in it
abilities food looks wardrobe food
money
and no matter what you
do it is still very unfair
you can’t go under it over it around it
you must go through Life
DARN!
UNFAIR
David Z.
It’s so unfair
that my little
brother gets all loyalty
It’s unfair that people
kill animals just to
sell them.
It’s unfair that
humans don’t usually
listen to LAWS
It’s unfair that
gravity only lives
in Earth
It’s unfair that
people’s spirits are going
to heaven
It’s unfair to terrorize
animals to listen to
them in the circus.
Fair…or…Unfair…?
Alina Z.
I go to the fair
that I would
think that it would be fair…
Oh, but let me
tell you
it
was
NOT!!!
The fair was not fair,
not fair it was.
It’s all because of my
unfair brother taking all my
cotton candy…
guess the fair was un…
fair
Mrs. Johnson, 4th Grade
The Unfair Everything
Hayden B.
It’s unfair that the water
doesn’t get a drink even
though it is the water.
I think it’s unfair that
the wind doesn’t get
air though it is the
wind.
I think it’s unfair that
food goes hungry even
though it is the food.
I think it’s unfair
that people treat other
people unfairly.
Untitled
Jhoziah B.
Having indoor recess is unfair
because we don’t get to go
outside even when it is hot, but
it can be fair. When they
let us out when it’s cold outside.
Having P.E. once a week is
unfair because we don’t get
to do the curl up test on a
day we want to.
Fair?
Aparna J.
You see people as you walk out.
you see people with money,
candy, toys, books, but you
don’t have it.
But then you see
people with nothing
lying around, then
you feel guilt inside
of you.
But you wish the world was
fair, but instead you
are just seeing unfair-
ness.
You wish you could
help the person but
you’re shy. It isn’t
fait people get that
but you don’t. UNFAIR!
Untitled
Sophie L.
the most unfairest thing in the
whole world is that my mom
can’t stay home on a work
trip like when she went
to London
None
Amay M.
there is no equality there is none and there
never will be
there is none, none, none and we humans will
have a bad ending for all we have done
there isn’t and never will be
equality
we hurt animals and we hurt each
this is why there is no
equality
Untitled
Violetta P.
life is unfair
things are unfair
it’s unfair that
people are sad
crying for any
losses of this new
plague animals dying and
because of us
we were the
beginning of the world
now the end
some people don’t
have love. go cry
because your fur
coat is messy.
you should be
crying for who
made that coat.
how some people
have nothing
some people
have everything
and brag about
the iPhone
they have
disrespect
is unfair
there is
more
but I can’t
won’t stand
too.
Unfair
Jayda S.
It’s unfair!
that I don’t
get the toys
that I want.
It’s unfair!
that I don’t
have the perfect
year that I want.
It’s unfair! that
life doesn’t go
as I wish. It’s
unfair! that
no one cares
about what
I say. It’s
unfair! that
people die but
their loved ones
don’t want them
to. It’s unfair!
people are getting
heartbroken because
of love. It’s unfair!
that friends are splitting
apart. It’s unfair! life’s
not fair. It’s not fair.
Unfair
Aaden Z.
When I come in,
I think it’s unfair
I go to my room
my sister’s unfair
I go to the kitchen
the food is unfair
I went to the park
the people are unfair
I go to my mom’s car
the smell is unfair
nothing in the world
is fair!
Mr. O’Brien, 4th Grade
The Opposite of Fair
Augie C.
Unfair so, so unfair.
There are a lot of
unfair things for example
you have to wake up at
7:30 to get ready for
school other people wake
up when ready. Or somebody
gets 2 Starburst and you only
get 1 and ¾ that’s the
worst thing ever.
Untitled
Cedonnis G.
that they are not playable
and they are not fun and it’s
not enough time to play the
games and it might be too
much and it’s a waste of
money and it might not be
that many games
Unfair Adults
Elio G.
Unfair, when the adults tell you you’re too
young, it’s not like you’re one.
When adults tell you it’s too cold, it’s 30°
with plenty of sun.
when you go to the movies to see
romance instead of comedy in which
you must see.
When you want to do something
and adults stop you “you’re too young
no I’m 114”
RAIN
Danielle J.
In the rain I was caught,
without an umbrella
school buses come slow,
and more soaked I got.
Wait and wait,
time doesn’t go fast.
Unfair I have to wait,
when others have a blast.
Rain is pouring,
waiting is boring.
Unfair without an
umbrella when others
are dry, this is
unfair, I’ve got to cry
Unfair to Fair
Alec T.
Unfair is unfair but
fair is fair
It’s unfair that you can’t live up
to 1,000 but it’s fair we at least
get to live
It’s unfair to not get what
you want but it’s fair we at least
get what we need
It’s unfair we get homework but
it’s fair that we learn
It’s unfair to go to school but
it’s fair we have someone to watch
us and this is how I wrote
this
Unfair
Ethan T.
The fair was unfair
The stair was unfair
The pear was unfair
And the unfairness
was really unfair
Fair
Hridhaan V.
fair is not fair because fare means fair
they are homophones fare is not fare unfair is
fair
