The 2nd graders wrapped up their tenth week by reading a well-known poem by internationally-famous poet, William Butler Yeats. “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” describes a place the speaker longs to go to. I asked the students if they could picture and describe it, and they noticed how Yeats mentions bees and crickets; I explained that a linnet is a type of bird, and asked if the creatures mentioned in the poem were alike in any way? They are all small and can fly, we decided. The 2nd graders also noted how “midnight’s all a glimmer” suggested moonlight or stars in the sky, and “lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore” meant that this place must be isolated, because stars are hard to see in the city, and urban life gets so noisy that the sound of water lapping would be difficult to hear unless it is very quiet. I told them that Innisfree is a real uninhabited island off the coast of Ireland, and asked if they thought Yeats had really been there, or only imagined it? I then wrote the name on the board and inquired if it made them think of anything? Some students saw the word FREE in it, and then how being there, away from other people or just hectic city life, might make a person feel freer, or able to “have some peace there.”
“Peace” then became the theme for this week’s poem, as I asked the 2nd graders to write about what peace means to them.
Ms. Rupp, 2nd Grade
Peace
Aamira H.
Peace to me means not
hunting or killing it is letting
people do what they would
like to do without you stopping
them letting them grow up
as an adult and letting
them get a good career
so they can buy food, water,
clothing that looks nice
for their family.
Peace
Aadi K.
Peace would
be eating a
peach on
the peaceful
beach.
On the beach
there would be
a lot of my
friends because
peace is
useless without
friends. I would
have food
and a
friend dude.
I love peace
only with
my friends
with a
peach on
the beach.
Peace
Maya M.
Where it’s warm is my
paradise. A nice hotel.
The wind waving in
my hair. Going to a
water park.
Untitled
Anif O.
Florida is really
peaceful. Peace is
being quiet and Florida
is peaceful to me
because I get to
play and I think
that is peaceful
to me. That is
what I think is peace.
Peace
Kallie W.
I shall give peace to the world,
To anyone, any creature.
Make them go to Hawaii, or even Canada.
Where peace lives, and shall live there—
For peace is good and having
Fun. For peace is good.
A happy and peaceful place,
With stars everywhere, with
Balloons, too. I shall give peace
To the world.
Alaska
Sofia Y.
Across the prairie and through
the water shall I go, the mountains
I belong.
In the mountainpeak where the
eagle flies, shall I build a log cabin.
Facing the stream where the
salmon swim, yet the other side
is the grove where the Spirit of the
Grove stays, and Poseidon taking
care of the stream of this secret
place.
Ms. Beaudry, 2nd Grade
Peace Is…
Jonathan C.
What’s peace? There
is a big meaning
to me. I have
lots of peace,
I have lots of
kind. Peace is
about kindness.
Peaceful Animals
Adrija D.
Tigers, dolphins, hummingbirds, bears, and
other animals they just listen to
them.
An orchestra as they roar, squeak, and
tweet.
So many small or big, they soften
my heart as I listen to them.
Peace Destruct-o
Anson L.
I once had heard of a war
the peace destruct-o war it’s still going
now
Pollution tree chopping water pollution
hunting
The war shall might go on forever
Forever and ever forever
Peaceland
Tierra M.
In Peaceland there are no rules
unless you’re quiet it is an island it’s
beautiful. In Peaceland there are a lot
of fruits. In Peaceland there are only
castles. In Peaceland the castles are
only 1¢ each. In Peaceland how
people get from one place to
another is to ride the clouds.
In Peaceland there are beautiful
and big restaurants. In Peaceland everyone
has nice waiters.
Costa Rica!
Carter M.
In the morning of the sunny day I
sit and lay on the pool with my mom
my friends and my dad. We go to the
spa as quiet as a dog sleeping. Then we
go under water and sleep.
The Peace Door
Riley S.
I’m in my room
I see a door open it
and peace is all around.
Ms. Schwartz, 2nd Grade
Untitled
Hannah B.
Peace is beautiful.
Peace is graceful.
Peace is colorful.
Peace is unique.
Peace is bully free.
Peace is happiness.
Peace is fun.
Peace is funniness.
Peace is play time.
Peace is ideas.
Peace is thinking time.
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Naima M.
Peace makes me good
Peace makes me great
Peace makes me beautiful
Peace makes me nice
Peace makes me happy
Peace makes me wonderful
Peace makes me peaceful
Peace makes me read
Peace makes me do math
Peace makes me do poetry
Peace
Nolan M.
I think the quiet makes me
happy and I think it is peaceful
Peace
Daniel R.
Peace is quiet.
Peace is being alone and
relaxing.
Peace is to read.
Peace is being free.
Peace is to relax in your
mind!
Peace is to become.
Peace
Lilly W.
is nice realizing
Peace is like my room,
Peace
I hear nothing
Peace
it is my Life.
Peace is—A little little talking
Matthew Z.
Peace is being good
Peace is being grateful
Peace is being nice
Peace is being proud of yourself
Peace is love
Peace is just a small thing
Ms. Ward, 2nd Grade
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Phoenix G.
Peace is sleeping to me.
Peace is being calm to me.
Peace is being silent to me.
Peace is running home from loudness
in traffic and getting in my bed
and nothing bothers me in loudness.
Everything
Jalen G.
Peace to me is quiet
relaxing taking naps you
don’t have to worry about
anything
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Harmony H.
What Peace means to me is the world is
spinning happily with no screaming and
noise like BOOM! POW! It is so
scary to me. What Peace means to
me is people being nice to each other.
Untitled
Roman M.
Peace means quiet.
Peace makes me want to play a war game.
Peace makes people happy.
Peaceful as being so quiet.
Music World
Jackson O.
The peaceful music listening
to rock ‘n’ roll with the
volume all the way up
to a gazillion if they
made the volume all the
way to a gazillion volume
Untitled
Alex R.
Peace o Peace how
lovely Peace can be
if it’s
laying on
a
beach or
sleeping
on a bouncing
bed with
a massage
Peace can
be anything
but
what I
think Peace
is is just
knowing some-
body is there
for me and loves
me that’s
just
what I
think
about
Peace.
Untitled
Bruce R.
Peace means quiet or
relaxing playing a game
or doing nothing or sleeping.
Peace
Molly S.
peace is joy
peace is love
peace is hope
peace is your
life peace is
something you will
care for inside
of your heart
forever
