It was great meeting Hamline Elementary 6th graders last Wednesday. A few students had some experience writing poetry with their teachers. They already knew various poetry terms and styles such as rhyme, simile, and haiku. The theme for our first session together was all about our thoughts. We discussed how our thoughts can be affected positively or negatively based on a situation, such as not studying for a test, winning a prize, or a sibling that keeps annoying you.
We read the poem “Thought Machine,” by Laura Mucha. In her poem Mucha uses an extended metaphor, which is when a poet compares two unlike things using the words is, am, are, was, or were and continues this comparison throughout the entire poem. Mucha compares her mind to a machine that generates different types of thoughts. Sometimes my thought machine makes thoughts like /THAT WENT WELL or YOUR DOING GREAT or YOU GOT THIS/ but sometimes it makes thoughts like/ THAT WAS TERRIBLE or HOW EMBRASSING or WHAT A MESS. Anytime the negative thoughts become too much, the poet sings, dances, writes, swims, or listens to music. By doing activities that she enjoys, the poet feels confident, and her thought machine creates new positive thoughts.
Inspired by Laura Mucha, students used extended metaphors to describe their unique minds and thoughts. A few students even drew pictures of what they imagined their thoughts looked like. Please enjoy the poems and drawings below.
Mr. Marroquin’s 6th Grade
Group 1
The Reflection Reminder
By: Jose F.
Even if I had a stopwatch,
it would just keep popping up,
the past or the present,
just bouncing back and forth.
Just as I think it’s over, just one memory
sends me pack to the past.
If I stop, my heart would drop.
But here I am like a mirror reflection.
That I only matter. Why you may ask?
Without the past we will never know
our special moments.
My Mind Is a Ball
Jesus O.
My mind is a ball that never stops rolling.
Its rolling like thoughts that keep on happening
over and over.
When it’s making bad thoughts, it turns into
shooting the ball.
When it is thinking happy thoughts, it bounces.
But when it has confusing thoughts, the ball is
rolling all in the place.
When it has excited thoughts its bouncing really high!
Mi Cerebro es inteligente como un libro
By Adriana S.
Mi Cerebro es muy inteligente y no lo puedo.
Controlar y es como un libro Mi Cerebro
estan con adventuras, Terror, Tristeta, Como
chistes etc. y lleba Historias cuentos
y muchos cosas mas
Mr. Marroquin’s 6th Grade
Group 2
My Firework Thoughts
By Daniella C.
My thoughts are fireworks, they are
always thinking about something,
even if it’s bad or good.
Even if I don’t wanna think about it,
I still do. I cannot stop it.
I can’t believe how much I think about
this one thing, I don’t wanna think about.
My mind is always exploding
with random thoughts, it is just like
fireworks. Crazy, loud, fun etc.
Wonderland Thoughts
By Yamileth M.
Sometimes I’m slaughtering my bad
thought like Alice slaughtered
the monster.
But other times it gets to me
like Alice thinking of if she really
wanted to slaughter the monster.
Then my thought disappears
like the Cheshire cat. Other times
my thoughts are weird like Alice
and Wonderland.
Sometimes, I’m mature like the White
Queen, but sometimes I’m immature
like the Queen of Hearts.
I’m silly like the rabbit
but I like my Wonderland
thoughts.
The Static
By Ashley V.
My mind is static with flashbacks that destroyed me,
things I hate, not being able to let go. Zoning out,
hating myself. Wanting to fore get the things
I went through. The way I grew up, the lies told
to my face, everything black out.
Ms. Torres 6th grade
Group 3
Thought Sunset
By Aiden A.
My thoughts are sunsets.
They are beautiful and shiny,
and they are also bright.
My thoughts are yellow purple and pink three beautiful and shiny colors,
After sunset my thoughts turn dark
like the moon. Things start to go down,
then they get beautiful and shiny again.
Thought monkey
By Brendon H.
sometimes my thought monkey makes thoughts like
My MIND IS A MONKEY SITTING ON A TREE DOESN’T WANT TO GET UP.
Because I stayed up too late playing with my friends.
My MIND IS A MONKEY PLAYING WITH OTHER MONKEYS PLAYING ON THE TREES.
because there was nothing to do at home.
but sometimes thoughts like
I'll make a mistake or I'll make fun of or get in trouble.My life is a piece of toast
By Kevin P.
My life is a piece of toast
My piece of toast has butter
My butter is the easy things in life
My piece of toast has crust
My crust is how I look on the outside
