The approach to this week’s poem was a bit different. Two students from each class were asked to read Wallace Stevens‘ “The House Was Quiet and the World Was Calm,” and the discussion began with general comments or questions, as it usually does. The poets are sophisticated enough now that they took note of the use of repetition in the poem, and I asked what words or phrases they noticed repeating, and if that repetition suggested any themes or ideas? Certain words, such as book, reader, and page indicated the poem was probably ‘about’ our interactions with literature, but then there was also calm, quiet, and night, hinting perhaps at the ideal environment for reading (or writing).
After the conversations had gone on for a bit, I discreetly made my way to the bookshelves in each room and chose a book at random. Without anyone knowing what was going on, I enlisted the teachers to select students. I wrote the page range of the book on the board, and asked the students to pick a number from in-between; for follow-up, I asked for line and then word numbers, based on each particular book. Every class finally had unique ‘vocabulary’ lists of five words (and one phrase), from which they had to write this week’s poem. See if you can guess what the words were…and enjoy!
Ms. Rupp, 2nd Grade
Two Wheel Bike
Julia C.
With the training, I get better on wheels.
You get and find your balance.
But you can tip over.
It is a two wheel bike.
A two wheel bike. You start
with wheels that help you
train. I am on a two wheel
bike.
Some people think it is for grownups.
That is not true. Kids can have it too.
If you practice.
Little Pete
Eloise G.
Little Pete with training wheels, riding over
hills, throwing the newspapers at the doors yes
sir ree.
The Training Wheels
Jayden I.
My sister can ride her
bike with training wheels
the bike is pink and
she races you she beats
you over to the finish line
Training Wheels
Maura S.
Over the end of
part you fall with training
wheels. You never find your
way back.
Training
Michaela W.
You can go training,
you can train for
anything you can
train on wheels
you can train
on foot.
You can train over and
over. You can train
by dancing you can
do the macarena!
Ms. Beaudry, 2nd Grade
3 – 103 is 56
Tai C.
Anymore 1 – 7 is 5
scientific are
the best
lambchop even
toward it
Life
Gabrielle C.
The scientific parts of life are
unexplained. No one knows what it is anymore.
They don’t even know what a lambchop is
people are moving toward the meaning
but still can’t understand it.
Nobody except scientists know the
scientific parts of life.
The Lot of Things
Madeline D.
The feeling of it
I’m falling toward you
And I’m scared just a bit
While your arms pick me up.
You take me away
I don’t like you anymore
And I stay for a day
In your arms so long.
You feed me some lambchop
I look out the window
While I watch a bunny hop
And I watch you do a lot of
the things I love.
SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS!
The Magic Lambchop
Carter M.
There is nothing more interesting than the
Lambchop moving towards me I
want to know the scientific method
but I can’t find it anymore. The magic
Lambchop! The magic Lambchop!
A Day of Light
Anjali R.
The day of light
was coming toward
me. A scientific
speech was taking
the lead.
There was not anymore
light and the day was dark.
We had a lambchop for dinner.
THE DAY OF LIGHT!
Scientific
Riley S.
Toward the rocket,
anymore is light.
Lambchop fires my heart.
Dive into darkness.
My life
is
ruined.
Ms. Schwartz, 2nd Grade
Untitled
Hannah B.
The sky is so graceful.
The surface it can be so kind to us.
They are so kind and it can be so
harsh.
Untitled
Alex G.
It’s so funny.
The sky is so bright,
The surface is so flat,
They are so cute and cool.
I love the sky
The sky is beautiful.
The puppies are beautiful.
I love surfaces.
Untitled
Lindora K.
The sky is so cold. They are so mean.
The surface is really far. It is really
really really cold outside.
Untitled
Tailur K.
They are playing outside
to play in the snow.
It was raining outside.
The surface was all wet.
The snow was wet and
watery good.
The sky is blue and
my sister’s favorite color.
Untitled
Mark S.
They look like coins the
sky is like the surface of the water it
is awesome
Untitled
Matthew Z.
It is a good day.
They are a billion people.
The million people in the
city. Skies are blue and
so are you. It is the
first surface in all
time.
Ms. Ward, 2nd Grade
Weird Family
Isabella G.
They are both twins.
They drink coffee lots.
Their mom’s name is Mrs. Mommy.
Their dad’s name is dad.
They are great.
Untitled
Harmony H.
The sun rises both years.
Mrs. Kindly goes out. And feels
the breeze on her cheeks.
She feels the great winds on
her cheeks. And drinks her
coffee.
Untitled
Ryan L.
Mrs. Great drinks coffee
and breaks both bricks.
Untitled
Balin N.
Both monsters were jumping around
Mrs. Reindeer jumped out the
window and the baby ran out
the earth was crying. The great monster
was flying on a sunny day drinking
coffee.
Untitled
Bruce R.
I am a teacher they
call me Mrs. Something.
Me and my friend
both like chocolate.
Me and my friend
go somewhere. I am
a great kid. I hate
coffee.
Ms. Carlson, 4th Grade
Another and Another + One More
Usaun A.
Make me another glass of milk.
Wow! This milk is making me
cold. Give me another and
and nothing + one more blanket!
Your wish has been accepted. By
another glass of milk.
A Monster
Xiubo J.
Another accepted blanket and eat the glass
and turn his mouth off.
Of
Maddi L.
Another game of ball at school.
I act like the ball is glass
so that my hands can be
a blanket
to catch the ball
softly.
The glass ball is caught by
the blanket of my hands.
I have accepted the fact that
this is real.
There is a real glass ball,
my hands are blankets I
catch the ball with no fear.
Another accepted glass ball,
of the future.
Another accepted glass ball.
Still World
Miracle S.
Another world stays still
A glass breaks the world
Something covers the still world.
The earth accepts the still world
But of the blanket the world stays still.
The glass shatters the world
The blanket covers us.
But we don’t accept the glass that breaks,
breaks the world.
We have gone in another world.
But the blanket keeps the world still
with another, another, another blanket
of another blanket keeps the world still.
Another Time We Laugh, We Have Alot of Glass
Asia W.
Part 1
The glass of love
love has accepted
me in as their
blanket. But
you have not
been accepted.
You are now
blank.
Part 2
Another time
we love is
another time
we laugh when
we laugh we
smile and
the glass
of love
lets you drink
it so now
you laugh with love
Untitled
Amy Y.
The blanket is another.
I sit up the blanket
is a glass of water.
Mr. Chau, 4th Grade
Untitled
James B.
The covering of a married and separate
jumped into a fire. They called 9-1-1 and
ate chicken. They changed into a cow
and said mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!
Untitled
Tru C.
I married a lady.
I caused a fire.
I called for help.
I started covering my lady.
I got separate from my lady.
And I so on.
Untitled
Jake L.
Oh no!
I set the house on fire!
My fate is in my hands
Will I get married
What will happen,
If I get married will we…
separate
Get the fire extinguisher
I need to know
fire fire fires spreading
Covering everything
with smoke
Will I get called?
Crack Crack Burn…
I’m ALIVE!
What Life Does to You
Sarah W.
My life has done a lot
I called a random person
And I got married to the
person
Covering my bed was my hobby
The person decided to separate
with me
And then a fire burned my
whole house
and now I’m a ghost
Boo you life
The Random Poem
Myles W.
I was covering my face in
shame. Then the house set
on fire. The separate, married
houses burnt up. And something
called.
Mr. Cox, 4th Grade
Untitled
Cornell F.
The Commodore was shouting
we could be having fish
but he was so dry so
NO!
Untitled
Jude G.
The commodore went fishing one day,
he spotted some dry, shouting fish.
With his pole, he caught
the fish with his hook
and shouted, “Hey matey, we
found ourselves a real fish!”
The commodore went home
with a fish and ate
it in a dish, that fish.
Fishing
Journi M.
Today is fishing I meet
A commodore caught a
Dryly fish I cooked
the dryly and
The fish was shouting when we
took it out the water what a
great day
Untitled
Emmett M.
The powerful commodore, asked his men to fish,
for they were going to make, a very fishy dish.
Why? The commodore spoke dryly, for he was sick.
No he couldn’t shout, because he swallowed a tick.
But don’t worry! He will heal, ’cause what
cheers him up is his pet seal!
Fishing
Nathaniel W.
I’m a fishin’
for the dryly shouting
commodore
Ms. Travis, 4th Grade
Untitled
Jimmy D.
I earn 32 dollars.
I am the richest man on
earth than the others. I
enjoy my jobs. There are
a lot of states out there.
Every one deserves to vote.
I face my fear.
Untitled
Hannah D.
Then flew the bluejay
crossing the states of America
then the animals
rip $32 and
fling themselves
up to god
they finished
voting the jobs
are done. They
will perish.
Goodbye
Random Words
Antoinette H.
I have more than you.
I have $32. I love voting.
I stand for the United States.
All people should have jobs.
Alien Court
Braden S.
I was at court. I got paid
$32 as a judge. They were voting.
Judging is my job. This was
in the United States of America. The
two people in court were six six,
and seven seven. Then six six’s
lawyer won. Seven seven shot a laser,
seven got arrested to the plumbers.
Six six was fine.
Untitled
Victoria V.
All of the jobs
were cut.
And the jobs pay pay
$32 a month.
The states were voting
for how much should they
pay.
Then the states
were so quiet above
the sun.
