Last week at Symyser, the 4th graders and I read Words are Birds by Francisco X Alarcón. In addition to finding the connections Alarcòn makes between words and birds, we identified how the poem is thinking about translation and immigration. We also learned about metaphors and spent some time building our own. Both classes came up with wonderful examples of metaphors they already knew, so I pushed them to craft some unlikely metaphors in their version of a Words are ____ poem. Here’s what they came up with!
Mrs. Erzrumly’s Class
Words are the Clouds
By Abigail
Words are the clouds
that appear in the sky
at day and at night
flying around in the sky
like they just don’t care
hiding the sun
hiding the moon
hiding the sky
Words are Helpful
By Slava
Words help us
how do we know?
Read this poem
to find out soon!
If there are no pictures to a book
use the words create images in your mind!
If words are bad to you
you will never have pictures in your mind!
Words are like lazer tag to me
the words are the lazers from the guns
Words are also just as fun as pizza!
The words are like the toppings on the pizza.
Plane, leaf, tree, and waterbottle
By Max
Clock is a plane
traveling through time
going to a future
place
Paper is a leaf
like a tree flatten
down to thin paper
or card board
Pencil is a tree
shaped like a
perfect stick
that can write
waterbottle is a waterfall
going down the mountain.
I love words sometimes not
By Nathan
words bring you up
words help
words could be kind
words are love
words can bring you down
words can be hurtful
words can be mean
words are like a devil
but words could help bring you up
words can help your friends or cousins
words can be like christmas tree happy
words are a family to make me comfortable
That’s why I love words
and sometimes not
Bunny hop to the shop
By Raven
The bunny hopped to the shop
he always hopped to the shop
he loved poems and hopping to go
shopping he also could talk and
wore a top hat but people made
fun of him because he was 3tft
and his name was Bob the Bunny
sometimes theyed call him Bobby.
he was a bad bunny and he
thought words were fried chicken
but words are fried chicken right?
and words are his favorite.
Some words are mean
By Vivian
some words are hurtful
some are sad
you can defeat them
if you can stay glad
then it wont hurt you
if you stay glad
say that in your
head or you will never know
you glad
Not Liking Homework
By Ethan
Homework is
falling hail in the
sky It’s raining
homework and
trying to dodge
the homework
homework is
finishing a job
that is cleaning
trying to be
the winner in a
race track me
vs. homework
having nightmares
about dreams
of homework
is a horror
homework tracking
me down.
A word is a song
By Audrey
A word is a song
you can play
you can dance
you can sing!
you can whine
you can cry
you do it all the time!
you can do anything!
A word is a song
you can sing along
You can do anything!
A word is a song
A word is a song
You can do anything!
Words are a football game
By Nickolas
Words are a football game
like when you catch a ball and
keep running
Or when you run and something
hits you and you fall to the ground
no matter what, you can get up
and keep trying
protective armor can keep
you from being hurt
people cheering for you
you know you can get better
Ms. Edward’s Class
Words are Colors and Shapes
By Lugie
A star is a yellow sharp tool
A hexagon is a maze of corners
A trapezoid is a trap for rat in a hotel
A triangle is a magenta shape at
school
Words are a warm blanket
By Erica
Words are a
warm blanket
when someone
compliments you.
Help you feel
safe and sound
when you are
alone.
Words comfort
you when you
are sad or
depressed.
Words is
a warm
blanket.
Words are music
By Alyson
Paper is a knife
because paper has a little
knife at the end of the paper
Turtle is a cup
because a turtle
is slow and a cup
is slow too.
Words are food
By Nicole
Words are like food
And I will tell you
why
You eat chicken
you spit out words
You drink water
And you get the
energy for running
You eat pancakes
And get full
But you
can’t get the
moment to
rejoice that
you got to
eat
So you should
be happy, the
way you eat and
talk
Words are fun
By Aris
Words are funny
Pillow is Hair
Books are Bricks
Mom is Diamond
Words are Comfy
by Nahla
A chandelier is a swing like at a playground
they swing back and forth
A park is a ocean full with living
things.
A screwdriver is a shiny star.
Words are Birds
By Ivanna
Words are dodgeball
Words are Birds
Words are bucket fillers
Words are games
Words are teddy bears
Words are Reading
Words are fans
Words are positive
Words are negative
Words are hairs
Words are stars.
Rolling ball
By Millany
my rolling ball
my favorite ball
no kicks
no rules
no one
kick no
one stink!
your words
shine◊
stink is not
like trash
stink is
shine!
Flying
By Sharai
words
are feeling
like your
flying
in the sky
like nobody
talks, nobody
clocks, nobody
falls in
with words.
Words
By Sarah
A book is a
Flag Because a book can be about a flag
a phone is a poster. Because
you can post stuff about it
A pencil is a drawing
because you can draw with a pencil.
The sea is food because
there is sea food.
A football is fast because when
you throw it it’s gonna go flying
Relaxing is calm because
your not using a lot of
energy
