They were easily swayed thanks to the likes of Michael Rosen, Kit Wright and Mandy Coe.
Free verse is defined by its lack of rules. Without the constraints of rhyme and a fixed rhythm, there are no distractions from other interesting poetic devices : we focussed on imagery, line breaks, alliteration, repetition and onomatopoeia.
First stop - The Magic Box by Kit Wright.
A fantastical poem with an easy to follow structure. Alliteration, imagery and onomatopoeia all feature in the first 2 lines so it's packed full of useful examples. We read it twice and then brainstormed what could go in our magic box - focussing on feelings, smells, tastes and sounds as well as things. The boys wrote their poems and then typed them up for display for a sneaky bit of ICT.
To say they were proud of them would be an understatement.
Next lesson was deeper into nonsense with Don't by Michael Rosen, who uses repetition for impact. We covered the way reading a poem aloud rather than in your head changes the feel and impact (link to slam/performance poetry) and watched some YouTube videos of poetry performances. We brought in elements of rhyme within phrases and I wish I could share them here but any poems that include lines like 'Don't put a plum in your bum' and 'Don't burp' are best kept offline. Thanks boys.
If I say there are no rules I can't be surprised that they produced rude poems. Hooray for freedom of expression.
Their 'Don't' poems might have lacked the charm of their Magic Box attempts but they did present them as a performance for Dad in a mini slam poetry jam.
Using the theme of 'Don't' we imagined a friend in a fantastical situation (the boys settled on : locked in an iron room and hair on fire) and wrote them a helpful postcard of Dos and Don'ts for a literacy link.
There's always scope for a bit more silliness so this week we'll move onto rhyming couplets with poems by Marian Swinger and Hilaire Belloc covering metaphors, similes, personification and some Spoonerisms from Michael Rosen.
Resources:
Michael Rosen compilations are terrific fun for browsing
Roald Dahl Revolting Rhymes are a classic
The Works, chosen by Paul Cookson, is a great one-stop compilation and includes lesson plans at the back
Our favourite onomatopoeia examples : buzz, crunch, pop, whizz, bang. Roald Dahl is the master of using these, especially in The Witches and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
