I tried a fun poetry prompt with my writing club students recently – let’s write a poem about an animal that incorporates its communication sounds into the text!
We started by brainstorming some of our favourite animals. Then we added their different sounds – or communicative actions, in the case of animals like rabbits or axolotls that don’t make much noise. We talked about what the different sounds might mean in animal language, and how the animals might express different meanings through changes in those sounds. I enjoy doing group brainstorming activities before moving on to individual writing, as it gives students a chance to bounce ideas off each other, ask questions, and get inspiration before diving into a project.
When it was time to put pencil to paper, I invited student to explore whatever poetic form they wanted. Most chose some variation of a rhyming couplet or quatrain, which seems to be everyone’s comfort zone (including my own, if I’m honest), though there were a few haiku as well. I shared two of my own poems, one featuring a chickadee, and one celebrating my favourite animal, the cat.
I’m really enjoying working with young poets, and they never fail to inspire me with their enthusiasm, creativity, openness and willingness to learn, share and grow. The future of poetry is bright!
Which animal would you choose for your poem?
I really like your poems and after spending a month with a one year old, I think poems like this will be fun for him for a while. We do a lot of animal sounds and we find it fun too. Meows are big on the list.
Oh, such a fun age!!
I love the chickadee’s song, and you did a great job of capturing it. But I especially love the cat poem and your interpretation of the many different sounds it makes. So kid friendly, and a great writing activity for kids.
Kids just love animals, whenever I say we’re doing an animal themed poem the room definitely lights up 😄
Aw, I appreciate these optimistic and encouraging thoughts today! How lucky are your writing club kids to have you inspiring them? I especially love your cat poem. I would probably choose to write about cats too — I’d try to capture my own kitty’s demanding chirp, employed each evening after dinner when she expects her now-nightly treat. 🙂
Cats hold themselves in such high esteem, you can’t help but admire their confidence. 🤣
So fun! I might choose a hummingbird. They make more noise than I realized–especially when fighting off other hummers from the feeder.
And they’re feisty!! Watching them argue with each other over the feeder is so comical and endlessly endearing.
Hi Jane, The writing club creatives must have had such great vocal sounds when they scritch-scratched or tap-tapped their poems. It’s great that you sponsor a writing club. I love your two poems & especially the last couplet about cats .
Before I found #PoetryFriday I blogged at TheGrog, created by a librarian pal, on blogspot & was fortunate to write about Georgia Heard & her fascination with animal sounds, which she put into a book. I feel you may make a gleeful sound if you can get your hands on it. Here’s the URL of my feature: https://groggorg.blogspot.com/2019/03/boom-bellow-bleat-by-georgia-heard-and.html
Oh yes!! Thank you for sharing, it sounds right up my alley!!
Oh, do I love that photo of you holding your book! What a smile. I can just imagine you with a bunch of youngsters having fun with words for what animals say. I, for sure, would choose a cat. Even though we have a dog and two cats…the cats are definitely more communicative and snarky!
We definitely have a good time here at the library! Cats are just so full of personality, I feel like I could write about them forever and never run out of inspiration. 😉
If I were picking an animal to write about, maybe it would be a woodpecker! Your writing club sounds fun 🙂 I heard from someone recently who I had worked with during a writing camp almost 20 years ago! What a treat. You never know how someone is responding to your efforts.
Aren’t woodpeckers fascinating?! And what a wonderful reminder of the impact you can have on a fellow writer! 🥹
So much fun! You actually picked two of my very favorite animals…and you did them proud with your poems! I’m intrigued by the poem one might write about an axolotl, but not surprised that a student chose it as their favorite animal!
Axolotls are everywhere right now! Lots of “a lotl” puns 🤣 “It doesn’t say a lotl” 🤣
These are so fun and light. I love the onomatopoeia! I’ve been listening to a pileated woodpecker this winter – knock-knock-knocking on heaven’s door (my woods). 🙂
Woodpeckers would make an awesome subject for a poem! Actually I think I did write one a few months back, if I remember correctly. The woods are packed with poetry!
Jane, your poetry lesson must have inspired young writers with sounds and your mentor poems. I enjoyed both of your poems and the animals you chose.
Thanks so much! Animals are always a popular topic for kids, everyone has a favourite they feel a connection with. 🙂