Poetry Friday: Shoe Odes
Today was the poetry open house at Northfield Elementary School.It was an emotional day. I've been poet-in-residence at this school for ten years. The third grade teachers' stories about how our poetry workshops have impacted their students, and their own teaching throughout the year, were so moving. There were lots of tears and hugs.I have a few more odes from the third grade poets to share, then we'll have a fun photo gallery from the residency. You can read more about our workshop on odes at this post.Roscoe took the idea of hyperbole and ran with it in this ode.Dear ShoeBy Roscoe G.Dear Shoe, you look like an old greenand black gorilla, but you are the wisestof all. You smell like a nine billionyear old dump that survivedthe Great Depression. You sound likea beating wing of a horned owl.You feel like a scratchy bed of silk.I have gone to England with you,Six Flags, Disney World, and Disney Landwith you. I can't live without youbecause you protect my feet like armor.***I love the visual simile that Jacob uses for his first line.My ShoeBy Jacob Z.My shoes looks like the scaleson a raging crocodile.My shoes smells like dirty socks,so I can make my older brothernot take my money byputting my money in there.My shoe feels like walking on waterwhen I walk.My shoe sounds like a galloping horse.I've been to the Great Wall of Chinawith you.If you weren't here, my feet wouldstep on the long, pointy grass.***I could tell that Zenia took special care in writing her ode, reordering the similes that she brainstormed so that her poem ends with a powerful image.Dear ShoeBy Zenia H.Oh shoe, oh how I couldn't live without you. I wouldn't go as fast. The foamy insides are as soft and comfy as my blanket waiting for me on my bed. Oh, the one thing that is my absolute favorite is your smell that is as stinky as a skunk. You, my favorite, beautiful shoe, you are like a rainbow bursting out of the sky. Oh, how I couldn't live without you.***Great finale in this poem -- can you hear these shoes stomping?Dear ShoesBy Rishik R.You are like a red laser going past a black wall, fast as turbo. You smell like a wonderful wet breeze. You feel as rough as an entire continent, and most of all you both sound like thunder booming through the sky, loud as Zeus.***This is another poem that opens with a powerful simile.My ShoesBy Jordan T.You look like a black trainzooming across the track.Shoes, you smell like a stinkbug when it dies. You could even knockout a skunk. You are so soft, likea smooth cloth. You soundlike someone scratching on agymnastics bar. There have beenso many places. It's like I'vebeen all around the world withthem. I've run and splashed in thewater at the beach with them. Ican't live without you, shoes. I willget wet and blistery without you.***NORTHFIELD ELEMENTARY'S POETRY PHOTO GALLE\RY
