Teaching Halloween Poems

The Poetry Foundation has some great lesson ideas for teaching Halloween poems.

The Academy of American Poets has a huge assortment of Halloween poems, some old, some new, some quite startling. The also have lesson plans, with Common Core Standards highlighted.

My favorite Halloween poem is Goblin Market, by Christina Rossetti, which you can read in all its glory here.

Morning and evening
Maids heard the goblins cry:
"Come buy our orchard fruits,
Come buy, come buy..."

Morning and evening Maids heard the goblins cry: "Come buy our orchard fruits, Come buy, come buy: - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19257#sthash.nvoXrylO.dpuf"

Morning and evening Maids heard the goblins cry: "Come buy our orchard fruits, Come buy, come buy: Apples and quinces, Lemons and oranges, Plump unpecked cherries, Melons and raspberries, Bloom-down-cheeked peaches, Swart-headed mulberries, Wild free-born cranberries, Crab-apples, dewberries, Pine-apples, blackberries, Apricots, strawberries;— All ripe together In summer weather,— Morns that pass by, Fair eves that fly; Come buy, come buy; - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19257#sthash.nvoXrylO.dpuf

Morning and evening Maids heard the goblins cry: "Come buy our orchard fruits, Come buy, come buy: Apples and quinces, Lemons and oranges, Plump unpecked cherries, Melons and raspberries, Bloom-down-cheeked peaches, Swart-headed mulberries, Wild free-born cranberries, Crab-apples, dewberries, Pine-apples, blackberries, Apricots, strawberries;— All ripe together In summer weather,— Morns that pass by, Fair eves that fly; Come buy, come buy; - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19257#sthash.nvoXrylO.dpuf

Morning and evening Maids heard the goblins cry: "Come buy our orchard fruits, Come buy, come buy: Apples and quinces, Lemons and oranges, Plump unpecked cherries, Melons and raspberries, Bloom-down-cheeked peaches, Swart-headed mulberries, Wild free-born cranberries, Crab-apples, dewberries, Pine-apples, blackberries, Apricots, strawberries;— All ripe together In summer weather,— Morns that pass by, Fair eves that fly; Come buy, come buy; - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19257#sthash.nvoXrylO.dpuf

Morning and evening Maids heard the goblins cry: "Come buy our orchard fruits, Come buy, come buy: Apples and quinces, Lemons and oranges, Plump unpecked cherries, Melons and raspberries, Bloom-down-cheeked peaches, Swart-headed mulberries, Wild free-born cranberries, Crab-apples, dewberries, Pine-apples, blackberries, Apricots, strawberries;— All ripe together In summer weather,— Morns that pass by, Fair eves that fly; Come buy, come buy; - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19257#sthash.nvoXrylO.dpuf

Mendocino CPitS Anthology

The wonderful Blake More, Area Coordinator for CPitS in Mendocino County, has just completed her editing of a new K-12 anthology, published by the Mendocino County Office of Education. You can follow the Mendo PitS at their website. Blake More also offers her insight as a long-time poet/teacher at her own website. It's a wonderful colorful space.

  

Here is a sample poem, written in Spanish and then translated into English, by a pair of third graders. The poetry alone is lovely, moving, full of life. The opportunity to collaborate as young artists across cultures is the best example of what artist in the schools programs can offer.

IN THE MOON / EN LA LUNA

In the moon
there is a star
In the star
there’s tears
In the tears
sparkles
In the sparkles
there are blossoms
In the blossoms
there are daisies
In the daisies
there are fish
swimming away in the ocean.

En la luna
hay estrellas
En las estrellas
hay lágrimas
En las lágrimas
hay brillo
En el brillo
hay flores floreando
En las flores floreando
hay margaritas
En las margaritas
hay peces
nadando en el mar

by Jocelyn A., Grade 3
trans by Jocelyn and Susana H.

 

Mara Sheade : CPitS Poet Teacher

Lest you (dear reader) think that there are only one or two local poet/teachers, I'd like to direct your attention to some of Mara's work. Here is a great group poem, written by members of Niles Rotary to help celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the City of Fremont. Fremont is in Alameda County (not Santa Clara  County), but we won't hold that against either one.

Here's one of the long poem's many stanzas:

Spring always returns me to the Fremont of my youth. White and pink flowers cloak the bare brown skeletons of apricot and cherry trees. Bright yellow mustard flowers cling to plants and lift softly in the bright blue sky while tri-colored black birds fill the air and I breathe in the earthy smell of fresh turned earth.

Any resident of Santa Clara Vally (and the counties that inhabit it) will recognize these lovely sensory images. 

 

This beautiful photo was taken in 1952 by Charles W. Cushman, who described it in his notebook as "Orchard + yellow flowers near Niles."  There may not be many places in Santa Clara Valley that look like this in 2013, but many of us still hold these trees and flowers in our memories. 

Another Poem by CPitS Teacher Amanda Chiado

Complete with a very funny photo of her.

Congratulations to Amanda who's getting her work done.