Category Archives: Poetry and history linked

“6 Classic Children’s Poems” recommended by Alex Morrison

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6 Classic Children’s Poems

Reading poetry offers a multitude of benefits. It offers unique perspectives that can broaden your worldview and some even stretch your mind to its limits as you work to decipher what the author is really trying to communicate. These reasons are why many English classes in school often include poetry in the curriculum.

Children’s poems may be targeted specifically for a younger audience. But many share valuable insight that people of all ages can benefit from. Here we put together a shortlist of classic children’s poems that we think everyone should read.

1. “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat” – Edward Lear

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat is perhaps Edward Lear’s most famous poem which was published in 1871. The nonsense poem (a type of literature that uses nonsensical words) was written for a three-year-old girl who was the daughter of Lear’s friend. This poem tells a simple love story between an owl and a cat, and their marriage to each other. Although more than 100 years old, the poem remains beloved to this day and was actually voted the most popular childhood poem in Britain in 2014.

2. “Jabberwocky” – Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll was the pen name for Charles Lutwidge Dodgson who was an English writer most notably known for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The poem Jabberwocky first appeared in its sequel Through the Looking-Glass in which the character Alice finds a poem that can only be read by holding it up to a mirror. She finds that she’s unable to decipher what it means. The poem offers one of the best examples of nonsense poetry and has given us words like “galumphing” and “chortle”.

3. “From a Railway Carriage” – Robert Louis Stevenson

From a Railway Carriage was written by Robert Louis Stevenson and was published as part of his 1885 volume A Child’s Garden of Verses. The poem offers a great example of versification which uses rhythmic patterns to describe a train journey and the view from the window. The poem is told from the author’s perspective so we see that the scenery is constantly shifting.

4. “Matilda” – Hilaire Belloc

Matilda was written by Hilaire Belloc and is a classic child’s poem that tells a cautionary tale of the devastating consequences of telling lies. The main subject, Matilda, has a fondness for telling lies which her aunt has tried unsuccessfully since her youth to change. Her constant telling of lies led to her burning to death along with the house she was in. Despite the dark subject, the poem has a light and humorous tone and teaches a valuable lesson that’s applicable today.

5. “Macavity, the Mystery Cat” – T. S. Eliot,

Macavity, the mystery cat was written by author T.S. Eliot and tells a short story about Macavity, a master criminal that leaves behind no evidence of his crimes. Macavity is described as a tall and thin ginger cat with deeply sunken eyes. Macavity is a master criminal who constantly evades authorities and covers his tracks with incredible skill. The main character is loosely based on Professor Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes stories.

6. “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” – Maya Angelou

Life Doesn’t Frighten Me by Maya Angelou is a simple, repetitive poem. There is no rhyme scheme in the poem but there are lines that rhyme. As you can likely already determined from the title, the poem shares a powerful story about overcoming fear and the importance of self-belief. The poem is written from a child’s perspective so we get more insight on how she describes and overcomes her fear.

Author’s Bio 

Alex Morrison has been a SEO expert for over 10 years. In this time, he has worked with a range of businesses giving him an in depth understanding of many different industries including home improvement, financial support and health care.

Gallipoli (Triolet) by Katherine Gallagher

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Gallipoli

Say that the word is gall–

cusped, broken on the tongue:

redolent of battles that appal.

Say that the word is gall.

Heroes, ordinary blokes, all

sung for Gaba Tepe, dying young –

Say that the word is gall –

cusped, broken on the tongue.

Katherine Gallagher

 

My Country by Dorothea Mackellar

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Today is a tribute to Dorothea Mackellar.

“On the 24th November, 2017, the Society of Women Writers of NSW, along with donors to the memorial, will gather in Waverley Cemetery at 6pm to ‘unveil’ the substantial marble plaque. This honours the poet, Dorothea Mackellar (1885-1968) with the 8 lines of her most famous stanza from her poem My Country, there for all to see in perpetuity. Her gravesite is close by the ’jewel sea’ of the Pacific Ocean she so lovingly describes”

poet Dorothea Mackeller

My Country – Poem by Dorothea Mackellar

The love of field and coppice
Of green and shaded lanes,
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins.
Strong love of grey-blue distance,
Brown streams and soft, dim skies
I know, but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me!

The stark white ring-barked forests,
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon,
Green tangle of the brushes
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops,
And ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When, sick at heart, around us
We see the cattle die
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the rainbow gold,
For flood and fire and famine
She pays us back threefold.
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze …

An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand
though Earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly

Cat-a-static by Celia Berrell

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(Nikola Tesla 1856 – 1943)

 

Nikola loved his childhood cat

the sleek, majestic black-Macak.

A cat whose fur would click and spark

when days were chilly, dry and dark

as stroking black-Macak’s fur coat

could cause a tiny lightning bolt.

 

Nikola Tesla loved his cat

the sparkling, zappy black-Macak.

That static electricity

inspired young Tesla, cleverly

inventing things quite technical.

Especially electrical.

 

From neon lights and radios

to radar and remote controls.

Transistors, robots, X-ray zones

and AC power to our homes.

Tesla had a genius knack

that started through his cat Macak!

  

https://tesla-museum.org/en/extraordinary-world/cat/

A Tribute to “Trim” Matthew Flinders’ Cat by Pat Simmons

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Trim

I’m a black cat

A special cat

A ship’s cat.

I was born on the Reliance in 1799.

Of all my mother’s kittens

I was the one most fine.

I’m a black cat

A special cat

A ship’s cat.

I have four snow-white paws

And a white star on my chest.

Of all the cats on board this ship

The sailors like me best.

I’m a black cat

A special cat

A ship’s cat.

When it’s time for dinner

I don’t eat with other cats.

I sit at table with the men.

I don’t care for rats.

I’m a black cat

A special cat

A ship’s cat.

I have a trusty friend

And Matthew Flinders is his name.

He has called me Trim.

I think together we’ll find fame.

I’m a black cat

A special cat

A ship’s cat.

Matthew is a clever man

He’s sailed all round this land.

He’s given it a name

And that’s Australia – how grand.

Perhaps you have a cat at home

Is it as fine as me?

Would it like to come aboard

And sail upon the sea?

With a black cat

A special cat

A ship’s cat.

–

Pat Simmons

Trim the Ship’s Cat

 

 

Writing for Children without Writing about Children by Stephen Whiteside

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During the recent national SCBWI Conference in Sydney, I heard a quote which stuck in my mind. I am paraphrasing, but it went something like this: “So many writers seem to think children want to read about Nature, but most of all, children want to read about children”.

A pang of guilt instantly swept through me, because I know am one of the writers guilty of that crime — if that is indeed what it is.

Of course I know that children want to read about children, and of course I do often write for children about children. But some of the time – much of the time – perhaps even too much of the time – I write for children about Nature.

So why do I do it?

The first and most obvious reason is that as a child I was introduced to the natural world – the beach, the sea, the forest, the mountains – and the birds and beasts that therein dwell, and loved it. So it is natural enough that I should wish to pass this love and appreciation on to the next generation.

Yet there is an even stronger urge to write about Nature for children, and it is this. So much of what I took for granted as a child is no longer available to children today and, on current trends, the situation will be even worse for the next generation. The reasons for this are complex, and I do not fully understand them all. Indeed, I doubt if anybody does.

The threats to wildlife seem to mount exponentially, and outstrip our ability to deal with them effectively. There was a time, for example, when it was considered sufficient to simply protect an area from development in order to protect the wildlife living there. Now, this is no longer enough. I heard recently of a national park in the Northern Territory (I think it was Kakadu) where wildlife numbers are falling in spite of what would appear to be adequate protective measures being in place.

Off the coast of British Columbia, orcas (killer whales) are no longer physically assaulted in any way (in the past they have been shot at by fishermen, and captured for public display), yet their numbers are falling. Furthermore, it is the young adults that are predominantly dying. It seems quite possible that humans are simply outcompeting orcas for salmon, causing them to suffer from malnutrition.

Across the face of the planet, human numbers continue to grow, and spread into new areas to live. Despite our best intentions, it would appear we are unable to protect animals from ourselves.

Dystopian visions of a world without animals and birds, perhaps with sophisticated robotic replacements, abound. Perhaps this is indeed the future that our children’s children’s children face.

Personally, I hate to think of a world without birdsong, without the blow of a whale, kangaroo footprints on the beach, or a wombat patiently making its way across a snowfield.

Anything that I can do to promote in the children of today a curiosity in and a love of the natural world I will do. I certainly don’t want to preach, but I do want to educate, and perhaps even inspire.

There may come a time when all that is left of the world’s fauna and flora is photographs and recordings, and references in poems, songs and stories. Until that time comes, though, I will continue to search for ways to pass on to the children of today my own sense of wonder and awe at the natural world. Of course, I will also continue to write about children for children.

© Stephen Whiteside   08.08.2014

 

Poems organised through Robyn Youl

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The following poems were written by elderly patients in a Melbourne nursing home. Initials have been used to protect patient confidentiality. Prompts, which led to the formulation of the poems, are provided. Thanks to Robin Youl for this contribution.

Rusty
Rusty.

Big Ears
Small little feet.

I brush his long hair.

He licks my hand.
He loves me
Just me.
Nobody else
Just me.

S @ Grant Lodge. [Prompt: Nursing, brushing Papillon PAT dog]

My Rainbow

My Rainbow
a road.

There is no beginning
Because
You start
In the middle
Of
A Rainbow Road
If you want.

All colours
Are beautiful
I love them
Every one.

Walk on any colour.
Walk on all the colours
If you want.

A Rainbow Road
Leads to
A Blue Mist
Which surrounds you.
If you want.

V @ Grant Lodge [Prompt: V’s Painting of a Rainbow]

The Face.

I look up.
Just above me
That face.

Suspended, staring
Again.

Nothing
Passes between us.
I remain silent.
Perhaps she wishes to speak.
I do not know.

G @ Grant Lodge [Prompt: Recurring vision of this face]

Leaves organised by Robyn Youl

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Today’s Poem of the Day was composed by a group of elderly people in a Victorian nursing home under the leadership of Robyn Youll who presents poetry readings and workshops to them weekly. The poem was inspired by ‘Leaves’, a recent Poem of the Day.

 

Leaves

 

In Autumn

English Invaders

shed

Crackling – underfoot,

Gutter – clogging,

Wind – dancing,

Leaves

 

Australian Eucalypts

stubbornly

cling to

hard leaves

shiny leaves

fire-loving leaves

harsh climate leaves.

 

Evergreen Eucalypts

shed

bark instead

 

English Leaves

paint

Autumn

Bronze

Scarlet

Yellow

Gold

Then

English Leaves

Paint

Spring

Green

Again

 

In

Summer

Eucalyptus Leaves

Bushfire scarlet.

 

Providence U3A: 26th May: Prudence Marsh. (Prudence Marsh in the nom-de-plume for Group Poetry)

Prompt: Di Bates Poem: Leaves.

Present: Ted, Verna, Lucy, Margaret W.,M.[briefly] Joyce,Dorothy, Sirkka, Pat, Betty R.,F., Melvie.

 

 

Funding Application from Dianne Bates

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The design of Australian Children’s Poetry blog site was the work of talented children’s author, Helen Ross. For months I have been trying to find funding from organisations to pay Helen for the considerable assistance she has rendered, including help after the post went up last month. More recently I applied to the National Children’s Book Council of Australia for funding. This is the thrust of their response:

“While we all agreed your project has distinct merit and we congratulate you on your vision and your passion, the Board is not in a financial position to support any external requests for funding. 

“The National CBCA body is currently in a transition phase in developing its own financial security for its operations, this is not a small task I can assure you. Board members are working extremely long hours as volunteers themselves. We can certainly understand your position of wanting to create wonderful far-reaching projects that require funding—we’re in the same position as yourself in this regard.

“I can say the National Board is certainly looking forward to the day when we can offer this type of support; that would mean we have reached a significant point in our own development. 

“We certainly wish you all the very best, as we know you have similar goals to ours.”

Naturally I am disappointed with the CBCA Board’s decision, but Helen  has had to be paid. As a result I have paid her out of my own pocket.

If you would like to help defray my costs, please do so. You can contact me, at dibates@outlook.com and I will give you banking details. Your financial help would be greatly appreciated.

Dianne Bates,

Website convenor

http://www.enterprisingwords.com.au