poetry

Homework time can be a painful event in our house with 2 boys who would rather do pretty much anything else than sit down for yet more writing and maths after a day at school. But every term there is a project that is a little more exciting. This term Doodlebug has to compile a poetry anthology of 14 different poems - 2 of which he has to write himself. The poems should represent a wide variety of styles and he needs to illustrate them.

This has been enjoyable - at least for me! Doodlebug needs a little encouragement to sit down and type the poems out, but we've had some fun selecting poems. I knew all those poetry books I had on the shelf would come in handy one day! My job was to help Doodlbug find some poems, I'd read some out and we'd discuss their meaning and he would pick his favourites. Doodlebug surprised me with his understanding and insight into meanings.
I'm not much of a poetry expert when it comes to the different styles, so Doodlebug and I have been learning together.

I thought I'd share some of the poems he's picked here. The first one is a sonnet. It was hard to find one that wasn't a "mushy lovey one", but we managed:


Sonnet XCIV

They that have power to hurt and will do none,
That do not do the thing they most do show,
Who, moving others, are themselves as stone,
They rightly do inherit Heaven’s graces,
And husband nature’s riches from expense;
They are the lords and owners of their faces,
Others but stewards of their excellence.
The summer’s flower with base infection meet,
The basest weed outbraves his dignity:
For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds:
Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.

William Shakespeare