1 Poems That Don ’ t Make Sense “A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men.” (Roald Dahl, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory) Copyright Sandy Fussell

2 Poet of the day EDWARD LEAR

3 Born 12 May 1812 (died 1888) Born 12 May 1812 (died 1888) Artist, illustrator, author and poet Artist, illustrator, author and poet Most famous for his literary nonsense poems including limericks Most famous for his literary nonsense poems including limericks Had 20 brothers and sisters Had 20 brothers and sisters He was not very well and suffered epilepsy, bronchitis and asthma. He was not very well and suffered epilepsy, bronchitis and asthma. In later life he became partially blind. In later life he became partially blind. MR LEAR THE POET

4 Alphabet Poem by Edward Lear A A was once an apple pie, Pidy Widy Tidy Pidy Nice insidy Apple Pie! B B was once a little bear, Beary! Wary! Hairy! Beary! Taky cary! Little Bear! C C was once a little cake, Caky Baky Maky Caky Taky Caky, Little Cake! G G was once a little goose, Goosy Moosy Boosy Goosey Waddly-woosy Little Goose! H H was once a little hen, Henny Chenny Tenny Henny Eggsy-any Little Hen? I I was once a bottle of ink, Inky Dinky Thinky Inky Black Minky Bottle of Ink! D D was once a little doll, Dolly Molly Polly Nolly Nursy Dolly Little Doll! E E was once a little eel, Eely, Weely Peely Eely Twirly, Tweedy Little Eel! F F was once a little fish, Fishy Wishy Squishy Fishy In a Dishy Little Fish! J J was once a jar of jam, Jammy Mammy Clammy Jammy Sweety-Swammy Jar of Jam! K K was once a little kite, Kity Whity Flighty Kity Out of sighty- Little Kite! L L was once a little lark, Larky! Marky! Harky! Larky! In the Parky, Little Lark!

5 M M was once a little mouse, Mousey Bousey Sousy Mousy In the Housy Little Mouse! N N was once a little needle, Needly Tweedly Threedly Needly Wisky-wheedly Little Needle! O O was once a little owl, Owly Prowly Howly Owly Browny fowly Little Owl! P P was once a little pump, Pumpy Slumpy Flumpy Pumpy Dumpy, Thumpy Little Pump! U U was once a little urn, Urny Burny Turny Urny Bubbly-burny Little Urn! V V was once a little vine, Viny Winy Twiny Viny Twisty-twiny Little Vine! W W was once a whale, Whaly Scaly Shaly Whaly Tumbly-taily Mighty Whale! Q Q was once a little quail, Quaily Faily Daily Quaily Stumpy-taily Little Quail! R R was once a little rose, Rosy Posy Nosy Rosy Bows-y - grows-y Little Rose! S S was once a little shrimp, Shrimpy Nimpy Flimpy Shrimpy Jumpy-jimpy Little Shrimp! T T was once a little thrush, Thrushy! Hushy! Bushy! Thrushy! Flitty-Flushy Little Thrush! X X was once a great king Xerxes, Xerxy Perxy Turxy Xerxy Linxy Lurxy Great King Xerxes! Y Y was once a little yew, Yewdy Fewdy Crudy Yewdy Growdy, grewdy, Little Yew! Z Z was once a piece of zinc, Tinky Winky Blinky Tinky Tinkly Minky Piece of Zinc!

6  Turns what we think of as everyday life and language upside down to create new and strange meanings  Fanciful phrases and meaningless made-up words  Humorous Nonsense Poems The Faulty Bagnose By John Lennon (The Beatles) The Faulty Bagnose 4 years ago Softly, softly, treads the Mungle Thinner thorn behaviour street. Whorg canteel whorth bee asbin? Cam we so all complete, With all our faulty bagnose? The elephant is a bonnie bird. It flits from bough to bough. It makes its nest in a rhubarb tree And whistles like a cow. Hey diddle, diddle, The cat and the fiddle. The cow jumped over the moon. The little dog laughed to see such fun, And the dish ran away with the spoon. There was an old man of West Dumpet, Who possessed a large nose like a trumpet; When he blew it aloud, it astonished the crowd, And was heard through the whole of West Dumpet.

7 The Quangle Wangle ’ s Hat On the top of the Crumpetty Tree The Quangle Wangle sat, But his face you could not see, On account of his Beaver Hat. For his hat was a hundred and two feet wide, With ribbons and bibbons on every side And bells, and buttons, and loops, and lace, So that nobody ever could see the face Of the Quangle Wangle Quee. The Quangle Wangle said To himself on the Crumpetty Tree, Jam; and jelly; and bread; Are the best food for me! But the longer I live on this Crumpetty Tree The plainer than ever it seems to me That very few people come this way And that life on the whole is far from gay!' Said the Quangle Wangle Quee. But there came to the Crumpetty Tree, Mr. and Mrs. Canary; And they said, Did you ever see Any spot so charmingly airy? May we build a nest on your lovely Hat? Mr. Quangle Wangle, grant us that! O please let us come and build a nest Of whatever material suits you best, Mr. Quangle Wangle Quee!' And besides, to the Crumetty Tree Came the Stork, the Duck, and the Owl; The Snail, and the Bumble-Bee, The Frog, and the Fimble Fowl; The Fimble Fowl, with a Corkscrew leg; And all of them said, We humbly beg, We may build our homes on your lovely Hat, Mr. Quangle Wangle, grant us that! Mr. Quangle Wangle Quee! And the Golden Grouse came there, And the Pobble who has no toes, And the small Olympian bear, And the Dong with a luminous nose. And the Blue Babboon, who played the flute, And the Orient Calf from the Land of Tute, And the Attery Squash, and the Bisky Bat, All came and built on the lovely Hat Of the Quangle Wangle Quee. And the Quangle Wangle said To himself on the Crumpetty Tree, When all these creatures move What a wonderful noise there'll be!' And at night by the light of the Mulberry moon They danced to the flute of the Blue Babboon, On the broad green leaves of the Crumpetty Tree, And all were as happy as happy could be, With the Quangle Wangle Quee. - Edward Lear

8 Jabberwocky Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. 'Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!' He took his vorpal sword in hand: Long time the manxome foe he sought. So rested he by the Tumtum tree, And stood awhile in thought. And as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came! One, two! One, two! And through, and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back. 'And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! Oh, frabjous day! Callooh! callay!' He chortled in his joy. 'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves And the mome raths outgrabe. By Lewis Carroll (From Through the Looking Glass -Alice in Wonderland) Spot the made up words. Do they sound like nouns, verbs or adjectives?

INSERT THE NEWS POEM HERE 9 The News by Michael Rosen

10 Here is the news Someone is at the classroom door That’s the news. Is it a girl called Sandy Wearing a dress made of sticky candy? Is it a teacher called Mr Brown Eating a hamburger upside-down? Is it ___________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ That was the news. Writing a NONSENSE POEM Group Activity

11 On The Ning Nang Nong INSERT On The Ning Nang Nong POEM HERE

12 WHIP WHack WHOO Individual Activity On the Whip Whack Whoo Where the Cows go __________! (rhymes with Whoo) and the ___________________ all say WHEE! (animal name) There's a Whoo Whack Whip Where the trees go ________! (rhymes with Whip) And the tea pots __________________ chee. (alliteration ‘ch’ words) On the Whoo Whip Whack All the mice go __________ (rhymes with Whack) And you just can't catch 'em where they be! So its Whip Whack Whoo Cows go _____________! Whoo Whack Whip Trees go _______ Whoo Whip Whack The mice go ________ What a noisy thing to do is the Whip Whack Whip Whack Whoo!! Spike Milligan & 4B

13 Copyright Hunt Emerson at

14 Copyright Hunt Emerson at

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