1. Poetry
4th Grade Study

2. Focus on Genre: Poetry pp

3. A poem can tell a story, express a feeling, or capture a moment
A poem can tell a story, express a feeling, or capture a moment. It can please the ear, using rhyme, musical rhythm, and word sounds. It can delight the eye with words that make a picture on the page. In its lines and stanzas, its images can make you see, smell, taste, and feel the world around you.
Houghton Mifflin: Traditions p. 515

4. The Seed (p. 517) How does it know, this little seed, if it is to grow
to a flower or weed,
if it is to be
a vine or shoot,
or grow to a tree
with a long deep root?
A seed is so small,
where do you suppose
it stores up all
of the things it knows?
by Aileen Fisher

5. The Seed (p. 517) How does it know, this little seed, if it is to grow
to a flower or weed,
if it is to be
a vine or shoot,
or grow to a tree
with a long deep root?
A seed is so small,
where do you suppose
it stores up all
of the things it knows?
by Aileen Fisher

6. By Myself (p. 517) When I’m by myself And I close my eyes I’m a twin
I’m a dimple in a chin
I’m a room full of toys
I’m a squeaky noise
I’m a gospel song
I’m a gong
I’m a leaf turning red
I’m a loaf of brown bread
I’m a whatever I want to be
An anything I care to be
And when I open my eyes
What I care to be
Is me
by Eloise Greenfield

7. By Myself (p. 517) When I’m by myself And I close my eyes I’m a twin
I’m a dimple in a chin
I’m a room full of toys
I’m a squeaky noise
I’m a gospel song
I’m a gong
I’m a leaf turning red
I’m a loaf of brown bread
I’m a whatever I want to be
An anything I care to be
And when I open my eyes
What I care to be
Is me
by Eloise Greenfield

8. Ode to My Shoes (p. 518) my shoes rest all night under my bed
tired they stretch
and loosen
their laces
wide open
they fall asleep
and dream
of walking
they revisit
the places
they went to
during the day
and wake up
cheerful
relaxed
so soft
by Francisco X. Alarcón

9. Ode to My Shoes (p. 518) my shoes rest all night under my bed
tired they stretch
and loosen
their laces
wide open
they fall asleep
and dream
of walking
they revisit
the places
they went to
during the day
and wake up
cheerful
relaxed
so soft
by Francisco X. Alarcón

10. Pencils (p. 519) by Barbara Esbensen
The rooms in a pencil
are narrow
but elephants castles and
watermelons
fit in
In a pencil
noisy words yell for attention
and quiet words wait their turn
How did they slip
into such a tight place?
Who
gives them their
lunch?
From a broken pencil
an unbroken poem will come!
There is a long story living
in the shortest pencil
Every word in your
pencil
is fearless ready to walk
the blue tightrope lines
Ready
to teeter and smile
down Ready to come right out
and show you
thinking!

11. Pencils (p. 519) by Barbara Esbensen
The rooms in a pencil
are narrow
but elephants castles and
watermelons
fit in
In a pencil
noisy words yell for attention
and quiet words wait their turn
How did they slip
into such a tight place?
Who
gives them their
lunch?
From a broken pencil
an unbroken poem will come!
There is a long story living
in the shortest pencil
Every word in your
pencil
is fearless ready to walk
the blue tightrope lines
Ready
to teeter and smile
down Ready to come right out
and show you
thinking!

12. The Anteater (p. 520) The anteater’s long and tacky tongue is snaking
from
its
snout.
A thousand termites riding in,
but no one riding out.
by Douglas Florian

13. The Anteater (p. 520) The anteater’s long and tacky tongue is snaking
from
its
snout.
A thousand termites riding in,
but no one riding out.
by Douglas Florian

14. The Panther (p. 520) The panther is like a leopard,
Except it hasn’t been peppered.
Should you behold a panther crouch,
Prepare to say Ouch.
Better yet, if called by a panther,
Don’t anther.
by Ogden Nash

15. The Panther (p. 520) The panther is like a leopard,
Except it hasn’t been peppered.
Should you behold a panther crouch,
Prepare to say Ouch.
Better yet, if called by a panther,
Don’t anther.
by Ogden Nash

16. Rabbit (p. 521) A rabbit bit A little bit An itty-bitty
Little bit of beet.
Then bit
By bit
He bit
Because he liked the taste of it.
But when he bit
A wee bit more,
It was more bitter than before.
“This beet is bitter!”
Rabbit cried.
“I feel a bit unwell inside!”
Another bite, that bit of beet
Seemed quite all right.
Besides
When all is said and done,
Better bitter beet
Than none.
by Mary Ann Hoberman

17. Rabbit (p. 521) A rabbit bit A little bit An itty-bitty
Little bit of beet.
Then bit
By bit
He bit
Because he liked the taste of it.
But when he bit
A wee bit more,
It was more bitter than before.
“This beet is bitter!”
Rabbit cried.
“I feel a bit unwell inside!”
Another bite, that bit of beet
Seemed quite all right.
Besides
When all is said and done,
Better bitter beet
Than none.
by Mary Ann Hoberman

18. Sky-Fish (p. 522) Yesterday we thought of fishing
when the lake was purpled-out.
But we didn’t
take our fish poles
or our hooks we went without.
Uncle Stephen
rowed the rowboat
where the moon made silver bands,
and our fingers
fished for moonfish,
but they slithered from our hands.
Then we tried
to catch the starfish
bobbing bright, with shiny scales,
but they dribbled
through our fingers
as they flicked their starfish tails.
we went out fishing
where the sky-fish glittered bright,
and I’m glad
we didn’t catch them
so they’ll still be there tonight.
by Aileen Fisher

19. Sky-Fish (p. 522) Yesterday we thought of fishing
when the lake was purpled-out.
But we didn’t
take our fish poles
or our hooks we went without.
Uncle Stephen
rowed the rowboat
where the moon made silver bands,
and our fingers
fished for moonfish,
but they slithered from our hands.
Then we tried
to catch the starfish
bobbing bright, with shiny scales,
but they dribbled
through our fingers
as they flicked their starfish tails.
we went out fishing
where the sky-fish glittered bright,
and I’m glad
we didn’t catch them
so they’ll still be there tonight.
by Aileen Fisher

20. I Watched an Eagle Soar (p. 523)
Grandmother,
I watched an eagle soar
high in the sky
until a cloud covered him up.
I still saw the eagle
behind my eyes.
by Virginia Driving hawk Sneve

21. I Watched an Eagle Soar (p. 523)
Grandmother,
I watched an eagle soar
high in the sky
until a cloud covered him up.
I still saw the eagle
behind my eyes.
by Virginia Driving hawk Sneve

22. Resources http://globe-views.com/dcim/dreams/beet/beet-01.jpg