It’s not quite what you might expect. A few contemporary poems, an abundance of classics, but even then only ones that have a spin.
Last semester I put together an anthology of children’s poetry, just over 20 poems in all, under the guidance of my professor, the celebrated and often published poet David Wagoner. Many people asked what made the cut and expressed an interest in seeing the list.
Your wish is my blog. If you have an interest in seeing a particular poem or noting its source, just comment and I’ll post the info. The main criteria was that each poem had to see the world through a child’s eye…and it had to pass muster when it came to David’s exacting standards.
During this project, I read hundreds of poems, and by far the most difficult thing was paring the selection down to a mere 20+ poems.
FEARS, DELIGHTS, LESSONS, AND LAUGHTER: An Anthology of Children’s Poetry
compiled by Stephanie Lile
I. RESONANCE: Poems that resonate with who we are, what we dream, what we’ve lost, and/or what we fear
1. To Einstein, My Dog: It Was Quiet (Joyce Sidman)
2. A Negro Speaks of Rivers (Langston Hughes)
3. I Dream a World (Langston Hughes)
4. Final Curve (Langston Hughes)
5. A Circus Garland (Rachel Field)
Parade
The Performing Seal
Gunga
Equestrienne
Epilogue
6. The Falling Star (Sara Teasdale)
7. Hugo, the Lord’s Nephew (Laura Amy Schultz)
II. LESSONS LEARNED: When “nonsense” poems make perfect sense
8. Jabberwocky (Lewis Carroll)
9. The Walrus and the Carpenter (Lewis Carroll)
10. The Adventures of Isabel (Ogden Nash)
11. The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus (Ogden Nash)
12. Sara Sylvia Cynthia Stout (Shel Silverstein)
13. Jimmy Jet and His TV Set (Shel Silverstein)
14. The Ghoul (Jack Prelutsky)
III. BREAKING (and REMAKING) THE MOLD: Poems that make you go “huh?”
15. There Was A Young Lady of Portugal (Edward Lear)
16. There Was A Young Lady (Edward Lear)
17. One Fish, Two Fish (Dr. Seuss)
18. Great Day for UP! (Dr. Seuss)
IV. INSPIRATIONS: New twists on old favorites
19. This is the House that Drac Built (Judy Sierra)
20. ’Twas the Night (Jon Sceizka)
21. There Is A Lady (Eve Merriam)
22. Star Light, Star Bright (Eve Merriam)
For information on any of the poem titles listed above, just post a comment, and I’ll post the info.
P.S. And I just have to say, I’ve loved the Jabberwocky for so long, I memorized it, took the liberty of “finishing” it for LC (it’s so great, but so unresolved), and recorded it once a while ago. Poetry can be such a blast.
hi i would like some assistance in selecting some poems for a project i have to . any suggestion would be greatly appreciated
There are a million-plus poems out there, depending on the focus of your project. All of the authors listed in the anthology have created numerous poems (most are in book collections), of which I only selected one or two. If you’re looking for a basic book on poetry forms, A KICK INTHE HEAD is one of my all-time favorites. If you’re going with a certain theme to create a poetry collection, that’s another route. Verse novels, such as those by Ellen Hopkins, are hard hitting works for teens. What’s the focus of your project?