Creature Poems
”Memorising and reciting are prevalent in all parts of the new National Curriculum, with
poetry taking centre stage in English. From year one onwards children will have to learn
and recite poems by heart while recognising and discussing different poetic forms.”
poetry taking centre stage in English. From year one onwards children will have to learn
and recite poems by heart while recognising and discussing different poetic forms.”
https://www.ianbland.com/everything-teachers-should-know-about-poetry-in-the-new-curriculum/
The performance element of poetry is great for getting children out of their seats and working together. With this in mind we have drawn together a selection of animal themed poems to pique your interest and guide you on your poetic journey.
We encourage you to explore the rhymes and discover the rhythms, bring out the jokes and delight in the puns, enjoy the taste and feel of the words on your lips as you recite them!
The performance element of poetry is great for getting children out of their seats and working together. With this in mind we have drawn together a selection of animal themed poems to pique your interest and guide you on your poetic journey.
We encourage you to explore the rhymes and discover the rhythms, bring out the jokes and delight in the puns, enjoy the taste and feel of the words on your lips as you recite them!
Ideas for using poetry
●Generate rhyming strings.
Select a word and explore how many rhyming words you can find – you can decide whether or not to ‘allow’ nonsense or made up words. Our advice – keep it simple to start with.
●Adapt an existing poem.
Take a poem and make it your own in one or more of these ways:
Select a word and explore how many rhyming words you can find – you can decide whether or not to ‘allow’ nonsense or made up words. Our advice – keep it simple to start with.
●Adapt an existing poem.
Take a poem and make it your own in one or more of these ways:
- Sound and motion. Add noises, sounds, actions or Makaton signing to bring your poem to life.
- Poetry swap - children bring in their favourite animal poem to share - collect and keep these as an anthology.
- Blackout poem. Make a blackout poem - take a (black) marker pen to an already established text - like in a newspaper - and start redacting words until a poem is formed. The key thing with a blackout poem is that the text AND redacted text form a sort of visual poem (see below).
For further inspiration and suggestions for how to perform poetry see ‘Michael Rosen's top tips for performing poems and stories’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvV23xoZRkI
Creature Poems
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1. Higglety, pigglety, pop - Anon
Higglety, Pigglety, Pop, The dog has eaten the mop. The pig's in a hurry, The cat's in a flurry, Higglety, pigglety, pop. 3. Five little owls - Anon
Five little owls in an old elm tree, Fluffy and puffy as owls could be; Blinking and winking with big round eyes, At the big round moon that hung in the skies. As I passed underneath I could hear one say, "There'll be mouse for supper, there will, today!" Then all of them hooted, "Tu-whit, tu-whoo! Yes, mouse for supper, Hoo hoo, hoo hoo!" |
2. Whisky Frisky - Anon
Whisky Frisky, Hipperty Hop, Up he goes To the tree top! Whirly, twirly, Round and round, Down he scampers To the ground. Furly, curly, What a tail, Tall as a feather, Broad as a sail. Where's his supper? In the shell, Snappy, cracky, Out it fell. |
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4. The Snail - Anon
The snail he lives in his hard round house, In the orchard, under the tree: Says he, "I have but a single room; But it's large enough for me." The snail in his little house doth dwell All the week from end to end, You're at home, Master Snail; that's all very well. But you never receive a friend. 6. Hurt no living thing
Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894) Hurt no living thing: Ladybird, nor butterfly, Nor moth with dusty wing, Nor cricket chirping cheerily, Nor grasshopper so light of leap, Nor dancing gnat, nor beetle fat, Nor harmless worms that creep. |
5. What became of them? - Anon
He was a rat, and she was a rat, And down in one hole they did dwell, And both were as black as a witch's cat, And they loved one another well. He had a tail, and she had a tail, Both long and curling and fine; And each said, "Yours is the finest tail In the world, excepting mine.” He smelt the cheese, and she smelt the cheese, And they both pronounced it good; And both remarked it would greatly add To the charms of their daily food. So he ventured out, and she ventured out, And I saw them go with pain; But what befell them I never can tell, For they never came back again. |
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7. The Faithful Dog - George Crabb (1754 - 1832)
With eye upraised his master's look to scan, The joy, the solace, and the aid of man; The rich man's guardian and the poor man's friend, The only creature faithful to the end. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/george_crabbe_201215 |
8. The Peacock - Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894)
The peacock has a score of eyes, With which he cannot see; The cod-fish has a silent sound, However that may be; No dandelions tell the time, Although they turn to clocks; Cat's-cradle does not hold the cat, Nor foxglove fit the fox. |