Last week, I introduced you to the idea of writing poetry in the name of Disney. For National Poetry Month, I thought it was fitting to spend a bit of time exploring different types of poetry. Poetry is a great way for children and adults to express their love for the House of Mouse using the power of words.
In my first segment, I introduced acrostic poems. I wrote one about me, and also shared a hidden acrostic poem that is within Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass. Acrostic poems are a way to get into the poetry groove, to learn about people/places/things, and to have fun. The best part about acrostic poems is that there really are no rules.
Another unique type is poem is called the cinquain. A cinquain is a simple poem of five lines. The lines do not rhyme, but they do follow a pattern. These are the rules for a cinquain:
Line 1 – 1 word topic, a noun
Line 2 – 2 words describing topic, adjectives
Line 3 – 3 words of action, verbs
Line 4 – 4 words expressing feelings about topic
Line 5 – 1 word synonym for topic
Do you see why a teacher might like cinquain? This is the perfect opportunity to sneak in a lesson about parts of speech or to reinforce/review it with students. Of course, when put into action through a cinquain, most kids will not complain. So here is my example:
Goofy
Funny, klutzy,
laughing, joking, smiling
Makes Chef Mickey comical
Wacky.
Here is one that my seven year old son, NHL, wrote:
Dumbo
Jumbo, grey,
Flying, soaring, gliding
Holds a bird feather
Elephant.
As you can see, cinquain poems are forgiving, fun, and pack a lot in a few lines. Imagine starting a poetry journal during a trip to Disney. Allow your child to draw or take photos to accompany their poetry collection. While wandering around the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, or any other Disney destination the subject matters are endless. Not heading to Disney for a while? No worries. Take out some photos from your last Disney vacation and brainstorm on what you would like to write about in the picture. Once again, poetry can help you to relive magical memories.
Within the DDL community, you may be familiar with Mouse of Zen . J.B. Conway, also known as NDD27, has shown us the beauty of the Haiku. Haiku is a type of poetry that comes from Japan and tries to capture one beautiful thought or scene. Each haiku has only three lines, does not rhyme, and has a 5/7/5 syllable pattern. Each Sunday, J.B. shares his artistry on DDL with Mouse of Zen. In these posts, we see the beauty of haiku through the eyes of a Disney poet. His book, shown above, is a Disney Poetry book that has been published for fans to appreciate his mouse-sized poetry.
Take a little time and channel your inner Disney poet and be sure to share your creative pieces below. Have fun!
Contributed by: Beth L. (NDM#183) Beth is the DDL Education Blogger. She is also the creator of The Angel Forever.
Beth was born and raised in upstate New York. She is a happily married teacher, now SAHM to her two young sons. As a child, she and her parents would go to Walt Disney World nearly every year, creating a love for all things Disney that flourished well into adulthood.
Beth worked hard to convince her husband to spend their ten day honeymoon at Walt Disney World in 2001. In May 2009, Beth’s dream of taking her two boys to see the magic came true. It was a three generation experience, including the original Disney dreamers, her parents. Now her entire family has been bitten by the Disney bug and eagerly anticipate their next adventure to Florida.
Beth’s love for all things Disney has helped to inspire her at home, in the classroom, and beyond. She always has a camera close by to catch magical memories for her blog, TheAngelForever.com