By Colleen Rowe

Poetry is a wonderful way for children to learn new ways to express themselves. Here are three poems that will help your nieces and nephews learn poetic form, diction, and staying consistent with a topic:

“She is a Friend of Mind” by Toni Morrison.
This poem focuses on wordplay. Rather than the typical phrase: “she is a friend of mine,” Morrison uses a simple wordplay of changing the word “mine” to “mind,” and the reader doesn’t even realize it at first. It’s an important poem about a girl or woman really appreciating another female friend. Remind your nieces, and even your nephews, that’s it is always comforting to have a “friend of mind,” or someone who really takes care of you when you’re not happy. They’re friends of your mind, and they’ll make sure to “gather” your mind for you.

Appropriate for kids 8 and up.

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost.
This poem will help kids to appreciate the aesthetic beauty of darkness and how a “dark” setting does not mean that the tone must also be dark. Darkness, a lot of the time, is associated with feeling “sad” or “down,” but the diction with this poem: “lovely” and “deep” alongside “dark” as an accompanying adjective will help kids to understand that there’s not always hopelessness in the dark. If they’re scared at night, with the covers over them, remind them that some of the best things happen in the dark: birthday candles are blown out, babies are born…and happy dreams will follow.

Appropriate for kids 11 and up.

“i carry your heart with me (i carry it in)” by e.e. cummings.
With so much love in one verse, e.e. cummings captures an unconditional caring tone that should be used with loved ones and family. It’ll remind kids to appreciate nature, with its allusions to trees, stars, buds, and roots. We are rooted in our family, and we should always remember where we come from. Show your nieces and nephews a poem that will really capture the love that they can one day give to another.

Appropriate for kids 12 and up.

Published: October 29, 2014