Concrete (or Shape) Poems

Going back through my old notes for the Four Seasons & Poetry, I was reminded of how much I love concrete (or shape) poems!

I like the website for organizing everything by age and topic, but I like the blog too because people can easily comment. So here are all of the places I've found concrete poems. If you know of another one, please share it!

*NEW* "Popsicle" by Joan Bransfield Graham

Best book for lots of examples of concrete poems!

The Hutchinson Treasury of Children's Poetry
edited by Alison Sage

"Do Not Disturb the Dinosaur" by Gina Douthwaite (page 114)
"Seal" by William Jay Smith (page 111)
"The Man Who Wasn't There" by Brian Lee (page 104)
"Sweet Tooth" by Gina Douthwaite (page 102)
"I'd Like to Squeeze" by John Agard (page 163)

A few other options:

Another Second Poetry Book ed. by John Foster
"Are You Sitting Comfortably?" by Ian Serraillier (page 97)
"The Eyes Have It" by Susan Stranks (page 82)


Creatures of Earth, Sea, and Sky by Georgia Heard
"Hummingbird" (page 7)


Talking Like the Rain: A Read-to-Me Book of Poems
"Summer Shower" by David McCord (page 73)


page 107 of Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends


The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems
"Spell of Creation" by Kathleen Raine (page 10)
"Dorothy Dances" by Louis Untermeyer (page 30)


Every Time I Climb a Tree by David McCord
"The Grasshopper"


Comets, Stars, the Moon & Mars by Douglas Florian
"A Galaxy" (page 10)


beast feast by Douglas Florieam
"The Anteater" (page 10)


mammalabilia by Douglas Florian
"The Bactrian Camel" (page 8)
"The Coyote" (page 12)
"The Lemurs" (page 34)
"The Porcupine" (page 44)


insectlopedia by Douglas Florian
"The Inchworm" (page 14)
"The Whirligig Beetles" (page 22)
"The Termites" (page 38)


on the wing by Douglas Florian
"The Quetzal" (page 22)


in the swim by Douglas Florian
"The Salmon" (page 8)
"The Sawfish" (page 14)


lizards, frogs, and polliwogs by Douglas Florian
"The Skink" (page 6)
"The Gecko" (page 10)
"The Python" (page 24)


Poetry Speaks to Children (Book & CD)
"Two in Bed" by Abram Bunn Ross (page 94)

NOTE:

Poetry Speaks to Children (Book & CD) is valuable for another lesson as well.

Poetry is always being changed by the poet until the rhythm and flow of the words is just right. In this book, the author of "On Turning Ten" changes the poem slightly when he reads it aloud on the CD recording. Can you find what is different?

Thanks, Billy Collins, for helping us to give a great example of this to children! It is a published book but he didn't care... it didn't feel right when he said it out loud and he gave himself permission to change it. I love that!

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