Onomatopoeia Poetry

Onomatopoeia is one of my favorite poetic tools to teach.  What does this big, long word mean?
Onomatopoeia is when words SOUND like their meaning.  BOOM!  SPLASH!  KNOCK KNOCK!  All onomatopoetic words make poetry sound more interesting, and invite the reader to truly HEAR what is going on.

The "Budding Authors and Artists" (grades 1-2) wrote simple Fill-in-the-Blank poems, focusing on the topic of Spring and the sounds we hear this time of year.  They could also just choose wonderful, vivid verbs that did not focus on sound.  Enjoy these samples!

by Justin (1st grade)

by Rayne (2nd grade)

     My older students were also introduced to the concept of onomatopoeia, but were not given a fill-in-the-blank project.  Instead, they brainstormed noisy poetry topics on the board, and helped each other map out onomatopoetic words that went with their topics.  The students came up with amazing poems and it was hard to pick just a few.  Enjoy these samples!

     Welcome to the Park, by Charlotte (4th grade)

Though New York is a beautiful city,

I do not want to live there

because of the hustle-bustle and

pollution in the air.

Honks and bonks of busy people

do not attract my attention,

and when you cross the streets there,

do so with caution.

But, inside the peaceful parks,

with chirp-chirps and crunchy leaves,

I can finally settle down

and have a smile on my face if I don't leave.

I will hear the laughter of children 

and skitter of squirrels in the parks

of New York City.

Maybe I do wish I lived there.

Winter, by Morgan (4th grade)

The winter winds howl,

whoosh and whirl throughout the air

while snow is falling everywhere

Skiiers come out as they whoosh down the hill

leaving a slight chill.

Sledders squeal "Wheeee!"

as they feel so free.

Slurping hot cocoa is a delight

While sitting by the crackling fire at night. 

April Showers Bring May Flowers, by Medha (5th grade)

Spring is here, so very dear

April showers, so very near

Pitter-patter, down on the ground

Drip-drop, heavy in sound.

May blossoms, Pop!  Sprout!  Bloom!

Wonderful colors, happy hues.

Flowers are cute, rain drops have power,

But April showers always bring May flowers.

Mr. Soccer Field, by Mathis (5th grade)

Mr. Soccer Field is a small piece of grass,

But when the ball goes whoosh

And the whistle goes Tweet,

He is extremely LOUD.

BOOM goes the post 

in its little coast.

BAM goes the last foot on the ball.

The Goal, by Francesca (5th grade)

Stomp!  I'm running down the field.

Tap!  I dribble, I do not yield.

Phew!  I'm at the goal about to shoot.

Wack!  I'm trying not to stoop.

Whoosh!  My shot goes through the air.

Swoop!  It brushes past her dark brown hair.

Scrape!  The ball skims her caramel skin.

Roar!  The crowd cheers because it's going in!

AND WE WIN!

A Day In the Life of Personified Objects

I love this assignment!  In the fall we became pumpkins and detailed our entire life, from our seed birth to our Autumn Death.  This term, we took the same Personification Theme and explored one day in the life of an object chosen by the students.  We had everything from school supplies to clothing, from sporting equipment to household supplies… and more!  The older students were encouraged to explore "voice" and give their objects some fun personalities.  Enjoy these samples!

My Life as an Ice Cream Cone, by Alyssa (1st grade)

     This is how my day began.
     For one day, I am going to imagine that I am a rainbow ice cream that tastes like a yummy dessert.  I get scooped up, and I feel good and cold.  I'm very nice and everybody likes me, and they always get more of me.

     Then, what happened?
     I like the kids that come to get me.  They like me.  Most of me gets eaten in a cup, and only a little bit of me is left over.

     The End
     The sun is going down, and I'm getting sleepy.  I watch the sun set, and it is so beautiful.  I am a melted blob, but I feel happy. 

My Life as a Pencil Sharpener, by Ridley (2nd grade)

     This is how my day began.
     I am a pencil sharpener in a classroom.  I'm not broken right now, so I feel happy.  I hear the kids come in.  I am nervous because they always want to use me.  They don't know how to use me properly!

     Then, what happened?
     A kid puts a colored pencil in me.  I get broken!  Someone tries to fix me.  The teacher sticks scissors inside the hole for the pencil.  It hurts a lot!

     The End
     I get fixed when the broken piece of pencil lead finally falls out.  The teacher puts me on the shelf for a rest and won't let the kids use me anymore today.  I'm happy! 

My Life as a Book, by Sienna (3rd grade)

     Today I'm in the same old bookstore.  My title is Smile.  I'm next to Sisters and Drama, both written by Raina Telegmier.  Well!  A girl comes by, and she's going to look at me!  She picks me up, and turns me around.  I feel sick and dizzy!  Why does the information have to be on the back?!  Well, after she goes to the checkout, I feel nice and clean.  I see a little boy buy Where the Wild Things Are.  Another person purchases Charlotte's Web.  After my girl buys me, we go home.

     Now we are at a place called Home.  The girl, Hailey, brings me into her room.  It has a very nice bookshelf, a light blue carpet, and a small stuffed animal by her lavender bed.  While she sits down on her magenta beanbag, she reads me.  I feel so peaceful!

     Right now it's dinner time.  I'm on her desk, and the book mark is on page 60.  I'm hungry and tired.  

     Hailey brings in a jelly donut.  She eats it right in front of me!  Please, don't spill, Hailey!  Let there be a happy ending!  Then she does it!  She spills jelly on me.  Yuck!  Well, at least she cleans me off.

     As Hailey starts reading my pages, she drifts off to sleep.  Well, I guess it was a happy ending after all.


A Teapot, by Adeline (4th grade)

     Ugh, I'm so bored.  But I'm also afraid.  I'm nervous about that horrible event: Boiling!  What if it will be the day, TODAY, that my feet will be burned again!!??!  Uh-oh!  I see a person approaching!

     Why am I kept on the stove?  Everybody can see me, so then everybody will use me!  And that means BURNING!!!  I am always ready to have hot water inside me!  I hate, hate HATE to be boiling.  It is always too hot!

     Now I'm getting filled with water.  My head feels sloshy.  NOOOO!!!  Now the person is turning on the stove to boil the water!

     Hot, hot hot!!!  Ow, ow, ow!  Oh!  I'm so hot and tired.  Ugh.  Why do I feel so squeaky?  I am hissing like a snake, and I sound awful!

     Ugh, why do I have to be picked up NOW?  Wait.  I have never noticed THIS before.  You know, the stuff when I get poured.  Is it like my insides or something?  What is it?

     Oh.  I just heard someone says, "That is some HOT water!"  So I guess it was just hot water in me.  After all, I do always feel something hot and watery inside my head on boiling days.

     Whew.  Now I'm cooling down.  I'm getting put back on the stove.  What a day.  I just hope that a day like this doesn't happen again any time soon!


                                              The Day I Lost my Ink, by Aditi (4th grade)

     It is early morning at home.  I am a red pen in a pencil pouch which is owned by a student.  I am feeling tired and happy.  I am feeling tired because yesterday I was at the bottom of the pencil box and I had to hold a heavy highlighter, scissors, and crayon box.

     My owner has finally put me into her backpack, which is pink and has flowers all over it.  Finally, after thirty minutes of waiting for my owner to finish her breakfast, I get into the car.  It is a long, bumpy ride to school.  

     Now I am at school, and I am getting used for many activities such as correcting a math test, drawing a picture, tracing, and long paragraphs.  I also get used by my student to make a Valentine's Card.  In the middle of writing my "L," I lose ink and start feeling dizzy.  I faint right in the middle of an important project!

     Aaaaahh!  The teacher is holding up an ink bottle.  I am so scared!  What will she do?  Will she smash me into pieces?

     Now the teacher has picked me up and is opening my bottom.  She puts a long string of ink in me.  Now I am better!

     At the end of the day, I am so tired from all the work I have done.  I sleep in the car on the ride back home.

     

A Day As A Volleyball, by Ella (5th grade)

Yawn!  I blink quickly, adjusting my eyes to the bright gym.  I say a quick good-bye to my friends in different carts as I am dragged away.  

“Are you excited to be used?  I have never been on this court.” I say to one of my friends, Mia.  It is bright blue and the out of bounds is gray.

“I once played here on a--

All at once the pounding of shoes drowned out the rest of her words and the power volleyball team thundered in.  All eleven girls were there. Ria, Kanani, Charli, Allison, Carrington, Ava, Kaitlyn, Kailie, Ashly, Arielle, and Ella.  Ava picks me up and toses me over the net to Ella.  They go back and forth, setting and bumping until the coach calls them in.  Now Charli takes me and starts serving across the court. I am tossed high up and hit with such force that I bounce back to her from the other side of the wall.  

“Weeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I hear Mia screaming. She is hit by Ria and collides with the net.  “Sooooooooo close” I hear her mourn.  Everyone else is doing the same thing Mia is. The team seems oblivious to the noise, and to the coach telling them to practice hitting.  Eventually I just zone out and wait for the drill to end when a ball collides with me and I bounce onto another court.  The day goes on and on, it feels like forever. It was actually only a few minutes until Ella picked me up and brought me back.  All around me I hear different small talk from the ball to the server

“OMG!! OMG!! You were like almost there. A little harder next time please.”

“WOW!! That was so far it was out of bounds.”

“Almost there. Try to hit it with your palm.”

“That was worse than a two year old!!!”  I immediately know who it is.  The meanest volleyball around, Via Volleyball.  She makes fun of even the best servers.  I hit the line of the court, and know I am in.

“WE ARE PLAYING A GAME” the coach shrieks loudly, and they immediately split in to teams, one team with five players. Ella picks me up and serves a perfect on-the-line serve. 

“OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT!” they all scream.  

“I am in, so it is their point” I argue, but no one hears me.

Practice is over and everyone heads out. My day continues in one long serving clinique, and, of course, everyone wants to serve with Via.  Her best friend, Aspen, also gets attention, but not as much.  

That night, we enjoy a hearty dinner of air to pump us up, and then we go back into the storage room.  We all gather around each other and tell about our spectacular adventures.