This April marks the 20th anniversary of National Poetry Month. To celebrate, let’s gather up the names (and books, if possible) of living Lutheran poets & hymnists. Send them to me by comment or Facebook, and I’ll add them to my Lutheran Authors page in April. And, for now, here’s a little writing exercise (for you grownups) and a writing contest for homeschooled kiddos ages 7-19. The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA for short) has three creative angles that will be sure to be a lot of fun, whatever your age.
your children a creative incentive to write a poem of their own!
Category 1 – Ages 7-10* “Sick”
Renowned for his brilliantly humorous children’s poems and illustrations, Shel Silverstein gave us “Sick,” a poem in which a little girl tells of all her aches and woes to avoid having to go to school, only to learn something surprising at the end. The story blows up like a big fat bubble and suddenly goes *POP* in the final lines! Can you write a poem with a surprising twist at the end like that?
Category 2 – Ages 11-14* “Daffodils”
One of Wordsworth’s most famous works, “Daffodils” sends you on a journey through majestic scenes and nudges you to look for such splendor in your own surroundings. Perhaps you treasure many small memories when time seemed to stand still, or perhaps a few important moments simply made you burst with enthusiasm! Share one or more of those special memories with us in your poem this year.
Category 3 – Ages 15-19* “What is White?”
In her beloved collection of thought-provoking treasures, Hailstones and Halibut Bones, Mary O’Neill addresses the many forms that the color white takes. White can be concrete, like a “marshmallow” or “a ship’s sail!” White can also be “the part you can’t remember in a dream.” Challenge your creativity this year by selecting an adjective and writing a poem that describes or gives shape to it.
*Age as of April 1, 2016
