The Kid's Talk Radio Show on PNN

Poetry Assignments

Reading poetry is a great way to expand your knowledge of the world, while learning to articulate your own feelings and thoughts.

Kid's Talk Radio has put together two sample assignments for you to try. The first is a spoken word assignment, in which you will select and read a poem. The second is a music reading assignment in which you turn a poem into a song.

Have fun with these two assignments. Select poems that you find interesting. Choose background music from your Kid's Talk Radio Music Library.

Poetry Corner

Literary Assignment:

Research & Practice

Find a poem that interests you
Read the poem to yourself
What do you think the author is feeling?
What do you think the poem is about?
Read the poem to a friend or family member
Ask them what they think the poem is about

Media & Recording

Chose a Kid's Talk Background Song
Play it while you read your poem
When you're ready, record the poem
Add the song to your recording
Upload it to your Kid's Talk Page on PNN.com

Reading & Music

A Different Way of Reading

Research & Practice

Select a short poem
What do you think the author is feeling?
What do you think the poem is about?

Media & Recording

Chose a Kid's Talk Background Song that has the feel of your poem
Play it while you read your poem
Can you read the poem in tempo with the song?
Pretend the poem is a song. Try singing it.
When you're ready, record the poem while the song plays under it.
Upload it to your Kid's Talk Page on PNN.com

Night Funeral in Harlem

Read the following poem as an audio assignment.

Night Funeral in Harlem
by Langston Hughes

Night funeral
In Harlem:

Where did they get
Them two fine cars?

Insurance man, he did not pay--
His insurance lapsed the other day--
Yet they got a satin box
for his head to lay.

Night funeral
In Harlem:

Who was it sent
That wreath of flowers?

Them flowers came
from that poor boy's friends--
They'll want flowers, too,
When they meet their ends.

Night funeral
in Harlem:

Who preached that
Black boy to his grave?

Old preacher man
Preached that boy away--
Charged Five Dollars
His girl friend had to pay.

Night funeral
In Harlem:

When it was all over
And the lid shut on his head
and the organ had done played
and the last prayers been said

and six pallbearers
Carried him out for dead
And off down Lenox Avenue
That long black hearse done sped,
The street light
At his corner
Shined just like a tear--

That boy that they was mournin'
Was so dear, so dear

To them folks that brought the flowers,
To that girl who paid the preacher man--

It was all their tears that made

That poor boy's

Funeral grand.

Night funeral
In Harlem.

In Flanders Fields

The Audio Poem Above is entitled In Flanders Fields and is read aloud by Jennifer.

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD
(1872-1918)
Written in 1915
Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold

The audio file above is a poem, turned into a song, sung by Jennifer.

My heart leaps up when I behold

by William Wordsworth
My heart leaps up when I behold
A Rainbow in the sky:

So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!

The Child is father of the man;
And I could wish my days to be

Bound each to each by natural piety.