HONEY, I LOVE and other love poems

HONEY, I LOVE and other love poems

by Eloise Greenfield

pictures by Diane and Leo Dillon

Introduction: Make a copy of the poem on a large sheet of paper and hang it up in a location all students can see.  Read the poem orally.

Fun

by Eloise Greenfield

The pedal on our school piano squeaks

And one day Miss Allen stopped playing (read with sadness in your voice)

And we stopped singing   (continued sadness, hanging your head)

And Mr. Cobb came with the skinny, silver can (use a hopeful, happy, voice)

And gave it a long, greasy drink

And the next day when we got ready to sing (read each line with mounting excitement)

Miss Allen smiled

and blinked her eyes

and plinked her piano

and pushed the pedal

And the pedal said

SQUEEEEEEEEAK!

And we laughed    (laugh out loud)

But Miss Allen didn't (read in a more serious voice)

[From: Honey, I Love and other love poems   by Eloise Greenfield, Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1978]

Pause to let the children think about the poem for a minute, then reread it again with similar emphasis as the first reading.

Hold up a copy of the book and show it to the class. Open to the page "Fun" is on and read the poem one more time, this time from the book.  This time ask the students to recite any of the lines they remember with you. 

Also, ask the students to laugh out loud along with the part of the poem that says, "and we all laughed".

Extension: Use the poem to begin a discussion with the students about events that have happened in their classrooms or even at home that they found  "fun", but their teachers or parents did not. Help them brainstorm, if possible write some of the things they share on a large sheet of paper.

As a class write your own version of a "Fun" poem.  

As a spin-off activity for older students, have them write their own poem and present it to the class.