When i was young...

When I was young, I had so many toys,
teddies,soft bunnies, rubber balls, light blue,
they were not so tough like footballs and boys,
I loved my toys, all of them, it's too true.

Now that I am 10, I've given away,
some not-so tough toys to my mum,
She'll be good with the toys i gave today,
(Playing Sonic The Hedgehog is quite fun!)

When I was young I was very silly,

People would say how cute and sweet I was.

They warned me not to eat the chili,

I asked them why but they just said because.



Now I am ten I can now think for me,

I can do what I want well not really.

Just a little older then I'm FREE,

Now people call me silly billy.

When I was Young..

When I was young people thought I was sweet,

People thought I was friendly and charming,

They were all right but I had smelly feet,

Although my cries were very alarming.

Now I'm older I don't get attention,

Only from boys which is not always good,

How old I am, I don't want to mention,

Even though everyone thinks I should.

When I was young...

When I was young, I had no sense of smell.
My noiseless nose could not participate.
I couldn't play the piano very well:
The noise I made would only irritate.


Now I am nine, my hands can memorise
Each sequence, finger ballet on the keys.
My nostrils have been taken by surprise:
Scent friends and stink bullies fly in the breeze.

Haikus

Summer
Wake up to sunlight,
Summer weather everyday,
No clouds in the sky.

Our Planet
Our planet is cool,
Part of a big galaxy,
Thats why I love it.

Growing Up
Growing up is fun,
Everybodys there for you,
Part of everyone.

War
World war one and two,
Will there ever be war 3?
Guns are shooting "BOOM"!

Family
We are family,
Auntie, Uncle and cousins,
Mum, dad and brother.

School
School is fun mostly,
We attend 5 days a week,
Dressed tidy and neat.

Fear
Fear is always there,
Nothing can ever compare,
It chills all your bones.

When I Was Young

When i was young i

stayed at my grans.

She had delicous chips,

Made in a lovely pan.

She also had fantabulous dips.



Now i am ten,

i still stay at my grans.

She has a new hen

and his name is Hans.

Task 4: My example

When I was young the snow fell every year
And summers sweltered, scorching each July.
A hug from mum could swallow up my fear;
And happiness was lemon meringue pie.

Now I am old the seasons hide their face:
We have to flee abroad for snow or sun.
I cannot stifle fear with an embrace -
(But lemon meringue pie is still quite fun!)

Task 4: Now and then - a HOLIDAY task

WELL DONE on your Haikus - what an amazing collection of poetry you have produced between you! I could not be more PROUD of what you have achieved - and I hope you, your schools and your families are equally proud of you too. :)

Now it's almost time for the next Junior Wordvoodoo task.

First, a word or two on the difference between RULES and STYLE...

In all your wordvoodoo tasks, there will be a handful of RULES which I expect you to follow. These are IMPORTANT and are there for a REASON - and you MUST follow them all.

But that is not where the FUN happens. The JOY of wordvoodoo is in what you might call STYLE. Whilst following the rules, what can you do with LANGUAGE to have the most POWERFUL effect on your READER?

Following the RULES shows that you have read the task properly and followed the instructions carefully. Giving your poem some STYLE shows that you are a true poet, a creative mind which likes to have fun with words - not only their meanings but also the way they sound.

In Tasks 1-3, you have been learning a number of skills. You have LEARNT how to:

1. Create and use fun and original SIMILES.
2. Build and develop exciting and fresh METAPHORS.
3. Play and experiment with the number of SYLLABLES in a line.
4. Escape and avoid the RHYME TRAP.

...and much, much more.

These are ESSENTIAL poetic skills - and one of the best ways to make sure you don't forget them is to carry on using them! Which is what you will be doing with Task 4...

Task 4: The RULES

1. Write a poem which COMPARES what you used to be like with what you are like now.
2. Your poem should consist of TWO STANZAS (or verses) - and each stanza should be FOUR LINES long.
   
3. Your FIRST stanza should be about what you used to be like, and should begin: "When I was young..."
   
4. Your SECOND stanza should be about what you are like now, and should begin: "Now I am nine..." (or "Now I am eight..." or "Now I am ten...")
5. Every line of your poem should be exactly 10 SYLLABLES long.
6. Your poem should RHYME as follows: Lines 1 and 3; Lines 2 and 4; Lines 5 and 7; and Lines 6 and 8. (And make sure you avoid the RHYME TRAP!)

Task 4: The STYLE

Want to make your poem out of this world? Head for MARS:

• M is for METAPHORS: the king of poetic techniques, an original and effective metaphor or two can mean the difference between ordinary and EXTRAORDINARY poetry.
• A is for ALLITERATION: the best poetry blows our mind because of the way it SOUNDS, and alliteration is one of the most efficient ways to play around with the sound of your poem.
• R is for RHYTHM: read your poem out loud - can you feel the rhythm of each line? Some of the best poems almost sound like there is a beat tapping within them.
• S is for SYNONYMS: the wider your vocabulary, the better your chances of finding the RIGHT word for the emotion or idea you are trying to get across. So don't settle for the first word that comes into your head: use a thesaurus and find a more effective synonym instead.

There you go: MARS. The place to go for the best Junior Wordvoodoo poetry.

* * * * * *

Right...

You know the RULES - so please make sure you follow them all.

You know how to give your poem some STYLE - so don't hold back.

Finally, remember this is a FOUR WEEK task - so there is no hurry to rush something on to the page. Take your time - draft and redraft - and only post when you believe you have produced the very BEST poem of which you are capable.

The deadline for this task is 6pm on Saturday 15th August.

Good luck - and watch out for my own attempt in a little while...

englishguru

Haikus

Summer
A sizzling hot sun
lazy days lounging around
not going to school.

Family
Annoying sister
lovely hugs with my mum
Dad helping me bake.

War
Frightening unknown
devastation and sorrow
regret, war is it worth it?

School
Working hard all day
looking forward to play time
day dreaming through maths.

Our planet
How big is our world?
huge to us, tiny in space
we must care for it.

Growing up
Growing out of clothes
secondary school is next
a scary prospect.

Fear
The silence of night
guns and knives frighten me
having a nightmare.

Haikus

School
School is really fun,
Work and play for the whole day,
Did you hear the bell?

Summer
We break up from school,
And have weather on our side,
So let’s have some fun!

Family
They’re kind and they care,
In return we show our love,
They are family.

Growing up
Friendship and freedom,
But growing up is our fate,
So don’t mess it up!

War
What’s the point of war?
Why not a conversation?
Then no one would die!

Fear
A nightmare coming true,
Having another world war,
That’s what I’m scared of.

Our planet
Turn off the light please.
And don’t use too much paper.
We can save this world.

Haikus

Our Planet

A place to have fun,
Where all types of humans live,
A place to explore.

Growing Up

We face bad problems,
We face lots of challenges,
That's part of growing.

War

It's not very nice,
People get killed and injured,
So lets prevent war.

Summer

All is bright and light,
Summer is out hot today,
So now we can play.

Family

They're right behind you,
Backing you up all the way,
They're the best ever.




School


It is where you work,

You're learning every day,

Where you with friends.


Fear

We're all afraid of things
Big or little still afraid,
Fear is natural.

Haikus

Our planet
The planet is big
We have a lovely planet
The best in the world

Growing up
Growing up is cool
Everybody supports you
Lovely people here

Summer
We have summer here
Summer is now around me
Summer is here now

Family
Family and friends
Are here for me all the time
Familys are cool

School
School is warm for me
In school we are a team
School is a good place

War
War is a cruel thing
What things do you gain from it
Why do you do war

Fear
Fear is a feeling
Its hurtful and terrible
I would never have fear

Haiku poems.

Planet Earth

Peaceful world of God,
Lovely flowers are joyful,
Cool water ahead.

Fear

Sleeping scared in bed,
things are coming to haunt you,
think of happy dreams.

War

Guns blazing in fire,
use all your guns in battle,
attack rebel armies

Summer

A nice hot cool breeze,
cool shade under lovely trees,
calm water in sight.

School

Maths and literacy,
ICT and Golden time,
Sex education.

Growing up

Going to go high,
gonna grow up into space,
C'mon,I need to grow.

Family

Do you love your family,
your family care about you
do you love them more?

haikus

The planet is vast
living in a natural world
fun is everywhere.

summer is pretty
splashing in the cold water
playing games with freinds.

growing up everyday
getting taller than the trees
you can reach the stars.

war is dangerous
bombs blasting in the cold night
people scared to death.

familys are caring
they help you in times of need
and can never be bad.

school is fantastic
it brings joy and happiness
wherever you go.

fear dark and scary
it is scary as the night
and never goes away.

Haiku

Our planet:
Our planet is so cool.
What amazing nature is has.
Why can't I see more.

Growing up:
Am I really growing up.
It doesn't feel like I am.
What has just happened.

War:
What does war really mean.
All it does is cause's pain.
We dont need anymore.

Summer:
I love the summer.
It is amazingly hot.
Please do come back soon.

Family:
Do you know how familys are.
Some are just to annoying.
But some are perfect.

School:
Some kid's think school cool.
But i think school is SO lame.
That is just school.

Fear:
I have loads of fears.
Some of them are really stupid.
But really some are not.

my haikus

Our planet
The planet is big
Our planet is so pretty
That’s why I like it

Growing up
I hate growing up
Growing up is so boring
But sometimes it’s fun

War
Why do we have wars?
Nothing gets sorted with wars
Wars have no charm

Summer
Wake up to summer
Summer to spring is so fun
Summer is awesome

Family
Families are fun
Everyone must have one
My family rules

School
School is so fun
Some days it’s a bore
But it’s always cool

Fear
Fears are scary
Just think of one fear
To many scares

the reader of this poem

The reader of this poem is
as small as a fish
as delicate as a raindrop
and as tasty as a dish.

As pretty as a princess
as delightful as a cake
as crazy as rapper
and as bendy as a paper that can make.

As wet as the sea
as blue as the sky
as fearsome as a dragon
as peaceful as a bird that can fly.

The reader of this poem is
as still as water
as lazy as crisps
but is she my daughter?

Haikus

Our Planet
Poisoned, polluted
Sweltering, scorching planet.
Stop this destruction!

Growing Up
Ladder of Wisdom
Climbing up away from youth
Dangerous journey.

War
Deafening guns scream
A thunderous hurricane
When will peace prevail?

Summer
Holiday picnic
Arctic ice cream melting fast
Blazing, baking heat.

Family
Caring, constant, close
Cocoon of love and kindness
Hugging gene-sharers.

School
Sympathetic friends
Engrossing curriculum
Where did play-time go?

Fear
Fear is a phantom
Scratching my Amygdala
Shield me from this ghost!

Haikus

SUMMER
Waking to sunlight,
Summertime weather today,
No clouds in the sky.

OUR PLANET
Our planet is big,
If you blink you'll miss it all,
Our planet is cool.

GROWING UP
4 to 5 to 6,
Growing means getting quite big,
8 to 9 to 10

WAR
Guns are shooting "BOOM",
If you don't stop war quickly,
We will all be doomed.

FAMILY
Mum, Dad and Brother,
Auntie, Uncle and Cousins,
All my family.

SCHOOL
English, Art and Maths,
D.T, P.E, there's so much,
History and trips.

FEAR
It Chills all your bones,
Fear is scary on it's own,
Fear will not leave you.

The reader of this poem

The reader of this poem is as snobby as a millionare,
As soft as a bunny,
As friendly as Pooh Bear,
And as sweet as a pot of honey.

As helpful as a guide,
As small as an olive,
As graceful as a swans delicate glide,
As stuck as a malteser in a sieve.

As light as a feather,
As hard as stones,
As dull as the rainy weather,
As skinny as bones.

The reader of this poem looks like they love KFC,
As they move their shadow looks like a tree,
They have many changing faces,
I'm sure you will agree.

Task 3: A Haiku a day...

Well done on your excellent work for Task 2. Very impressive!

Please read this week's task very carefully, so that you do EXACTLY what I ask you to do...

A syllable is a part of a word pronounced separately. Sometimes, you can count the syllables in a word by clapping your hands each time you make a new syllable. For example, the word "syllable" has 3 syllables: syl-la-ble.

HAIKU (pronounced "hi-koo") is a traditional form of Japanese poetry - but it can work well in the English language too. A haiku consists of only 3 lines. The first line has 5 syllables; the second line has 7; and the third line has 5.

Here is an example of a haiku:

The Frog

Green and speckled legs
Hop on logs and lily pads,
Splash in cool water.

See how the poem obeys the syllable rules I mentioned earlier.

Here is another way to remember the 'syllable rule' for Haikus:

I am first with five,
Then seven in the middle;
Five again to end.

Have a look at some haikus written by some other children from around the country by clicking here. See if you can work out which of them has actually followed the rules correctly. Are there any you think are particularly good?

Writing a bad, boring, hurried haiku is EASY. But writing a GOOD haiku is very difficult indeed.

Read this haiku by the wonderful poet, Roger McGough:

The only problem
with haiku is that you just
get started and then...

Not as easy at it seems, is it?

How about this one though?

When I write haiku
I feel like a bird soaring
On high looking down.

Want to write a really good haiku - one that blows your moderators' minds??? Here are some tips:

1. Have fun with language - especially the way it sounds. For example, some alliteration is great! Read your haiku aloud as you write it. Do you like the way it sounds?
   
2. Think HARD about the words you use; don't use the first words that come into your head. Be original - and experiment with new words, or new ways of using the ones you already know.
   
3. Use the shortness of haiku to concentrate on what the topic is actually all about - kind of like holding a poetic magnifying glass to the topic. What are its most important qualities? What does it really mean to you? Think hard about this before you start writing.
   
4. Expert haiku writers often have a slight change after Line 2. It might be just a change of 'mood' (e.g. happy to sad); a change of 'tone' (e.g. positive to negative); or even a change of pace (e.g. fast to slow)
   

OK. Are you 100% clear now on what makes a really good haiku? Do you understand all of the rules? And, more importantly, what turns an OK haiku into an AMAZING one?

Good. :)

Here is your task for this week then:

You need to write 7 haikus. You could choose to draft one each day, or do them all in one go. But, either way, please make sure you upload them as ONE post, all together.

Your haikus should be on the following 7 topics (which can also be their titles):

1. Our Planet
   
2. Growing Up
3. War
4. Summer
5. Family
6. School
7. Fear

Right: NOW read through this task again several times. ONLY when you COMPLETELY understand ALL of it should you even THINK about starting to plan your writing; and ONLY when you have PLANNED your writing in DETAIL should you even BEGIN to draft your poems; and ONLY when you have DRAFTED and RE-DRAFTED your poems SEVERAL times should you settle on your FINAL version; and ONLY when you have settled on your FINAL versions should you POST your task.

In other words... TAKE YOUR TIME!!!

Good luck.

The deadline for this task is 6pm on Saturday 11th July 2009.