April Poetry

"If of worldly goods thou art bereft..." so starts one of my fvorite poems, written in the thirteenth century by the Persian poet Muslihuddin Sadi. He finishes the poem, "buy hyacinths to feed thy soul." As the flowers (including hyacinths) bloom, our thoughts turn to the poetry of life, and April is National Poetry month. Poetry is a wonderful way for young readers to gain fluency and confidence in themselves and their memories as they reread and begin to memorise the poetry they are reading. Start a family tradition of poetry reading around the kitchen table. If Shel Silverstein or Emily Dickenson seem too funny or flowery, try Casey at the Bat or the Cremation of Sam McGee. If Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses is not your speed, try Requiem or or Kipling's Gunga Din. There is a poem for every mood and every age. Try Poetry in April......I bet you'll still be reading it in September!