Week 4: Writing Odes

For this week's session, I brought in Pablo Neruda's "Ode to the Artichoke" to introduce the Ode to the students. I also brought in several artichokes, so they could see why Neruda might have chosen to compare the artichoke to a "warrior." They all seemed to enjoy having something concrete to look at and touch and to reference as a key to understanding the poem.

In response to this poem, I had students write odes of their own to their favorite foods. I had them focus on using all five senses in describing the food and making the poem look like Neruda's, which was long and skinny. Of course, there were many odes to pizza (also a favorite of mine!). I have five classes of third graders and one of fifth - the following are selections from these students' writings, one from each class.

Jasmine D.
Mr. K, 3rd Grade

My Ode

is about
pizza, it
tastes like
freedom and
it is hot it
looks like
a ball
a baseball
it smells
like cheese,
and sausage
and it feels
hot as
a chili pepper
in salsa it sounds
crunchy and it
feels mushy
it's like
a pumpkin
in a pumpkin
patch of a big
circle of a head
of a person who
likes pizza.

+++

Esmeralda L.
Ms. Sandoval-Johnson, 3rd Grade

Ode to Cherries

The cherries with dotted hearts
dressed up as a ball bouncing around
having a bath outside and sliding on mud
a carrot outside growing in the grass with
covers on it and his hair on the top a big
tree outside with lots of arms and
apples on him as if he had lots of ribbons
and puffy hair it feels wet like a wet
dog. A cherry's heart is what we have even
sparkling in the sky. A chili pepper on the
ground holding a stick on the top of the
ground, grass all over the world lots of hairs
all over.

+++

Shalynn S.
Ms. Marfise, 3rd Grade

Oh Potato

You look like a rock
You feel bumpy like the street
You taste like a potato
You smell like butter
You sound like you want to be
eaten.

+++

Cassie S.
Ms. McCormick, 3rd Grade

Ode to Rice with Milk

Rice with milk
looks like white
snow and a white
lake.
Rice with milk
feels
mushy and
smushy.
Rice with milk
smells so good
you are going
to love it.
Rice with milk
tastes like
a magic
food in
your mouth.
Rice with milk
sounds like rowing
milk almost like
a river.

+++

Ryan V.
Mrs. Rodriguez, 5th Grade

Ode to Pizza

Pizza
looks like the moon
with the craters
looking like pepperoni
round as a clock
But
it's sad
when I eat pizza
because
It can
never taste
the same
a lot of things
are circular
tire
planet
the letter O
all make me
think of pizza
But
if I
get a pizza
It will
be from
Pizza Hut.

+++

Diego L.
Ms. Breen, 3rd Grade

Ode to Macaroni

Macaroni
looks like
a tiny cell phone

Macaroni
smells like
cheese

Macaroni
tastes like
heaven

Macaroni
sounds like
water

Macaroni
feels like
a pillow