Opposing Feelings

I brought in Edna St. Vincent Millay's "Recuerdo" for this class - we talked a lot about that first line ("We were very tired, we were very merry--") and what that might mean. Has there ever been a time when you were both tired and happy? What might make one feel thus? We then composed a stanza or two as a class, focusing on two (possibly) opposing feelings. In some classes, each individual student then wrote a concluding stanza(s) for the class poem. This actually turned out to be a nice collaborative exercise!

Mr. K, 3rd Grade (Rm. 205)

Class Poem

We were very happy, we were very excited
We had gone back and forth all night
in the car on the moon
It was dark and bright, it smelled like cheese
We looked at the earth and rocks and we jumped
really high! We ate Mexican cheese
and drank lemonade. The we had a pajama party.

"Feeling Brave and Scared"
Virgen S.

We were very scared, we were very brave.
We had been trick-or-treating all night long.
But we looked in a haunted house, and heard
noises. We lay on the ground and the people
kept saying trick-or-treat, and dawn came soon.

We were very scared, we were very brave.
We had been trick-or-treating all night long.
You ate a candy, and I ate a chocolate bar, from all
the candy we got somewhere. And the sky went
howling, and the wind came hot, and the
moon came dripping, a bucket full of candy.

We were very scared, we were very brave.
We had been trick-or-treating all night long.
We hailed, trick-or-treat, mother! to a mask, and bought
gloves, which neither of us used, and
we lost it, sorry! for all the candy,
and we gave her a chocolate bar
and our other candies.

"We were very happy and very excited"
Jasmine

We were very happy, we were
very excited. We were very happy
cause we went to Mars, it was
very red, it had some gray, we were
very excited cause we saw
some aliens in Mars, we played
spelling. We ate some alien food,
we drank some lemonade.
We had a pajama party.
We were very happy cause we saw
the planet Mars. We were very excited
cause we saw some aliens.

"Recuerdo"
David C.

We were very excited, we were very tired
We had gone all night and day on the candy
factory tour. It was all yummy, it smelled
like bubble gum, chocolate.

We were very excited, we were very tired
We had gone all night and day on the candy
factory tour. I ate gummy worms, you ate
gummy bears. I lost the candy, sorry owner!


Ms. Sandoval-Johnson, 3rd Grade (Rm. 001)

Class Poem

We were very sad, we were very happy--
we went round and round on the roller coaster
all night long!
It was high and creepy, it smelled like old onions -
But we were screaming and putting our hands in the air,
We went down the tracks, we went up and down.

We were very sad, we were very happy--
We went round and round on the roller coaster
all night long!
We ate cotton candy and popcorn,
that was free from a crazy man;
the air was hot, the wind was a tornado.


Ms. Marfise, 3rd Grade (Rm. 002)

Class Poem

We were very weak, we were very strong--
We felt weak; in our dreams, we were strong.
We couldn't move, but we could pick up anything.
We picked up the Sears Tower,
people were flying out the windows

We were very weak, we were very strong--
We felt weak; in our dreams, we were strong.
We were eating spaghetti in our dreams
We sleepwalked into the kitchen for brownies
but we couldn't pick them up.

Continuations of the class poem...

Veronica

We were very weak, we were very strong--
We felt weak; in our dreams, we were strong.
We felt something ticklish in our arms.
We took it off, but it was just grass.
We woke up to our dear mother's voice.

David F.

We were very weak, we were very strong--
We felt weak; in our dreams, we were strong.
We woke up and our dream ended.
And what we dreamed of really happened.
(Except for the eating part.)
Now let's start a new dream to let it happen.

Myriam R.

We were very weak, we were very strong--
We felt weak; in our dreams, we were strong.
The washing machine had a large hand and
walked up the stairs. There was spaghetti
all over the floor. It slipped and hit itself
and fell back downstairs.

Shalynn S.

We were very weak, we were very strong--
We felt weak; in our dreams, we were strong.
We were eating spaghetti in our dreams
We sleepwalked into the kitchen for brownies
but we couldn't pick them up because they were 20
pounds, so I walked into the front room
where my dad was playing music all night long
I felt weak, but strong, the door opened,
white wonderful stuff was coming down
from the dark sky. It looked like ice cream--
I ate it, it was cold.

Ms. McCormick, 3rd Grade (Rm. 214)

Class Poem

We were very brave, we were very scared
We were going to our new house
It looked yellow and very empty.
It smelled like wet paint. Some rooms
were old and looked haunted, had spirits in them
We went to the kitchen and saw a nice lady making popcorn.

We were very brave, we were very scared
We were going to our new house
I went to the garden and you went to the store,
you ate vegetables and I ate pizza,
they looked like little trees and bread.

Continuations of the class poem...

Isabel C.

We were very brave, we were very scared
We were going to our new house.
The plates were broken, there were
cats outside our yard. In the night
I saw an old woman on the couch.
When we went to the attic, we saw a man
fixing a truck. Still, if our house is scary
I still love my new house.

Casandra S.

We were very brave, we were very scared
We were going to our new house.
When we were at the kitchen, it
was bright, but tiny noises were out and we
all went to sleep. The nice lady
tucked us in and sleep tight and don't
let anything harm you tonight
she shut the door.

Yenci S.

We were very brave, we were very scared
We were going to our new house.
For a drink, you could drink water, and I could drink
some pineapple juice. I'll go to the park and you'll
stay at home, you'll do my homework while
I have some fun.

Mrs. Rodriguez, 5th Grade (Rm. 401)

Class Poem

We were very excited, we were very bored,
We drove all day and all night.
It was very bright and it smelled like burning oil.
But we looked outside the window and saw a parade
There were people on stilts and on a big ball
There were clowns in red, green, blue and white.

Continuations of class poem...

Beverly A.

We were very excited, we were very bored,
We drove all day and all night.
I was very dark and it smelled like smoke.
But we looked strange and saw ice cream
There were people on chairs.

Cynthia G.

We were very excited, we were very bored,
We drove all day and all night.
You ate a pizza, I ate frise. They were
both from a little restaurant in the parade.

We were very excited, we were very bored,
We drove all day and all night.
We saw an old lady, she had two kids,
she needed money, we gave her some but not
all the fun we were having.

Carlos G.

"All Aboard"

we were very bored and excited watching a movie
while in the sky it was very white and very high
the clouds looked like a ball
of cotton and I was excited to go to California
with my cousins but it was going to take a while.

Then I looked out the window and I couldn't see
any tower at all, at night the clouds looked gray and
the stars looked medium far, it looked like the sun
was gold and cold but it was hot, the sun looked
like we could tie it in a knot. But too bad it was not
a shoe is was the sun, but a sun could burn you down.

Maria M.

We were very excited, we were very bored,
We drove all day and night in the freaky car!
It was very dark, it smelled like pumpkins all over the car.
We were very excited, we were very bored,
We drove all day and night in the freaky car. It was
bright and dark at the same time but we saw a fairy
that granted us some wishes.

We were very excited, we were very bored,
We drove all day and night in the freaky car. It was very
cold, but I found gold.