Wonderstruck!

Hello again, everyone!


It has been awhile since our last blog entry, so here is a new one. (I can't believe that it is already February! Wow, the school year is just flying by...!)


First, here is a great link to our latest novel study, "Wonderstruck" by Brian Selznick (thanks Ankita!) :


http://www.scholastic.com/wonderstruck/


While you are there, you can watch a video from Brian Selznick, and see how to 'fingerspell' your name or a few words! Then, follow the stars to review some of the main ideas.

Now, read the following poem about a wolf, and tell me what you think about it...'bye for now! ~ Mrs. Kutertan :)

A Night With a Wolf (excerpt)
By Bayard Taylor  
High on the lonely mountain
Where the wild men watched and waited;
Wolves in the forest, and bears in the bush,
And I on my path belated.

The rain and the night together
Came down, and the wind came after,
Bending the props of the pine tree roof
And snapping many a rafter…
 
There, from the blowing and raining,
Crouching I sought to hide me;
Something rustled, two green eyes shone,
And a wolf lay down beside me.
 
Little one, be not frightened;
I and the wolf together,
Side be side through the long, long night,
Hid from the awful weather.

His wet fur pressed against me;
Each of us warmed the other;
Each of us felt in the stormy dark
That beast and man was brother...  

So Many Stars!

Here are two new poems to read and consider. Which on do you like better? Tell me why!

Star Stories by Lynn Noel (excerpt)

 

Music was still ringing in my ears
As I stepped out under the stars.
Silence.
Sudden silence.
Black, and frost, and midnight.
Just the wheel of the world
Going round over my head.
Just space.
Black space, like rhythm.
The space between the notes.
The breath before the song.
Huge space, big as an indrawn breath.
The stars shape the space into stories.
Sword of Orion.
The dancing Bull.
Seven shining Sisters
Snowflakes clustered as a chord...
The stories hang there in the stars.
Draw breath at midnight
And feel them catch in midwinter's throat.

I Heard a Bird Sing

by Oliver Herford

I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.

'We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,'
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.

Mystery Man

I like this poem so much, that I have posted it before! What do you think? Do you like it...or not so much? Who is this mysterious 'man'? Any ideas...(hint: Think about the title! :)?


Windy Nights
by Robert Louis Stevenson


Whenever the moon and stars are set,
Whenever the wind is high,
All night long in the dark and wet,
A man goes riding by.
Late in the night when the fires are out,
Why does he gallop and gallop about?

Whenever the trees are crying aloud,
And ships are tossed at sea,
By, on the highway, low and loud,
By at the gallop goes he.
By at the gallop he goes, and then
By he comes back at the gallop again.

An Interesting Rock Poem

What do you think about this poem...? Why is Flint more important than all the beautiful gem stones?

Flint
by Christina Rosetti

An emerald is as green as grass,
A ruby red as blood;
A sapphire shines as blue as heaven;
A flint lies in the mud.


A diamond is a brilliant stone,
To catch the world's desire;
An opal holds a fiery spark;
But a flint holds a fire.

A Poem for the Full November Moon

Please read this poem about the moon...it's a full moon this week, after all! Do you like this poem? Does it make you think of anything? Do you like it more than "The Red Wheelbarrow"? Or do you like is less...or about the same? (PS: What is a 'quay'? In the poem, you pronounce it "KEYS"...)

The Moon
by Robert Louis Stevenson

The moon has a face like the clock in the hall;
She shines on thieves on the garden wall,
On streets and fields and harbour quays,
And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees.

The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse,
The howling dog by the door of the house,
The bat that lies in bed at noon,
All love to be out by the light of the moon.

But all of the things that belong to the day
Cuddle to sleep to be out of her way;
And flowers and children close their eyes
Till up in the morning the sun shall arise.

Great First Comments!...and a Video

Thanks to everyone for the great comments! Let me be very clear, I am not writing the poems on our blog, I am simply posting them for you to read and consider...I thought it was quite interesting that so many of you were puzzled by the chickens...or found them so funny! :) I guess chickens ('chicons') ARE pretty funny!! :) I am wondering about Akash's poetry comment: rhyming would make it better and longer would make it more awesome. Hmmmm...I am going to challenge you on that one, Akash! I found Stephanie's comment about it being an "awkward" poem quite interesting. Good connections on Braden's part - this was definitely a 'rural' setting!! Nice ideas, everybody!

Now check this out: I found this video clip and thought it was a very creative way to communicate this poem....what do you think? Does it help make the poem easier to understand? Click on it and tell me what you think! - Ms. K.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PqRhDdeKDA

The Poem that Started Our Blog

The Red Wheelbarrow
by William Carlos Williams

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens

...hmmmm. This is a poem I would like you to read and consider. Here are some questions to get you started:
What do you think about it?
Why do you think the poet wrote it?