Two Music-Related Poetry Ideas for the Summer Reading Challenge

This year, the theme of the Summer Reading Challenge is Read to the Beat. In their book selection, music and musicians therefore feature very prominently. Here, then, are two poetry workshop ideas, both related to music. They are very simple, and can easily be adapted for any ages and abilities. I hope you enjoy making use of them. 

• The Music of Rhyme

Step One

Make a list of rhyming words, e.g. bat/cat, ball/wall, nut/hut, etc. This can be done as a competition; it can be done individually, in pairs, in groups, as shared writing in a class setting - the possibilities are basically endless. The aim is to come up with a large-ish bank of rhyming words.

Step Two

Now we find the music. What 'music' does each couplet make? Here are some ideas:

    The crack of the nut

    The creak of the hut

    The thwack of the ball

    The laugh in the hall

    The swoosh of the bat

    The yowl of the cat

The idea here is to come up with powerful sound-related nouns, such as those highlighted in bold. There are endless variations on this idea. Suffice to say, it is a fun way of working with rhyme, which children often struggle with when it comes to writing poetry. 

• The Music of Place

Step One

Think of a favourite place. It could be a big place, like a country, or a small place, like a room. Next, make a list of items or ideas associated with that place. This could be done individually, in pairs, or in groups. Here is an example:

    Example: the beach

    seagulls

    clouds

    waves

    sky

    crabs

    fish and chips

    ice cream

    children playing

    sunbathing

football

Step Two

Now look for the 'music' related to a selection of these objects. Here, rhyming is deemphasised; the focus is just on creating powerful, interesting descriptions, hopefully using a variety of language techniques. What will result is a list poem. Here is my example.

    The Music of the Beach

    The swoosh of the seagulls as they swoop through the sky 

    The gleeful yelling of the kids as they play

    The click click clacking of the crabs' crazy claws

    The trickle of the ice cream down the crispy cone

    The sun blazing brightly in the summer sky

Finally, and relatedly, here is a poem published in my book I Don't Like Poetry (Bloomsbury, 2016). Enjoy:

    Music

    The dance of the heart

    The gulp of the throat

    The threep of the whistle

    The roar of the crowd

    The crunch of the tackle

    The bark from the sidelines

    The skim on the pass

    The crack of the shot

    The swoosh of the net

    The whoop of the your dad

    The squeeze of the hug

    The music of joy