Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Wallow in Wonder 13 - How Do Homing Pigeons Find Home?


Welcome to Day 13 of Wallow in Wonder!  For my 2016 National Poetry Month project, I will celebrate learning and writing from learning, writing poems from each daily Wonder at Wonderopolis.  As I did with my Dictionary Hike in 2012, I am looking to surprise myself with new inspiration daily.  This year, such inspiration will show up in my inbox each morning.  I will print it and carry each Wonderopolis Wonder around all day...and in the afternoon or evening, I will write and post the poem for the next day.  

I invite anyone who wishes to take this challenge too.  Just read today's wonder over at Wonderopolis, and write a poem inspired by it for tomorrow.  Share it tomorrow at your own site, and if you wish to link in my comments for others to find (or share your poem there), please feel free to do so tomorrow, the day after the Wonder is published at Wonderopolis.  If you would like to share any ways you have used Wallow in Wonder or your own site (safe for children only please), please link to the #WallowInWonder padlet.

My April Poems Thus Far

April 1 - So Suddenly - a poem inspired by Wonder #1659 
April 2 - Thankful Journal - a poem inspired by Wonder #1660
April 3 - The Storm Chaser - a poem inspired by Wonder #779
April 4 - A Jar of Glitter - a poem inspired by Wonder #641
April 5 - To Make Compost - a poem inspired by Wonder #1661
April 6 - Deciding Now - a poem inspired by Wonder #1662
April 7 - Hummingbird's Secret - a poem inspired by Wonder #1663
April 8 - Limits - a poem inspired by Wonder #1664
April 9 - Sundogs - a poem inspired by Wonder #1665
April 10 - Perspective - a poem inspired by Wonder #128
April 11 - At the History Museum - a poem inspired by Wonder #115
April 12 - Seventy-Five Years Ago Today - a poem inspired by Wonder #1666

And now for Day 13!


I Am Going Home
by Amy LV




Students - I channeled my inner homing pigeon for today's poem. Seriously.  This week I've been working with second grade poets in the Fairport, NY School District, and we have been talking about mask (or persona) poems, poems that speak in a voice other than the poet.  So, I'm Homer.  Nice to meet you.

Today's poem does not rhyme, but it does use repetition.  Lots of repetition. I used so much repetition in this poem because I imagined, "What would a homing pigeon mostly think about?"  And then I answered myself, "Home!"

When you consider using repetition in a poem, ask yourself why you are doing it.  In today's poem, I did so because I feel that a homing pigeon probably has a one track mind - home - home - home - and so I wanted my poem to reflect one-track-mindedness.  I actually giggled to myself a little as I read it aloud.

You will notice that the non-repeating lines in today's poem each almost have the same number of syllables.  So, while this piece does not rhyme, the repetition of words and beats holds it together a bit.

If you have not read the Wonder above, do. Homing pigeons are incredible!

You can read another poem inspired by Wonder #1667 if you visit Wonder Lead Ambassador, literacy advocate, teacher, and writer Paul Hankins at his Wonder Ground blog where he, too, is writing daily poems from Wonderopolis wonders.  He and I are in this together daily and some other writers are joining in on the fun sometimes too. All are welcome to wonder through poems with us.

This month I have a special guest over at my other blog!  Middle school teacher and librarian Stefanie Cole and her students from Ontario, Canada are visiting Sharing Our Notebooks this month.  This is a fantastic post full of notebook inspiration, a video clip, and a great book giveaway from Stefanie.

Happy Day 13 of National Poetry Month 2016!  

Please share a comment below if you wish.

2 comments:

  1. Fascinating how they work, and your repetition is just right. My daughter's museum had a pigeon installation for over a year, yes, they did! People could check out a pigeon, take it home, and then release it to return to the museum. It was quite a wonderful thing.

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  2. I love your poem, but this is also one of my favorite bits of poem-art that you've ever made! It's framable!

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