Saturday, April 9, 2016

Wallow in Wonder Day 9 - What is a Sun Dog?


Welcome to Day 9 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

And now for Day 9!


Sun and His Dogs
by Amy LV




Students - Today's poem is an English - or Shakespearean - sonnet.  You will notice four stanzas, really, all smushed together.  The first three groupings of lines each have four lines, and the last grouping has two.  I could separate them, but a sonnet is all together, and I want to keep to that look.

Can you find the rhyming words here?  What do you see?  Do you see how the rhyme scheme changes at the end?  

When writing simple sonnets like this one, I very much enjoy patting out the rhythms in the ten-beat lines.  If you haven't yet, you may also read my other sonnet from April 1 of Wallow in Wonder - So Suddenly.  Reading both of them together will perhaps get that sound, that rhythm into your mind.  Maybe you'll even try to write a sonnet line or two?

I had to do some learning to write this poem.  I did not know what a sundog (or sun dog) was.  But now, thanks to writing, I do. In reading a few articles about sundogs, I was especially interested in the fact that people are not sure why these patches of light are called sundogs, but they think that perhaps it is because they appear so near and so loyal to the sun, just as real furry dogs are near and loyal to their masters.

If you have not yet done so, do read the Wonderopolis post from yesterday, and you will know too.  And don't miss these sundog and moondog pictures at Atmospheric Optics.  It is a beautiful gallery.

You can read another poem inspired by Wonder #1665 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. 

Yesterday's post had a giveaway!  Should you leave a comment on yesterday's post, you will be entered into a giveaway generously offered by Barry Lane - 3 Barry CDs to one winner, and I will draw the name on Sunday (tomorrow) evening. Please be sure to leave a way to contact you.  Thank you, Barry!

I am thrilled to host middle school teacher and librarian Stefanie Cole and her students from Ontario, Canada to Sharing Our Notebooks this month.  Do not miss this post; it is full of notebook inspiration, a video clip, and a great book giveaway from Stefanie.

Happy Day 9 of National Poetry Month 2016!  

Please share a comment below if you wish.

7 comments:

  1. You are amazing. I love how you find connections to the wonder and ask playful questions in your poems. Thank you for the continued inspiration.

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  2. Maybe Sun was jealous of Sirius and Orion!

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  3. I love this series, Amy! This one is so fresh and such an original take on sun dogs, which we see frequently in the winter.

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  4. I've never written a sonnet before. You've inspired me to change that!

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  5. My, you were industrious on this one. Quite a nice job on the sonnet and the voice. I'd never heard of a sundog either.

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  6. Amy,
    Kids will love this idea. Even the sun has pet dogs. Fun! Great job!

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  7. For me, a sonnet is a challenging form to try. Thanks for making it seem possible with your instructions. I also love your original paintings every day. Many talents are showing.

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