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Poem of the Week blog

An introduction to our Poem of the Week and some links to other poem of the day/week features you might enjoy.

https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/blog/poem-of-the-week/

Poetry By Heart Poem Of The Week sign-up

Click here to sign up for an email once a week in term time with a link to a poem to share and an out loud/by heart activity to try with it at home or in school.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poemoftheweek

Poem of the Week 26th June 2022 - Travel - Edna St. Vincent Millay

Think about how the rhythm of this poem links to the movement of the trains being described. How will you use that rhythm as you speak the poem aloud?

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-travel-edna-st-vincent-millay

Poem of the Week 19th June 2022 - Escape at Bedtime - Robert Louis Stevenson

This poem is all about stars and the night sky. How can you reflect the mood of the poem in the way you speak it aloud?

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-escape-at-bedtime-robert-louis-stevenson

Poem of the Week 12th June 2022 - Eletelephony - Laura Richards

Have fun with this tongue twister of a poem - how quickly can you read it out loud without tripping over the words?

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-eletelephony-laura-richards

Poem of the Week 5th June 2022 - Fireflies - Carolyn Hall

Think about how you can say this poem to create the hushed stillness of a warm summer evening with fireflies appearing.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-fireflies-carolyn-hall2

Poem of the Week 29th May 2022 - Eldorado - Edgar Allan Poe

Try lengthening the sounds in this poem as you speak it aloud to emphasise the magical place of Eldorado.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-eldorado-edgar-allan-poe

Poem of the Week 22nd May 2022 - At the Parrot Sanctuary - Esther Morgan

How can you speak this poem out loud to show the sadness in the lines? Think about how to wind down from sounds to silence at the end of the poem.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-at-the-parrot-sanctuary-esther-morgan

Poem of the Week 15th May 2022 - Grim and Gloomy - James Reeves

This poem is great fun to read aloud. Enjoy its lovely sounds and try different ways of exaggerating your favourite words in the poem.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-grim-and-gloomy-james-reeves

Poem of the Week 8th May 2022 - Childhood - Margaret Walker

Notice the two different sections of this sonnet. How will you use your voice to illuminate the strong imagery and emotion depicted in the poem?

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-childhood-margaret-walker

Poem of the Week 1st May 2022 - The Language of Cat - Rachel Rooney

Which words do you like best in the poem to describe ‘the language of cat’? Try adding actions or movements as you say the words out loud.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-the-language-of-cat

Poem of the Week 24th April 2022 - Hyena - Edwin Morgan

How can you best express the hyena's life-force as you read this poem aloud? Try performing it for friends without the title and see if they can guess the animal.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-hyena-edwin-morgan

Poem of the Week 10th April 2022 - I'm Nobody, Who are you? - Emily Dickinson

This short poem has a strong relevance today in the age of celebrity. Try speaking it to another person, or a picture of a celebrity you're not so fond of!

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-im-nobody-who-are-you-emily-dickinson

Poem of the Week 3rd April 2022 - Paper Boats - Rabindranath Tagore

Try to capture the calm, dreamy atmosphere of this poem about paper boats floating down a stream.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-paper-boats-rabindranath-tagore-2

Poem of the Week 27th March 2022 - Answer to a Child's Question - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Find the songs of the 5 birds in this poem. How can you make the birds' songs sound different in your performance?

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-answer-to-a-childs-question-samuel-taylor-coleridge

Poem of the Week 20th March 2022 - Extinct - Mandy Coe

This is a poem about creatures that once lived on earth but are now extinct. How do you want your listeners to feel as you read the poem aloud?

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-extinct-mandy-coe

Poem of the Week 13th March 2022 - In the Tree's Defence - A. F. Harrold

This is a happy and in places comical poem in praise of trees. As you read it aloud, play with ways to get the positivity and humour in the poem across.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-in-the-trees-defence-a-f-harrold

Poem of the Week 6th March 2022 - The Cataract of Lodore - Robert Southey

This is a wonderful poem to read aloud, on your own or with others. How does the water in the poem sound and move? How will you match your voice to the water's energy?

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-the-cataract-of-lodore-robert-southey-2

Poem of the Week 27th February 2022 - Mix a Pancake - Christina Rossetti

Add big, bold actions to each line of this short poem to create a fun performance that your listeners can join in with.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-mix-a-pancake-christina-rossetti

Poem of the Week 20th February 2022 - Tell me, tell me, Sarah Jane - Charles Causley

This strange, unsettling poem has two speakers - a mother and her daughter. Try speaking the two voices in different ways. Which approach do you like best?

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-tell-me-tell-me-sarah-jane-charles-causley

Poem of the Week 13th February 2022 - If You Were A Carrot - Berlie Doherty

Experiment with pace as you read this poem aloud. Make sure your audience really feel the 'punchline' in the last verse.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-if-you-were-a-carrot-berlie-doherty

Poem of the Week 6th February 2022 - The Owl - Alfred Tennyson

Explore some interesting and unusual words from the 19th century to help you understand more about the owl in this poem.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-the-owl-alfred-tennyson

Poem of the Week 30th January 2022 - The Door - Miroslav Holub

Pay attention to the repeated lines in this poem and experiment with saying them in different ways. How will you choose to perform the poem?

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-the-door-miroslav-holub

Poem of the Week 23rd January 2022 - Snow - Edward Thomas

Explore this mysterious little poem with so much left unsaid. Think about how to use voice and pace to mirror the hush of falling snow.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-snow-edward-thomas

Poem of the Week 16th January 2022 - Spell of the Air - Elizabeth Jennings

In this short poem the 'air' is represented as a person who shares a 'spell' with us. What kind of voice do you imagine for the air? Experiment with what sounds best as you read the poem aloud.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-spell-of-the-air-elizabeth-jennings

Poem of the Week 9th January 2022 - The Tyger - William Blake

Use drawing alongside the words in this poem to help you capture the power of the tiger. Can you feel the powerful beat of the poem as you say it aloud?

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-the-tyger-william-blake

Poem of the Week 2nd January 2022 - Chant Against Death - Mervyn Morris

This is an uplifting poem to strengthen our spirits and remember some of the most positive things in life. Read the poem aloud paying equal attention to sound and silence.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-a-chant-against-death-mervyn-morris

Poem of the Week 12th December 2021 - Nothingmas Day - Adrian Mitchell

Imagine a day when you expect to celebrate but nothing happens at all. What voices will you try as you read this poem out loud? Which works best?

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-nothingmas-day-adrian-mitchell

Poem of the Week 5th December 2021 - Lady Icicle - E. Pauline Johnson

Capture the lovely sounds of this wintry poem as you speak it aloud. Enjoy all the rhyming words which knit together the images of a magical winter wonderland.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-lady-icicle-e-pauline-johnson

Poem of the Week 28th November 2021 - Lament of an Arawak Child - Pamela Mordecai

The Arawaks were some of the first people to live in South America and the Caribbean islands. What tone of voice will you use to best express what the child in this poem is telling us?

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-lament-of-an-arawak-child-pamela-mordecai

Poem of the Week 21st November 2021 - For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry - Christopher Smart

Read and perform an extract of this long poem about the magic, beauty and mystery of the poet's cat, Jeoffry. You might use actions to make Jeoffry even more vivid for your audience.

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-for-i-will-consider-my-cat-jeoffry-christopher-smart

Poem of the Week 14th November 2021 - Mosquito One - Anonymous

This poem comes from the Caribbean and it is a great poem to read aloud together. Add clapping to your group performance and try to all keep to the same rhythm!

https://mailchi.mp/poetrybyheart/poem-of-the-week-mosquito-one-anonymous