A Hush, little baby, don't say a word,

Papa's going to buy you a mockingbird.

If that mockingbird won't sing,

Papa's going to buy you a diamond ring.

If that diamond ring turns to brass,

Papa's going to buy you a looking-glass.

If that looking-glass gets broke,

Papa's going to buy you a billy-goat.

If that billy-goat runs away,

Papa's going to buy you another today.

One of the simplest kinds of poems are those like B and C that list things. List poems have a flexible line length and repeated phrases which give both a pattern and a rhythm to the poem. Some rhyme (like B) while others do not (like C).

I saw a fish-portal all on fire

I saw a fish-pond all on fire,

I saw a house bow to a squire,

I saw a person twelve-feet high,

I saw a cottage in the sky,

I saw a balloon made of lead,

I saw a coffin drop down dead,

I saw two sparrows run a race,

I saw two horses making lace,

I saw g girl just like a cat,

I saw a kitten wear a hat,

I saw a man who saw these too,

And said though strange they all were true.

Our first football match

We would have won ...

if Jack had scored that goal,

if we'd had just a few more minutes,

if we had trained harder,

if Ben had passed the ball to Joe,

if we'd had thousands of fans screaming,

if I hadn't taken my eye off the ball,

if we hadn't stayed up so late the night before,

if we hadn't taken it easy,

if we hadn't run out of energy.

We would have won ...

if we'd been better!

Another simple form of poem that students can easily write is the cinquain, a poem made up of five lines. With these, students can convey a strong picture in just a few words. Look at the examples (D and E) on the top of the next page.

Brother