When Poetry Isn't Popular

The words, "We're starting a poetry unit," are probably not going to be met with applause in your classroom. The response is more likely to be a combination of groans, eye-rolls, and slumping in seats. I mean, there are always a few kids who are pumped for poetry, but overall, poetry isn't popular. Having to review poetry for state testing is even less popular. My Unfruitful Search State testing is right around the corner, and last week I was looking for poems that contain similes and metaphors to help review similes and metaphors in addition to the elements of poetry before the test. I searched ... and searched ... and to be honest, everything I came across felt super boring. Who knows. Maybe I was just experiencing an off day, but I couldn't find anything that interested me, and if I'm not interested in the material, how can I expect my students to be interested in it? High-Interest Material

I was sitting at my computer mulling over my problem. My students were finishing up their assignment for the day, and then I reminded myself that I don't like taking shots in the dark over and over and hoping for the best. Whenever I can, I involve my students in the planning process, even if they don't always know that's what I'm doing. I talk to my students and get their feedback so I can help make their lessons more engaging and fun! And that's what I needed - student input and inspiration.

So, I said to my first-hour class, "I'm coming up with a fun poetry review for us, and I need some topics that you're interested in." I got out my notepad and pen and asked, "What do you have?"

Those hands flew up SO quickly! There were lots of fun ideas, but here are the topics I chose from the list of suggestions: penguins and taxes

LeBron James

potato mutants

chicken jockey (from The Minecraft Movie) Yup, I'm serious!

A Little Help from AI

I'm not someone who uses AI often, but I've used Chat GPT on several occasions when I needed help searching for something specific. It occurred to me as we were creating the list that Chat GPT might be able to help me by writing poems that contain similes and metaphors using the topics we settled on. So, I opened Chat GPT and typed "Write a short poem that is appropriate for sixth-grade students that includes similes and metaphors about (*topic here*)." I then copied and pasted the sentence, changed the topic, and hit enter until I was through our list. . Here are the AI-generated poems inspired by my students' interests, in no particular order

Penguins and Taxes

Penguins march like tiny clerks,  In tuxedo suits through fiscal perks.  They waddle down the icy halls,  Balancing budgets 'neath frozen falls.

Their beaks like pens, so sharp, so neat,  They file receipts with frosty feet.  Each fish they catch, a taxable gain—  Deducted under sleet and strain.

The iceberg is their audit desk,  Where math is cold and most grotesque.  A misfiled flipper, a slip, a sneeze,  Could freeze their assets in legal freeze.

But still they thrive in chilly stacks,  With spreadsheets carved in glacier cracks.  For even birds must pay their due,  When April bites in the South Pole too.

LeBron, the Storm in Sneakers

LeBron moves like thunder dressed in grace,  A tidal wave with a human face.  His dunks are hammers from the skies,  Each leap—a myth the rim denies.

He’s a lion wrapped in hardwood dreams,  A king who runs through laser beams.  His court is chess, his mind the board,  Each play a poem, each pass a sword.

His muscles sing like cello strings,  Composed in sweat and crowned in rings.  Not just a man—he’s time and flame,  A living echo chanting game.

So when the ball arcs through the air,  It knows he’s more than muscle and flair—  He’s legacy in motion’s name,  A comet burning: LeBron James.

The Rise of the Potato Mutants

They sprouted from the soil like secrets spilled,  With eyes like lanterns—strange and thrilled.  Their limbs were roots in tangled flight,  Twisting through moonbeams every night.

Each spud, a swollen, starchy face,  Wore scars of science, not of grace.  They marched like rebels, rough and brown,  Wielding forks as scepters, thrones of ground.

Their thoughts were mashed in boiling fear,  Yet crisp with purpose, oddly clear.  A baked rebellion, hot and bold—  No buttered lies, no myths retold.

So if you find one in your stew,  Blink twice, for it might blink too.  A mutant tuber, fierce and free—  The starch of fate, the root of we.

Ode to the Minecraft Movie (feat. Chicken Jockey)

In pixel skies where dreamers dive,  A world of blocks comes loud alive.  The Minecraft Movie rolls its reel,  Like a sandbox turned to spinning wheel.

And from the mist of coded fog,  Rides chaos on a clucking log.  A Chicken Jockey—strange parade,  A baby zombie’s feathered blade.

He’s fury riding breakfast fast,  Like nightmare jokes from updates past.  A goblin king on wings so small,  A ticking glitch in nature’s sprawl.

The film unfolds like redstone lore,  With creepers creeping evermore.  And yet, it’s this odd duo’s dash  That sparks the screen with comic clash.

So cheer the bird, salute the brat,  Half poultry steed, half undead spat.  In blocky frames, they steal the show—  Like memes in motion, wild and low.

The Results

The next day, I displayed each poem on my SmartBoard and we worked together as a class to pick out the similes and metaphors and enjoy the AI-generated silliness inspired by their middle school humor. Overall, it was a success, and my students did a great job picking out the similes and metaphors.

However, as you know, every class has a different personality. So, here are the results in greater detail. 1st class: They went nuts over the Minecraft poem. It was their favorite! "chicken jockey" was shouted out multiple times, which made me snort-laugh.

2nd class: Lebron is their favorite person/topic right now. They loved the Lebron poem so much that they asked me to read it again. It's worth noting that when I read these poems aloud to my classes, I was VERY dramatic. It was a performance, really. I'm talking over the top, arms flung wide with dramatic pauses when appropriate. What can I say? I just like the extra flair and they did too.

3rd class: Here's where the shift happened. This particular group sunk in their chairs and thought reading these poems was the cringeyest thing I had ever put them through, which made me laugh - hard! I think cringey is funny. Although I admit, I do wish they had enjoyed it as much as my first two classes. Everyone is different though, and the poems just weren't a hit with this group.

4th class: This class was split right down the middle. Half of them loved the poems, and half of them were just, as they would say, "meh" about the poems. In hindsight, the only thing I would change would be creating a list of topic suggestions with each of my four ELA classes and making different poems for each class rather than using one class's ideas to generate poems for all four classes.

Creating More Popular Poetry

So, whether you're currently in the middle of your poetry unit or reviewing poetry for your state test, consider taking topic suggestions from your students and harnessing the power of AI to create a few poems you can have some fun with in class! Nothing will replace the classics and the wonderful human poets whose work we revisit and learn from, (and I would never want anything to) but it's nice to add some spontaneity and silliness into the mix every once in a while.

More Poetry Fun

If you're looking to bring more poetry fun into your classroom, check out my Hilarious Haiku below!

Until next time! Lauren