Suggestion of Ocean or Nautical Themed Poetry for Co-Op Class

[goldenecho]

What are your favorite, or your kids favorite, poems related to the ocean, ships, sailing, etc.?  I'm doing a "ships and the sea" themed co-op class and want to sprinkle in a few poems.  Kids of all ages attending, so need things that would appeal broadly--but they don't have to be just children's poems.

Edited September 2, 2016 by goldenecho

[Rosie_0801]

Captain Cook

Chased a chook

All around Australia.

He lost his pants 

In the middle of France

And found them in Tasmania.

 

Too short? I can assure you it is a classic.  :laugh:

[Miss Tick]

Another classic for your collection:

 

THE SEA MONSTER’S SNACK by Charles Thompson

 

Deep down upon his sandy bed

 

The monster turned his slimy head,

 

Grinned and licked his salty lip

 

And ate another bag of ships.

[fralala]

My kids enjoyed memorizing "The Seal" by Conrad Aiken, which apparently isn't available anywhere online. We found it in The 20th Century Children's Poetry Treasury, and I don't want to violate any copyright laws here, but the first part is:

 

How must it feel

to be

a

seal

and swish among the

ducks

and teal

and swim

a cool

Virginia Reel

right underneath

somebody's

keel?

 

There's more...but this one lends itself well to action and learning some sea-related vocabulary.

[wintermom]

I don't know any off-hand, but what about sea shanties? Could be fun. There are a lot on-line.

 

Here's a couple verses of Cape Cod Girls

 

Cape Cod kids ain't got no sleds
They slide down the hills on codfish heads

 

Cape Cod girls ain't got no frills
They tie their hair with codfish gills

 

Cape Cod cats ain't got no tails
They lost them all in the northeast gales

 

ETA: I found some sea shanties on youtube, and my ds knew it from a computer game. So some of them may already be familiar to the students.

Edited September 2, 2016 by wintermom

[Rockhopper]

There's a nice selection of "in the sea" poems in the Nat Geo book of nature poetry.

[shadah]

The Owl and the Pussycat by Lear

[Haiku]

Sea Fever by John Masefield

[Porridge]

Break, break, break or other poems by Tennyson

[Hunter]

I was introduced to Longfellow when reading Ella Frances Lynch.

https://books.google.com/books?id=9JBJAAAAIAAJ&dq=ella+frances+Lynch&source=gbs_navlinks_s

 

There are some sea and ocean poems.

 

This edition of Longfellow is Bible quality and small. It really is a beautiful book to be spread out over K-12 like Shakespeare. Because he wrote poems for school children, you can often find selections for whatever topics are being studied.

https://www.amazon.com/Henry-Wadsworth-Longfellow-Writings-Library/dp/188301185X

 

I have found that Longfellow, Shakespeare, Plutarch, and the Bible make a sweet foursome that at least one of them will always have something for any topic being studied.

[Shred Betty]

Rudyard Kipling: 50 North and 40 West (lat. and long. Coordinates - a specific spot in an ocean voyage)

 

 

From How the Whale got his Throat

 

 

 

 

WHEN the cabin port-holes are dark and green

Because of the seas outside;

When the ship goes wop (with a wiggle between)

And the steward falls into the soup-tureen,

And the trunks begin to slide;

When Nursey lies on the floor in a heap,

And Mummy tells you to let her sleep,

And you aren't waked or washed or dressed,

Why, then you will know (if you haven't guessed)

You're "Fifty North and Forty West!"

 

Lol love this one. Also applies to some homeschooling days!