Poetry Memorization: Thanksgiving?

[JudoMom]

What poem would you guys suggest memorizing in November for Thanksgiving? I'm pretty illiterate when it comes to poetry.

 

Thanks for any suggestions :001_smile:.

[mom2abcd]

Here are some ideas:

 

John Milton wrote the following poem when he was only fifteen years old. (He would later go on to write the epic poem, “Paradise Lost.â€) The poem is based on Psalm 136 and was later made into a hymn by church organist John Bernard Wilkes.

 

“ALL PRAISE TO GOD†- by John Milton

 

Let us, with a gladsome mind,

Praise the Lord, for he is kind:

 

For his mercies aye endure,

Ever faithful, ever sure.

 

Let us blaze his name abroad,

For of gods he is the God:

 

He, with all-commanding might,

Filled the new-made world with light:

 

All things living he doth feed,

His full hand supplies their need:

 

He his chosen race did bless

In the wasteful wilderness:

 

Let us then with gladsome mind

Praise the Lord, for he is kind.

 

 

This is just a selection of verses from the poem. The actual poem is much longer, repeating the lines “For his mercies aye endure / Ever faithful, ever sure†as part of each stanza.

 

--

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the LORD is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and

his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues

through all generationsâ€

 

(Psalm 100, NIV)

 

 

--

Oh God, I thank thee for each sight

Of beauty that thy world doth give

For sunny sky and air and light

Oh God, I thank thee that I live.

That life I consecrate to thee

And ever as the day is born

On wings of joy my soul doth flee

And thank thee for another morn.

Another morn in which to cast

Some silent deed of love abroad

That greatening as it journeys past

May do some earnest work for God.

~Caroline A. Mason, 1823

 

--

We Gather Together

 

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;

He chastens and hastens his will to make known;

The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,

Sing praises to his name: He forgets not his own.

 

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,

Ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;

So from the beginning the fight we were winning;

Thou, Lord, wast at our side, All glory be thine!

 

We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,

And pray that thou still our defender wilt be.

Let thy congregation escape tribulation;

Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

Amen

 

--Traditional Thanksgiving Hymn

(A translation by Theodore Baker: 1851-1934)

[Jami]

Here's a list from AmblesideOnline. :001_smile:

 

http://amblesideonline.org/HolidayThanksgivingPoems.shtml

[Karen in CO]

My kids love Prelutsky. He cracks them up. All three will sit with his books and giggle and read (or insist that I read) "just one more, please."

"I ate too much turkey,

I ate too much corn,

I ate too much pudding and pie,

I'm stuffed up with muffins

and much too much stuffin',

I'm probably going to die.

 

I piled up my plate

and I ate and I ate,

but I wish I had known when to stop,

for I'm so crammed with yams,

sauces, gravies, and jams

that my buttons are starting to pop.

 

I'm full of tomatoes

and french fried potatoes,

my stomach is swollen and sore,

but there's still some dessert,

so I guess it won't hurt

if I eat just a little bit more."

- Jack Prelutsky, I Ate Too Much

 

 

Ever since my kids learned After the Party by William Wise from the IEW poetry book, I have felt better about the time they spend with Prelutsky.

 

[JudoMom]

Thanks, guys!

 

I think they'll love the Prelutsky poem, so I'm thinking we'll do that one and one of the more serious suggestions :001_smile:.

[Quiver0f10]

My kids love Prelutsky. He cracks them up. All three will sit with his books and giggle and read (or insist that I read) "just one more, please."

"I ate too much turkey,

I ate too much corn,

I ate too much pudding and pie,

I'm stuffed up with muffins

and much too much stuffin',

I'm probably going to die.

 

I piled up my plate

and I ate and I ate,

but I wish I had known when to stop,

for I'm so crammed with yams,

sauces, gravies, and jams

that my buttons are starting to pop.

 

I'm full of tomatoes

and french fried potatoes,

my stomach is swollen and sore,

but there's still some dessert,

so I guess it won't hurt

if I eat just a little bit more."

- Jack Prelutsky, I Ate Too Much

 

 

 

I love it LOL! I am going to have them memorize this next. Thanks :)

[Julie in MN]

We always have to read When The Frost is On the Punkin!

 

There's a pretty version online someplace that we printed out.

[ELaurie]

I was going to suggest Over the River and Through the Woods.

[JudoMom]

I was going to suggest Over the River and Through the Woods.

 

 

No, thank you! I'm still taking suggestions to go alongside the other one :001_smile:.

[runamuk]

My kids love Prelutsky. He cracks them up. All three will sit with his books and giggle and read (or insist that I read) "just one more, please."

"I ate too much turkey,

I ate too much corn,

I ate too much pudding and pie,

I'm stuffed up with muffins

and much too much stuffin',

I'm probably going to die.

 

I piled up my plate

and I ate and I ate,

but I wish I had known when to stop,

for I'm so crammed with yams,

sauces, gravies, and jams

that my buttons are starting to pop.

 

I'm full of tomatoes

and french fried potatoes,

my stomach is swollen and sore,

but there's still some dessert,

so I guess it won't hurt

if I eat just a little bit more."

- Jack Prelutsky, I Ate Too Much

 

 

 

Ever since my kids learned After the Party by William Wise from the IEW poetry book, I have felt better about the time they spend with Prelutsky.

 

 

 

I was looking for something for Elle to memorize with a holiday theme; she will love this. Thanks!

[WTMindy]

We did Psalm 100 one year and I liked that one!

[Erica in OR]

We did two:

 

First Thanksgiving of All

by Nancy Byrd Turner

 

Peace and Mercy and Jonathan,

And Patience (very small),

Stood by the table giving thanks

The first Thanksgiving of all.

There was very little for them to eat,

Nothing special and nothing sweet;

Only bread and a little broth,

And a bit of fruit (and no tablecloth):

But Peace and Mercy and Jonathan

And Patience, in a row,

Stood up and asked a blessing on

Thanksgiving long ago.

Thankful they were their ship had come

Safely across the sea;

Thankful they were for hearth and home,

And kin and company;

They were glad of broth to go with their bread,

Glad their apples were round and red,

Glad of mayflowers they would bring

Out of the woods again next spring.

So Peace and Mercy and Jonathan,

And Patience (very small),

Stood up gratefully giving thanks

The first Thanksgiving of all.

 

and also the one mentioned by an earlier poster:

 

Over the River and through the Wood

by Lydia Maria Child

 

Over the river, and through the wood,

To Grandmother's house we go;

The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh

through the white and drifted snow.

 

Over the river, and through the wood -

Oh, how the wind does blow!

It stings the toes and bites the nose

As over the ground we go.

 

Over the river, and through the wood,

To have a first-rate play.

Hear the bells ring, "Ting-a-ling-ding",

Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!

 

Over the river, and through the wood

Trot fast, my dapple-gray!

Spring over the ground like a hunting-hound,

For this is Thanksgiving Day.

 

Over the river, and through the wood -

And straight through the barnyard gate,

We seem to go extremely slow,

It is so hard to wait!

 

Over the river, and through the wood -

Now Grandmother's cap I spy!

Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?

Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!