MrsMe Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Anyone use this? Do you think it's twaddle? They look rather funny and fun. Just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ELaurie Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 because of the sheer silliness of his poetry. :001_smile: We read them for fun, but they aren't usually poems I include for memory work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyco Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 My dc read them for fun...I read them as a child too. Somewhere along about 4th grade, lines like "anything can happen child, anything can be" really sparked the ol' imagination here. In fact, I memorized them just from reading them so much! I would read them into a tape recorder and play it back, to hear myself and try to improve my recitations. Hmmmm...should have known I was destined for hs! The poems were encouraging and hopeful and funny all at the same time...just what I needed. Now, my dc just think they are funny and don't appreciate them in quite the same way, but that's okay. I still have the copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends my mom gave to me when I was 10...a valued possession, for sure. So, no, I don't think there's anything wrong with them, but I wouldn't put them in my formal "school" work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 My 10 yo says she likes him because he takes chances, makes mistakes, and gets messy? I think thats a Mrs. Frizzle quote:). She says his poems are like that, I think she's right. We don't use them as our official memorize this poem work, but they know ton's of them from reading the books over and over. I like him because he takes the edge off of something that can get a little pretentious. He will make up a word so the the poem rhymes, that's my kind of guy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 We love Shel Silverstein here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alanae Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 As with the others I don't use them as formal work but my 5 year old LOVES the silly poems and I like him being able to hear the rhyming while he learns to read. For him it's a great way to get him to do some of his other work and then we read Shel Silverstein as a reward. We have a set of three since I myself remembered them from childhood. I also don't think my children appreciate it as much as I did but I still think the books have their benefits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 The reason for poetry is to develop fluency and rhythm to your reading. Shel Silverstene poems do that as well as any other. Maybe better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodhi tree Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I agree! Shel Silverstein books are some of the few that my daughter will pick up and read just for fun. They read them out loud and crack us up... and my husband and I both read them as kids, so it's a nice connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Twaddle??? It's classic stuff!!! Read "The Giving Tree"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I like Shel Silverstein, and I think his poems are quite fun, but I don't think they they have the language structure and abstract imagery that I hope to familiarize my kids with through poetry study. The other day we were at a religious function and my kids wanted to recite a poem for a visiting monastic. They chose The Early Morning by Hilaire Belloc. I have to admit that I wouldn't have been quite as proud or impressed had they recited a Shel Silverstein poem. :001_smile: Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Shel Silverstein fans here. We read them for fun, and my dc love them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted February 27, 2009 Author Share Posted February 27, 2009 Twaddle??? It's classic stuff!!! Read "The Giving Tree"... I have the "The Giving Tree", but none of the others. I love the Giving Tree, but it's so sad.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted February 27, 2009 Author Share Posted February 27, 2009 My dd doesn't like poetry and I thought these she could relate to, then we could move on to more classic stuff. I just ordered "Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook" This is one of those goofy things my dh and dd do just hanging out (to reverse letters). I thought Shel Silverstein just may open the doors! Even for me....I hate alot of poetry as well, but this just seems fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 what is the big difference between Shel Silverstein, Ogden Nash and Edward Lear or even Hilaire Belloc? Last week we were working on limericks. There were lots of Edward Lear limericks. He is know for his nonesense poetry which is a very clever use of language and rhyme. It gets kids excited about words and poetry. Shel Silverstein poetry does the same thing. Lear and Belloc are now "classic" because they have been around a while. I think Siverstein will be classic eventually. My ds loved Silverstein when he was young also and grew to love words and poetry. Tell me who wrote which poem and which is classic and which is twaddle? The Vulture eats between his meals, And that's the reason why He very, very, rarely feels As well as you and I. His eye is dull, his head is bald, His neck is growing thinner. Oh! what a lesson for us all To only eat at dinner! ------- There was an Old Man with a beard, Who said, "It is just as I feared! -- Two Owls and a Hen, four Larks and a Wren, Have all built their nests in my beard. ------- Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon." Said the old man, "I do that too." The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants." "I do that too," laughed the little old man. Said the little boy, "I often cry." The old man nodded, "So do I." "But worst of all," said the boy, "it seems Grown-ups don't pay attention to me." And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand. "I know what you mean," said the little old man. ------ I went down to the river, I set down on the bank. I tried to think but couldn't, So I jumped in and sank. I came up once and hollered! I came up twice and cried! If that water hadn't a-been so cold I might've sunk and died. Answer: Hilaire Belloc Edward Lear Shel Silverstein Langston Hughes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medieval Mom Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I like Shel Silverstein, and I think his poems are quite fun, but I don't think they they have the language structure and abstract imagery that I hope to familiarize my kids with through poetry study. The other day we were at a religious function and my kids wanted to recite a poem for a visiting monastic. They chose The Early Morning by Hilaire Belloc. I have to admit that I wouldn't have been quite as proud or impressed had they recited a Shel Silverstein poem. :001_smile: Tara That was a good explanation, thank you. I think Shel Siverstein belongs in school in addition to exposing our children to other types of poetry. what is the big difference between Shel Silverstein, Ogden Nash and Edward Lear or even Hilaire Belloc? Last week we were working on limericks. There were lots of Edward Lear limericks. He is know for his nonesense poetry which is a very clever use of language and rhyme. It gets kids excited about words and poetry. Shel Silverstein poetry does the same thing. Lear and Belloc are now "classic" because they have been around a while. I think Siverstein will be classic eventually. My ds loved Silverstein when he was young also and grew to love words and poetry. Tell me who wrote which poem and which is classic and which is twaddle? Very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 what is the big difference between Shel Silverstein, Ogden Nash and Edward Lear or even Hilaire Belloc? I think they all have their place. My objective for poetry study right now isn't met by Shel Silverstein poems, but that doesn't mean we don't like and read them. I just don't have my kids memorize them and we haven't read a biography of Shel Silverstein. I think it's like literature; at different times, different types of literature meet the current need. That doesn't mean one is better than another, just different. Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I love Shel Silverstein, we have all his books. It is funny that we haven't used him for memorization, but we do have most of his poems memorized. I thought we'd include Shel Silverstein and Lewis Carol more once we have read some serious poets... having read the responses, I realize how silly I've been. Scrooge all that! We're memorizing 'The Jabberwock'!!!!!! Thanks all, I was getting a little snobby in my assessment of the 'right' kind of reading. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 And all I want to know is, what IS the right thing to recite when visiting a monastic? Maybe some prayers from Prima Latina? Hehehe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 And all I want to know is, what IS the right thing to recite when visiting a monastic? Maybe some prayers from Prima Latina? Hehehe... It probably didn't matter anyway, as the monastic doesn't speak English ... ;) Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn Robinson Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I LOVED Shel Silverstein as a child an memorized all of "Hungry Mungry".If I could memorized THAT at 7 it's encouraging to my girls b/c they are never asked to memorize anything that long. I don't use his stuff for memory b/c I'd rather them know scripture or "real" poetry, but for fun I think it's great! :) For any Johnny Cash fans out there Shel wrote "A Boy Named Sue" :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macrina Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Shel Silverstien was the ONLY poetry my dh was exposed to as a kid. (The poor man never read The Chronicles of Naria, The Borrowers, Wind in the Willows or Thorton W Burgess either but that's OT) anyway, we have one book that used to be DH's and DD uses it for independent reading, but I feel rather resentful towards it since that was the sheer extent of DH's exposure to literature as a child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Oh - now I love Silverstein, but I wouldn't like for it to be the only poetry they had. We read widely and have great exposure. They grow nicely from the nonesense poetry to more serious works to Shakespeare and Milton. My ds that wouldn't read anything but Silverstein poetry and Captain Underpants (please don't ask) grew to love Dante, Shakespeare, Milton, and all the "good" stuff. But it was Silverstein that got him excited about poetry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Shel Silverstien was the ONLY poetry my dh was exposed to as a kid. (The poor man never read The Chronicles of Naria, The Borrowers, Wind in the Willows or Thorton W Burgess either but that's OT) anyway, we have one book that used to be DH's and DD uses it for independent reading, but I feel rather resentful towards it since that was the sheer extent of DH's exposure to literature as a child. That's funny, because I never read those books as a dc either, lol! Oh well, I survived. We just weren't quite affluent enough to have so many nice books, and we lived in a poor town where the library had romances, horror stories, and Pippi Longstocking, not exactly a promising place. It made the Shel Silverstein books I had all the more appreciated! My dh grew up reading tons of comic books (and I do mean TONS), and now they're dd's love. I was worried about it for a long time, mental potato chips that they are, but now I realize they helped form his interesting personality. Maybe Shel Silverstein is what gave me a silly streak? Never thought of it that way, lol... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I can clearly remember being in 2nd grade and completely excited when the teacher would read Shel Silverstein, the whole class would sit enraptured. My kids love his poems now too, and have since they were very small. They'll be exposed to all kinds of poetry, and I think Shel Silverstein is a great addition. His poems and stories have really taught my kids about playing with language- we go around "doing Runny Babbit" all the time and crack ourselves up. It's a great car game sometimes too, we switch around all of the signs and words we see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I LOVED Shel Silverstein as a child an memorized all of "Hungry Mungry".If I could memorized THAT at 7 it's encouraging to my girls b/c they are never asked to memorize anything that long. I don't use his stuff for memory b/c I'd rather them know scripture or "real" poetry, but for fun I think it's great! :) For any Johnny Cash fans out there Shel wrote "A Boy Named Sue" :) my kids were very excited to learn this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttman Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Not only did he write enjoyable poetry for chidren to read, but he also was a pretty good song writer. However, be careful, as he did write quite a few geared striclty for adults which are ribald if not obscene. Some of his songs included "A Boy Named Sue" (Johhny Cash), "The Unicorn" (The Irish Rovers), "The Cover of the Rolling Stone" (Dr. Hook), many of the songs performed by Bobby Bare, and many others. He was a very talented man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Not only did he write enjoyable poetry for chidren to read, but he also was a pretty good song writer. However, be careful, as he did write quite a few geared striclty for adults which are ribald if not obscene. Some of his songs included "A Boy Named Sue" (Johhny Cash), "The Unicorn" (The Irish Rovers), "The Cover of the Rolling Stone" (Dr. Hook), many of the songs performed by Bobby Bare, and many others. He was a very talented man. Unfortunately, I've heard "A Boy Named Sue" way too many times in my life, and now the lyrics are going through my head. :ack2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumping In Puddles Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Not only did he write enjoyable poetry for chidren to read, but he also was a pretty good song writer. However, be careful, as he did write quite a few geared striclty for adults which are ribald if not obscene. Some of his songs included "A Boy Named Sue" (Johhny Cash), "The Unicorn" (The Irish Rovers), "The Cover of the Rolling Stone" (Dr. Hook), many of the songs performed by Bobby Bare, and many others. He was a very talented man. I love "The Unicorn". I have The Best of Shel Silverstein CD and right there on the same CD as Shel, himself, reading "peanut butter sandwich" is "freakers ball" :eek: :lol: NOT family friendly - a few songs with references to drugs/prostitutes etc. It's weird because it's mixed with children's poems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen sn Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I LOVED Shel Silverstein as a child an memorized all of "Hungry Mungry".If I could memorized THAT at 7 it's encouraging to my girls b/c they are never asked to memorize anything that long. I don't use his stuff for memory b/c I'd rather them know scripture or "real" poetry, but for fun I think it's great! :) For any Johnny Cash fans out there Shel wrote "A Boy Named Sue" :) Oh yes.....this I know. I have a live tape and Shel was there and after singing the song Johnny introduced him. I LOVE Johnny Cash, I love Shel Silverstein, The Giving Tree is my favorite book, and I see nothing wrong with memorizing any of it. HELLO!!! We have memorized "children's rhyme's" that sing about torture and plagues! I think Shel is fine!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted March 1, 2009 Author Share Posted March 1, 2009 I had no idea he wrote all that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohdanigirl Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Twaddle??? It's classic stuff!!! Read "The Giving Tree"... :iagree: Wel love that book. I have read it to my boys so many times the can recite it...and in general we just love him, great fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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