Nonsense Poems are a category popular with children and some adults. They are written to entertain and most have no special meaning just interesting words and sounds and structure.

Write this one on the board.

Seeds Scare Me!

There was a man
who dreamt in dread
that plants would grow
out from his head.

And then one night
he ate some seeds
and followed there
a few strange deeds.

From his belly oozed some jelly,
out his nostril came a fossil,
through his bum grew a me-lon,
near the ears grew two big pears.
From his hand, a banana,
ivy round his red bandanna.
On his eyes a big surprise,
a peach, a plum, an apple, date.
Some leaves and stems on dinner plate.

Those scary seeds!

May 18 2005

Analyze this poem like the others posted earlier and ask kids to underline the verbs and nouns and positions (prepositions) in different colours. Have them link the rhyming words with arrows in pencil or ink. Ask about verb tense and plural or singular nouns. Ask if any of the children had thought of that, that seeds might start growing in their belly. How about mushrooms or bacteria on their food?

Enjoy!
Copyright 2005 Robin Tim Day