Hello, poetry friends! Welcome back to Northfield Elementary School.

Today, the third graders are sharing some of their fractured fairy tale poems. This is an exercise in point of view.

We started the workshop by gathering in groups, each assigned to a classic fairy tale. The students brainstormed a list of characters in, for example, Jack and the Beanstalk — characters who never get to tell their side of the story.

Our model poem for this workshop was “Bears in the News,” from Marilyn Singer’s wonderful book of reverso poems, Mirror Mirror. The students were awed by this form! You can read Marilyn’s description of the form here.

From there, our imaginations were off and running. As you can see, the poets had a lot of fun getting into their retellings and the voices of their characters.

Poet: Ben

The Three Little Pigs

The wolf is looking for building supplies
to build his house. He is happy
that he will be able to build his house
and guilty that he destroyed the pigs houses.
He will help rebuild them a house.
The pigs become his friends and neighbors.

***

Poet: Nico

Beanstalk

A long, long climb
by a guy named Jack.
He weighs a ton
like an anvil in a pack.
If I could,
I would make him fall down.
He would go far
but hit the ground.
Unfortunately, I can’t.
I’m just a beanstalk.
I’m frozen still.
I can’t even talk.
So he got off me.
Wait. He’s got an ax.
He’s chopping me.
Get off. I’m not a tree.

***

Poet: Ethan

The Wizard

Once upon a time
I’m not a real wizard.
They think I am.
I don’t want to lie
about who I am.
I’m not scientific.
They think I am terrific.
Just why do I lie.
Yes, I will confess.
It makes so much sense.

***

Everyone in Ms. Zimmer’s class was *wowed* when Julia stood up and sang her retelling of Mary Had a Little Lamb.

Poet: Julia

Revenge of the Little Lamb

Please get your hands off me
hands off me
hands off me.
Please get your hands off me
or else I will bite you.

I will follow you to school
you to school
you to school.
I will follow you to school
to trash your classroom.

I am trashing your classroom
your classroom
your classroom.
I am trashing your classroom
then going to the cafeteria.

I am in the cafeteria
the cafeteria
the cafeteria.
I am in the cafeteria
and eating all your food.

Revenge is sweet. It really is.

***

Poet: Ellis

A Tiny Human Boy

I was sleeping when my wife
let in a tiny human boy.
He was about three feet tall
and I out-matched him 50 to 1.
He found the family vault
and started looting it.
My wife was nowhere near
enough to stop them.
But when he was getting coins out,
he dropped one to the floor
and if anything can wake me up
it’s money. I chased him
across my yard and he climbed down
a small beanstalk.
But when I was halfway down
he cut it and I fell all the way down
and I died. But then in giant heaven
I launched missiles
and killed all the humans.

Thanks once again to the Northfield community for allowing me to publish the third graders’ poems.

Posts in the “Poems from the Northfield Third Grade” 2018 series:
Poetry Friday List Poem Lesson
A Garden of Words: 3rd Grade List Poems
The Pool Is the Capital of My Summer: Odes to Place
Third Grade Odes from Northfield E.S.
Fractured Fairy Tale Poems
Poetry Friday: Once Upon a Time
A Gallery of Poems