IT lesson 2: Favorite Poet

Something from the Poet

“I have always enjoyed playing with words, but I had no idea that I would be a writer. There was a time when I couldn't stand poetry!”

“When I was a young man, I discovered poetry again and it changed my life. I had drawn several imaginary animals, but one evening I decided to write a little poem to go with each drawing.”

“A friend encouraged me to show the poems to an editor, and when I did, I was astonished to find that the editor -- Susan Hirschman -- thought I had a talent for writing verse. She encouraged me to keep writing. She published my first book and, 30 years later, she's still my editor.”

Jack Prelutsky

Jack Prelutsky was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 8, 1940, and now live in Washington State with my wife, Carolynn. He is the author of more than 50 poetry collections including Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep (1976), The Mean Old Mean Hyena (1978), and Something BIG Has Been Here (1990).

For years, his imaginative poems have been turning children into poetry lovers. His silly poems have tickled the most stubborn funny bones, while his scarier verses have raised the little hairs on the back of the neck!


How I feel about his works

Jack’s works are simple, funny and easy to understand. They are so enjoyable to read! They are relatively short and have no hidden meaning, unlike some other poets’ works.

I read his works when I was in primary school from the ‘Celebrate English’ textbook and the following were taken from the book.


MY FISH CAN RIDE A BICYCLE

My fish can ride a bicycle,
my fish can climb a tree,
my fish enjoys a glass of milk,
my fish takes naps with me.

My fish can play the clarinet,
my fish can bounce a ball,
my fish is not like other fish,
my fish can’t swim at all.

I wonder how a fish can do all these things except swim but anything is possible with Jack . He is indeed imaginative!


I DID A NUTTY SOMERSAULT

I did a nutty somersault
and landed with a thump.
I struggled to my feet again
but tumbled on my rump.
I tried to keep my balance but invariably fell,
and every time I toppled
I led another yell.

Backwards, forwards, even sideways,
I fell every sort of way,
as a growing crowd applauded
my theatrical display.
I flopped, I flipped, I skidded,
I performed a barrel roll.
My arms and legs kept flapping,
They were out of my control.

Beautiful described! It is a wonder how you write all the actions while remembering to rhyme them! But of course, Jack is a magician when it comes to poems.


TODAY I’M GOING YESTERDAY

Today I’m going yesterday
As quickly as I can
I’m confident I’ll do it,
I’ve devised a clever plan,
It involves my running backward
At a constant rate of speed,
I’m mindful of my timing,
I’ll undoubtedly succeed.

Ha! This poem has a nice twist. At first, I thought this person had some time machine that could bring him back to the past. But as I read on, I realized the poet was talking about running backwards. I think this poem is just like a mini-fiction.


References
1) http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-prelutsky-jack.asp
2) http://www.jackprelutsky.com/
3) http://www.poemhunter.com/jack-prelutsky/biography/