Posts Tagged ‘Renaissance unit study’

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Poem

Monday, May 20th, 2013

a-midsummer-nights-dreamMy 11-year-old son Stephen Evans wrote a poem to summarize A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare:

I will tell you a hilarious comedy,
The best I ever said.
Four lovers ran into the woods
And everyone ended up wed.

Theseus was the duke of Athens,
He would marry his love with grandeur.
Hermia’s father wanted her to marry
Demetrius, but she loved Lysander.

Theseus gave Hermia four days
To marry Demetrius or die.
Hermia begged her father with tears,
“Why must I marry Demetrius? Why?”

Lysander said to his love, Hermia,
“I have a plan to become your spouse.
To be free from Athenian law,
We’ll run away to my grandma’s house.”

The plan was set in motion,
But Hermia told her friend.
In turn, her friend told Demetrius,
Who wanted it to come to an end.

Demetrius followed Lysander and Hermia,
Trying to win Hermia’s love.
Helena ran after Demetrius,
But Demetrius gave her a shove.

The forest was inhabited by fairies,
And King Oberon ruled them all.
He noticed Helena’s rejected love
And decided to rectify the gall.

Oberon ordered Puck to put love juice
On the young Athenian’s eyes.
Puck mistook Lysander for Demetrius,
And Helena was scandalized.

Puck realized his mistake
And put love juice on Demetrius.
Both men ran after Helena,
But poor Hermia was treated like pus.

They all fell asleep in the forest;
Oberon made Lysander’s eyes okay.
Now everyone loved their true loves
And married the very next day.

Related product to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” poem: Romeo and Juliet Unit Study

Macbeth Poem for Kids

Monday, April 8th, 2013

Macbeth-poem-for-kids

This Macbeth poem for kids was written by my 11-year-old son when he was given the assignment to write a summary of Macbeth. He decided to do the summary as a poem. My kids said that Macbeth was the worst story they ever read, and we talked about how ambition led Macbeth to take matters into his own hands. I’m doing a Bible study on the life of David, and we compared Macbeth to King David. Both men had predictions that they would be king. But David waited on God. He did not take matters into his own hands, even when he had the chance twice to kill Saul. David was a man of integrity, whereas Macbeth thought he had to keep killing people to cover up his previous murders. Macbeth even had his best friend Banquo killed, and after he won the crown, he couldn’t even enjoy it but was miserable. All sin ends in misery.

Macbeth – by Stephen Evans (age 11)

I’ll tell you a gruesome tragedy,
The worst you ever read.
Three witches caused Macbeth to act,
And everyone ends up dead.

Macbeth had won a victory
Against the thane of Cawdor.
Lady Macbeth contrived a plan
That was so full of gore.

Macbeth was to kill King Duncan
And take the crown for himself,
Framing the sleeping guards,
And sneaking away with stealth.

Banquo thought he was a friend,
But Macbeth had him killed.
Banquo’s ghost showed up at a feast;
With insanity Macbeth was filled.

Macbeth revisited the witches,
Who told him, “Beware Macduff
And watch out for Birnam Wood.”
Then they disappeared with a puff.

Macduff, Duncan’s son, and an army
Made camp in Birnam Wood.
When Macbeth looked over the battlements,
At once he understood.

The soldiers hidden by branches
Marched against Macbeth.
Macduff sank his sword into his foe,
And Macbeth fell down in death.

*Artwork above poem by Bryan Evans (age 12)
“Macbeth Sees Birnam Wood Advancing”

Related product: Romeo and Juliet Unit Study

Romeo and Juliet Slapstick Humor

Thursday, October 25th, 2012

romeo-and-juliet-slapstick-humor

My son Stephen (age 10) was halfway through writing a summary of Romeo and Juliet when he saw his older brother writing a poem. He asked me, “Can I write it as a poem, too, but can mine be funny?”

“As long as you keep the main plot line, you can add humor to it,” I answered, and he excitedly ran to get started.

His Romeo and Juliet poem for kids includes slapstick humor similar to the Three Stooges:

Once upon a time there was a fight
Because a Capulet bit his thumb.
A Montague tied his belt too tight,
And a Capulet fell on his bum!

A Montague named Romeo
Went to a Capulet ball.
He was handed some strawberry jello,
Which he dropped when he climbed the wall.

“What light through yonder window breaks?
‘Tis the east, and Juliet is the sun.”
“Not now, Romeo; my toe aches.
But I’ll marry you tomorrow at one.”

The next day they were wed.
But Romeo hit Tybalt with a frying pan
Because Romeo’s friend was dead.
So he was banished by a man.

Juliet in her grief and sorrow
Ran to the friar for relief.
“This potion you may borrow,
And your life will seem so brief.”

She drank the potion,
Was put in a crypt,
Romeo saw her without motion,
And on a banana peel he slipped.

He died by her side.
Juliet woke up, screamed, and died.

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Another Romeo and Juliet Poem for Kids

Wednesday, October 24th, 2012

romeo-and-juliet-poem-for-kids-2

My 9-year-old son Nathaniel also wanted to write his summary of Romeo and Juliet in poetic form. His poem ended up with very short lines, which were easier to write. He had a great time trying to rhyme all the action in the story. We made a list of the sequence of events on a sheet of paper, and he referred to the list as he wrote this Romeo and Juliet poem for kids:

Romeo arrived at a party
Dressed up with a mask.
He fell in love with Juliet.
Winning her heart would be a task

Because their families were enemies.
Later Romeo climbed the wall
To see Juliet at her balcony.
To her he did call.

They decided to get married
The next day on the morrow.
Juliet said to Romeo,
“Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

After marrying at the church,
Tybalt killed Mercutio.
So Romeo killed Tybalt
And was banished. Oh, no!

Because of Juliet’s grief
She drank a potion and fell asleep.
Her family thought she was dead.
All they could do was weep.

Romeo visited her grave,
Drank some poison and sighed;
While Juliet woke up,
Stabbed herself, and died.

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