Poem for the last day of Year 7

July 3, 2013 9:59 AM

I am a Year 7 form tutor (students aged 12) and two of my students have been asked to read a poem together in the end of year assembly in a couple of weeks. It needs to be an existing poem rather than one written by them, unfortunately, and I'm finding it hard to find something appropriate.

Year 7 is the first year of secondary school so possible themes could include:

- The future that lies ahead of them, growing up etc
- Summer holidays
- The transition from childhood to being young adults
- Friendship

Bear in mind it'll be read by two twelve year olds to a room of twelve year olds. I'm not sure that anything particularly edgy or ironic would be a good idea.

Thanks!

posted by Lotto to Writing & Language (9 answers total)

Maybe something by Paul Fleischman? He has a couple books of poems meant to be read by multiple narrators. Joyful Noise is specifically for two voices. It's been awhile since I read it so there may or may not be anything that would fit.
posted by Flannery Culp at 10:07 AM on July 3, 2013

If by kipling.
posted by BenPens at 10:09 AM on July 3, 2013 [2 favorites]

How much controversy are you allowed? Philip Larkin has the perfect poem and he's a recognized genius, but the school administration might not love it.
posted by janey47 at 10:44 AM on July 3, 2013

I worked in a (secular high) school where every student had to recite 1 Corinthians 13, specifically the King James version: "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."
posted by seemoreglass at 10:47 AM on July 3, 2013

Best answer: Jabberwocky?

Seriously.

Frost's The Road Not Taken.

If I think of anything else, I'll come back.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 10:54 AM on July 3, 2013 [1 favorite]

Poetry Foundation has a poem finder that lets you search by occasion. Maybe one of these graduation poems would work?
posted by JuliaJellicoe at 11:19 AM on July 3, 2013

12-year-olds, eh?

Long you must suffer, not knowing what,
until suddenly, from a piece of fruit hatefully bitten,
the taste of the suffering enters you.
And then you already almost love what you've savored. No one
will talk it out of you again.

—Rilke

But seriously: something easy to read, beautiful, and memorable:

The Song of Wandering Aengus

I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.

When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire aflame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And some one called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.

Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.

—Yeats
posted by yuchen at 11:40 AM on July 3, 2013

Just coming in to second something from Paul Fleischman; I remember a reading of Mayflies once that was good.
posted by orange (sherbet) rabbit at 1:28 PM on July 3, 2013

Response by poster: I went with 'The Road Not Taken' in the end, thanks everyone!
posted by Lotto at 3:57 AM on August 5, 2013