Poetry
Each child at Harris Garrard Academy Primary from Year 1 to Year 6 learns a class poem off by heart every half-term.
We have a hotly anticipated competition each half-term where every child stands up with their class to perform their poem. Watch two of the recent performances below.
Year 2 give a fabulous rendition of Cats Sleep Anywhere by Eleanor Farjeon
Cats Sleep Anywhere, by Eleanor Farjeon
Cats sleep anywhere,
any table, any chair.
Top of piano, window-ledge,
in the middle, on the edge.
Open drawer, empty shoe,
anybody's lap will do.
Fitted in a cardboard box,
in the cupboard with your frocks.
Anywhere! They don't care!
Cats sleep anywhere.
We are always looking for parent judges to help us measure the performances, looking at the students’ pace, intonation and innovation through use of sign, musical instruments or rapped to a heavy beat! For clips of previous performances, please check out our Instagram page! @hgaprimary
Year 6 perform Caged Bird by Maya Angelou
Caged Bird, by Maya Angelou
A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
Poems to learn this term
Each child receives their poetry anthology at the start of the year. The poems are updated each year and contain personal favourites from both the staff and students.
Here are this year’s anthologies:
- Year 1 Poetry Booklet 2024-25
- Year 2 Poetry Booklet 2024-25
- Year 3 Poetry Booklet 2024-25
- Year 4 Poetry Booklet 2024-25
- Year 5 Poetry Booklet 2024-25
- Year 6 Poetry Booklet 2024-25
Why learn poems off by heart?
Knowing poetry will help you to write your own poems. You can take ideas from the words, rhymes and rhythms of the poems that you have learnt and use them in your own poetry.
You can entertain friends and family by performing the poems that you have learnt. Learning things off by heart helps you to improve your memory.
Poetry is an important part of the English literary tradition, so it is important that we learn poems in our school.
Tips for learning a poem off by heart
- Read the poem out loud over and over again so that it starts to stick in your head.
- If your poem has a strong beat, read the poem whilst walking along to the beat.
- Copy the poem out lots of times. Do this by looking at a line, covering it up and then writing it down from memory.
- Read a line out loud. Close your eyes and say the line from memory. Then read two lines out loud, close your eyes and say both lines from memory.
- Ask a grown up to say the poem to you and then say it back to them from your memory. You could do this one line at a time.
- Stick a copy of the poem up by your bed or on your mirror or anywhere in your house that you look at a lot.
- Practise the poem with your friend – you can take turns saying a line each and then swap over.
- Break the poem down into bitesize chunks – learn one line at a day. Don’t forget to refresh the lines you have already learnt every day.
- Practise performing the poem to your friends and family.
