Hi,

I'm in the middle of writing a SOW based on Animal Poetry. I've decided on a few poems to use ('Esther's Tomcat', 'The Donkey', 'Tyger Tyger',  and 'Trout') but wondered if anyone could recommend any others?

The unit is for a weak year 8 class.

Thanks!

TS Eliot's book of cats is a must - Macavity is great.   'Pike' by Ted Hughs is also good though qui difficult.  TS Eliot I think also wrote one about a snake by a water trough - lots of alliteration in it.

Macavity - it is a long poem but my year 7s (weak) really loved it, they said they could really imagine the cat doing the things described. Also I can send you a great poem w/discussion questions that I taught. Just email me at: sunnytauruss@yahoo.com

Good luck!

Christine

Look at Teachit's "Poetry Shuffle" pack, there are loads of good things in there

Animal Prayers  (Brenda Happell)- unit in Poetry1, Basic English Series, published by Macmillan 1987 ISBN 0-333-41576-0

 The Snake Song  by John Mbiti and Snake Glides by Keith Bosley - 2 short poems in same book

Tomcat by Don Marquis

Meadow Mouse by Theodore Roethke

Jim by Hilaire Belloc

Cats by Eleanor Farjeon

My Cat by Elizabeth lindsay

The Pied Piper

Puppy Problems by Pam Ayres

extract from Reynard the Fox - John Masefield

Old Dog William Stafford

Take one home for the kiddies - Philip Larkin

The Snare - James Stephens

Baboon - C H Towne

Killing a Whale - david Gill

A case of Murder - Vernon Scannell

I have used all of these over the years