Using poetry to foster the use of personal voice in writing

Spiders generally fascinate or frighten children. When the tables are turned, how might it feel to be a spider about to be approached by a human?  Better still, how might you describe this experience in poetic form. After discussing this scenario as a group, the students were asked to think about the dialogue shared and use this to write a short poem from the spider's position. 

Oh To Be A Spider

Break my web would you

Aware of humans

What can I do?

It will break

I must go

But where?

Ah ha!

Under a leaf…

No, that means that I must leave my food

I must hide.

Now where can I go?     (James)

Human Threat

Help, a human is close

I see and smell them.

I'm terrified!

Go back to your houses

You threaten me

and destroy my food.    (Soumadeep)

Spiders Beware!

Spiders beware!

Feel that quivering in my web

I must hide,

leave my food behind

and run away,

quickly!                (Nethasa)

Oh Spider

A human is approaching

Will they tear my web into pieces?

How can I tell?

My web is delicate

It shakes and shivers

Each footstep I feel

Like thunder roaring across the sky

Move quickly!    (Kai Ying)