Odes

One consistently popular poetic form among students is the ode. They are drawn to its exalted style, used to celebrate everyday things otherwise taken for granted. We read Pablo Neruda's "Ode to a Large Tuna in the Market" and discussed how he describes the tuna, as well as how he feels about it. Students were then given the choice of writing either an ode to something they love, or an anti-ode to something they hate. There were so many excellent responses, it was difficult to choose, but here is a representative selection.

Ms. Barreda, 8^th Grade

Ode to Cars

Miguel A.

I open my

window, looking outside

seeing thousands of cars,

thinking when am I going to

have one, looking at those

cars that look like

ants running, big places

to sit, big places to

drive, it's funny when

you see someone drive.

Walking out in the street

counting all those cars,

color after color, it's fun

when you see a car, looking

at the wheels, how they

go so fast.

I see all those big cars

that look like houses,

you don't think it's a

house, the place

with seats around one strong

machine, the make, the

place to move, with

lights in front and back

they help you see

in the dark.

The big machine

with all that

is something

I like and

is called a car.

Ode to Pizza (Pizza Hut)

Anthony B.

The melted

cheese

goes along with

the pepperoni,

the warm crust,

cheese on top,

with pepperoni,

the crunchy crust,

the cheese in

your mouth burning

your tongue, the pepperoni

being spicy,

the crust

tasting good,

becoming hard and

crunchy as it is

while it's cold,

the sauce red

and good tasting,

you want soda,

the pizza almost

over but when

it is you'll

want another

slice!

Ode to Oreos

Angel G.

Ode to Oreos,

it fills my stomach with milk,

I would wear pajamas of Oreos,

I would want shoes too,

it's so soft when you dip it in milk,

I like to eat the cream first,

then the cookie,

I would want a bag a week.

Ode to a Guitar

Lucero G.

Sitting in your case,

just waiting for

someone to pick you

up.

You're so pink and

shiny.

Your strings run

from top to

bottom.

Your sound is so

relaxing.

It's like you were

a star outshining

all the other ones.

I saw you every

day when I

was walking by

the store,

but now I am

surprised to have

you in my hands

learning how to

play you.

I hope one day

you're a star one

day.

Ode to the Motorcycle

Jonathan P.

Among the streets,

there's a two wheeled

bike with a motor

inside of it,

there's a light in the

front and in the

back, the motorcycle

is just a bike

but with a

motor, it's not

a normal bike

where you pedal,

this bike you

just twist the

handle and off

you go. When

you're on the

street with this

bike it's like

you have

the

permission to

drive a car.

When you're on

the motorcycle

you have to be

focused and keep your

mind on the road.

When I get on

the motorcycle

I don't think about

anything else.

When I'm on

the motorcycle

I like the

feeling of being

on a motorcycle,

I like the

sound of it and

the design and

the motor of it.

Ode to Hot Chips

Jorge R.

I love hot chips

the smell of hot chips

makes me hyper.

There's other brands

like Doritos, Ruffles, and Funyuns

but still I love hot chips.

In my mouth it seems there's

a party inside every time

I try one. Every time I

taste the very first hot chip

of a bag it tastes so good.

Some people don't like hot chips

because they're not machito enough

to eat them. I love hot chips.

Some people think they're spicy

but to me, no they're not. One

day I wish I owned the hot

chip factory. I love hot chips.

Ode to Basketball

Kevin R.

When the ball bounces

it just gives me

a good feeling inside

as if I just

went to space or something.

When I shoot

the ball and make it

I feel good

again

and

when I

miss I

still feel good

inside just

thinking

that I had tried

to make

it.

Mrs. Turk, 7^th Grade

Ode to Me

Viridiana H.

Walking down the

street,

I see people

looking at me.

Well that's a normal

thing. When people

look at me as you

can see I love me.

Some of the things I

like about me is that

I'm fun to be with and I

like Barney. I like to go out

and see different

things I have never

seen, go shopping, and getting

people mad at me. But some

of the things I hate about

me is that I'm

always forgetting things,

also that I hate me.

I think that's all I love and

hate about me. So what

about you, what do you

like about me?

Ode to Baseball

Jose J.

Baseball is the best

invention ever invented.

The ball is coming,

you swing the bat, hit

the ball, you better

run fast. They catch

the ball, you are

out, the next batter

is up, he hits the

ball, it's a home-

run, he runs around

the bases, touches

home plate, it's a

walk-off, we win

the game.

Ode to My Guitar

Jose M.

I love the way it sounds

and that every time I play

it the volume is

so loud

and that when

I hold a note

it screams loudly

and I love the

way that it

sounds hardcore

metal

and even though I'm

only 12 I can

play my guitar

really good

and I will

never forget

the make

Gibson guitar

and I will also

never forget

the name

I named my

guitar, Jack.

Ode to My Video Games (PSP)

David R.

After a hard day at school,

when I get home

especially on Friday

I come home tired

from all the work

in school but there's

always something that

cheers me up...my

PSP. When I get home

I do my homework and

then it's off to play

my PSP. It shines in

the light, it's

black all around and

the screen is clean.

When you start playing

time goes by pretty

fast. My mom comes

in and tells me that it's

time to stop so I put

it to charge for the next

hard day in school.

Ode to Air Force Ones

Tyler T.

You can wear

them they

can be different

colors and sizes

they will match

your clothes and

they are in style

they are comfortable

you can get

different designs

on them and

you can put shoe

polish on them

so they can be

shinier

Ms. Touras, 6^th Grade

Ode to a Pencil

John A.

Oh pencil,

life is hard

without you.

You write my

answers and

you erase my

problems.

You might

look at the

answers that

I told you

to write.

In you go,

into a

sharpener,

sharpening

your blade of might.

You fight

with paper

and win.

You're made

of wood

and sometimes

plastic too.

The secret

weapon is

a piece of lead,

leaving the black

stain everywhere.

Ode to a Tree

Danielle D.

Tree,

It is an important part

Of the world.

Without it people

Would starve to death.

Anything you eat has

Chemicals in it,

Especially food

That is in cans.

All around you,

Trees are what you see.

Without trees,

You will get sun burns

Because nothing is shading you

Under the sun.

Trees,

They are important to the world.

Trees,

You'll never get bored of them.

Because of trees,

We have paper

To write on.

If we didn't have

Trees,

Our cars are gonna be hot

When you let it sit there

For about five hours and your seat is leather

Your bottom will really burn.

I like trees

Because there are a lot

Of different kinds of trees,

Like an Apple tree.

When you look through your window,

What do you see?

Lots of trees.

When you look through a car window,

What will you see?

Trees of course.

Every country

In the world

Has a lot of trees.

Why not plant and water trees?

Ode to a Toy

Alondra F.

Among the store it

is sitting there

glowing, shining,

sitting in a nice, clean

spot, all by itself,

waiting for some-

one to go

pick it up!

It's all alone

with no one!

Begging for someone

to buy it. I

take a step forward

to the glowing, sparkling

toy. I have it in

my hands and

now this

toy is

all mine.