Issue 11.24 ~ tiny enormous
tiny enormous
Welcome to
WHISPERshout Poetry Magazine, Issue 11.24, November 2024
We’re back after a long hiatus—during which the poetry kept happening (even if the magazine didn’t)! Here you’ll find new original poems by kids ages 4-12, often with accompanying artwork and sometimes photos. If you’re a kid who writes poems, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUBMIT YOUR WORK, TOO… and we encourage every reader to comment on the magazine down below!
This month’s issue features poems by kids looking at tiny objects up close and asking, “What does it remind me of? What else? What else? What would it be like to visit this place?” These poets used jeweler’s loupes to magnify everything from their own fingerprints to leaves, rocks and ladybugs!
POEM #1
“clover forest” by Archer, 4th grade
Notice how Archer’s poem shows us the clover leaves as parachutes for sailing down into a forest of……clover! Can you imagine yourself surrounded by those tiny bright spots?
POEM #2
“rainbow” by Iris, 3rd grade
Here Iris’s own fingerprint is scaled up into a rainbow with many possible meanings—and she found ways to include rhythm and rhyme as well. We like that too!
POEM #3
“polka-dot land” by Vivica, 2nd grade
Repetition is a very simple poet’s tool, and here Vivica repeats the word “polka-dot” five times to give her poem rhythm and also some lovely silliness. Look closely at any leaf—they really are like maps!
POEM #4
“Things happening to the Earth” by Grayson, 3rd grade
Notice how the poet Grayson uses the 10x magnified colors of a leaf to create an enormous story of planetary danger! Everything does seem to be happening all at the same time…quick, somebody save the Earth!
POEM #5
“Ladybug” by Eleanor, 3rd grade
In this poem of only 13 words, Eleanor simply states what a ladybug is—and isn’t. We all know that a ladybug isn’t literally made of red blood, white bone and black ash. But Eleanor’s strong, simple metaphors make us think of the friendly ladybug in a striking new way.
POEM #6
“Dreamcatcher” by Florence - 4th grade
In this vibrant image of her circular fingerprint Florence finds an echo of a dreamcatcher, the Native American artifact placed over a baby’s cradleboard—but in her version, the dreamcatcher both protects her and projects movies “just for her.” Do you notice how those two words are exactly alike except for one letter?
POEM #7
“Rock” by Elena, 6th grade
In this poem a rock takes on many forms in many locations, and Elena helps us see them all in quick succession. Do any of them match YOUR idea of a rock?
POEM #8
“s eason s” by Parker, 1st grade
Here Parker took some lessons from the famous poet E.E. Cummings, who played with letters, spaces and punctuation when he typed his poems in the 1900s. Look how Parker imagines the leaf through the seasons, giving it new colors and flavors in each stanza. Mmmmmm!
Those are our eight poems for this issue—did you have a favorite? Let us know by leaving a comment below! You can order your own jeweler’s loupe at THE PRIVATE EYE shop here. Look for our next issue in December…and maybe you’ll see YOUR poem featured! Click the SUBMIT button to get started.
Thanks for reading!
The Editorial We
If you are a teacher developing a poetry habit in your classroom, you might find that each issue of WHISPERshout Magazine is all the lesson you need.
Email whispershoutmagazine@gmail.com or complete the form down below to receive each issue direct to your inbox.
