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Poems That Don’t Poems That Don’t Make SenseMake Sense

““A little nonsense now and then,A little nonsense now and then,is relished by the wisest men.”is relished by the wisest men.”

(Roald Dahl, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory) (Roald Dahl, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory) Copyright Sandy Fussell 2010-11

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Poet of the dayPoet of the dayEDWARD LEAREDWARD LEAR

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Born 12 May 1812 (died 1888)Born 12 May 1812 (died 1888) Artist, illustrator, author and poetArtist, illustrator, author and poet Most famous for his literary Most famous for his literary nonsensenonsense

poems including limerickspoems including limericks Had 20 brothers and sistersHad 20 brothers and sisters He was not very well and suffered He was not very well and suffered

epilepsy, bronchitis and epilepsy, bronchitis and asthma.asthma. In later life he became partially In later life he became partially blind.blind.

MR LEAR THE POETMR LEAR THE POET

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Alphabet Poem Alphabet Poem by Edward Learby Edward Lear

AA was once an apple pie,

PidyWidyTidyPidy

Nice insidyApple Pie!

BB was once a little bear,

Beary!Wary!Hairy!Beary!

Taky cary!Little Bear!

CC was once a little cake,

CakyBakyMakyCaky

Taky Caky,Little Cake!

GG was once a little goose,

GoosyMoosyBoosy

GooseyWaddly-woosyLittle Goose!

HH was once a little hen,

HennyChennyTennyHenny

Eggsy-anyLittle Hen?

II was once a bottle of ink,

InkyDinkyThinkyInky

Black MinkyBottle of Ink!

DD was once a little doll,

DollyMollyPollyNolly

Nursy DollyLittle Doll!

EE was once a little eel,

Eely,WeelyPeelyEely

Twirly, TweedyLittle Eel!

FF was once a little fish,

FishyWishy

SquishyFishy

In a DishyLittle Fish!

JJ was once a jar of jam,

JammyMammyClammyJammy

Sweety-SwammyJar of Jam!

KK was once a little kite,

KityWhityFlighty

KityOut of sighty-

Little Kite!L

L was once a little lark,Larky!Marky!Harky!Larky!

In the Parky,Little Lark!

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MM was once a little mouse,

MouseyBouseySousyMousy

In the HousyLittle Mouse!

NN was once a little needle,

NeedlyTweedlyThreedlyNeedly

Wisky-wheedlyLittle Needle!

OO was once a little owl,

OwlyProwlyHowlyOwly

Browny fowlyLittle Owl!

PP was once a little pump,

PumpySlumpyFlumpyPumpy

Dumpy, ThumpyLittle Pump!

UU was once a little urn,

UrnyBurnyTurnyUrny

Bubbly-burnyLittle Urn!

VV was once a little vine,

VinyWinyTwinyViny

Twisty-twinyLittle Vine!

WW was once a whale,

WhalyScalyShalyWhaly

Tumbly-tailyMighty Whale!

QQ was once a little quail,

QuailyFailyDaily

QuailyStumpy-tailyLittle Quail!

RR was once a little rose,

RosyPosyNosyRosy

Bows-y - grows-yLittle Rose!

SS was once a little shrimp,

ShrimpyNimpyFlimpy

ShrimpyJumpy-jimpyLittle Shrimp!

TT was once a little thrush,

Thrushy!Hushy!Bushy!

Thrushy!Flitty-FlushyLittle Thrush!

XX was once a great king Xerxes,

XerxyPerxyTurxyXerxy

Linxy LurxyGreat King Xerxes!

YY was once a little yew,

YewdyFewdyCrudyYewdy

Growdy, grewdy,Little Yew!

ZZ was once a piece of zinc,

TinkyWinkyBlinkyTinky

Tinkly MinkyPiece of Zinc!

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Turns what we think of as everyday life and language upside down to

create new and strange meanings Fanciful phrases and meaningless made-up words Humorous

Nonsense PoemsNonsense Poems

The Faulty BagnoseBy John Lennon (The Beatles)

The Faulty Bagnose 4 years ago Softly, softly, treads the MungleThinner thorn behaviour street.Whorg canteel whorth bee asbin?Cam we so all complete,With all our faulty bagnose?

The elephant is a bonnie bird. It flits from bough to bough. It makes its nest in a rhubarb treeAnd whistles like a cow.

Hey diddle, diddle, The cat and the fiddle. The cow jumped over the moon. The little dog laughed to see such fun, And the dish ran away with the spoon.

There was an old man of West Dumpet,Who possessed a large nose like a trumpet;When he blew it aloud, it astonished the crowd,And was heard through the whole of West Dumpet.

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The Quangle The Quangle Wangle’s HatWangle’s HatOn the top of the Crumpetty Tree

The Quangle Wangle sat,But his face you could not see,On account of his Beaver Hat.For his hat was a hundred and two feet wide,With ribbons and bibbons on every sideAnd bells, and buttons, and loops, and lace,So that nobody ever could see the faceOf the Quangle Wangle Quee. 

The Quangle Wangle saidTo himself on the Crumpetty Tree,Jam; and jelly; and bread;Are the best food for me!But the longer I live on this Crumpetty TreeThe plainer than ever it seems to meThat very few people come this wayAnd that life on the whole is far from gay!'Said the Quangle Wangle Quee.

But there came to the Crumpetty Tree,Mr. and Mrs. Canary;And they said, Did you ever seeAny spot so charmingly airy?May we build a nest on your lovely Hat?Mr. Quangle Wangle, grant us that!O please let us come and build a nestOf whatever material suits you best,Mr. Quangle Wangle Quee!'

And besides, to the Crumetty TreeCame the Stork, the Duck, and the Owl;The Snail, and the Bumble-Bee,The Frog, and the Fimble Fowl;The Fimble Fowl, with a Corkscrew leg;And all of them said, We humbly beg,We may build our homes on your lovely Hat,Mr. Quangle Wangle, grant us that!Mr. Quangle Wangle Quee!

And the Golden Grouse came there,And the Pobble who has no toes,And the small Olympian bear,And the Dong with a luminous nose.And the Blue Babboon, who played the flute,And the Orient Calf from the Land of Tute,And the Attery Squash, and the Bisky Bat,All came and built on the lovely HatOf the Quangle Wangle Quee. 

And the Quangle Wangle saidTo himself on the Crumpetty Tree,When all these creatures moveWhat a wonderful noise there'll be!'And at night by the light of the Mulberry moonThey danced to the flute of the Blue Babboon,On the broad green leaves of the Crumpetty Tree,And all were as happy as happy could be,With the Quangle Wangle Quee.

- Edward Lear

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JabberwocJabberwockyky

Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. And the mome raths outgrabe.

'Beware the Jabberwock, my son! 'Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!' The frumious Bandersnatch!'

He took his vorpal sword in hand: He took his vorpal sword in hand: Long time the manxome foe he sought. Long time the manxome foe he sought. So rested he by the Tumtum tree, So rested he by the Tumtum tree, And stood awhile in thought. And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood, And as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock with eyes of flame, The Jabberwock with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came! And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through, and through One, two! One, two! And through, and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back. He went galumphing back.

'And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? 'And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! Come to my arms, my beamish boy! Oh, frabjous day! Callooh! callay!' Oh, frabjous day! Callooh! callay!' He chortled in his joy. He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves 'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves All mimsy were the borogoves And the mome raths outgrabe. And the mome raths outgrabe.

By Lewis Carroll By Lewis Carroll (From Through the Looking Glass(From Through the Looking Glass-Alice in Wonderland)-Alice in Wonderland)

Spot the made up words. Do they sound like nouns, verbs or adjectives?

INSERT INSERT THE NEWS THE NEWS POEM HEREPOEM HERE

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The News by Michael The News by Michael RosenRosen

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Here is the newsHere is the newsSomeone is at the classroom doorSomeone is at the classroom doorSomeone is at the classroom doorSomeone is at the classroom doorThat’s the news.That’s the news.

Is it a girl called SandyIs it a girl called SandyWearing a dress made of sticky candy?Wearing a dress made of sticky candy?

Is it a teacher called Mr BrownIs it a teacher called Mr BrownEating a hamburger upside-down?Eating a hamburger upside-down?

Is it ___________________________________________________________________Is it ___________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Is it ___________________________________________________________________Is it ___________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

That was the news.That was the news.

Writing a NONSENSE Writing a NONSENSE POEMPOEM

Group Activity

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On The Ning Nang NongOn The Ning Nang Nong

INSERT INSERT On The On The Ning Nang Nong Ning Nang Nong

POEM HEREPOEM HERE

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WHIP WHack WHOOWHIP WHack WHOOIndividual Activity

On the Whip Whack Whoo Where the Cows go __________! (rhymes with Whoo)and the ___________________ all say WHEE! (animal name) There's a Whoo Whack Whip Where the trees go ________! (rhymes with Whip)And the tea pots __________________ chee. (alliteration ‘ch’ words) On the Whoo Whip WhackAll the mice go __________ (rhymes with Whack) And you just can't catch 'em where they be! So its Whip Whack Whoo Cows go _____________! Whoo Whack Whip Trees go _______ Whoo Whip Whack The mice go ________What a noisy thing to do is the Whip Whack Whip Whack Whoo!!

Spike Milligan & 4B

13Copyright Hunt Emerson at http://largecow.com/

14Copyright Hunt Emerson at http://largecow.com/

CopyrightCopyright© Sandy Fussell 2011© Sandy Fussell 2011

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