Finding Theme in Poems

Nick's Vase

I stopped by the art room

To pick up some extra glaze.

My elbow bumped the edge

Of Nick's new drying vase.

The vase then crashed on tile floor,

And there I stood in shock.

I've never wished so badly

For power to turn back the clock.

Then I became a frozen statue.

Should I hide the pieces on a shelf?

Should I try and tell Nick that his vase

Was stolen by an art room elf?

But I found Nick, and took a breath,

Confessed my clumsy ways.

Nick laughed, said he could understand,

And helped me mend the broken vase.

What is the main theme of the poem?

• Sometimes you can make people upset without meaning to.

• Art you make yourself is more valuable than art you buy in a store.

• It is important to admit it when you have made a mistake.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

Small and Tall

The daisy uncurls her little leaves

And stretches her petals open wide.

She basks in the sunlight until

She falls under the shadow of the sunflower.

Every day, the sunflower's owner

Comes out to measure, water, and weed.

That man is always taking pictures.

While the daisy wonders what good she is.

Then the bees say to the daisy,

"Your nectar is the purest gold."

The ants say daisies are pretty

For building their hilly homes around.

With something of her own to offer,

She reaches her petals towards the sky.

The sunflower's shadow is just a nice way

To find some shade in the middle of the day.

What is the theme of the poem?

• It is better to be wise and kind than beautiful.

• It is important to get along well with your neighbors.

• You will be happier if you don’t compare yourself to others.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

Opening Night

I wake at dawn, and nighttime

Feels one hundred years away.

Nate and I have been waiting

For the movie that comes out today!

We've already made our costumes

And re-watched the old series.

We've read about the brand new cast

And shared our favorite theories.

We watch the time on our phones.

I tell Nate I'm sick of waiting.

He suggests we try the riverwalk,

For some biking and some skating.

It's a blast; we hardly get back

In time to change and eat.

Before I can even check the clock,

I'm in my costume and my seat!

What is the theme of the poem?

• It is important for friends to take turns choosing things to do.

• Planning ahead can help large, important events go well.

• Finding ways to pass the time can make waiting easier.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

Boating at the Lake

The clouds were as dark as midnight,

Rain soaking the world through.

My cousins Brad and Chad and I

Needed something else to do.

Brad found a stack of papers

By the staircase in the hall,

Chad folded up some paper boats—

Some long, some short, some tall.

We took them to the hilltop,

Where the rain had made some streams,

And raced them to the bottom

With whoops and yells and screams.

We'll get to ride in real boats,

When the weather's not so bad,

But when the skies are pouring rain,

I can count on Brad and Chad.

What is the main theme of the poem?

• You can still have a good time when something goes wrong.

• It is important to spend lots of time outdoors.

• You should not do things the same way all of the time.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

The Trip

That weekend I should have been at the beach—

Playing in the cool, crisp waves,

Laughing in the bright warm sun.

But instead I had to go on another family trip—

A weekend without any friends,

A weekend without any fun.

I thought the weekend would pass by

Like a snail crawling through the yard.

But in the end it turned out to be

One of the best weekends I ever had.

My grandfather bought me a new guitar

And spent the trip teaching me to play.

Now when school is out, I go to my guitar—

Learning brand new songs,

Playing for all my friends.

My life is full of music—thanks to my grandfather.

What is the main theme of the poem?

• It is important to spend time with family and friends whenever you can.

• Sometimes things turn out better than you expect them to.

• If you practice hard enough, you can always improve at something.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

Two Sisters

The chlorine smell, an echoed splash—

Another Friday at the pool.

My older sister is about to smash

Another diving record for her school.

I smile but hold back my sighs

As I cheer for her from the stand.

I see myself through her eyes:

The little sister, meek and bland.

But I'm wrong, though, because one day

Like a comet shooting through the night,

My sister stops me just to say,

"It amazes me how well you write."

My sister is the star, and yet

She envies something about me.

I now look twice at those I've met.

Some talents are harder to see.

What is the theme of the poem?

• Everyone shines in his or her own way.

• The bond between sisters is the strongest kind of friendship.

• It is better to be brainy than good at sports.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

Robot Fuel

We've been building this for weeks.

Both of us making endless tweaks.

And now our robot almost speaks!

The one thing we forgot to do

Was get the trash he needs to chew

For fuel to chat the whole day through.

Sorting trash alone's not fair.

Some tasks are made for both to share.

Gross chores are more fun as a pair.

Our work was a cheetah, racing by.

In a flash, we fed our robot guy

So he could say hi and bye.

What is the theme of the poem?

• Working together can make an unpleasant task go by quickly.

• Sometimes you can make the best of your mistakes.

• If you try to make a project perfect, you might not ever finish.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

The Button

One hour left till my big speech!

I slept not a wink last night.

I slip off to the bathroom

To check that I look all right.

No spinach resides in my teeth.

My pants are free from dirt.

I hear a clatter; a button falls.

There's a gaping hole in my shirt!

I can't present my speech like this!

My stomach's a soup of dread,

But luckily my best friend Rafi

Has a needle and some thread.

"I keep a kit in my locker,"

Rafi says, starting to sew.

I have a lot to learn from Rafi.

I head to class, ready to go!

What is the main theme of the poem?

• Sometimes doing something scary is not as bad as you think.

• It is good to be prepared for the unexpected.

• We are often the harshest when we judge ourselves.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

My Model Car

The hours piled on,

As I sprawled out on my carpet,

Tinkering with tweezers,

Fiddling with rubber bands,

Trying to make my model car come to life.

Finally, eyes bleary, I went for a walk,

Leaving the car parts behind.

I took in the details of the neighborhood,

The trills and chirps of birds in the trees,

The thick, smoky, smell of a grill

Fired up in my neighbor's yard.

I came back and opened my door.

Hoping the car had assembled itself. No, but—

I suddenly saw the parts with new eyes,

My mind clear and ready.

My tools bent and twisted the pieces

Like they'd always known what to do.

What is the theme of the poem?

• Make sure you understand all the steps of your task before you start.

• Taking a break from a task can help you approach it in a new way.

• It is important to ask for help with a project when you need it.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2