English teachers teach poetry. Kids hate poetry. Riddles are in poetic form. Kids love riddles. So riddles are a way to teach kids poetry.
Well, perhaps that's a little harsh: some kids love poetry and some hate riddles. Riddles written as poems are different than most poems
in that there is a puzzle to solve. It turns a simple poem into a game.
The following is an outline of a lecture given to a seventh grade Language Arts students about riddles and poetry.
- Sample riddle. Show them an easy riddle and have the class solve it.
- Why does one write poetry?
- Solve another riddle.
- Who can be a poet? (For fun, hand out "poetic licenses")
- Solve another riddle.
- Tolkein Talk. Show riddles from The Hobbit.
- Discuss forms of verse (limerick, haiku, sonnet, etc.)
- Limericks, including some sample riddle limericks.
- Haiku and haiku riddles.
- More about rhythm.
- Samples of anapestic meters.
- Riddles written in anapestic feet.
- Conclusion: poetry can be fun!