short english poem on homework

• Short Poems About Homework: A Reflection on the Student Experience

Homework, a word that can evoke mixed emotions in students across the globe. It is a necessary part of education, but often seen as a burden. Yet, in the realm of poetry, even the most mundane topics can be transformed into something beautiful. In this collection, we present a series of short poems that capture the essence of homework - the struggles, the procrastination, and the triumphs.

Poem 1: The Battle

The clock ticks on, seconds pass, My heart pounds, anxiety amassed. Paper and pen, a battlefield donned, With homework as my opponent, I'm drawn.

Through the equations, I trudge and brawl, My brain aches, threatening to fall. Though weary, I refuse defeat, For knowledge and growth, I must compete.

As I conquer each problem, one by one, A smile emerges, the battle won. Homework, my nemesis, now my friend, A stepping stone to success, I comprehend.

Poem 2: Procrastination's Grasp

Homework lies before me, a daunting sight, Yet distractions surround, tempting me to flight. The allure of social media, a siren's call, As I succumb, my motivation stalls.

The hours slip away, like sand through my hand, Procrastination's grasp, I can't withstand. But as deadlines loom, reality strikes, A race against time, my focus hikes.

With determination, I forge ahead, Conquering distractions and doubts, I tread. Homework demands my attention, I oblige, For triumph awaits, on the other side.

Poem 3: The Light of Understanding

Homework, a puzzle, complex and vast, But with every challenge, I learn and contrast. Through research and effort, I seek the light, For understanding, my ultimate delight.

In textbooks and notes, wisdom resides, As I dive deep, my curiosity guides. Each concept mastered, a spark ignites, Knowledge blossoms, like stars in the night.

Homework, a gateway to discovery's door, Expanding horizons, forevermore. Though it may seem mundane, a chore to some, Homework unveils the universe, where wonders thrum.

These short poems about homework encapsulate the myriad of emotions and experiences that students face. From the battle against time to the grip of procrastination, and ultimately, the pursuit of knowledge, these verses remind us that even in the mundane, poetry can find beauty. So, the next time you sit down to tackle your assignments, remember that within the realm of homework lies the potential for growth, understanding, and even a touch of poetic inspiration.

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Short Homework Poems

Short Homework Poems. Below are examples of the most popular short poems about Homework by PoetrySoup poets. Search short poems about Homework by length and keyword.

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31 Engaging Poems for High School English Class

May 1, 2019 //  by  Lindsay Ann //   5 Comments

Sharing is caring!

As an English teacher, I know the feeling of trying to find poems for high school English classes that engage students and  allow me to teach important skills. We all know if students are  interested, that’s half of the battle, am I right? These poems to analyze are suggestions for your classroom based on student engagement in my own classes. If something works, I want to share it!

I don’t buy into the whole “teenagers hate poetry” angle. Oh, we’d better brace ourselves…there’s  poetry coming. No. On the contrary, I find poetry to be accessible, a starting place to teach students to analyze and respond to complex texts. Before I assume the problem is my students, I must ask about my approach and about the poems I’m feeding them.

Check it out: Jason Reynolds claims that poetry can help students love literature.

How to Analyze Poems with High school Students

The method you use to guide students in a reading and/or analysis of a poem depends on your class and goals for the lesson. What skills are you currently working on? How does this poem fit into the larger scope of your unit?  Maybe you want to use a more inquiry-driven, organic approach to poetry analysis (my favorite), or maybe your students need a little bit more focus and structure. Here are a few of my favorite strategies for in-class poetry analysis.

Poetry Reading & Analysis Strategies

Guided reading of a poem:.

For this approach, read the poem aloud with students following along. Give students something specific to mark the text for, and pause for paired or group discussions. You want to move students from basic comprehension to noticing organization and style. This strategy flows well into color-coding a poem for meaningful diction, imagery, and figurative language. I find that it’s best to take an “I notice… I wonder…” approach, avoiding prescriptive “teaching” of poems for high school students. You want to, through guided reading and marking the text, allow students to “discover” meaning, using inquiry and questioning to draw out how the details contribute to bigger meaning.

Choose ONE & Argue:

Once you’ve chosen poems for high school students to analyze, it can be tempting to focus on EVERYTHING. Slow your roll. This is how teachers can ruin poetry (or any reading, for that matter) for students. Sometimes, less is more. Read the poem, asking students to mark only ONE detail in each stanza (or choose a number of lines to read before pausing). This strategy works because if forces students to consider what the most important  detail in each stanza or line range is. Then, discussion flows naturally as students have to defend their choices by explaining  why.

TPCASTT (An Oldie, but Goodie):

This well-known strategy for poetry analysis is like a multi-layered sandwich, asking students to consider the meaning of the title, paraphrase parts of the poem in their own words, think about words and their connotations or implied meanings, think about the author / reader’s attitude (a.k.a. mood and tone), think through any shifts in meaning, tone, etc., and then return to re-consider the title and its meaning.

Write the Gist (A Summary Strategy):

This strategy works well for both poetry and longer fiction / nonfiction texts. The idea is that students will chunk the text (stanza divisions work naturally for this purpose). After reading each chunk, ask students to write a one sentence summary of that portion of the text. In the end, ask students to put their sentences together for a full summary of the text. This is a great way to talk about interesting details and overall meaning and message as well as summary-writing skills. A great next step that builds from this strategy is the Summary-Response strategy. After writing a clear and representative summary of the poem, students will write a journal response. You can have them write off of a line from the poem, write to the author of the poem, write about a theme or idea in the poem, or write about personal / societal connections to the poem.

Mentor Text Response:

One of my favorite ways to use poems, for high school classes, (and slam poetry ) is to have students read, discuss in Socratic seminar , and write their own emulations. Poems are great mentor texts! This also prompts organic discussion about figurative language, word choice, and style.

QFT (An Inquiry Strategy):

This strategy is fun, and comes with rules.

• As a small group, come up with as many questions as you can in the next 5 minutes!
• Use the FULL time!
• Write each question down on a post-it note.
• Do not stop to answer, judge, or discuss the questions.
• Write down every question exactly as it is stated.
• Change any statement into a question. 

The premise of this strategy is that students need to be given the time and space to ask questions. Students, in small groups (3-4) read the poem together. Then, arm each group with a stack of sticky notes and make sure they’re aware of (and follow) norms. Set the timer, and tell students to generate as many questions as possible about the poem in that amount of time. If you wish, you can set this up in a couple different rounds, progressing from general questions about the text to more specific questions about the text. For the second round, you would set the timer again (a smaller time frame, perhaps) and give a more specific focus such as “author’s style” or “figurative language.” You can even use a picture or short video to prompt a new round of question-asking. Then, when students have brainstormed, have them sort the questions. You can sort by open vs. closed-ended questions, you can have them determine which questions are higher-level vs. lower-level, or you can have them sort by which questions are most interesting vs. predictable.

At this point, you may want to have each student choose 1-2 questions to answer for homework.

You could also have each group set a discussion agenda by choosing a certain number of thought-provoking questions to discuss on the next day of class. You could have each group post top questions to a Padlet and use this to springboard whole-class discussion and/or journal response to the poem. 

Can you tell I love this strategy?!

EPIC LIST: POEMS FOR HIGH SCHOOL

This list of poems for high school English class contains some of my favorites, giving a mix of styles and movements, but with an emphasis on ideas that engage. Themes that resonate with students, poems that are written in accessible, yet “cool” ways…these are the poems I love. Students can relate to these poems because of their honesty, thematic ideas, and universal truths. What’s more, these poems work well with the strategies above, as well as  reading stations in the English classroom .

• Tattoo by Ted Kooser → This poem almost went “all the way” in my March Madness poetry competition. Students liked the straightforward nature of the poem, but also discussed the symbolic meaning of a “tattoo” and how our experiences are unseen tattoos. Also, they discussed quite well the human tendency to pass judgment, talking about the perspective of the narrator in th e poem.
• Wheels by Jim Daniels → The idea of moving forward instead of staying stuck in the past is an idea that teenagers can get behind, especially my sophomores who are eager to say goodbye to their childhood and take on increasing responsibilities and freedoms. You’ll want to call students’ attention to the author’s use of syntax, alliteration, and repetition.
• Loud Music by Stephen Dobyns → For most of my students, music = life, so this poem about how music is the universal human language is one they enjoy. You’ll want to call students’ attention to the author’s use of line divisions, similes, and the symbolism in the last four lines.
• Do not go gentle into that good night by Dylan Thomas → The rhythm of this poem makes it one of my favorites, with the focus centering around life vs. death. Students grasp the light symbolism immediately and enjoy unpacking this poem.
• Ode to Dirt by Sharon Olds → A nature poem at its core, with lovely and thought-provoking metaphors, by the time one is finished reading it, reflection turns to deeper issues such as the equality of humans despite their differences and the never-ending circle of life.
• Gee, You’re So Beautiful That It’s Starting to Rain by Richard Brautigan → This poem is about so much more than Marcia’s beauty which is what students will want to discuss at first read-through. Draw students’ attention to the simile and use of assonance in lines 4-5 to establish a tone.
• How to Listen by Major Jackson → This poem’s opening line simile helps students to envision the idea of attentive listening that Major Jackson wants to emphasize. Students should notice repetition and polysyndeton and think about the meaning in the small details of each day.
• Happiness by Jane Kenyon → Personification is used artfully in this poem to make the abstract idea of happiness come to life. Interestingly, it is not human in search of happiness in the first part of the poem, but happiness in search of human. Students should also notice the shift in the end of the poem to show the universality of happiness, how it comes to everyone. The question is, will it be recognized and received, and in what form will it show up?
• Eating Poetry by Mark Strand → In this poem, consuming poetry changes the narrator and brings out his wild side. Students should consider the role of the librarian vs. the narrator. What is the difference between being surrounded by words and being changed by them?
• “Hope” is the thing with feathers by Emily Dickinson → Emily Dickinson takes the abstract idea of “hope” and compares it to a bird, emphasizing that hope endures.
• Honest Poem by Rudy Francisco → This is one of my favorite poems for high school students! A quirky confessional, this poem appeals to listeners because it is authentic. While this poem appeals at a gut-level, there is also symbolic significance to a lot of the speaker’s confessions.
• When Giving is All We Have by Alberto Ríos → This poem celebrates that people are united through generosity, making the world a better place.
• Miracles by Walt Whitman → This poem has religious undertones as the author speaks to the fact that all aspects of creation are miraculous. Life is a miracle.
• In a Station of the Metro by Ezra Pound → At just two lines, this poem still packs a punch. You may want to introduce students to the idea of an “ Imagist ” poem. The driving image in this poem is anonymous faces as fallen petals. Consider how the author uses hard sounds, why a nature image is chosen for such an industrial location, and why faces are described as apparitions.
• From  Milk & Honey by Rupi Kaur → It’s hard to pick a favorite from this work that combines illustration with poetry. Click on the link to grab a copy of these poems for your high school classroom library or do a Google image search to find your favorites.
• The Black Santa by Allison Joseph and/or The Death of Santa Claus by Charles Harper Webb → Depending on your audience, one or the other Santa poem might work better (or have students read them both!).
• Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle → This poem is inspired by a real life girl who defied Cuba’s taboo against female drummers. It’s a poem that’s easy to read and appreciate, to read and discuss gender and equality.
• One Today by Richard Blanco → This poem was written for and shared at Barack Obama’s Inauguration. As such, it has themes of patriotism and celebrates the “everyday” Americans’ power as a collective whole – WE are the light, and the bonds of citizenship unite us.
• Manifesto of the Lyric Selfie by Becca Klaver → This poem explores the impact of selfishness, suggesting that looking inward is unnatural and results in destruction.
• The Facebook Sonnet by Sherman Alexie → Along the same lines as the last poem, this poem questions the value of social media, claiming that it pulls us into the past, causes us to act fake, and blurs the line between public and private. Though most students don’t use Facebook, this poem is applicable to whatever social media is popular for them.
• Fifth Grade Autobiography by Rita Dove → This poem is written about a photo. A great assignment for students is to write about a photo from their own childhood, thinking about the details that are both seen and unseen in the image / moment.
• If They Should Come for Us by Fatima Asghar → This poem is particularly relevant in today’s society. The author creates parallels to the Holocaust, helping the reader to question the impact of ignoring history’s lessons. Students may need to look up unfamiliar language, and you’ll want to ask them why the author might have chosen NOT to use punctuation or capitalization.
• America by Claude McKay → This poem is written in the form of a Shakespearean rhyming sonnet, with three quatrains and a couplet. It is interesting to consider the author’s depiction of how he is in an abusive relationship with America.
• Digging by Seamus Heaney → The author of the poem digs into his family history and uses sounds artfully. It is interesting to consider how the author continues his family tradition of farming, except with difference. He digs into the soil of words and grows ideas.
• At the Gym by Mark Doty → This poem takes a commonplace activity, going to the gym, and springboards to deeper ideas such as the human desire for power and control, vanity, and vulnerability in the face of burdens.
• Still I Rise   by Maya Angelou → This is a poem of empowerment, one that has rhythm and interest, that sets up tension between the speaker and the audience as the speaker “rises” above obstacles and judgments. Click on the link if you need some ready-to-go lesson plans and resources pairing this poem with Tupac’s song by the same name.
• Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost → This short little rhyming poem comes full circle, returning by the last line to the opening image of “gold.” There is an allusion to Eden, and the overall idea that perfection and beauty are temporary in the face of time and nature.
• Common Things by Christopher Kondrich → Is it a statue or a commentary on gun laws? The author uses 10 “common things” to comment on life vs. death and humans as weapons.
• Lies I Tell by Sara Borjas → This is a prose poem about the stories we like to tell ourselves. Truth is relative.
• Why Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog by Taylor Mali → This poem develops an overall comparison between dog ownership and love relationships, drawing many humorous and interesting parallels between the two.

I hope that you’ve found a poem (or two or three) to love in this list.

I’d love to meet you in the comments!  What grade do you teach and where? Which one of these poems is your favorite? How will you use these poems and/or strategies in your classroom?

Free Guide to Teaching Slam Poetry!

And finally, as a huge thank you for reading my blog, I have put together a free guide to building excitement for slam poetry . Whether you’re new to the slam poetry game or have been teaching it for years, I’d love for you to take a look and download it today!

About Lindsay Ann

Lindsay has been teaching high school English in the burbs of Chicago for 19 years. She is passionate about helping English teachers find balance in their lives and teaching practice through practical feedback strategies and student-led learning strategies. She also geeks out about literary analysis, inquiry-based learning, and classroom technology integration. When Lindsay is not teaching, she enjoys playing with her two kids, running, and getting lost in a good book.

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Reader Interactions

May 3, 2020 at 6:48 pm

Thank you so much for all of this great information! I’m student teaching right now and it’s been a bit of struggle to think of ways to integrate poetry as a medium that is approachable and interesting. I love this list! I’m planning on teaching The Outsiders next year once I have my own classroom (as an Oklahoman, I almost feel like it’s a required text), so I love that you’ve included “Nothing Gold Can Stay.”

May 5, 2020 at 11:55 pm

Claire, thank you so much for reading and commenting! I’m so glad that you found the list and ideas useful. I have fond memories of reading The Outsiders when I was in school – I hope that your students it too.

July 25, 2021 at 4:18 pm

Thank you! Your list of poems was exactly what I needed to get past our poetry plateau and explore some new authors. Your experience and advice reignited my excitement to teach the love of poetry.

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7+ Poems About Homework, Exams And Assessments: Getting The Job Done

Are you feeling stressed about exams? Fear not, because poems can help! This collection will share some poems about assignments, assessments, and tests to make you feel better about your next challenge.

Reading these poems is a great way to take a break from studying and relieve some pressure. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to read these poems! They’ll make you feel better.

What Are The Best Homework Poems?

Exam mystery by jobinmaktub, farm boy after summer by robert francis, the exam by joyce sutphen, examination phobia by harsh sandhu, homework oh, homework by jack prelutsky, the homework machine by shel silverstein, the lesson by roger mcgough.

Exams are a necessary evil. They test our knowledge and determine our future. And yet, we all hate them. This collection of poems is an excellent resource for any student who needs some inspiration to get through their homework and all those other dreadful school tasks.

It will also serve as comfort for those students who dread the end of term or anyone else who has ever had to take an exam. We hope you enjoy these verses and find them helpful in your studies!

Related To Poems About Exams And Assessments

• poems about school
• poems about education
• poems about classrooms

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Homework Stew

From the book When the Teacher Isn't Looking

I turned the flame up nice and hot and tossed my binder in the pot. I sprinkled in my book report with colored markers by the quart.

Despite its putrid , noxious gas, I proudly took my stew to class. And though the smell was so grotesque , I set it on my teacher’s desk.

My teacher said, “You’re quite a chef. But, still, you’re going to get an F. I didn’t ask for ‘homework stew,’ I said, ‘Tomorrow, homework’s due.'”

 — Kenn Nesbitt

Copyright © 2005. All Rights Reserved.

Reading Level: Grade 5 Topics: Food Poems , School Poems Poetic Techniques: Imagery , Narrative Poems Word Count: 111

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5+ English Poem For Class 5 For Students Competition

• by Studyvillage
• January 30, 2023 March 2, 2023

Here, I add English Poems For Class 5 students. If you are a class 5 student or any class 5 student’s parents then this will help you a lot to learn English poems for grade 5. I compile come best poems in the English language which drive your child into any other state of mind and grow him/her thinking. Poems are a very important part of studies as well as life.

Everyone wants to memorize poetry in English but no one does it and neither do their kids memorize it. But I believe that every child, even if he is a class 5 student, should remember the poem and it should be the duty of the parents to remind their children about it all.

• 1.1.1 This Morning Is Our History Test
• 1.2.1 Homework Stew
• 1.3.1 I Have to Write a Poem
• 1.4.1 Ice-Cream Man
• 2.0.1 The Lazy Frog
• 2.0.2 Nobody’s Friend

English Poem For Class 5

This poem uses simple vocabulary and rhyming words, making it easy for second-grade students to understand and recite. It is also a fun and light-hearted poem that can be used to introduce students to the concept of poetry. So, These English poem helps every student with their moral knowledge.

English Poem For Class 5 With Poet Name – Poem 1

This Morning Is Our History Test

This morning is our history test. I’ve pinned my notes inside my vest. Inside my coat, I wrote my notes, including dates and famous quotes.

I’ve written more upon my hand that only I can understand, and in my socks and sleeves, I stowed my scribbled notes in secret code.

I’ve written down so many names of winners of the Olympic games, of buildings, people’s place too, from Tennessee to Timbuktu.

I even copied down a piece on ancient Rome and ancient Greece, plus everything from Shakespeare’s plays to who invented mayonnaise.

I came to school so well prepared. I wasn’t nervous, wasn’t scared. But here it is, the history test. I look inside my coat and vest

to get the dates and famous quotes and find I cannot read my notes. So much for Shakespeare, Greece, and Rome. I left my glasses back at home.

English Poem For Class 5 Competition – Poem 2

Homework Stew

I cooked my math book in a broth and stirred it to a steaming froth. I threw in papers—pencils, too— to make a pot of homework stew. Homework Stew by Kenn Nesbitt

I turned the flame up nice and hot and tossed my binder in the pot. I sprinkled in my book report with colored markers by the quart.

Despite its putrid, noxious gas, I proudly took my stew to class. And though the smell was so grotesque, I set it on my teacher’s desk.

My teacher said, “You’re quite a chef. But, still, you’re going to get an F. I didn’t ask for ‘homework stew,’ I said, ‘Tomorrow, homework’s due.’”

English Poem For Class 5 With Moral – Poem 3

I Have to Write a Poem

I have to write a poem but I really don’t know how. So maybe I’ll just make a rhyme with something dumb, like “cow.”

Okay, I’ll write about a cow, but that’s so commonplace. I think I’ll have to make her be… a cow from outer space!

My cow will need a helmet and a space suit and a ship. Of course, she’ll keep a blaster in the holster on her hip.

She’ll hurtle through the galaxy on meteoric flights to battle monkey aliens in huge karate fights.

She’ll duel with laser sabers while avoiding lava spray to vanquish evil emperors and always save the day.

I hope the teacher likes my tale, “Amazing Astro Cow.” Yes, that’s the poem I will write as soon as I learn how.

English Poem For Class 5 Students – Poem 4

Ice-Cream Man

When summer’s in the city, And brick’s a blaze of heat, The Ice-cream Man with his little cart

Goes trundling down the street. Beneath his round umbrella, Oh, what a joyful sight,

To see him fill the cones with mounds Of cooling brown and white: Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry,

Or chilly things to drink From bottles full of frosty fizz, Green, orange, white, or pink.

His cart might be a flower bed, Of roses and sweet peas, The way the children cluster round As thick as honeybees.

Short English Poem For Class 5

The Lazy Frog

Fred is a very lazy frog Who lolls all day upon a log. He always manages to shirk

Doing a single stroke of work. His poor old mother calls in vain “Come in and help!” he does not bother

To move two inches, much preferring To be extremely hard of hearing. He lies there in a silent heap,

And stays conveniently asleep. f a lady frog hops past You’d think he would get up at last

To bow, and help her on her way? But no, I am ashamed to say That when a lady frog comes by He does not open up one eye!

Nobody’s Friend

She had some sweets that she wouldn’t share, She had a book that she wouldn’t lend, She wouldn’t let anyone play with her doll,

She’s nobody’s friend! He had some toffee, and ate every bit, He had a tricycle he wouldn’t lend,

He never let anyone play with his train, He’s nobody’s friend! But I’ll share all of my sweets with you,

My ball and my books and my games I will lend, Here’s half my apple and half my cake – I’m your friend!

I think you all like these Hindi Poems for Class 5 Students. Comment below if you want more like this. I add more poems and also provide you with classroom-type poems in one place which is the studyvillage.net website.

Also Read –

• English Poem For Class 2
• English Poem For Class 3
•  English Poem For Class 4 

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I Need to Do My Homework Poem

I need to do my homework poem for kids.

The poem "I need to do my homework" is a short english poem written by Kenn Nesbitt is a relatable and humorous take on the struggles of procrastination. It follows the story of a student who wants to do their homework but is easily distracted by other things, such as messages, videos, and games. The poem uses repetition and a light-hearted tone to convey the theme of procrastination and its consequences. It is a reminder of how we can all get sidetracked from our responsibilities and how important it is to stay focused and manage our time effectively. The poem is a great way to introduce the topic of procrastination and its negative effects to students and it can also be a good way to make them reflect on their own behavior.

The Poet, Kenn Nesbitt

I Need To Do My Homework Poem

I need to do my homework.

I really shouldn’t wait.

If I don’t do it right away,

my homework will be late.

But first, I’ll check my messages.

Oh, look, I got a text.

I probably should answer it,

then do my homework next.

My friend says there’s a video.

I simply have to see.

I’ll watch it first,

and do my homework momentarily.

But now I’m feeling hungry, so

I need a snack.

I’ll get myself a bite to eat

and then I’ll come right back.

Hey, I just remembered

there’s a game I want to play.

Just twenty minutes won’t make

that much difference anyway.

I’d better do my homework now

and not procrastinate.

Except, oh no! It’s time for bed…

My homework will be late.

 — Kenn Nesbitt

Theme of the I Need to Do My Homework Poem with Picture

The theme of the poem "I need to do my homework" by Kenn Nesbitt is procrastination and the consequences of putting things off. The poem describes the struggles of a student who wants to do their homework but is easily distracted by other things, such as messages, videos, and games. The poem uses humour and repetition to convey the theme of procrastination and how it leads to the student's late homework. The poem also touches on the theme of distractions and how they can prevent one from completing their responsibilities. The poem is a reminder of the importance of time management and focusing on the task at hand rather than getting sidetracked by other things.

Reading poem

The Literary Meaning of the Poem

The poem describes the inner thoughts of a student who wants to do their homework but is easily distracted by other things, such as messages, videos, and games. The poem conveys the theme of procrastination and its consequences through repetition and a light-hearted tone. The poem highlights the common distractions that can prevent one from completing their responsibilities and how they can lead to late homework.

The poem also touches on the theme of time management and how it is essential to focus on the task at hand rather than getting sidetracked by other things. The student's inner thoughts, such as "I’ll watch it first, and do my homework momentarily" and "I’ll get myself a bite to eat, and then I’ll come right back", reflect on how we often convince ourselves to put things off and how it becomes a cycle of procrastination.

Overall, the poem is a relatable and humorous take on the struggles of procrastination and its consequences. It serves as a reminder of the importance of time management and staying focused on our responsibilities. The poem is a good way to introduce the topic of procrastination and its negative effects on students and to make them reflect on their behaviour.

For more information, students can refer to the I Need To Do My Homework Poem Pdf available on the website.

I Need To Do My Homework Poem Summary

The poem highlights the common distractions that can prevent one from completing their responsibilities and how they can lead to late homework. It also touches on the theme of time management and how it is important to focus on the task at hand rather than getting sidetracked by other things. The poem also shows that procrastination is a common human tendency, and it is important to be aware of it and take action to overcome it.

FAQs on I Need to Do My Homework Poem

1. What common distractions are mentioned in the poem "I need to do my homework"?

Examples of common distractions mentioned in the poem "I need to do my homework" include checking messages, watching videos, playing games, and getting a snack. These distractions are relatable and show how easily we can get sidetracked from our responsibilities.

2. How does the poem "I need to do my homework" relate to students and their experience with procrastination?

The poem "I need to do my homework" is relatable to students as it describes their common procrastination struggles. The poem's relatable and humorous tone makes it an enjoyable way for students to reflect on their own behavior and learn about the negative effects of procrastination.

3. How does the poem "I need to do my homework" convey the theme of time management?

The poem "I need to do my homework" conveys the theme of time management through its emphasis on staying focused on our responsibilities and not getting sidetracked by distractions. The poem serves as a reminder of the importance of managing our time effectively and not wasting it on procrastination.

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40 Best Short Poems To Share With Kids

Serve up some poetry!

Most adults probably remember reading Shel Silverstein and the joy his book A Light in the Attic brought us. Reading poetry with children fosters creativity and important literacy skills like rhyming. Short poems for kids can also help develop memory skills because students usually can’t wait to share what they learned with family and friends. Since long poems may seem intimidating to younger readers or even those who are just new to poetry, we gathered some of the best short poems for kids. While some are silly and include nonsense words and funny names, others are more serious and tackle important social issues. Check out our complete list of short poems for kids below.

1. The Homework Machine by Shel Silverstein

“Just put in your homework, then drop in a dime.”

2. This Is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams

“I have eaten

that were in

the icebox”

3. There Was a Young Lady of Clare by Edward Lear

“When she found she was tired, she abruptly expired,

That unfortunate Lady of Clare.”

4. Happy Thought by Robert Louis Stevenson

“The world is so full of a number of things

I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.”

5. The Stars Are Blinking by Annette Wynne

“The stars are blinking in the skies;

They see some sights that hurt their eyes.”

6. Tiny Little Snowflakes by Lucy Larcom

“Robed so white and spotless,

Flying like a dove.”

7. The Crocodile by Lewis Carroll

“How cheerfully he seems to grin …”

8. How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”

9. The Cry of the Cicada by Matsuo Basho

“The cry of the cicada

Gives us no sign

That presently it will die.”

10. I’m Nobody! Who Are You? by Emily Dickinson

“I’m Nobody! Who are you?

Are you – Nobody – too?”

11. Sonnet by James Weldon Johnson

“Tho’ thick the battle and tho’ fierce the fight,

There is a power making for the right.”

12. My Missing Shoe by Kate Miller Wilson

“My mother is calling me, and I’m calling you,

Where have you gone, my missing shoe?”

13. I Ate a Chili Pepper by Barbara Vance

“I ate a chili pepper

On a lunch-time dare …”

14. My Long-Eared Dog by Denise Rodgers

“My long-eared dog is very sweet.

He loves to lick my stinky feet.”

15. Poetry Is My Underwear by April Halprin Wayland

“Doesn’t she know

she’s waving my underwear?”

16. On Quiet Feet by Nikki Grimes

“I might even

his heart beat—

17. My Rock by Pat Mora

“I sit on my desert rock, listen

to the world’s hum.”

18. Cat by Marilyn Singer

“No cat I remember

dislikes December

19. A Blank White Page by Francisco X. Alarcón

“is a meadow

after a snowfall”

20. The Promise by Jane Hirshfield

“Stay, I said to my loves.

Each answered,

21. Mr. McGallimagoo by James McDonald

“Refer to me by my proper name,

Which is Mr. Hullibajiss.”

22. Dust by P.A. Ropes

“The grey dust runs on the ground like a mouse …”

23. My Griffin by Laura E. Richards

“I keep my Griffin in the barn;

I keep him busy winding yarn.”

24. Fun by Leroy F. Jackson

“I love to hear a lobster laugh,

Or see a turtle wiggle …”

25. A Baby Sardine by Spike Milligan

“’Oh come, come, come,’

Said the sardine’s mum.

‘It’s only a tin full of people.'”

26. Oh, Fly by Jane Yolen

“For oh, you are

a lovely fly.

and multiply.”

27. Stronger Together by Rupi Kaur

“more women in the arena means

more room for all of us to rise.”

28. Humming Birds by Betty Sage

“I think it is a funny thing

That some birds whistle, others sing.”

29. A Wee Little Worm by James Whitcomb Riley

“A wee little worm in a hickory-nut

Sang, happy as he could be …”

30. Snowball by Shel Silverstein

“I made myself a snowball

As perfect as could be.”

31. The Purple Cow by Gelett Burgess

“I never saw a purple cow.

I never hope to see one.”

32. At the Zoo by William Makepeace Thackeray

“Then I saw the elephant a-waving of his trunk;

Then I saw the monkeys—mercy, how unpleasantly they smelt!”

33. Jack and Jill by Mother Goose

“Jack and Jill went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water …”

34. Star Light, Star Bright by Anonymous

“Star light, star bright,

First star I see tonight,

I wish I may, I wish I might,

Have this wish I wish tonight.”

35. My Cat Is Fat by James McDonald

“I’ve a cat named Vesters,

And he eats all day.

He always lays around,

And never wants to play.”

36. There Was an Old Person Whose Habits by Edward Lear

“There was an Old Person whose habits,

Induced him to feed upon rabbits;

When he’d eaten eighteen,

He turned perfectly green,

Upon which he relinquished those habits.”

37. What Are Heavy by Christina Rossetti

“What are heavy? sea-sand and sorrow:

What are brief? today and tomorrow:

What are frail? spring blossoms and youth:

What are deep? the ocean and truth.”

38. Tommy by Gwendolyn Brooks

“I put my seed into the ground

And said, ‘I’ll watch it grow.’

I watered it and cared for it

As well as I could know.”

39. The Parent by Ogden Nash

“Children aren’t happy with nothing to ignore,

And that’s what parents were created for.”

40. Way Down South by Anonymous

“Way down South where bananas grow,

A grasshopper stepped on an elephant’s toe.”

If you liked these short poems for kids, check out these poems about teaching .

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Shel Silverstein

The homework machine.

The Homework Machine, Oh, the Homework Machine, Most perfect contraption that's ever been seen. Just put in your homework, then drop in a dime, Snap on the switch, and in ten seconds' time, Your homework comes out, quick and clean as can be. Here it is— 'nine plus four?' and the answer is 'three.' Three? Oh me . . . I guess it's not as perfect As I thought it would be.

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• Poems for Children

School Poems For Kids

Poetry about school helps kids deal with their school experience. Poems about School covers important topics such as the teacher student relationship, friendships, bullying and social interactions with peers. These poems often have themes related to school life, such as going to school, making new friends, and learning new subjects. Children can learn about different poetic forms, such as rhyme and meter, and develop an appreciation for the beauty and power of words. Poems for kids can be a great tool for encouraging young readers to explore the world of poetry and discover the joy of reading and writing.

15 Child-Friendly Poems about School Life

1 - 15 of 15

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1. Homework Stew

Famous Poem

• By Kenn Nesbitt

I cooked my math book in a broth and stirred it to a steaming froth. I threw in papers—pencils, too— to make a pot of homework stew.

Read Complete Poem

• Shares 1662
• Fav orited 10
• Rating 4.39

I loved this poem because I loved how it said "I sprinkled up my book report". When at the end the teacher said "Your quite a chef but you get a F, I did not say homework stew, I said...

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2. I Can't Wait For Summer

I can’t wait for summer, when school days are done, to spend the days playing outside in the sun. I won’t have to study. No homework, no tests. Just afternoons spent on adventures and quests.

• Fav orited 0
• Rating 4.29

3. Let Me Out Of The Class

(sing to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game") Let me out of the classroom. Let me out of the school.

• Fav orited 1
• Rating 4.12

4. Cleaning House In My Brain

• By Kalli Dakos
• Published by Family Friend Poems May 2020 with permission of the Author.

I'm cleaning house In my brain, It's BACK TO SCHOOL Time again.

• Shares 1558
• Fav orited 9
• Rating 4.44

5. I'm Sick

• Published by Family Friend Poems May 2014 with permission of the Author.

"I cannot go to school today," Said little Peggy Ann Makey. "My glasses broke. I think I'm going to choke.

• Shares 1300
• Fav orited 36
• Rating 4.15

I thought it was such a good poem. It goes to show children will be children through the years. I had to laugh. It made me think of my own children and myself growing up, how miraculously...

• By Sanya Tandon
• Published by Family Friend Poems October 2011 with permission of the Author.

My best friend is a book that doesn't give me a weird look. It is like a golden door that takes me to the land where I have never been before.

• Shares 10984
• Fav orited 32

One of my best friends are books. Thanks for this poem, you are a really good poet.

• By Coral Rumble
• Published by Family Friend Poems October 2021 with permission of the Author.

When teams are picked, for playground games, I never seem to hear my name. I stand and watch the choices made And, one by one, my hopes all fade.

• Fav orited 5
• Rating 4.62

8. Homework Limerick

• By Alyssa Tyler Ashely Lily Skylar Emily
• Published by Family Friend Poems May 2015 with permission of the Author.

Why do we have homework after school? This is so uncool. I so want to cry I want to deny

• Shares 4438
• Fav orited 8
• Rating 3.89

This is very funny and true. Nice poem. Keep it up!

I’d like to be popular, just for a term, To stand with the in-crowd, be given a turn, To be called smart and help others to learn, But I can’t see it happening to me.

• Fav orited 4
• Rating 4.50

10. Friday Feeling

At school you must be good And never get there late, But when it comes to Friday The children think it’s great

• Fav orited 3
• Rating 4.41

11. Sleepyhead

• By Paul L. Kennedy
• Published by Family Friend Poems January 2020 with permission of the Author.

Oh, please let me have another half hour in bed. It feels like the pillow is stuck to my head. I'm cozy and I'm warm and my dreams are all nice.

• Shares 1328
• Fav orited 14

How many times have we all woken in the morning and felt that lovely warm cosy feeling of being snuggled up safely in our bed, and rather not get up and face the cold harsh real world?

12. School Lunches

• Published by Family Friend Poems August 2016 with permission of the Author.

Our school lunches are so, so bad. Eating this just makes me sad. None of this weird food is delicious, And all the lunch ladies are malicious!

• Shares 1500
• Fav orited 17
• Rating 4.10

13. Hard Work

• By Brianna D. Anderson
• Published by Family Friend Poems April 2017 with permission of the Author.

They're all staring at me, Right through me they can see. I bet they are judging, They know I'm not focusing.

• Shares 1246

14. Do Your Homework Now

I've told you once, mom's told you twice. Forgetting homework just isn't nice. Homework is like getting dressed; got to do it to be your best.

• Shares 2674
• Fav orited 13
• Rating 3.91

15. Summer And School

• Published by Family Friend Poems May 2009 with permission of the Author.

It's the last day of school! Let's go to the pool! Put on your bathing suit And grab some yummy juicy fruit!

• Shares 1007

This is a poem about what a child in school is planning for his or her summer vacation. I know the excitement because I am also a student.

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10 of the Best Poems by English Romantic Poets

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

English Romanticism tends to be dominated by a few names: Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats. Here, we’ve tried to strike a balance and offer ten of the very best Romantic poems from English literature, which ensures that these canonical figures are well-represented, while also broadening that canon to include some important but slightly less famous voices.

We hope you like this short introduction to Romanticism told through ten classic Romantic poems…

1. William Wordsworth, ‘ My heart leaps up ’.

My heart leaps up when I behold A rainbow in the sky: So was it when my life began; So is it now I am a man; So be it when I shall grow old, Or let me die …

This simple nine-line poem describes how the poet is filled with joy when he sees a rainbow, and how he hopes he will always keep that sense of enchantment with the natural world. Wordsworth observes a rainbow in the sky and is filled with joy at the sight of a rainbow: a joy that was there when the poet was very young, is still there now he has attained adulthood, and – he trusts – will be with him until the end of his days.

If he loses this thrilling sense of wonder, what would be the point of living? In summary, this is the essence of ‘My heart leaps up’.

The poem contains Wordsworth’s famous declaration, ‘The Child is father of the Man’, highlighting how important childhood experience was to the Romantics in helping to shape the human beings they became in adult life. ‘My heart leaps up’ is a small slice of Romanticism which says more about that movement than many longer poems do.

2. William Wordsworth, ‘ I wandered lonely as a cloud ’.

I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze …

Often known simply as ‘The Daffodils’ or ‘Wordsworth’s daffodils poem’, this is also one of the most famous poems of English Romanticism, and sees Wordsworth (1770-1850) celebrating the ‘host of golden daffodils’ he saw while out walking. The poem was actually a collaboration between Wordsworth, his sister Dorothy (whose notes helped to inspire it), and Wordsworth’s wife, Mary.

On 15 April 1802, Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy were walking around Glencoyne Bay in Ullswater when they came upon a ‘long belt’ of daffodils, as Dorothy put it memorably in her journal.

Dorothy  Wordsworth wrote of the encounter with the daffodils , ‘I never saw daffodils so beautiful they grew among the mossy stones about & about them, some rested their heads upon these stones as on a pillow for weariness & the rest tossed and reeled and danced & seemed as if they verily laughed with the wind that blew upon them over the Lake, they looked so gay ever dancing ever changing.’

The influence of this passage from Dorothy’s journal can be seen in Wordsworth’s poem, which he did not write until at least two years after this, in 1804

3. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, ‘ Frost at Midnight ’.

The Frost performs its secret ministry, Unhelped by any wind. The owlet’s cry Came loud—and hark, again! loud as before. The inmates of my cottage, all at rest, Have left me to that solitude, which suits Abstruser musings: save that at my side My cradled infant slumbers peacefully …

So begins this great meditative poem. Wordsworth’s great collaborator on the 1798 collection Lyrical Ballads was Coleridge.

Written in 1798, the same year that Coleridge’s landmark volume of poems, Lyrical Ballads (co-authored with Wordsworth), appeared, ‘Frost at Midnight’ is a night-time meditation on childhood and raising children, offered in a conversational manner and focusing on several key themes of Romantic poetry: the formative importance of childhood and the way it shapes who we become, and the role nature can play in our lives.

4. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner .

‘God save thee, ancient Mariner! From the fiends, that plague thee thus!— Why look’st thou so?’—With my cross-bow I shot the ALBATROSS …

Written in 1797-8, this is Coleridge’s most famous poem – it first appeared in Lyrical Ballads . The idea of killing an albatross bringing bad luck upon the crew of a ship appears to have been invented in this poem, as there is no precedent for it – and the albatross idea was probably William Wordsworth’s, not Coleridge’s (Wordsworth got the idea of the albatross-killing from a 1726 book, A Voyage Round The World by Way of the Great South Sea , by Captain George Shelvocke).

The poem is one of the great narrative poems in English, with the old mariner recounting his story, with its hardships and tragedy, to a wedding guest.

Variously interpreted as being about guilt over the Transatlantic slave trade, about Coleridge’s own loneliness, and about spiritual salvation, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner remains a challenging poem whose ultimate meaning is elusive.

5. Charlotte Smith, ‘ Sonnet on being Cautioned against Walking on a Headland ’.

Is there a solitary wretch who hies To the tall cliff, with starting pace or slow, And, measuring, views with wild and hollow eyes Its distance from the waves that chide below …

English Romanticism wasn’t entirely dominated by men, although it’s true that names like Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, and so on tend to dominate the lists. But as Dorothy Wordsworth’s role in inspiring ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud’ demonstrates, Romanticism wasn’t quite an all-male affair.

This poem by Charlotte Turner Smith, a pioneer of Romanticism in England who was born before Wordsworth or Coleridge, is that rarest of things: a Gothic sonnet. This needn’t surprise when we bear in mind that the sonnet’s author, Charlotte Turner Smith (1749-1806) was associated with English Romanticism and was also a key figure in the revival of the English sonnet.

6. John Clare, ‘ The Yellowhammer’s Nest ’.

Just by the wooden brig a bird flew up, Frit by the cowboy as he scrambled down To reach the misty dewberry—let us stoop And seek its nest—the brook we need not dread, ’Tis scarcely deep enough a bee to drown, So it sings harmless o’er its pebbly bed …

John Clare (1793-1864) has been called the greatest nature poet in the English language (by, for instance, his biographer Jonathan Bate), and yet his life – particularly his madness and time inside an asylum later in his life – tends to overshadow his poetry.

Like Charlotte Turner Smith, Clare is still a rather overlooked figure in English Romanticism and nature poetry, but he’s been called England’s greatest nature poet and the best poet to have written about birds.

‘The Yellowhammer’s Nest’, although not Clare’s best-known poem, shows his wonderful sensitivity to vowel sounds, as he explores the patterns found within nature by focusing on the nest of the bird, which is described as ‘poet-like’.

7. Percy Shelley, ‘ Mont Blanc ’.

The everlasting universe of things Flows through the mind, and rolls its rapid waves, Now dark—now glittering—now reflecting gloom— Now lending splendour, where from secret springs The source of human thought its tribute brings Of waters …

The Romantics were greatly interested in a quality that Edmund Burke called ‘the Sublime’: that peculiar mixture of awe and terror we feel when confronted with great forces of nature. Percy Shelley’s poem about Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps, is a classic example of Romantic poetry about the Sublime – an ode to nature as a powerful and beautiful force.

Shelley composed ‘Mont Blanc’ during the summer of 1816, and it was first published in Mary Shelley’s History of a Six Weeks’ Tour through a Part of France, Switzerland, Germany and Holland (1817), which – beating Frankenstein by a year – was actually Mary’s first book .

Immediately in the first two lines of ‘Mont Blanc’, Shelley foregrounds the key thrust of the poem: the relationship between the natural world and the human imagination. The ‘everlasting universe of things’, which recalls Wordsworth’s talk of the ‘immortality’ of the earth in his ‘Ode: Intimations of Immortality’ (which we’ve analysed here ); Shelley notes that this ‘universe of things’ flows through the (mortal) mind. These external influences are variously light and dark, vivid and obscure.

8. Percy Shelley, ‘ To a Skylark ’.

Hail to thee, blithe Spirit! Bird thou never wert, That from Heaven, or near it, Pourest thy full heart In profuse strains of unpremeditated art …

Shelley completed this, one of his most famous poems, in June 1820. The inspiration for the poem was an evening walk Shelley took with his wife, Mary, in Livorno, in north-west Italy.

Mary later described the circumstances that gave rise to the poem: ‘It was on a beautiful summer evening while wandering among the lanes whose myrtle hedges were the bowers of the fire-flies, that we heard the carolling of the skylark.’ The opening line of the poem gave Noel Coward the title for his play Blithe Spirit .

Shelley asks the bird to teach him just half the happiness the bird must know, in order to produce such beautiful music. If the skylark granted the poet his wish, he – Shelley – would start singing such delirious, harmonious music that the world would listen to him, much as he is listening, enraptured, to the skylark right now. We have analysed this poem here .

9. John Keats, ‘ Ode to a Nightingale ’.

My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk …

From its opening simile likening the poet’s mental state to the effects of drinking hemlock, to the poem’s later references to ‘a draught of vintage’ and ‘a beaker full of the warm South’, Keats’s ‘Ode to a Nightingale’ is one of the most drink-sodden poems produced by the entire Romantic period.

‘Ode to a Nightingale’ is about the poet’s experience of listening to the beautiful song of the nightingale. Keats has become intoxicated by the nightingale’s heartbreakingly beautiful song, and he feels as though he’d drunk the numbing poison hemlock or the similarly numbing (though less deadly) drug, opium. He is forgetting everything: it’s as though he’s heading to Lethe (‘Lethe-wards’, as in ‘towards Lethe’), the river of forgetfulness in Greek mythology.

The contrast between mortality and immortality, between the real world and the enchanted world the nightingale’s song seems to open a window onto (like one of those magic casements Keats refers to), is a key one for the poem. We have analysed this poem here .

10. Lord Byron, ‘ Darkness ’.

This poem was inspired by a curious incident: the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia, which drastically altered the weather conditions across the world and led to 1816 being branded ‘the Year without a Summer’. The same event also led to Byron’s trip to Lake Geneva and his ghost-story writing competition, which produced Mary Shelley’s masterpiece Frankenstein .

For Byron, the extermination of the sun seemed like a dream, yet it was ‘no dream’ but a strange and almost sublimely terrifying reality. Another example of the Romantic concept of the Sublime, brought to us by one of English Romanticism’s best-known figures. It begins:

I had a dream, which was not all a dream. The bright sun was extinguish’d, and the stars Did wander darkling in the eternal space, Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air; Morn came and went—and came, and brought no day …

Discover more classic poetry with these uplifting spring poems , these hot summer poems , these poems for autumn and fall , and these snowy winter poems .

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10 thoughts on “10 of the Best Poems by English Romantic Poets”

There are several I need to read among these. I would add the Solitary reaper, by Wordsworth, and his sonnet Calm is all nature… (but really, selecting just a few of his is difficult – same as for Keats), Coleridge’s Dejection and some of keats’s sonnets, maybe What the lark said.

All excellent suggestions – this needs to be a top 20 list rather than top 10! I must blog about ‘The Solitary Reaper’ soon.

Byron’s ghost story competition produced not only ‘Frankenstein’ but ‘The Vampyre’ a novella by Dr John William Polidori (Byron’s personal physician) which if it did not invent,certainly introduced the Romantic Vampire (based on Lord Byron) to English literature, and was the origin of ‘Carmilla’, ‘Dracula’ and even possibly, sadly, Edward. I mention it because I feel poor Polidori never get the credit that was his due.

Indeed. I talk about Polidori’s short novel in my book, The Secret Library. One of a number of Gothic horror classics that have been somewhat written out of the history of the genre.

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I do so love “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”! My fav Keats poem is “Ode on a Grecian Urn”. It’s a fun one to teach.

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The selection is an interesting one but Keats Ode on a Grecian Urn would have been more representative entry of him. I like this blog for a fair and easy touch with literature.

Just want to tell everyone the rainbow is what God made for Noah as a token that he promised noah that he would never destroy the world by flood ever again

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