Yes boys, we will be home again, But our hearts will still be faithful to this Southern land of ours, Though we wander in English meadows ‘mid the scent of English flowers, When the soft southerly breeze shakes the blossom away from the thorn, And flings from the wild rose cup, the shining gift of the morn; And when the scarlet poppies peep through the golden wheat, As the stronger winds of Autumn march in with heavier feet; And when the fields are snow clad, trees hard in a frosty rime, Our thoughts still wander Southward, we shall think of the grey old time; Again in dreams go back to our fight with the icy floe… We shall dream of the ever increasing gales, the birds in their Northward flight; The magic of twilight colours, the gloom of the long, long night… And when, in the fading firelight, we turn these pages of o’er, We shall think of the times we wrote therein by that far off Southern shore. With regret we shall close the story, yet ever in thought go back… Though the grip of the frost may be cruel, and relentless in its icy hold, Yet it knit our hearts together in that darkness stern and cold.”
Poem by Ernest Shackleton
Ernest Shackleton was one of Antarctica's greatest explorers. He was a pretty good poet as well, don't you think?
Today is your turn to do some writing! Even though I am not an English teacher, I love to read and write. So I went to this website to learn about different types of poems and tried my hand at some Antarctic poetry.
Poem Types for Younger Students A Name Poem, or Acrostic Poem, tells about the word you spell down the side. It uses the letters of the word for the first letter of each line. My example: Antarctica Numbing Tents Aloof Remote Icy Cold Tantalizing Awesome!
You can try a name poem with a small word like TENT if you want! It is also fun to use your name and then find words that describe who you are.
An ABC Poem uses all 26 letters of the alphabet to describe something. I will just start an ABC poem or I will never finish this journal entry. You can write an ABC poem on any topic you want.
Antarctica Beautiful Chilly
Limericks are silly poems that aren’t too hard once you get the "beat”. The 1st, 2nd, and 5th lines have 7 to 10 syllables and rhyme with each other. The 3rd and 4th lines have 5 to 7 syllables and rhyme with each other.
SCINI is the name of our ROV She goes through holes in the ice to the sea She looks at the critters Some give me the jitters And then she comes back up the hole to me!
You can try one with this picture of Stacy sitting on the drillhead and trying to get the flights to go through the ice!
Princess Stacy sits upon her throne
Cinquains have five lines. The 1st line is only 1 word and that is the title. The 2nd line has 2 words that describe the title. The 3rd line has 3 words that tell the action. The 4th line has 4 words that express the feeling. And the 5th line has only 1 word again that recalls the title. It is nice to center it so it makes a diamond pattern.
Antarctica Icy, White Shivering, Sniffling, Tingling Inspiring, Tantalizing, Terrifying, Dramatic Undeniable
Maybe you want to try and write a cinquain about our bunny boots. They are pretty silly but they keep our feet warm!
Our Bunny boots all lined up for the night
Japanese Poem Types Haiku is an unrhymed poem of three lines. There are 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, and 5 syllables in the third. Haiku are often about nature. This form of poetry has existed at least since the 16th century.
Icy Continent Frigid feeling in my toes. Can I come inside?
Senryu Poetry Type is a short Japanese poem that is similar to a Haiku poem in structure but treats human beings rather than nature, often in a humorous or satiric way. Haiku is usually published with the name of the author and senryu is not.
SCINI R.O.V. Goes through the ice to the sea Winks at starfish there
VideoRay (not SCINI) is going into the water
Tanka is similar to Haiku but is even older. There are five lines of 5, then 7, 5, 7, and 7 syllables.
I need your help to write a Tanka!
Rhyming Poems
Couplets have stanzas of only two lines that usually rhyme
Mt. Erebus volcano is covered with snow
The most active southerly volcano you know
A molten lake exists inside her girth
Adding fire to ice for all she’s worth!
Both Mount Erebus and the Hotsy are smoking away
Quatrains have four lines. The 1st and 3rd lines may or may not rhyme. The 2nd and 4th lines must rhyme.
I clearly need more help with these poems, so get your pens ready! Please submit your poems to the Ask-the-Team link so everyone can read them.
Meanwhile I will leave you with one last poem by Ernest Shackleton.
Two Ways You may love the calm and peaceful days, And the glorious tropic nights… But all the delight of the summer seas, And the sun’s westing gold Are nought to me for I know a sea With a glamour and glory untold…
Poem by Ernest Shackleton
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