Poets of Nature, Revelry, and Rhyme Nature, Revelry, and Rhyme    

Lesson 40: Wishes

by Sara Teasdale

Performer: SMG

Directions

Study the poem for one week.

Over the week:

• Read or listen to the poem.
• Review the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Read about the poet.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

The child narrator enjoys wishing for a kitty and a blue balloon, even though they know their wishes will probably not come true.

Vocabulary

Wish: Feel or express a strong hope for something that is not easily attainable; want something that cannot or probably will not happen.
Tame: An animal that is not dangerous or frightened of people; domesticated.
Nursie: Child's term for nurse, a person employed or trained to take charge of young children.

Concepts

1. Sara Trevor Teasdale was born in 1884 in St. Louis, Missouri. See her picture below.

2. Zoom in and find Teasdale's birth state of Missouri (MO) on the map of the continental United States.

3. Teasdale had two brothers and a sister, who were much older than she. Her first spoken word was, 'pretty.' Her mother suggested that her love of pretty things is what inspired Teasdale to write poetry.
4. Teasdale eventually married, but the marriage ended in divorce after fifteen years. After her divorce, she devoted herself to her poetry.
5. Teasdale was frail and sickly for most of her life. After suffering from chronic pneumonia, Teasdale died in 1933 at the age of 48 in the Samoan Islands.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite the Title, the Poet's Name, and the Poem

• Each day this week, recite aloud the title of the poem, the name of the poet, and the poem.

Activity 2: Study the Poem Picture

• Study the poem picture, and describe how it relates to the poem.

Activity 3: Narrate the Poem

After reading or listening to the poem, narrate the poem events aloud using your own words.

Activity 4: Color the Poem   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 42 of 'Poetry Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Activity 5: Discuss and Draw Your Wishes

• In the poem, the child narrator enjoys wishing for things they will probably never get.
• List some things that you wish for.
• Do you think you will get the things you wish for?
• Draw or color the thing you wish for most of all.

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the poem?

1 / 5

Answer 1

The title of the poem is 'Wishes.'

1 / 5

Question 2

What is the name of the poet who wrote 'Wishes?'

2 / 5

Answer 2

The name of the poet is Sara Teasdale.

2 / 5

Question 3

What happens in the poem?

3 / 5

Answer 3

The child narrator has fun wishing for a kitty and a blue balloon, even though they know their wishes will probably not come true.

3 / 5

Question 4

Who are the characters in the poem?

4 / 5

Answer 4

The human characters are the child narrator and her nursie.

4 / 5

Question 5

Do you think it is worthwhile to wish for things that will probably never come true?

5 / 5

Answer 5

Answers vary.

5 / 5

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the poem? The title of the poem is 'Wishes.'
2. What is the name of the poet who wrote 'Wishes?' The name of the poet is Sara Teasdale.
3. What happens in the poem? The child narrator has fun wishing for a kitty and a blue balloon, even though they know their wishes will probably not come true.
4. Who are the characters in the poem? The human characters are the child narrator and her nursie.
5. Do you think it is worthwhile to wish for things that will probably never come true? Answers vary.

References

'Sara Teasdale.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.