Do you think nursery rhymes are only for little kids? You'll think again after participating in a four-program poetry/drama workshop led by local poets Elizabeth Rees and Rosanne Singer and aimed at kids in grades 3, 4 and 5. The four programs will all take place on Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. -- November 10 and 17 and December 1 and 8. The final evening will include a performance of the poetry kids create during the workshop. Registration required. To register, go to www.takomapark.info/library/registration.html or call us at 301-891-7259.
During the four programs of the workshop, which will take place in the Community Center, participants will look closely at the history of various nursery rhymes. For example, do you know that Humpty Dumpty was the name of a powerful cannon during the English Civil War of 1642-1649, or that Mary, Mary Quite Contrary was a blood-thirsty queen? Many of the nursery rhymes we heard as kids have interesting histories and poets of all ages have written in response to these seemingly simple ditties. One example is Chana Bloch's persona poem, Mrs. Dumpty . During the workshop, participants -- led by Liz and Rosanne -- also will create poetic responses to some of the most familiar childhood nursery rhymes. Maybe we would hear from Mary's Little Lamb or the Farmer's Wife who cut off the tails of the Three Blind Mice. What were they thinking? Why did they do what they did? We'll use history and our imaginations to create poems that come alive. Then, on December 8, we'll share our poems with family and friends.
Posted by at October 14, 2009 03:56 PM