Poetry Friday: A Pocketful of Stars--Poems About the Night

This week for Poetry Friday, I checked out of the library  A Pocketful of Stars:  Poems about the Night (compiled by Nikki Siegen-Smith).  This collection covers many aspects of the night and bedtime—imaginary sights, peaceful images, scary feelings, humorous sentiments, and realistic moments. In the Introduction, Siegen-Smith states:  “Poetry has a great way of making fears manageable.  Darkness can be scary; things can feel different at night.  Children will recognize that other people experience similar feelings… [Poems] give them a chance to explore their own experiences.” The beautiful illustrations by Emma Shaw-Smith reflect many of the emotions experienced at night—fear, wonder, peace, and hope.  In addition, the pictures depict the multicultural world we live in, reinforcing the idea that these night time feelings are universal.  "Night Comes" and "Silver" are a couple of my favorites from the anthology.  The use of imagery, personification, and sound device make these selections pleasing to the ears and stimulating to the mind. 

“Night Comes” (by Beatrice Schenk deRegniers)

Night comes

leaking

out of the sky.

Stars come

peeking.

Moon come

sneaking

silvery—sly.

Who is

shaking,

shivery,

quaking?

Who is afraid

of the night?

Not I.

“Silver” (by Walter de la Mare)

Slowly, silently, now the moon

Walks the night in her silver shoon;

This way, and that, she peers and sees

Silver fruit upon silver trees;

One by one the casements catch

Her beams beneath the silvery thatch;

Couched on his kennel, like a log,

With paws of silver sleeps the dog;

From their shadowy cote the white breasts peep

Of doves in a silver-feathered sleep;

A harvest mouse goes scampering by,

With silver claws, and silver eye;

And moveless fish in the water gleam,

By silver reeds in a silver stream.

Visit Wild Rose Reader for the entire run down of blogs sharing poems for Poetry Friday.