75 Must-Share Poems for Your Elementary Classroom

Poetry, with rhyming, alliteration, and short, easy-to-interpret stanzas, is a great way to engage elementary schoolers in everything from seasonal themes to humorous antics. There is literally something for everyone in a poetry unit. Teaching poetry in the elementary classroom should be a no-brainer, but it can be tough to find poems for elementary school. Use this comprehensive list of poems to engage your elementary schoolers one line at a time.

Our Favorite Poems for Elementary School

1. Rock ’n’ Roll Band by Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein is to elementary poetry as Robert Frost is to grown-up poetry. In “Rock ’n’ Roll Band,” students will see rhyming and the strategic use of a repeated phrase to create a very readable poem.

2. On Turning Ten by Billy Collins

This hilarious poem is a great one to analyze for its language. What does the poet mean when it laments a “measles of the spirit,” a “mumps of the psyche” and a “disfiguring chicken pox of the soul.”

3. First Girls in Little League Baseball by J. Patrick Lewis

History and poetry combined. Talk about what the poem describes, then research the events that inspired this poem about the laws that provide opportunities for girls in sports.

4. Dreams by Langston Hughes

The message to “hold fast to dreams” is a good one for elementary schoolers who are learning about goal setting and what it takes to achieve a dream. And Hughes is a poet that every student should read.

Check out: 20 Famous Langston Hughes Poems Everyone Should Read

5. Falling Asleep in Class by Kenn Nesbitt

This poem is perfect for analyzing–it has a clear rhyme pattern, fun vocabulary (“slobbered,” “rumpled,” “indentation”), and a twist at the end. Who really fell asleep in class?

6. Nine Mice by Jack Prelutsky

Jack Prelutsky is another student favorite with lots of fun poems in his collections. This poem, “Nine Mice,” uses is a great one for practicing reading fluency. Can students read the poem in a way that injects suspense and drama?

7. Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee

Each stanza in “Alligator Pie” uses different words but has the same rhythmic pattern. Show students that how we analyze and break down poems are the same, even when they sound different.

8. Dear Basketball by Kobe Bryant

This poem by Kobe Bryant is a great entry point for sports-loving students. And it’s a good way to show students how personal experiences can inspire poetry.

9. The King’s Breakfast by A.A. Milne

This silly poem creates a progression that students can follow from one stanza to the next. It’s a fast poem, but students will have to slow down to really understand what’s happening.

10. Winter Poem by Nikki Giovanni

This poem is a great example of personification, and it’s short enough to use in a mini-lesson.

11. Brown Girl, Brown Girl by Leslé Honoré

This aspirational poem is a wonderful one to read with your class or a small group, and talk about how poetry lets us express big ideas.

12. Mrs Moon by Roger McGough

Another good example of personification. Students can talk about what true elements of the moon made it into this poem, and how the poet used their imagination to create this version of Mrs. Moon.

13. About the Teeth of Sharks by John Ciardi

This an example of an amusing poem that talks directly to the reader. Isn’t poetry enticing!

14. Fish by Mary Ann Hoberman

Many poems look and read like lists. This is a good list-poem with a fun message that’s easy for students to visualize.

15. The Rose That Grew From Concrete by Tupac Shakur

This poem is a great one to introduce older students to poetry. Read it and talk about the poem and its meaning, as well as who can write poetry. You can also discuss the difference between poetry and music lyrics.

16. Risk by Anais Nin

A short poem with a big message. Use this poem when reading a book about risk taking. Students can talk about the message in this poem and how it compares to other messages about risk taking.

17. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

“Brown Girl Dreaming” is a powerful novel in verse. If you’re not reading the entire novel, talk about how Woodson creates a story through poetry. What’s happening in each scene? How does the lyrical format impact how we approach the text?

18. April Rain Song by Langston Hughes

This simple poem by Langston Hughes would be perfect for a student to read in a poetry slam, or to unpack as students expand their understanding that poetry can be more than rhyming verses.

19. Honey, I Love by Eloise Greenfield

“Honey, I Love” is a poem that kind of falls off the page. Read it aloud to show students how the lines blend into one another, helped along by the poet’s use of the word “and.”

20. Please Mrs Butler by Allan Ahlberg

A tongue-in-cheek poem about an exchange between a student and teacher. Read this poem and talk about whether students think it’s funny or not.

21. Snail by Langston Hughes

Use this poem to talk about perspective and how it influences what we see in a poem or a story. How does Hughes use this snail’s-eye view to craft the poem?

22. Laundry Hugging by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

A lot of poems that resonate with elementary schoolers do so because they are about common experiences, like pulling warm clothes out of the dryer. After students read this poem, they can write their own poems that are inspired by their everyday lives.

23. The Corn-Stalk Fiddle by Paul Laurence Dunbar

A lot of poems rely on old-fashioned language. “The Corn-Stalk Fiddle” is a poem that uses some antiquated language but is still accessible to elementary school students.

24. Since Hanna Moved Away by Judith Viorst

Children’s author Judith Viorst is better known for her picture books, but she knows how to capture children’s experiences. In this poem, she captures how it feels to have to continue doing all the things after a friend moves away. Also note the use of repetition to drive home the poem’s theme with the phrase “Since Hanna moved away.”

25. Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle

This story in poem tells of a girl who has a dream of playing a drum when everyone says that drums are only for boys. Talk about how the poem has the same elements of a story, and how the poem format changes the meaning or how students experience the story.

26. Friends by Abbie Farwell Brown

This is the quintessential children’s poem about lying down on a sunny day. It’s a good one to read during morning meeting on a sunny day.

27. The Tyger by William Blake

Blake uses punctuation in interesting ways in this poem. Older students can analyze the meaning and how the punctuation influences meaning.

28. Knoxville, Tennessee by Nikki Giovanni

Another poem in list form. Read this one and talk about what the poet is remembering, and why a list helps her express her ideas.

29. maggie and milly and molly and may by e.e. cummings

The big question to discuss with this poem is how e.e. cummings creates a setting and characters in just a few lines. And, of course, there is the vocabulary: “languid,” “stranded,” “rays.”

30. Boa Constrictor by Shel Silverstein

This fun-to-read, absurd poem is a great one to use with younger elementary schoolers, who will never not giggle at the ending. If you’re doing a poetry slam, provide this one as an option to read aloud for students who always tend toward the dramatic.

31. The Purple Cow by Gelett Burgess

A short and sweet poem, invite students to discuss this poem and see what meaning they can glean from the idea that we’d rather “see than be” a purple cow.

32. The Dream of Shoji by Kimiko Hahn

This poem, about being bilingual and trying to remember the words for everyday objects, is a great one to read when talking about how poets reflect on their experiences to write their poems.

33. Poor Old Lady by Anonymous

This is a progressive poem, with lines that build on the line before. How does the progressive and anaphoric structure add more meaning to the poem? How does it make it more fun to read?

34. After the Winter by Claude McKay

This poem is all about imagery. Talk about how the poet creates a scene and describes everything from flowers to weather.

35. Rathers by Mary Hunter Austin

The poet imagines all the ways she could be animals in this poem. It’s fun to read because of how the poet uses language, with words like wink-ity, blink-ity, and rap-ity tap-ity.

36. Homework! Oh, Homework! by Jack Prelutsky

Perhaps this is the first ode your students ever read, so make it a funny one. Prelutsky isn’t professing his love for homework but his hatred for the homework that’s “giving me fits.”

37. Notes on the Peanut by June Jordan

An interesting construction for a poem—a first-person rendition of George Washington Carver telling us all the things that a peanut can be used for. You can use this to introduce students to Carver, and talk about how his life inspired this poem.

38. Sick by Shel Silverstein

Classic Silverstein, a dramatic build-up to a funny, surprise ending. Every student should read this poem at least once, even if it’s just for fun.

39. The Quarrel by Maxine Kumin

A scene between bugs that ends in a clear moral. This poem doubles as a fable and can be used as you teach students the rules at the start of the year, or during a lesson on how to get along even when you disagree.

40. Jaguar by Francisco X. Alarcón

This soft, sparse poem can be analyzed to reveal deeper meaning. Talk about the literal and deeper meaning of the poem—what does it mean to be endangered or go extinct? What other animals might this poem apply to?

41. The Parakeets by Alberto Blanco

This poem seems to be about birds, but it is actually about people and how we manage conflict. Talk about how the parakeets serve as a metaphor for humans and our behavior.

42. Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This is such a fun poem to read aloud, with a cadence and rhythm that sound like horse hoofbeats on cobblestone streets, just like Paul Revere’s ride.

43. The Rainbow by Christina Rossetti

A poem that compares man-made boats and bridges with nature’s clouds and rainbows. This is a good poem to kick off a poetry unit that explores what poets have to say about either humanity or nature.

44. Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne

A.A. Milne (author of Winnie the Pooh), writes for children in their own voice. Use this poem to talk about voice. How does Milne create a narrator that sounds like a 6-year-old?

45. To Catch a Fish by Eloise Greenfield

Talk about rhyming, vocabulary (“concentrate,” “appetite,” “bait”), and what Greenfield is expressing about how hard it is to wait.

46. The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt

This exchange between a spider and a fly is a great way to introduce students to poems that tell a complex story. It’s no secret what the Spider wants, so students can discuss how the spider gets what she wants and how the poet creates atmosphere and suspense through personification.

47. Dino Thought by Jane Yolen

Jane Yolen is known for her dinosaur picture books, so perhaps it’s no surprise that she has a poem about dinos too. This poem is a fun one to use with dinosaur-obsessed students or to introduce a science lesson.

48. Wallet Size by Nikki Grimes

A wonderful poem about body acceptance and keeping those we love with us wherever we go.

49. The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee by N. Scott Momaday

The first stanza uses the repeated phrase “I am” for structure. Read it aloud and talk about how the repeated phrase supports meaning and listening. Students can also use the “I am” structure to write their own poems.

Check out the “I Am …” poem in this printable poetry bundle.

50. Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll

“Jabberwocky” is known for its silly, made-up language. With elementary schoolers, don’t worry about interpreting or getting the poem “right.” Instead, read it aloud and talk about how Carroll used sounds to create the story.

51. The Swing by Robert Louis Stevenson

This simple poem by Stevenson is a great one to read with elementary schoolers because they can automatically relate to the experience of “up in the sky so blue” on a swing.

52. Mother Doesn’t Want a Dog by Judith Viorst

Viorst is another author who really “gets” childhood. Her poem “Mother Doesn’t Want a Dog” is a great one to read with elementary schoolers, who will definitely relate to the experience of wanting something their parent doesn’t. And they’ll laugh out loud at the surprise ending.

53. Trees by Joyce Kilmer

This is a simple poem to bring into a whole-group lesson. In particular, talk about how Kilmer uses personification to describe the tree wearing “a nest of robins in her hair.”

54. Autumn by Alexander Posey

A soft, dreamy description of autumn and how we should rest in it. Read this poem during fall to reinforce the sleepy nature of the season, or include it in a packet of poems about seasons.

55. Invictus by William Ernest Henley

This poem is all about vocabulary, starting with the title. Define the other multisyllabic words (“unconquerable,” “bludgeonings,” “unbowed”), then pick apart this poem line by line.

56. Marshlands by Emily Pauline Johnson

“Marshlands” describes a scene in a marshland. Read it during a science unit or to talk about how poets can create scenes and make us feel like we are experiencing, in this case, the marshland, with them.

57. Amelia’s First Ski Run by Nora Marks Dauenhauer

Students don’t have to ski to appreciate the movement and momentum of this poem that describes a girl downhill skiing with her grandfather. Discuss what the references to the grandfather and daughter as “Eagle” and “Raven” and the fact that the girl is wearing “Tlingit colors” tells you about the family. The name of the mountain also provides their geographical location.

58. I, Too by Langston Hughes

Once students are familiar with American history, “I, Too” is a great poem to read to reflect on how Hughes captures the African American experience, and what we can learn from his poetry today.

59. This Is Just To Say by William Carlos Williams

This sparse poem describes a simple confession. Talk about why Williams may have written it, and why it’s become a classic.

60. Coquí by Carmen Bernier-Grand

A poem about a tiny tree frog, Bernier-Grand also uses spellings and sounds to re-create the sounds the frog makes. This one is an especially fun read-aloud for early elementary students. The name of the frog itself, coquí, is an example of onomatopoeia.

61. The Dentist and the Crocodile by Roald Dahl

If students are familiar with Roald Dahl’s writing, this poem won’t disappoint. Read it as an intro to Dahl, or to analyze what happens in the story and how Dahl incorporates his sense of humor.

62. A Riddle by Christina Rossetti

A poem that’s a riddle is a great way to start the week. Post this as morning work or a brain break and see if students can solve it, then write their own.

63. Life Doesn’t Frighten Me by Maya Angelou

First, analyze this poem for its AAA BBA CCA rhyming pattern. Then, talk about the childhood references that Angelou mentions and why those might be “scary.”

64. Cat by Marilyn Singer

In general, elementary schoolers like stories and poems about pets, and this poem about a cat in December is no different. Students can talk about what details the poet incorporates, and then write their own pet-inspired poetry.

65. Recess! Oh Recess! by Darren Sardelli

An enthusiastic elementary ode to recess, read this like it’s a true ode. Then, talk about how the punctuation influences how we read the poem.

66. The Pasture by Robert Frost

Frost is usually a poet that students experience in high school, but introduce them to him earlier with this simple poem about completing some work in a pasture. The scenes in this poem are easy to visualize—raking leaves and fetching a calf.

67. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

This poem is another Silverstein masterpiece about a boy who imagines the place where the sidewalk ends. Use it to practice fluency with repeated readings. How can students change their voice to impact the meaning of the poem?

68. A Pizza the Size of the Sun by Jack Prelutsky

Another poem that captures the imagination of elementary schoolers; Prelutsky imagines what it would take to make and bake a pizza the size of the sun.

69. Wynken, Blynken, and Nod by Eugene Field

Students may know this poem as a nursery rhyme. In elementary school, read it as an epic adventure. Read it line by line and engage students in a close reading of Wynken, Blynken, and Nod’s adventures.

70. The Land of Counterpane by Robert Louis Stevenson

A description of what it’s like to lay at home in bed when ill, read this poem and compare Stevenson’s description of staying in bed all day with what students might do today.

71. Mice by Rose Fyleman

This is a fun poem to read when you’re teaching long ‘i’ patterns and rhyme (night, white, nice, mice). Or talk about why the poet breaks the sentences out into shorter lines. How does that impact how the poem sounds when read aloud?

72. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

Elementary schoolers are definitely old enough to appreciate this classic Frost poem. Read it, talk about it, and make sure students understand the literal and deeper meaning of continuing on with “miles to go before I sleep.”

73. Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer

Take students to Mudville in this poem about baseball. Students can connect with the poem through their love of baseball or sports, or because they love a story with lots of drama.

74. The Duck and the Kangaroo by Edward Lear

The story of an unlikely friendship, read this poem and talk about how the two animals get along. After they read it, what can students imagine the kangaroo and duck doing next?

75. Magic by Shel Silverstein

Once students get the hang of reading poetry, this is a great poem for them to read and analyze on their own. What is magic? Why does the narrator have to make his own magic?

Get my free printable poetry worksheet bundle!

If you’re getting ready for a poetry unit, you’re going to want our poetry worksheet bundle featuring eight different styles of poetry. Click the button below to grab it.

What are your favorite poems for elementary school? Come share in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group  on Facebook.

Plus, if you like these poems for elementary school, check out our must-share poems for middle school and high school.