What Makes a Children's Poem?

In reading over some work of a critique client recently, I found that much of her poetry was lovely but had an adult feel to it. In writing my critique letter to her, I had to try to identify what makes a poem for children versus a poem for adults.

This is so difficult, because poetry is not black and white. It slips and skips and slithers through the grey spaces of sound and meaning. And some poetry written for adults is accessible to some kids, if not in meaning, then through the sound and mood of it. You’ll find certain poems originally written for adults repackaged for kids—this is usually done only with famous poets like Carl Sandburg and Robert Frost and Langston Hughes.

I love Robert Frost’s well-known poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.? And I’ve seen fairly young kids respond to its sense of quiet and responsibility and perseverance. It sets a mood, regardless of the age of the reader (or listener).

In contrast, Douglas Florian’s poems are written for young children. They are rhythmic and simple in vocabulary and structure. Take “The Aardvarks,? from Mammabilia. This poem is so funny and clever. Kids love it, but adults, do, too.

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