Ode to the Unlikely

This week at Belding, we read Pablo Neruda's Ode to a Large Tuna in the Market, discussing the history of the ode, and the kinds of subjects an ode might typically be addressed to. The students were then asked to write odes to an animal of their choice. But there was a catch: no cute, cuddly, majestic, powerful, or graceful animals here! I asked the students to choose an animal they thought was completely unlikely, maybe even disgusting--an animal they thought no one would want to write an ode to, and see if they could change our minds by extolling its virtues. Some surprising responses are below.

From Mr. Merrill's Class:

***

A Worm

by Jesus

A worm is slimy and gooey but they pop out of
nowhere. They dig good and wiggle
and they eat dirt to help your
plants and make holes so your plants
make roots.

***

Ode to a Squid

by Cesar

No one likes a squid
because they squirt ink
to protect them selves from
people who can hurt them.
They're also nice as a hamster.
Because if you do not
do anything they will not
do anything to you, they
swim like a ship being
relaxed. They are also real
nice if you see one you will be amazed.

***

Ant

by Fardosa M.

An ant with 3 body parts
I think I wouldn't eat it
but I know who will
a spider because spiders
have those sticky things
on their web.
Ants have no backbone but they
sure do have an exoskeleton.
That's why I like them.

***

A Monkey

by David

A monkey is playful. They swing
all day and never stop.
Monkeys are curious
like a little child and act
like one too. Monkeys are
funny too. Some live in zoos too
or in jungle. Monkeys are
good animals in the
world. They are like people.

***

From Mr. Aivazian's class:

***

Centipedes

by Daniela

Centipedes I do not like because he's scary and has
100 feet. Yesterday I saw the centipede and my cousin
said "is it a rat or a centipede", and my
uncle killed him and the centipede is dead.

***

Ode

by Charmaine

I am scared of spiders and the spiders
are scared of us too. All animals
are scared of us.

A spider is black sometimes
a spider is red and black sometimes.
A spider's eyes are silver when you
shine a light in their face.

***

by Warren B.

If I were a spider, I will crawl up the web.
A spider has eight legs. They use their webs to
catch flies, just like red-eyed tree frogs use
their tongues to catch them. Spiders are great insects.

***

from Ms. Navrocki's class

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Secrets of the Under-Water Octopus

by Rhita K.

Looks like a UFO when it twirls with arms up
With rock-killing black oxygen
And the tentacles sing with the poison:
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
It has a big head because they are smart when they camouflage
You are swimming and you get caught
They choke your head off with their 8 legs
And the poison of the tentacles get in you as they:
la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
They go up and down
Eating fish and crab meat
And leaving the leftover shells and scales
For their husbands or wives.
They are THE OCTOPUS!
***

A Cute Ode

by Sade

This animal
is cool in
many ways
this animal
is a turtle
they are cool
because of
their shell
it's their protection
and their home
and also
because
they are
green like
the grass and
because
it is green
which is my
5th favorite
color. This ode
is cool!

***

Ode

by Cameron

This is nice
of the pink

It runs through
the mud

It likes to
eat meat

And this animal
has a good sense of smell.

It is a pig.

***