A lovely haiku that is also a brain-teasing riddle
Learning Objective: Students will use close reading skills to figure out who or what is the speaker in the poem.
What to Know
This poem is a haiku, an old form of poetry from Japan. Haikus written in English usually have three lines. The first line has 5 syllables, the second line has 7, and the last line has 5.
Haiku
colorful flowers—
we sprout on stems of people,
bloom only in rain
LION OF THE SKY: HAIKU FOR ALL SEASONS BY LAURA PURDIE SALAS. TEXT COPYRIGHT © 2019 BY LAURA PURDIE SALAS. REPRINTED WITH THE PERMISSION OF MILLBROOK PRESS, A DIVISION OF LERNER PUBLISHING GROUP, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS TEXT EXCERPT MAY BE USED OR REPRODUCED IN ANY MANNER WHATSOEVER WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF LERNER PUBLISHING GROUP, INC.
This poem was originally published in the October/November 2024 issue.
1. Preparing to Read
Present the Background Builder Slideshow about haiku to gain background information about this poetry form. Then build interest and engagement by asking students if they have ever solved a riddle. Explain that the haiku they are about to read is also a riddle they will need to read closely to solve.
Direct students to look at the poem illustration. Invite them to make a prediction about what the poem will be about based on what they see.
Ask volunteers to read aloud the Up Close box and What to Know bubble for the class.
2. Reading the Poem
Read the poem aloud, or play our Read-Aloud.
Ask students to underline words or phrases from the poem that they enjoy or havequestions about. Invite your students to share what they underlined and why in small groups or in a whole-group discussion.
Discuss the poem together by answering the questions that follow.
3. Discussing the Poem
1. Read lines 1-2. What does the phrase “sprout from stems of people” mean? What does this phrase help you imagine when reading the poem? (imagery) Sprout means “to grow or to spring up.” Plants—like flowers—usually sprout from the ground. The phrase “sprout from stems of people” helps us imagine colorful flowers growing from people instead.
2. Reread the poem and study the illustration. Who or what are the speakers in the poem? Which clues help you decide? (point of view, inference) The speakers in the poem are umbrellas. The first clue is the phrase “colorful flowers.” If the flowers “bloom only in rain,” this means that they only come out when it is raining, like umbrellas do. The next clue is in line 2. If the flowers “sprout on stems of people,” this means that the flowers either grow out of people—or they are held by people. This shows that the colorful flowers are umbrellas. Umbrellas can be colorful and come out in the rain like flowers. But only umbrellas can “sprout” from people. The illustration also helps to figure out who is speaking. If you look closely, you can see that the kids are carrying umbrellas!
4. Skill Building
Distribute or digitally assign the Poetry Kit, which will take students on a deep dive into the poem and offer opportunities for students to connect the poem with other stories in the issue. Additionally, the Haiku Writing Skill Builder will guide students to write their own haiku.
Can't-Miss Teaching Extras
If your students enjoyed reading this poem, check out the book it came from: Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons by Laura Purdie Salas. You’ll find more haiku riddles—which Salas calls riddle-ku—for your students to solve.
The website of Laura Purdie Salas has a poetry page filled with more of her short, delightful poems written in a variety of fun formats that will serve as inspiration for your students’ own poetic creations. The website also includes links to resources and downloadables to use in your classroom.
Are your students eager to solve more riddle poems? Head over to the Kids’ Poetry Club website to find a page of six rhyming poems, each with a fun riddle to puzzle out.
