For Teachers

“The Sea” is from Laura’s Poems, a collection of poems written by young New Zealander Laura Ranger, who wrote these poems between the ages of 6 and 9.
This particular poem is a great model to share with students, and have them innovate on, after they have read, understood and analysed the structure and language. The question to ask is “What do you notice?”. We noticed each sentence has a noun, which is activated by the verb, and that each sentence has added detail at the end, providing the where, what, or how.

The Sea

The mist smudges out
Kapiti Island

The hills curve and rise
like loaves of bread

The sun sprinkles glitter
on the sea

The wind is writing
what it knows
In lines along the water

Laura Ranger