A Big World Voice

This week, we looked at Sweet Like a Crow by Michael Ondaatje. We talked about Simile and Imagery, and how the two ideas are connected. The student poets then created their own simile poems, trying to describe how their OWN voices sound. Some students wrote about other voices in their lives. The poems are quite stunning -- enjoy!

4th Grade

Sour Like Johnny
by Henry L.

He sounds like a girl
yelling at the night sky.
He sounds like a man cooked
over a fire.
He sounds like a boy with
lemon juice in his mouth.
Like a horse calling for help
in the river of despair.
Like when I yell when I
get a bad grade on any subject.
Like a fish flopping up and down.
Like a diver getting eaten
by a shark.
Like a baby crying eternally.
Like someone going into
a house, yelling at his wife
because he had a bad day.
But he is as sweet as my cousin.

Noelia
by Elizabeth C.

Your voice sounds like a blue jay singing in the morning sky. When you are sad, your voice sounds like a horse having a baby. You are as loud as a rooster singing his morning tune. Like a car stuck in the ice. A delicious burrito being fried. Like a hyena laughing nonstop. Like a new baby duckling swimming and screaming because of hot tea. Like the sound of a cute sleeping baby.

A Big World Key Voice
by Ataib S.

My dad’s voice sounds like it can break a whole kingdom. His voice is old school because he always talks about old cars and old things. He has bravery, confidence, loyalty. His voice is hard as a bamboo stick and a bull taking down a person. His voice is fast as a cheetah, an eagle, and a horse. His voice is an expert on talk shows, news, and winning. His voice doesn’t give up when it’s not over. His voice gets soft when he is not arguing. His voice solves big problems, like a big world key voice.


2nd Grade

Like Rain
by Maritza S.

My voice sounds like rain that falls down a tree, like tears are wet and then dry, like the leaves are moving. Like the air. It is dry like the sun, but wet like the rain drops.

Like a Lion
by Nicolas L.

My voice sounds like
a lion snapping its teeth.
It sounds like a child
yelling HELP!
It sounds like leaves
shaking from the wind.
Like a lion scratching
at the wall.

Like a Guitar
by Nelvin P.

My voice sounds like
a guitar singing a nice song, like a
puppy barking for help, like a nut
cracking on me, like a car racing,
like a rabbit eating a carrot,
like a tree blowing the branches away.


3rd Grade

Soft Like a Feather
by Amanda P.

My voice sounds like
a dolphin swimming in the Atlantic Ocean.
Like a hot summer day in Florida.
Like wind brushing dirt on a sidewalk.
Like water running down a park fountain.
Like only one leave in the wavy air.
Like a lock opening in a big hollow door.
Like a little piece of chalk writing on a chalkboard.
Like the moon sleeping at night
or like the sun waving hello.

My Voice Sounds Like…
by Isaac A.

My voice sounds like a piano singing,
like a bird always chirping,
like an ocean waving,
like a dog scaring people,
like a star shining,
like a gate squeaking,
a bear roaring to a lion,
a tiger scratching wood.

My Voice
by Alesandra P.

My voice
sounds like
the wind
in the air.
All animals
talking in
the rain forest.
Screaming and
singing a song.
As quiet
as the park
when no one
is there.
Happy as a
clown
at the circus.
As loud as
the door
slamming shut
at night.

My Voice
by Khalid W.

My voice sounds like a chicken doing karate on the street. My voice sounds like an apple standing on the table. My voice sounds like a coin spinning. My voice sounds like a swing going back and forth. My voice sounds like a drum banging on the wall. Like an alligator hunting for fish. My voice sounds like a tornado. Like a person hang gliding. My voice sounds like a policeman giving someone a ticket. A baker making a cake. Like a teacher giving homework.