Did you know April is National Poetry Month? That’s right, a whole month dedicated to celebrating poets and their craft. Writing poems is a great way for kids to get those creative juices flowing and express themselves. Poems can tell jokes, share feelings, describe the world around us, and even tell us history.
Because it’s National Poetry Month, we wanted to celebrate a poem written by one of our readers. This poem by Emma S. features a well-known historical figure: George Washington. We hope it will inspire more young historians to grab a pencil and start writing!
George Washington at Princeton, c. 1776.
Image credit: Cleveland Museum of Art.
George Washington (The 1st President of the U.S.)
By Emma S., age 13.
Born to a family of wealthy planters
Not a clue he was going to be one of many great commanders
His family’s wealth from land speculation
And hard labor from tobacco cultivation
Mathematics, trigonometry, and land surveying in school
A talented draftsman and mapmaker too
Raked and compiled a hundred rules for social interaction
Called the “Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation”
At the age of seventeen he received a surveyor’s license
And surveyed the Blue Ridge Mountains with his own guidance
He traveled to Barbados and contracted smallpox
Which left his face slightly marked when the scabs fell off
Lieutenant Colonel in the French and Indian Wars
The Virginia regiment giving him orders
He went to Mount Vernon after he resigned his commission
And during his commission he saved the Virginia’s frontier population
Marriage to Martha in fifty-nine
Presidency in eighty-nine
The first president of the United States of America
Honored by a thirteen-gun salute by the militia
Planned to resign after his first term
But this he couldn’t confirm
Tired of tolerating opposing views
Yet his presidency he still couldn’t refuse
Now you may know the rest
Of the whiskey rebellion and lest
You may not know of his second term
Leading war and being firm
And he was buried in old Washington family vault
And his life we shall exalt
Thank for serving our land
In which your name shall stand!
Looking for poetry-inspired activities? Don’t forget to check out our kids magazine. In Issue 7 | Into the Deep, kids can explore the writings of Rachel Carson and learn to write their very own poem. It’s the perfect activity to celebrate poetry and the upcoming Earth Day.
