Focus on poems

Poem #1 is about friendship.  Make a document in your English folder called "October poetry," read the poem and answer the questions below it.

Insurance taken out to protect a friendship from ending - Poem by Glenn Colquhoun

We should swap heads.
Yours would be a circle
And mine would be a square.

We should swap arms.
Yours would be two apples
And mine would be two pears.

We should swap legs.
Yours would be an elephant's
And mine would be a fox.

We should swap lungs.
Yours would be two bags of wind
And mine would be two socks.


We should swap toes.
Yours would be from Mexico
And mine would be from Spain.

We should swap ears.
Yours would be like blocks of ice
And mine would be like flames.

We should swap hearts.
If you ever go away
I could just explain

How part of me has left with you
And part of you remains.

1. What do you think this poem is about?

2. How does Glen Colquhoun show the contrast in personality between the two friends?

3. Is this poem mostly similes or mostly metaphors?  Give examples to back up your answer.

4. Copy this poem into your document.  Find pictures to illustrate each verse (stanza) so that you are showing the images the poet creates in your head.

5. Imagine you are writing this poem about a friend and yourself, or about a sibling and yourself.  Have a go at writing your own poem about insurance from a friendship ending.

6. You can read your own book once you have done this work.

OR you can try this poem instead.  Click on the link, read the poem and answer the questions, writing in the same document as you made at the beginning of the lesson.