Poetry Response

Part of fifth grade is reading language is more figurative and descriptive. In class, we read this poem that I have been doing for years now. The children have a three paragraph response that they are required to write. Never before did I get a reaction like this:

"I hated this poem. It wouldn't get to the point. For example, she said "I saw the dawn creep across the sky." So what? Why do I care about the dawn going across the sky? This poem does not make any sense. How could she see "the ocean put on a dress."Why is this so beautiful anyway? She did not even explain the writing. I don't understand why she has to be so poetic. I understand why all of this attracts her even though the writing is bad. I see everything she see, but I don't act like it's amazing like she is. I don't know why so many people love this poem."

I love how he says that he doesn't understand why she has to be so poetic. After all, it is a poem.