A List of Classic Poems for Kids to Read and Enjoy

Do you remember the poem that you had memorised in your nursery? Like "Mary had a little lamb", "Baa-Baa black sheep" and  "twinkle twinkle little star". We all do, isn’t it? But have you ever wondered how you still remember the lyrics, tone, and pitch of the poem? Well, it is because of the musical tone that we were taught during pre-school. So what's better than making your subject interesting by combining the fun of music, giggles, gestures, and learning? So in this article, we will explore a bunch of poems that you will be able to memorise in a fun and engaging way.

The spirit of childhood: the joy, the giggles, the faith, and the eagerness to explore are depicted in classic poems for children. Children can get a wide range of advantages from poetry. Classic poems are just more than memorising a poem; it will help to understand the meaning which is hidden behind a lyrical phrase. With that being said, below are some fascinating classic poems for children that every kid must be aware of.

Kids Reading Books 

From a Railway Carriage

Faster than fairies, faster than witches,

Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches;

And charging along like troops in a battle,

All through the meadows the horses and cattle:

All of the sights of the hill and the plain

Fly as thick as driving rain;

And ever again, in the wink of an eye,

Painted stations whistle by.

And here is a mill and there is a river:

Each a glimpse and gone forever!

-By  Robert Louis Stevenson

Poet Capturing the Beautiful View from a Railway Carriage

Robert Louis Stevenson, a Scottish poet, wrote the beautiful poem titled From a Railway Carriage that captures the excitement of travelling by train while expressing all the natural features of the surrounding area. The poem's rhythm creates the pace and excitement of a train ride while the poet observes the rapid succession of the pictures outside: a street, a windmill, a river, etc.

Famous Short Poems 

Love After Love

The time will come when with elation

You will greet yourself arriving

At your own door, in your own mirror

And each will smile at the other’s welcome,

And say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was yourself.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

All your life, whom you ignored

For another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

The photographs, the desperate notes,

Peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

-By  Derek Walcott

The classic poems about love focus on loving one's inner self after a breakdown. Its main idea or main theme is of regaining one's wholeness through self-awareness, a form of healing that operates by self-conscious invitation. The poem Love After Love sends a clear message to the reader: "You will be able to love yourself once more".

Cool Poems about Friendship

A Friend

A person who will listen and not condemn

Someone on whom you can depend

They will not flee when bad times are here

Instead, they will be there to lend an ear

They will think of ways to make you smile

So you can be happy for a while

When times are good and happy thereafter

They will be there to share the laughter

Do not expect to just take and hold

Give friendship back, it is pure gold.

-By Gillian Jones

A Friend Providing Emotional Support 

Like most classic poems about friendship, the subject of this poetry is also the value of friendship. Real friends will always be there to listen and support you even during your toughest moments, according to the poet. When Jones says, "Give friendship back, it is pure gold," the poet uses a metaphor. Conclusively, friendship is really priceless, just like pure gold.

Classic Poems on Nature 

Trees

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

-By  Joyce Kilmer

Kid Embracing the Beauty of a Tree

This is one of the most beautiful classic poems on nature in which the poet wants us to comprehend the strength and beauty of a tree. It explains how the tree uses God's blessings to survive and how it may exist on only natural resources. Nothing compares to a tree's ability to make the world and itself so lovely.

Summary

Classical poetry is a crucial component of traditional culture. Children’s cultural awareness and taste will increase as a result of reading classic poems. In classical poems, the poets are not just trying to describe the scenery and feelings but are also looking for the most perfect way to do so. The sentiment is an important part of classical poetry, which complements it perfectly by adding emotion and fun. People today need the sustenance of classical poetry more than ever, not less.

1. Do we still need classical poems in today's modern world?