September
Poem of the Month
Rain Sizes by John Ciardi 1
John Ciardi
background information
• John Anthony Ciardi (CHAR­dee)
• Born on June 24, 1916, in Boston, Massachusetts • Died on March 30, 1986
• Most popular in the 1960's • Dad died in 1919 in a car accident
• Raised by his mom (who was illiterate) and three older sisters ­ they worked to save money to send him to college
• Graduated from Tufts University in Boston in 1938 • Obtained his Master's degree from the University of Michigan
• Won the Hopwood Award in poetry
• Taught at the University of Kansas City
• Aerial gunner in the US Army Air Corps in 1942 ­ wrote a war diary which was published • Married Myra Judith Hostetter on July 28, 1946 ­ they had one daughter and two sons • Longtime resident of Metuchen, NJ
• Died Easter Sunday 1986 of a heart attack
2
Rain Sizes
by John Ciardi
Before we read the poem, what do you think the title, Rain Sizes, means? 3
Rain Sizes
by John Ciardi
Rain comes in various sizes. Some rain is as small as a mist. It tickles your face with surprises, And tingles as if you'd been kissed. Some rain is the size of a sprinkle And doesn't put out all the sun. You can see the drops sparkle and twinkle, And a rainbow comes out when it's done. Some rain is as big as a nickel And comes with a crash and a hiss. It comes down too heavy to tickle. It's more like a splash than a kiss. When it rains the right size and you're wrapped in Your rain clothes, it's fun out of doors. But run home before you get trapped in The big rain that rattles and roars.
4
Rain Sizes
by John Ciardi
Rain comes in various sizes. Some rain is as small as a mist. It tickles your face with surprises, And tingles as if you'd been kissed. Some rain is the size of a sprinkle And doesn't put out all the sun. You can see the drops sparkle and twinkle, And a rainbow comes out when it's done. Some rain is as big as a nickel And comes with a crash and a hiss. It comes down too heavy to tickle. It's more like a splash than a kiss. Let's paraphrase
(or put into our
own words)
the poem stanza
by stanza.
When it rains the right size and you're wrapped in Your rain clothes, it's fun out of doors. But run home before you get trapped in The big rain that rattles and roars.
5
Rain Sizes
by John Ciardi
Rain comes in various sizes. _____ Some rain is as small as a mist. _____ It tickles your face with surprises, _____ And tingles as if you'd been kissed. _____ Let
rhy 's fill
ou
me
sch t the
Some rain is the size of a sprinkle _____ thi
em
And doesn't put out all the sun. _____
s po
e fo
You can see the drops sparkle and twinkle, _____ em
r
And a rainbow comes out when it's done. _____ .
Some rain is as big as a nickel ______ And comes with a crash and a hiss. ______ It comes down too heavy to tickle. _____ It's more like a splash than a kiss. _____ When it rains the right size and you're wrapped in _____ Your rain clothes, it's fun out of doors. ______ But run home before you get trapped in _____ The big rain that rattles and roars. _____
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Rain Sizes
by John Ciardi
Rain comes in various sizes. Some rain is as small as a mist. It tickles your face with surprises, And tingles as if you'd been kissed. A
B
A
B
Some rain is the size of a sprinkle And doesn't put out all the sun. You can see the drops sparkle and twinkle, And a rainbow comes out when it's done. A
B
A
B
Some rain is as big as a nickel And comes with a crash and a hiss. It comes down too heavy to tickle. It's more like a splash than a kiss. A
B
A
B
When it rains the right size and you're wrapped in Your rain clothes, it's fun out of doors. But run home before you get trapped in The big rain that rattles and roars.
A
B
A
B
Remember, we
start over with
the letter A each
time a new stanza
begins.
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Rain Sizes
by John Ciardi
Rain comes in various sizes. Some rain is as small as a mist. It tickles your face with surprises, And tingles as if you'd been kissed. Some rain is the size of a sprinkle And doesn't put out all the sun. You can see the drops sparkle and twinkle, And a rainbow comes out when it's done. Some rain is as big as a nickel And comes with a crash and a hiss. It comes down too heavy to tickle. It's more like a splash than a kiss. Can you find any
similes in this
poem?
When it rains the right size and you're wrapped in Your rain clothes, it's fun out of doors. But run home before you get trapped in The big rain that rattles and roars.
8
Rain Sizes
by John Ciardi
Rain comes in various sizes. Some rain is as small as a mist. It tickles your face with surprises, And tingles as if you'd been kissed. Some rain is the size of a sprinkle And doesn't put out all the sun. You can see the drops sparkle and twinkle, And a rainbow comes out when it's done. Some rain is as big as a nickel And comes with a crash and a hiss. It comes down too heavy to tickle. It's more like a splash than a kiss. Always remember
to ask yourself
what two things
are being
compared.
When it rains the right size and you're wrapped in Your rain clothes, it's fun out of doors. But run home before you get trapped in The big rain that rattles and roars.
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Rain Sizes
by John Ciardi
Rain comes in various sizes. Some rain is as small as a mist. It tickles your face with surprises, And tingles as if you'd been kissed. Some rain is the size of a sprinkle And doesn't put out all the sun. You can see the drops sparkle and twinkle, And a rainbow comes out when it's done. Some rain is as big as a nickel And comes with a crash and a hiss. It comes down too heavy to tickle. It's more like a splash than a kiss. Can you find any
metaphors in this
poem?
When it rains the right size and you're wrapped in Your rain clothes, it's fun out of doors. But run home before you get trapped in The big rain that rattles and roars.
10
Rain Sizes
by John Ciardi
Rain comes in various sizes. Some rain is as small as a mist. It tickles your face with surprises, And tingles as if you'd been kissed. Some rain is the size of a sprinkle And doesn't put out all the sun. You can see the drops sparkle and twinkle, And a rainbow comes out when it's done. Some rain is as big as a nickel And comes with a crash and a hiss. It comes down too heavy to tickle. It's more like a splash than a kiss. Remember that a
metaphor
compares two
things without
using the word
like or as.
When it rains the right size and you're wrapped in Your rain clothes, it's fun out of doors. But run home before you get trapped in The big rain that rattles and roars.
11
Rain Sizes
by John Ciardi
Rain comes in various sizes. Some rain is as small as a mist. It tickles your face with surprises, And tingles as if you'd been kissed. Some rain is the size of a sprinkle And doesn't put out all the sun. You can see the drops sparkle and twinkle, And a rainbow comes out when it's done. What do you think
the writer's
attitude, or tone, is?
Some rain is as big as a nickel And comes with a crash and a hiss. It comes down too heavy to tickle. It's more like a splash than a kiss. How does he feel
about rain?
When it rains the right size and you're wrapped in Your rain clothes, it's fun out of doors. But run home before you get trapped in The big rain that rattles and roars.
12
Rain Sizes
by John Ciardi
Rain comes in various sizes. Some rain is as small as a mist. It tickles your face with surprises, And tingles as if you'd been kissed. Wh
ere
a
r
Some rain is the size of a sprinkle e
i
n
t
he
And doesn't put out all the sun. t
h
shif
You can see the drops sparkle and twinkle, is p
And a rainbow comes out when it's done. oem ts
?
Some rain is as big as a nickel And comes with a crash and a hiss. It comes down too heavy to tickle. It's more like a splash than a kiss. When it rains the right size and you're wrapped in Your rain clothes, it's fun out of doors. But run home before you get trapped in The big rain that rattles and roars.
A shift in poetry can
be a change in point
of view, setting,
mood, etc.
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Rain Sizes
by John Ciardi
Let's talk about the title again. We guessed what the poem might be about before we read...were we right on? 14
Rain Sizes
by John Ciardi
Rain comes in various sizes. Some rain is as small as a mist. It tickles your face with surprises, And tingles as if you'd been kissed. Some rain is the size of a sprinkle And doesn't put out all the sun. You can see the drops sparkle and twinkle, And a rainbow comes out when it's done. Some rain is as big as a nickel And comes with a crash and a hiss. It comes down too heavy to tickle. It's more like a splash than a kiss. • What does this
poem mean?
• What is it saying?
• How can it relate
to life?
When it rains the right size and you're wrapped in Your rain clothes, it's fun out of doors. But run home before you get trapped in The big rain that rattles and roars.
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