Date: April 15th, 2014

Seagulls

by Kate Coombs

Water Sings Blue by Kate Coombs

Seagulls remind me of beagles—

all that they think of is food.

Yet seagulls can soar through the sky

the minute they get in the mood.

And when seagulls take wing

they become a new thing,

attaining some dignity.

But beagles are round

and remain on the ground,

pretty much dignity-free.

Copyright © 2012 Kate CoombsFrom the book Water Sings Blue. Chronicle Books. Reprinted by permission of the author.

About this Poem

I used to dog-sit a couple of beagles, and their love of food was astonishing. One of them once knocked over a big container full of dog food and ate so much he had to be taken to the vet and have his stomach pumped. (Not on my watch, fortunately!) As for seagulls, maybe you’ve seen them hanging around a school lunch yard like they used to when I was growing up in California. Like pigeons, only louder and more quarrelsome. I’m pretty pleased with myself for not only rhyming seagull with beagle in this poem, but for finding a logical connection between two creatures that seem so different.

Write Your Own Poem: When a writer compares one thing to another it’s called a metaphor, or sometimes a simile. When a writer goes on and on about the comparison, we call it an extended metaphor. What can you compare in a poem? Find two objects, animals, people, places, or actions that may not seem alike at first glance and find at least one strong way that they are alike. Then say how they are not alike! Try to write 6–10 lines. You don’t need to rhyme if you don’t want to. And, while this poem is kind of funny, your poem can be funny or serious.

About The Author

Children's Author Kate CoombsKate Coombs writes picture books, middle grade fiction, and poetry. She grew up in California near the ocean, where she used to boogie board with her brothers and sisters. She likes to step on dry autumn leaves and thinks frogs are really funny. Her first poetry book, Water Sings Blue, won the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award for 2012.

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