*Eletelephony*

Once there was an Elephant,

Who tried to use the telephant-

No! No! I mean an elephone

Who tried to use the telephone-

(Dear Me! I am not certain quite

That even now Ive got it right.)

Howe'er it was, he got his trunk

Entangled in the telephunk;

The more he tried to get it free,

The louder buzzed the telephee-

( I Fear I'd better drop the song

Of elephop and telephong! )

~Laura Richards

       I wish all poems could be this silly. This is a children's poem and I think its great!!! This is a simple little poem that brought me much joy. Crazy right? I love children and a great way to get them going is a wonderful poem like this. It is funny how something so simple can create such a fun image in your mind. A lot of poems create many images in your brain. That is one thing I love about poetry. No matter what the poem is about, the poet is in control of a great responsibility: creating a mental picture for the reader. 

       Some poems are sad or depressing. Not that these poems are bad or any less of a poem, they just create a different mental picture and the feelings that go along with it. The poet may have been feeling discouraged that day and just needed to write about it. Either way, a poem always creates a mental picture.

       Some poems are about love. These poems are the most often associated with poems if we are talking about subject matter. I mean come on lets face it, girls think it is absolutely fantastic if a guy reads them a poem. Even if he mispronounces every other word and is making a face while he reads it, poems have an affect. Lots of poems are centered around love. It could be the love for your spouse, your boyfriend/girlfriend, or my personal favorite, the love you have for your family. Are you beginning to get a picture of a love poem you have read?

       Lastly, some poems are just about FUN! These are my favorites. They create a sense of wonder and excitement when you read them. The mental picture I get when I read Eletelephony is an elephant all tangled up in phone chords :) See how fun that is! Poems no matter what they are about make you create a mental picture in your mind. They take you to a good place when you read them and that is what makes poetry so great!