New Zealand poetry anthologyReuben Biggelaar

HaikusTiny grain of sand

Swept along the wild west coast Taken by the breeze

Pohutukawa Red flowers rustling in breeze

Christmas time is near

Snowy mountain tops Remarkables rise above

Ski season is here

SonnetNew Zealand has truly beautiful nature

With long winding roads and huge crashing waves Icy cold rivers and dark winding caves

And trees that are tall in stature

New Zealand has truly beautiful nature With the tall snowy mountains, wide open lakes

National parks, the city of quakes And trees that are tall in stature

New Zealand has truly beautiful nature With the rugged and wild west coast

I think you'll be totally engrossed By the trees that are tall in stature

New Zealand has truly beautiful nature It's Where the trees are tall in stature

Free verseBeautiful Sullivan's Bay

It brings out its best on a bright summers day Ducks waddle along, kids run astray

In beautiful Sullivan's bay

The giant pohutukawa tree Stretches as high as the eye can see

Birds sing their song, kids are set free, Under the giant pohutukawa tree

On the bright yellow sand Many a ship, I'm sure did land,

Many a body, I'm sure got tanned On the bright yellow sand

In beautiful Sullivan's bay

This wizened old tree has had more than say, a hundred children through her limbs; in her gnarled way has taught them how to climb. You see them any day climbing under, through her, into, over her. But what you do not hear when night-time finally comes- when what was light is dark and what was once a branch is now a nightmare catacomb- soft sighs. She whispers them, 'Go now, lovers, children, home!'

Personification: implies the tree being a living person

Preposition: describes the motions of the children climbing

Rhyme: subtly accentuates the two words

Alliteration: brings attention to the three words

Metaphor: shows how the change from night to day changes the look and feel of the tree

Annotated poem

• Personification: personification is a figurative language technique that helps the reader imagine the tree being a living person. For example 'wizened tree,' and 'taught them how to climb'. This poem uses the technique to make the tree seem like a wise teacher.

• Preposition: preposition is a language technique that describes the position or motion of something. Some examples are in, under, over, or through. This poem uses these words to vividly describe the children in the tree.

• Rhyme: Rhyme is a sound technique that accentuates words and lines to make them more memorable. One example is catacomb and home. Using rhyme here brings attention to the branch turning to a 'nightmare catacomb', and the children going home.

• Metaphor: Metaphor is a figurative language technique that gives the image of something being something else. For example 'what once was branch is now nightmare catacomb'. This poem uses the technique to show the change in the tree from day to night.

Annotated poem

• I really enjoyed reading and analysing the poem Ancient Taupata by Sam Hunt. After reading through lots of poetry online and in books, this poem really stuck out to me. It really gave me an image of an ancient tree with kids playing all through the branches and laughing. The branches becoming 'nightmare catacombs' really gave it a nice twist. The poem is full of personification such as 'wizened old tree', making the tree seem like a wise old teacher. Sam Hunt is a great New Zealand poet whose work will be admired forever.

Personal response