Poem entitled "The River" by Valerie Bloom. The poem consists of 6 stanzas.

The river’s a wanderer,A nomad, a tramp.He doesn't choose any one placeTo set up his camp.

The river’s a winder,Through valley and hillHe twists and he turns,He just cannot be still.

The river’s a hoarder,And he buries down deepThose little treasuresThat he wants to keep.

The river’s a baby,He gurgles and hums,And sounds like he’s happilySucking his thumbs.

The river’s a singer,As he dances along,The countryside echoesThe notes of his song.

The river’s a monster,Hungry and vexed,He’s gobbled up treesAnd he’ll swallow you next.

First, I modeled the recitation of the poem. This is an important step to allow students to hear how a poem is read with the correct pronunciation and enunciation. I read aloud the poem by playing a background music by Kitaro's Silk Road. The music is not only calming to hear but also sets the mood and suits the title of the poem. Watch the following video to hear the music:

IntroductionThe River is one of the new literature components for the English subject. The poem is written by Valerie Bloom. The Form One students in the year 2010 have started exploring and learning this new poem.

Synopsis of the poem

The River is about the many faces of a river.  The river is a wanderer where he moves all over the place.  He does not sit still and is always in motion.  He is also a winder where he twists and turns.  He meanders.  He  is  also a hoarder where  he  keeps  things  deep  down in  his  river bed.  Sometimes, he is a baby when he is happily flowing along. At times, he is a singer as seen through the happy sounds of the water.  Finally, he is also a monster and can devour trees (most probably referring to a flood).