Creating Tension

Baseball is always more interesting when the score is tied in the bottom of the ninth and the slugger steps up to the plate. In basketball, we sit on the edge of our seats when the winning shot goes off at the buzzer. And we all hold our breath in Slop The Sloosh when the slip goes to the top and the slop goes swoosh! Like any game, poetry loves tension.

Two ways to create tension are with conflicts and contrasts.

A conflict is a struggle between forces. It can be a physical struggle like when you and your sister both have your forks in the last pork chop at the dinner table. Or the conflict could be internal - a struggle between work and play, love and duty - or having ham or eggs.

A contrast is created when you set two different things side by side and invite a comparison.

The following poem is from the book Strange World.
Read it aloud to your child.

The Wizard
The wicked witch is dead
Now we've got a wizard instead.
The bumbling fraud has no magic at all.
His machine is junk! The false fire and all.
Bring me a wizard with fire in his eyes,
With potions and spells that defy and mystify.
Who can turn a frog into a prince
And a dragon into a fly.
Then Poof! disappear
Right in front of your eyes.
Keep your weary wizard
With his carpetbag of tricks.
Keep his smoke and mirrors,
They're bound to make you sick!
And make my wizard
Out of magic, moon and castle mist.
Add the eye of newt,
A touch of toad to make it hiss.
Then stir in fire from heaven
And watch my wizard whiz!

He'll quench the scorch of the dragon
With one drop from his Holy Grail.
He'll terrorize the trolls,
Make the wicked witches wail.
He'll charm the ancient serpent,
Grab it by the tail,
Swing it round and round,
Make a whirlwind whirl!
You keep your country wizard
Promising rainbow skies.
Keep that Kansas wizard at home
Eating Aunt Em's pies.

Bring me a wizard
From old and ancient times.
Bring me a wizard
Who is fearless, free and wild!
You bring me a wizard
With fire in his eyes,
And I'll take that wizard home with me
And make that wizard mine.

This poem establishes a contrast between two kinds of wizards - one is weak and feeble, the other is strong and powerful. Ask your child to create two lists. One list will include all the words and phrases describing the weak wizard and one will include those associated with the powerful wizard.

Now have your child listen to an excerpt from The Legend of Sam McSail. The full recording is available on the CD Kiss The Fish.

In the poem, Sam has a conflict with a shark and some pirates. See if your child can create some new struggles for Sam. Some possible ideas might include:

1. Sam wrestles a giant octopus.

2. Sam is stuck at sea in a sinking ship.

3. Sam's ship gets caught in a swirling whirlpool.

4. Sam saves a baby seal from a killer whale.

Have your child create a story of their own. They can base their narrative on familiar characters or they can create characters of their own. Remind your child that stories are much more interesting when there is a conflict.

To read about Creating Characters, click here.

To return back to the Resource page, click here.

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