This school poem is told from an embarrassed student’s point of view. It includes five different poetic devices.

“I Want a Normal Teacher”
By Kia West

I want a normal teacher
One who doesn’t sing
A teacher who is boring
And doesn’t always bring
A bottle of green glitter
or play dough or a song
I want a normal teacher
Don’t tell me that is wrong

I want a normal teacher
They should stand right by the board
And talk and write and yell a bit
And not know about Discord
They won’t know how to TikTok dance
They won’t play PS5
And when I’m running late to class
They won’t clap when I arrive

I want a normal teacher
Who’s grumpy as a gnome
I want them to be awful
So I can’t wait for home
They’ll be a cranky demon
And set homework sheets for days
I want them to be hum-drum
and all of the cliches

I want a normal teacher
So my mates won’t laugh at me
They all write long essays
Something I would do with glee
But my teacher isn’t normal
She’s wacky, strange and weird
She has the class act things out
Wearing costumes, like a beard

I want a normal teacher
Who won’t skateboard into class
Because I’m just a normal kid
I’m aiming for a pass
I don’t need to be dancing
Or singing like a geek
If I stay in her class
I will turn into a freak!

Poetic Devices:
Rhyme
Repetition
Simile
Metaphor
Hyperbole

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More about this school poem…

This school poem has five verses with eight lines in each. It is told in the point of view of a school-age child who is embarrassed by their teacher.

The poem has a rhyme scheme that can be described as ABCBEFGF. This means that the second and fourth lines rhyme with each other and the sixth and eighth lines rhyme with each other.

Another poetic device in the poem is repetition. The line “I want a normal teacher” appears six times throughout the poem; each stanza begins with it.

Verse three has both a simile and a metaphor. They are used to describe what a normal teacher would be like.

Hyperbole is the name of the poetic device where exaggeration is used for emphasis. Hyperbole is used throughout the poem to emphasize how embarrassed the student is.

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