5 Must-Read Jack Prelutsky Poems

Jack Prelutsky is an American poet who has spent his career singing and writing poetry. He served as the Poetry Foundation’s Children’s Poet Laureate in the early 2000s. Prelutsky has written more than 70 children’s books. His poetry books include Stardines Swim High Across the Sky: and Other Poems.

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The Turkey Shot Out of the Oven

In ‘The Turkey Shot Out of the Oven,’ a culinary catastrophe turns comical as a turkey’s unconventional escape leads to hilarious mayhem.

This piece is a good representation of Jack Prelutsky's style and themes. Prelutsky is known for his humorous and whimsical poetry, often featuring absurd or unexpected scenarios. This poem exemplifies his ability to take a simple, everyday event (cooking a turkey) and turn it into a comical and entertaining narrative filled with vivid imagery, hyperbole, and playful language. Additionally, the poem underscores his tendency to use rhyme and rhythm to create a memorable and engaging reading experience.

Take a turkey, stuff it fat,

Some of this and some of that.

Get some turnips, peel them well.

Cook a big squash in its shell.

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Thanksgiving Day Parade

‘Thanksgiving Day Parade’ celebrates holiday spirit amid challenges, evoking joy, resilience, and nostalgia through whimsical imagery.

'Thanksgiving Day Parade' is representative of Jack Prelutsky's style and themes in his poems. Prelutsky is known for his whimsical and playful approach to poetry, often celebrating the joys and wonders of childhood and everyday life. This poem exhibits his signature use of humor, vivid imagery, and a childlike sense of wonder, as well as his ability to find magic in ordinary moments. Additionally, it conveys themes of resilience, optimism, and the ability to find joy in the face of challenges, which are recurring themes in many of Prelutsky's works.

Thanksgiving Day is here today,

the great parade is under way,

and though it's drizzling quite a bit,

I'm sure that I'll see all of it.

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I Ate Too Much Turkey

In ‘I Ate Too Much Turkey’ by Jack Prelutsky, humor shines as the narrator hilariously laments their overindulgence during a Thanksgiving feast.

This poem is a good representation of Jack Prelutsky's style and themes in many of his poems. Prelutsky is known for his humorous and playful approach to poetry, often using exaggeration, wordplay, and vivid imagery to create entertaining and relatable verses. This poem showcases Prelutsky's penchant for humor and exaggeration as the narrator comically laments the consequences of overindulgence during Thanksgiving. The use of repetition, rhyme, and wordplay are characteristic of his writing style. Additionally, the poem explores the theme of indulgence, which is a recurring theme in Prelutsky's works, as he often humorously addresses everyday experiences and human foibles. However, it's important to note that Prelutsky's body of work includes a wide range of poems, from humorous and light-hearted pieces like this one to more serious and contemplative verses.

I ate too much turkey,

I ate too much corn,

I ate too much pudding and pie,

I'm stuffed up with muffins

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Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face

‘Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face’ is a childish tale that provides an example of why being grateful for the current state of things can be a grand thing.

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Bleezer’s Ice Cream

Have you ever gone to an ice cream store selling twenty-eight different flavors of literally everything? You’ll be doing yourself a favor by visiting BLEEZER’S ICE CREAM STORE.

I am Ebenezer Bleezer,

I run BLEEZER’S ICE CREAM STORE,

there are flavors in my freezer

you have never seen before,

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