Unfortunately I wasn’t present the day when were assigned books and poets to blog about so I decided to write about one of my favorite poets every since I was a kid…Dennis Lee.
I remember the days I use to listen to my elemantary school teachers read his poems. Sigh….those were the days.
Anywho so I’m like a big fan of Dennis Lee…I love his stories and poems and there’s on of his poems which I used to love as a kid and its at the tip of tongue can’t remember it…darn it.
Dennis Lee was born on August 31st 1939 and his Canadian poet and thinker who lives in Toronto, ON and his also a childrens’ writer. Lee attended the University of Toronto Schools and Victoria College, University of Toronto (B.A., 1962; M.A., 1965), where he taught for several years. He was a founder of the experimental Rochdale College, Toronto, and co-founder (with Dave Godfrey) of the House of Anansi Press. After his association with Anansi ended, Lee embarked on a varied career, writing poems for children and song-lyrics for the television program Fraggle Rock, and serving as a literary consultant for both MacMillan and McClelland & Stewart. He was Scottish-Canadian Exchange Fellow at the University of Edinburgh (1980–1), and received an honorary degree from Trent University. An Officer of the Order of Canada, he divides his time between Toronto and Costa Rica.
He wrote a lot of children s’ books and poems that were funny and catchy. He knows how to engage into a child’s world and make them feel all of this different types of positive emotions. As a child I felt that he was one of the reason as to why I read poetry and riddles because I was interested in the way he rhymed and the way he used his words. Even as a child I wondered these things.
Oh yeaaaah its called Alligator Pie. My favourite poem of Dennis Lee is called Alligator Pie. Ahh duhhhhh.
Alligator Pie
Dennis Lee
From: Alligator Pie. Toronto: Macmillan, 1974.
Alligator pie, alligator pie,
If I don’t get some I think I’m gonna die.
Give away the green grass, give away the sky,
But don’t give away my alligator pie.
Alligator stew, alligator stew,
If I don’t get some I don’t know what I’ll do.
Give away my furry hat, give away my shoe,
But don’t give away my alligator stew.
Alligator soup, alligator soup,
If I don’t get some I think I’m gonna droop.
Give away my hockey stick, give away my hoop,
But don’t give away my alligator soup.
