As you know, I am a huge fan of killing many birds with a single stone, metaphorically at least. I try to integrate several skills and texts into every single activity I teach. That’s why I start off the year with a New Years Poem after Winter Break.
It is tough to get back into the groove of the new year when all you want to do is go back to drinking hot chocolate, watching holiday movies, and snuggling on the couch with your kids (or cat). To mitigate this feeling, I start slowly.
We read a New Years Poem or several because, well, poetry is hard, and I attempt to incorporate it effectively and strategically whenever I can. Beginning the year with poetry and setting goals is a fantastic way to engage your students without being overwhelmed!
Keep reading for a New Years Poem your students won’t soon forget!
Need help with Test Prep? Check out this FREE Pack of 3 Test Prep Activities to help students achieve success on standardized tests!
New Years Poem
The Year
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
What can be said in New Year rhymes,
That’s not been said a thousand times?
The new years come, the old years go,
We know we dream, we dream we know.
We rise up laughing with the light,
We lie down weeping with the night.
We hug the world until it stings,
We curse it then and sigh for wings.
We live, we love, we woo, we wed,
We wreathe our prides, we sheet our dead.
We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,
And that’s the burden of a year.
7 New Years Poem Activities
1. Read Aloud
When I choose poetry to use in my classroom, I specifically select texts that will challenge my students’ reading abilities and previously conceived notions. I don’t teach the classically EASY or FUN texts because they are rarely helpful in getting my students to the next level.
Instead, I MAKE teaching these texts ENGAGING!
Before you start any sort of poetry analysis, you will want to read the poem aloud once, if not several times. And this is particularly true when reading Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s New Years Poem “The Year.”
It’s not particularly complex, but there are words and phrases that can be challenging for some students. Reading aloud helps to begin the process of comprehension and makes teaching this fun New Years Poem just a bit easier!
Check out 8 Poetry Elements ANY Student Can Learn!
2. Poetry Analysis
When I start a poetry analysis, I try to focus on one or two poetic elements, and with this New Years Poem as well as teaching poetry in general, focusing on diction and imagery is a great start!
Imagery is the use of images related to the five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.
Diction is simply word choice and word choice is key when writing poetry. Every word is chosen specifically and purposefully, and it is our job as readers to figure that out. To help students in that process, why not offer a list to focus on?
- Repeated Words
- Image Words
- Action Words
- Opposite Words
- Alliterative Words
- Impactful Words
- Tone Words
- Mood Words
- Musical Words
- and more…
Click to get this New Years Poem & Activity Resource to make starting out the year stress-free!
3. Poetry Test Prep Quiz
While I am not a super fan of standardized tests, I understand that they are here to stay for a while. Why not integrate a little bit of test prep throughout the year instead of bulk practice in the spring?
I like to do this by incorporating test prep questions and answers every week in my classroom!
It is so easy to do if you are reading rich, varied texts. See the example below for the New Years Poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox!
What is the theme of the poem?
A. Death is a natural part of each year.
B. People should avoid thinking about the upcoming new year.
C. Individuals are completely different in how they react during the year.
D. Every year is basically identical and filled with good and bad elements.
Want all of the questions, see here!
4. New Years Poem Acrostic Templates
The great thing about the start of the new year is all of the possibilities!
As a class, you could brainstorm words that relate to the New Year and create acrostic poems! It’s a simple yet fun activity for students to practice writing their own New Years Poem!
5. Poetry Annotations
As students read poetry, they need to have a go-to strategy to ensure they are comprehending and remembering what they have read. Therefore, I am an enthusiastic advocate for annotating. It doesn’t have to be an arduous process or require students to ink the whole page; instead, allow students to pick and choose certain elements.
- Highlight-repeated diction and syntax
- Underline-figurative language
- Circle-important or impactful words/phrases
- Question Mark-words, phrases, ideas that are unclear
Select 1 or all 4!
6. New Years Poem Lines QuickWrite
Before reading the poem, have students reflect on a specific line in the poem. They can do any number of the following:
- Paraphrase the line.
- Identify the tone of the line.
- Reflect on the line in a creative way.
- Consider whether the line is true or false.
- Predict what the poem will be about.
Require 5 minutes of writing or a certain number of sentences to ensure students are actually putting in some effort. Then, offer time to share their thoughts.
7. Setting Goals Activity
If your students have not thought about setting goals for the new year, this is the perfect time!
I make goals all of the time:
- When I start a new project…
- When I begin a new school year…
- When I enter January…
In order for our students to be successful in life, we need to intentionally teach our students how to make and set goals effectively.
There are so many areas in our lives, so students don’t have to feel like this activity is irrelevant. And start small.
Running a marathon is unrealistic if you have never run a 5k. Earning an A in chemistry is improbable if you are currently failing the class. Reading 50 books is practically impossible if you have not read an entire book the previous year.
Start with real, attainable goals and move on from there with an action plan!
New Years Poem & Activity Resources
Celebrate the New Year 2025 in style! This New Years 2025 Resolutions, Goals, Poems, and Activities BUNDLE provides relevant and easy-to-teach resources to help middle and high school students get back into the swing of things after winter break!
Read a New Years Poem or 2 and guide students in reflecting on, visualizing, and writing about New Year’s Goals in different areas of their lives!
Do you need more fun lessons and activities to teach a New Years Poem? Check out my store Kristin Menke-Integrated ELA Test Prep!
