My Backpack Weighs a Thousand Pounds
by Jack Prelutsky
My backpack weighs a thousand pounds,
It's fatter than a cow!
I don't know how I carry it,
But do it anyhow.
It's filled with books and papers
That my teacher says I need-
She never lets me lighten it,
No matter how I plead.
Sometimes it tips me backward,
It's a wonder I don't fall.
Sometimes I have to stop and rest
And lean against a wall.
I tell you, from experience,
It's not a lot of fun
When you have to lug a backpack
That's about a half a ton.
From: What a Days it Was at School, poems by Jack Prelutsky and pictures by Doug Cushman
I absolutely love this poem. I remember this is how I felt all through school growing up and I still feel like it today. I remember in high school when people pulled on my backpack I hoped I wouldn't fall over. Today walking across campus I felt like I needed to stop and take a break because my backpack was so heavy. The entire time I was reading this poem I kept thinking to myself and laughing because it is so true. This poem uses rhyming such as cow anyhow, need plead, fall wall, and fun ton. I would also say that this poet uses imagery. I can imagine how the backpack looks with all the books and papers. I can also imagine the backpack tipping someone backwards and that person having to stop and rest. I can also feel how heavy the backpack is even though it says it weighs a thousand pounds. I can imagine how heavy it is on my back and having to rest. I think the book this poem came from is a great book to have in the classroom. All the poems have to do with school but in a fun way where the children can relate.