Anmol Alva’s favorite poets are Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Rudyard Kipling, and H.W. Longfellow
By Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Editor
Haisley Elementary fourth grader Anmol Alva says he is moved by kindness. He’s also inspired by weather, rocks, love, and resilience—and loves to put those feelings into words.
Now he’s published a book of his poems, and is working on more. After all, it’s a pastime he’s enjoyed since the age of four. Yes, four.
“Like adults, kids are also influenced by incidents that happen around us. I am always moved by kindness and I can write tons of poems on it.” _ Anmol Alva
Anmol’s teacher, Ellen McGee, says she’s always eager to read what he’s has been working on.
“Anmol is a creative kid who loves to express himself in his writing,” she says. “He loves to read, write, and it’s a pleasure having him in my class.”
We asked Anmol three questions about his love of writing poetry:
When did you start writing poems?
I started writing poems when I was four. I wrote poems to express myself. When I was little, I wrote poems when I was sad or when I was happy. I was always encouraged at home to write and I continued that habit. When I started second grade, I focused on my vocabulary and learned better sounding and rhyming words. Now I write every single day.
My very first poem was about how my fingers danced on the piano keyboard. As a little boy, I was completely fascinated by how my tiny fingers could play such a huge instrument. It was in 2015 and I was just learning to play piano.
What inspires you to write a poem?
I think my biggest inspiration for writing poems is the expression itself. I am always amazed at how many facets of personality we have and how our mood changes throughout the day. I think I can write poems about every mood. Of late, I am learning to write poems about anything or everything around myself. Like adults, kids are also influenced by incidents that happen around us. I am always moved by kindness and I can write tons of poems about it.
In January of 2020, I wrote and recited a poem on “kindness” during the MLK assembly in my school. A lot of my teachers told me that it was a great poem. That was pretty amazing. I felt really good.
I write about everything that I think about—weather, rocks, love, resilience, and many more. Some of my poems are hilarious and some are deep. It really depends on what I am thinking about at that moment.
Do you like to read the work of famous poets?
Another reason I love to write poems is because I read a lot of poems too. My favorite poets are Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Rudyard Kipling and H.W. Longfellow. Rudyard Kipling’s “If” is my all-time favorite poem. I absolutely love it. I love the depth of it.
Maybe because I read these poems, I get inspired to write my own thoughts. Basically, poem writing is an expression of your thoughts and you keep getting better at it as you write more and more.
What have you learned about book publishing?
I learnt about book publishing from my brother and my parents. There are tons of platforms to get your work published. Publishing a collection of your poems is a great idea because that’s how more people read what you have written.
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