“A Thanksgiving Dinner” by Maude M. Grant

In this post I’ll share with you a cheerful holiday-themed poem, perfect for Thanksgiving. Titled “A Thanksgiving Dinner”, it was written by Maude M. Grant (1876-1941), a children’s poet and fiction writer from Michigan.

If you’re learning or teaching English, you can use this poem to introduce or revise some of the food-related vocabulary. Scroll down for two simple exercises I’ve prepared for you, answer key available. There are also links to additional resources on Thanksgiving Day.

Without further ado, let’s read the poem!

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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.

Now potatoes, big and white,
Mash till they are soft and light.
Cranberries, so tart and sweet,
With the turkey we must eat.

Pickles-yes-and then, oh my!
For a dessert a pumpkin pie,
Golden brown and spicy sweet.
What a fine Thanksgiving treat!

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VOCABULARY EXERCISES

Exercise 1: Match the following action verbs found in the poem with their definitions:

TO COOK | TO MASH | TO PEEL | TO STUFF

1. to remove the outer covering of a fruit / vegetable
2. to fill the inside of something
3. to prepare food by heating it
4. to beat something into a soft mass

Exercise 2: Match the following words with the images below:

1. cranberries
2. pickles
3. potatoes
4. squashes
5. turnips

To check your answers, click here.

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

31 Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas for the Perfect Feast – ideas and suggestions from the Country Living magazine

Thanksgiving: An American Tradition – a listening and reading exercise for language learners

Thanksgiving Traditions – a feature from National Geographic Kids

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