🏺 Myth and Legend Poems KS2 | Creative Writing & Performance Ideas
Myths and legends are full of adventure, heroes, and magical creatures. From Greek gods ⚡ to Norse warriors ⚔️ and King Arthur’s knights 🏰, these stories have inspired children for centuries. They are also a brilliant way to inspire myth and legend poems KS2.
Writing poetry based on myths gives children the chance to use description, imagery and performance. It also links English with history and storytelling traditions.
👉 In my Poetry Days in primary schools across the UK I work hard to get the children excited about writing and performing their own poems. I visit over 100 schools every year and I’d love to work with your children and teachers.
📅 You can book me for:
In-person Poetry Days across the UK
Online Poetry Workshops (affordable and flexible)
➡ Secure your date here: Poets in Schools – Ian Bland
Here are some fun examples of myth and legend poems KS2 with classroom activities to get your pupils writing.
⚡ Zeus, King of the Gods
Thunder shakes the mountain high,
Lightning flashes through the sky!
Zeus commands with booming sound,
His power shakes the earth around.
✨ Activity idea:
Ask pupils to invent their own god or goddess. What powers do they have? What rules do they make? For more rhythm and performance ideas, see my Rap Poems KS2 blog.
🐍 Medusa
Her hair was snakes, her eyes could freeze,
She turned brave warriors into trees.
One glance, one look, you’d turn to stone —
A monster feared, yet so alone.
✨ Activity idea:
Children design a monster poem inspired by myths — Cyclops, Minotaur or Hydra. They can then turn it into a picture poem, just like the ones in my Shape Poems KS2 blog.
⚔️ Thor’s Hammer
Crash! Bang! Boom!
It splits the sky in two,
Thor’s mighty hammer
Smashes through!
✨ Activity idea:
Pupils create sound poems using onomatopoeia. They could write about thunder, battles or magical weapons. This works well alongside Weather Poems KS2.
🏰 King Arthur’s Sword
A stone, a sword, a mystery deep,
A secret England tried to keep.
Young Arthur pulled, the people cheered,
A king was crowned — the future cleared.
✨ Activity idea:
Children invent a poem about a magical object — a crown, shield or cloak. Link this with my History Poems KS2 blog for more cross-curricular ideas.
🐉 The Dragon’s Tale
I guard the gold, I guard the flame,
I breathe out fire, they curse my name.
But if you dared to hear me speak,
You’d find I’m not so fierce, but meek.
✨ Activity idea:
Ask pupils to write a dragon poem with a twist — scary outside but gentle inside. For more humour in poetry, check out my Funny Poems for KS2 Assemblies.
📚 Why Use Myths and Legends in Poetry?
Writing myth and legend poems KS2 helps children to:
Build storytelling skills 📖
Use rich imagery and description 🌟
Learn about history and culture 🏺
Gain confidence in performance 🎭
👉 For more inspiration, try:
Exploring myths and legends through poetry lets children reimagine old stories in exciting new ways. With rhythm, rhyme and performance, your pupils can become poets, storytellers and historians all at once.
👉 In my Poetry Days in primary schools across the UK I work hard to get the children excited about writing and performing their own poems. I visit over 100 schools every year and I’d love to work with your children and teachers.
📅 You can book me for:
In-person Poetry Days across the UK
Online Poetry Workshops (affordable and flexible)
➡ Secure your date here: Poets in Schools – Ian Bland
