Description
Te Marama by Kelly Joseph is a gentle, reflective poem that explores memory, whakapapa, and connection to the natural world through the image of the moon. Written from a child’s perspective, the poem captures a sleepless night when Te Marama floods the speaker’s room with silvery light, prompting memories of Koro and his teachings.
The poem weaves together personal memory and mātauranga Māori. Koro’s knowledge of planting and fishing by the phases of Te Marama links everyday life to lunar cycles and ancestral wisdom. The moon is personified as the tamaiti of Rangi and a sibling of Te Rā and Ngā Whetū, situating the poem within a Māori worldview where celestial bodies form a whānau of light.
Repetition and cyclical structure reinforce the poem’s central idea of continuity. The phases of Te Marama—new, waxing, full, waning, and new again—mirror both natural rhythms and the ongoing presence of memory. Although Koro is no longer present, he is remembered “in the atarau,” suggesting that ancestral connections endure through nature and observation.
The accompanying illustration visually deepens the poem’s mood, showing a child gazing out at the moonlit moana, while the glossary supports understanding of te reo Māori terms. Together, text and image invite students to slow down and titiro whakatau—to look carefully and reflect.
The text supports students to explore how poetry can express cultural knowledge, memory, and belonging through imagery and repetition.
The text is ideal for integrated learning across literacy and social sciences, supporting inquiry into identity, whakapapa, and Māori perspectives.
A wide range of response activities can support developing and embedding key literacy skills, including imagery analysis, inference, cloze activities, vocabulary exploration, and reflective writing.
Curriculum Phase: Phase 2
Year Level: Year 4
English:
reading for meaning and inference, analysing imagery and repetition, exploring poetic voice, integrating glossary support to deepen understanding
Social Sciences / Te Ao Māori:
mātauranga Māori, whakapapa, relationships with the natural world, identity and belonging
Text type:
Poetry, free verse, reflective and cultural verse
Key words include:
atarau, koro, mātauranga Māori, marama, memory, moon, moana, poetry, te ao Māori, te reo Māori, whakapapa, whānau
Accessing my resources
Add your desired resources to your cart. If you're a non-member, complete the purchase; if you're a member, simply go through the checkout process. Once finished, you'll receive a download link on the confirmation page, and a copy will also be sent to your email.