Let's start with some advice from poet John Lyons...John Lyons - Advice to Young Poets & here's some more unsolicited (unasked for) advice: Jeanann Verlee - Unsolicited Advice.
Poetry, above all, should be heard. It is like a song that buzzes in the air. Its power is in the hearing. Many poets are also performers because that is the original way we learned to love poetry--spoken word. Today and the next few classes we will be examining and listening to poets read their work and then we will also write and read our work to each other in hopes that we might make something we might call art.
Today you're going to read and listen to some professionals read their poetry out loud. Then after reading these models, you are going to write a bunch of crappy poem drafts of your own--some may even be good or even excellent!--and then, for homework, you are going to type up 1 of these poem drafts and turn it in for participation/writing credit. That's what's going to happen today.
Let's warm up with some poem examples/models. After our listening/reading, we will play around with some poem ideas and draft poems.
Let's read the following poems:
Inspired by these poems, take 15 minutes to write your own poem in a similar style. Choose one. Examine the poem's structure. Think about how it was read out loud or performed. Consider a similar or associated subject and write a draft. Write relatively quickly, without editing yourself. Aim for fluency.
If you finish writing early, you can try writing another poem, or you can read your chosen poetry book. Try to avoid bothering your neighbor who should also be writing or reading...
You may write in your journal if you'd like, but the draft you turn in for a grade should be typed. See below for more details.
Poetry exercises:
Poetry, above all, should be heard. It is like a song that buzzes in the air. Its power is in the hearing. Many poets are also performers because that is the original way we learned to love poetry--spoken word. Today and the next few classes we will be examining and listening to poets read their work and then we will also write and read our work to each other in hopes that we might make something we might call art.
Today you're going to read and listen to some professionals read their poetry out loud. Then after reading these models, you are going to write a bunch of crappy poem drafts of your own--some may even be good or even excellent!--and then, for homework, you are going to type up 1 of these poem drafts and turn it in for participation/writing credit. That's what's going to happen today.
Let's warm up with some poem examples/models. After our listening/reading, we will play around with some poem ideas and draft poems.
Let's read the following poems:
- Perhaps the World Ends Here - Joy Harjo
- Still I Rise - Maya Angelou
- Cinderella's Diary - Ron Koertge
- Vampire's Serenade - Dana Gioia
- In the Fifth-Grade Locker Room - Rebecca Lauren
- Bra Shopping - Parneshia Jones
- Blood Charm - Annie Finch
- Pause - Nikki Grimes
- One Art - Elizabeth Bishop
- Here - Arthur Sze
- haiku - Sonia Sanchez
- Good Girl - Molly Peacock
- Won't You Celebrate With Me - Lucille Clifton
- What I'm Telling You - Elizabeth Alexander
Inspired by these poems, take 15 minutes to write your own poem in a similar style. Choose one. Examine the poem's structure. Think about how it was read out loud or performed. Consider a similar or associated subject and write a draft. Write relatively quickly, without editing yourself. Aim for fluency.
If you finish writing early, you can try writing another poem, or you can read your chosen poetry book. Try to avoid bothering your neighbor who should also be writing or reading...
You may write in your journal if you'd like, but the draft you turn in for a grade should be typed. See below for more details.
Poetry exercises:
- Gather ye Rosebuds...er...words: flip through your poetry collection and stop 10 times and choose 1 or more words on that page that catch your eye. Write these words in your journal. Then continue to flip and stop and choose. Once you have at least 10 words, use the word bank you created to create a poem. Your poem should be at least 10 lines (if possible)
- Phrase spill. Choose a poem in your collection and write a word or phrase on the sticky notes given to you. Then, follow my instructions.
- Shared poem. Select 2-6 peers in your area. Gather as a group. Each of you will select a line from one of the poems in your collection. Write it down on the paper provided. Hand your paper to the peer sitting next to you. That peer should do the same. The peer should read the line you just wrote, then select a line that continues the poem from THEIR collection. Then pass their poem draft to the next person/peer in line. Continue this until at least everyone has contributed to the poem. [You may add or change the tense of a word to make the line make sense if you need to]
- Watch the following video performance Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou (write a poem for 5 minutes about something phenomenal, or write an ode praising women (or yourself).
- Watch the following video performance What a Teacher Makes by Taylor Mali; write a poem about What a ______ makes (choose an occupation that doesn't get the credit or attention it should, or write about a favorite teacher you once had)--write a draft.
HOMEWORK: Write at least 1 poem draft from the brainstorming exercises we did today in class. You can choose which draft or brainstorming activity worked the best for you. You do NOT have to turn in a poem draft you think is not good or doesn't show your work. Instead, choose a poem draft that you think turned out okay (or at least passable). Make sure you type up your poem draft--you won't get full credit if you don't type up your poem draft. Submit your poem draft on Friday to our Google Classroom. You may, if you'd like, submit more than one poem draft from the poem drafts you wrote today in class.
Keep reading your chosen poetry book. Bring your poetry book back with you to our next class.
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