MODULE 6 RESPONDING TO POETRY

        JANECZKO COLLECTION

Janeczko, Paul and Melissa Sweet. Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices. New York. Harper Collins Publishers. 2001.

ISBN:0-688-16252-5

Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices is a collection of poems by different authors compiled by Paul Janeczko. According to Janeczko, the poems are persona or mask poems. In other words, they are written as if an animal or an inanimate object were actually speaking aloud. Most of these poems have been featured in other anthologies and the reader will recognize familiar poets such as Douglas Florian, Bobbi Katz and Jane Yolen in addition to new poets. The poems in this collection consist of rhyming and non-rhyming poems and the book contains one concrete poem entitled “The Mosquito’s Song.”

Readers will have no problem using their imagination to put themselves in place of these animals and objects because the imaginative language used practically puts them there. In the poem “Roots,” Madeleine Comora uses figurative language to enable the reader to “see” the actual roots under the ground.

Roots like ours,

coarse and strong

as a grandmother’s fingers,

reach into the earth.

A tangled weave,

rough and aged

like wooden lace.

Roots like ours

hold the world

in place.

The illustrations by Melissa Sweet are cartoon-like, watercolor depictions and complement each poem nicely. The book contains an introduction by Paul Janeczko but does not have a table of contents or index. The poems do not seem to be arranged in a particular order but poems about the same subject are grouped together. For example, poems about kites are grouped together and poems about the animals are grouped together.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:

     The Mosquito’s Song

        Peggy B. Leavitt

 I sing.                   You slap.

 I mean                   no harm.

          There is no cause

            for your alarm.

               A little drop

                is all I ask.

                It really is

  a simple task.

     So please

     hold still

       at this

     juncture,

      while I

       make

       a tiny

          P

          U

          N

          C

          T

          U

          R

          E

          !

To begin the lesson, I would ask the students if they had ever been bitten by a mosquito. I would then lead them into a discussion of how it felt and what they did about it. I would encourage them to think about how the mosquito felt and what they thought motivated it to bite them. I would then read them the poem while showing them the picture. A discussion could follow on concrete poetry and I could show them examples of other concrete poems such as Doodle Dandies by J. Patrick Lewis. To put into practice what we talked about, the students would be asked to write their own mask or concrete poem.

                 POETRY BY KIDS

McLaughlin, Timothy P and S.D. Nelson. Walking on Earth & Touching the Sky: Poetry and Prose by Lakota Youth at the Red Cloud Indian School. New York. Abrams Books for Young Readers. 2012.

ISBN: 978-1-4197-0179-5

Walking on Earth & Touching the Sky is a collection of moving poetry written by Native American Youth from the Red Cloud Indian School. The poetry in this book takes a look at the lives of these Native Americans through the eyes of their young people and consists of poems about their lives from their trials and tribulations to their celebrations and dreams. Readers, especially teens, will relate to most of these poems simply due to the fact that they are teenagers and experience many of the same feelings and emotions as the Lakota youth do. The poems are expressive and deal with subjects such as life, death, alcoholism, feelings of despair, joy and faith. Given the subject matter of most of these poems, this book would be suitable for secondary school students.

The figurative language and expressive use of words by the students in their poetry creates clear mental images in the minds of the reader. The poem “What the Clouds are Saying” is a good example of personification and what the clouds might say if they could talk as they look down on our world and see the people and their actions. The poem “Quiet” is a great example of alliteration with each line beginning with the words “Quiet is.” Examples of similes and metaphors are also found throughout the book. 

  

The book has an index of poets at the end of the book and a table of contents at the front of the book which guides readers to the different sections of poetry the book is organized by. The sections are titled “Natural World,” “Misery,” “Native Thoughts,” “Silence,” “Family, Youth and Dreams,” and “Language.” Each section contains poetry under these classifications and is separated by a title page devoted to background information for each section. The dividing page is a two page spread with the explanation on one page and beautiful paintings by S.D. Nelson on the opposite page. Captions underneath the painting are written by S.D. Nelson himself and describe the painting as well as the thoughts behind them. The pictures perfectly depict the voices of the poems.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:

Racism

Julian Bear Runner

Racism is a strong bullet through a person’s heart.

Racism is like a bank with lots of unkind words.

Racism is like a gun in a child’s hands

loaded with all the words a devil would say.

This poem lends itself well to a discussion or lesson on racism and could also extend to bullying. To introduce this poem, I would begin by asking students if someone has ever said anything that hurt their feelings or made them feel inferior in any way. I would encourage them to share what was said and why they think the person said it. Students would then read the poem and reflect on how this poem makes them feel or what images the poem brings to mind. We would connect this back to the experiences they have had and make them realize that they are not alone and that racism is prevalent across the nation. I would then have them write a poem using their feelings from their own experiences.

Another cross-curricular application would be to connect this poem to lessons dealing with the Nazi regime and the history of slavery in America.

FREE CHOICE POETRY

Vardell, Sylvia, Janet Wong and Rich Arnold. Poetry Tag Time: 30 poems by 30 poets. Princeton, NJ. PoetryTagTime.com. 2011.

ISBN: 978-1-937057-01-5

Poetry Tag Time is an anthology of poems written by different authors. The book is in digital form and simply put, it is a great read for anyone who likes good poetry.

This book takes the words “Tag, you’re it!” to a whole new level. The manner in which this book works is that one poet writes a poem. At the end of the poem, the poet “tags” another poet. The poet that is “tagged,” must then write a poem which is connected to the first poem. This continues throughout the book and makes for entertaining reading. Many of the poets are well-known, award-winning poets such as Lee Bennett Hopkins, Nikki Grimes, Joyce Sidman and many others.

The poems in this digital selection are varied and every poem has great examples of poetic form such as rhyming, concrete and free verse poetry to funny and inspirational poems. For example, the poem “Maybe” by Joyce Sidman is a concrete poem about an egg and is shaped like an egg. Figurative language, such as the personification Lee Bennett Hopkins uses in his poem “Summer Fear,” is an excellent example for students. He writes, Roses cower/ Pansies crouch/ Sunflowers cling.

The poems are not indexed by their title but by the author in the order they were “tagged.” Due to the fact that each poem is based on the one before it, there is a relative organizational scheme to the book. The illustrations by Rich Arnold are simplistic and depict the subject of the poems.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:

After the Storm

Laura Purdie Salas

Ribbons of color

Arch

In a

Neverending

Backbend

Over the

World

This poem is a good example of an acrostic. To begin with, I would ask the students what they think a poem with this title would be about. After gathering some possibilities, I would display the poem and read it to the students and then have the students read it out loud with me. I would again ask them what they think this poem is talking about. I would tell them that this poem is an acrostic poem and explain to them that an acrostic poem is one in which certain letters in each line, spell a word. I would then ask them if they could spot the word this poem spells. After this, I would have them attempt to write their own acrostic 

MODULE 5: POETRY PERFORMANCE

PERFORMANCE POETRY

Franco, Betsy & Jessie Hartland. Messing Around On the Monkey Bars and other School Poems for Two Voices. Somerville, Massachusetts. Candlewick Press. 2009.

ISBN: 978-0-7636-3174-1

Messing Around On the Monkey Bars is a book of poetry containing nineteen different poems about school. These poems, whether read for two voices as intended or read individually, are written in a manner that children and adults can relate to. Adults reading this book will be taken back on a journey to their childhood school days and children will relate to their current school days. How many remember the sinking feeling in your stomach when you realize that an assignment is due and you are not prepared as in the poem “Animal Reports” or finding excuses that the teacher would accept for why you do not have your homework like in the poem “Homework Blues?” This book of poetry covers almost every aspect of school life.

Most of the poems in this book rhyme which make them perfect for elementary age children. In the poem, “Back in the Room for the Afternoon,” Betsy Franco has tapped into some creative school humor using phrases such as “Hey, how do you do, Glue? I’m all stuck up on you.” and “See you later, Calculator. You’re my favorite operator!” Another poem titled “Anatomy Class,” uses some of the traits of classroom objects as if they were human and alive. For example, “The chair has arms.” and “Our shoes have tongues.”

The illustrations Jessie Hartland created for this book are simplistic and have a cartoon-like quality which will appeal to children and are well suited to the nature of each poem. Author’s notes in the front of the book give guidance on how to perform the poems. At the back of the book, there are additional suggestions for other ways to perform poems in the book.

Spotlight Poem:

Backboard Rap

bounce, bounce

bounce, bounce Dribble, dribble,

bounce, bounce Pass to Trish.

bounce, bounce Shoot a basket.

bounce, bounce Hear the swish!

bounce, bounce Dribble, dribble,

bounce, bounce Pass to Vin.

bounce, bounce Hit the backboard.

bounce, bounce Up and in!

bounce, bounce Dribble, dribble,

bounce, bounce Take a shot!

bounce, bounce There’s the buzzer.

bounce, bounce Yeah! We’re hot!

bounce, bounce

bounce

This poem will appeal to the sports enthusiasts in the classroom. After reading the poem, I would begin a discussion about the rhythm and the lines of rhyme in this poem. I would then have the students perform the poem as it is written and since it is called Backboard Rap, I would also have the students add sound effects and/or a rhythmic beat to give it more of a rap-like quality. This would be a great opportunity to collaborate with the local music teacher.

As another activity, the students could work in groups and write their own rap about another sport or subject.

HOPKINS AWARD POETRY

Schertle, Alice & Petra Mathers. Button Up! Wrinkled Rhymes. Orlando, Florida. Harcourt Children’s Books. 2009.

ISBN: 978-0-15-205050-4

Alice Schertle’s book, Button Up is a delightful collection of poems which are written from the point of view of several different articles of clothing. The hat on top of Alice’s head, the shoes on Jennifer’s feet, and all the clothing in between have something to say about themselves. These poems and the illustrations will delight and have great appeal to young audiences. This book is unbelievably entertaining and well organized. By using short lines and end rhymes on the majority of the poems, these poems invite the reader’s participation. “Joshua’s Jammies” is an excellent example of this as is “The Song of Harvey’s Galoshes.” After a couple of readings, children will be jumping in. The use of personification to portray the clothing as live, breathing objects adds an element of fantasy and fun and Schertle almost makes you believe the clothing is truly alive.

            Mathers’ illustrations are simple, watercolor pictures. They are colorful, bright, and delightful to the eye and children will truly enjoy looking at them. Each picture is accurately partnered with a poem or phrase of a poem. These images paired with the language used, give the reader a very good visual picture of each poem. In “Emily’s Undies,” children will laugh and giggle at the sight of Emily’s underwear hanging on the clothesline. The poems are not in a particular order but there is a table of contents in the front of the book.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:

Joshua’s JAMMIES

We are the jammies that Joshua wears,

     not jammies for penguins,

     not jammies for bears,

     not jammies for tigers with knots in their tails,

     not jammies for chickens,

     not jammies for whales,

     not jammies for elephants going upstairs,

we are the jammies that Joshua wears.

     We don’t fit iguanas,

     we’re not for the gnu

     we won’t suit the llamas

    (they never wear blue)

Hippopotamus can’t get us over his head.

We’re JOSHUA’S jammies. We’re going to bed.

For this poem, I would begin by discussing personification with the students and explaining that personification is a figurative language used to give nonhuman things human qualities. I would then read the poem. I would lead the students in figuring out why this poem is an example of personification. The students and I can brainstorm together and come up with a list of personification examples and they could write their own short poem using personification.

Another idea: Most students will recognize and know what the animals in this poem are (penguins, bears, tigers, chickens, whales, elephants). Many of the students might not know what an iguana, a gnu, or a llama is. This would be a good opportunity for the students to do a little research and find out more about these animals.

SIDMAN POETRY

Sidman, Joyce & Rick Allen. Dark Emporer & Other Poems of the Night. Boston, New York. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. 2010.

ISBN: 978-0-547-15228-8

Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night is a collection of poems surrounding the lives and habits of nocturnal animals. The poems in this book combine just the right amounts of poetry and science which will capture the interest of children and adults alike.

The book begins with the poem “Welcome to the Night” which invites the reader to explore the nighttime world of the forest and ends with the poem, “The Moon’s Lament” which discusses the end of the night. In between these poems, the reader will find many informative facts and interesting tidbits about nocturnal animals such as the owl, cricket, bat and many others. For example in the poem “Dark Emperor,” we find that owls have large eyes and extraordinary hearing to find prey – “What fills the cool moons of your mesmerizing eyes? What waves of sound funnel towards those waiting ears?”

 Each poem takes up two pages with the poem appearing on one page and an illustration and more detailed notes on the second page. The poems do not seem to be in any special order except for the first and last poems. The poems have varied rhyming schemes or none at all and the book does contain one concrete poem which shares its title with the book.

Rick Allen’s illustrations are made using relief printing which gives the reader an added illusion of actually being in the forest. The detail he uses for each animal illustration aligns with the factual details in the poems. On the verso page of the book, the relief printing process is briefly detailed and at the end of the book is a glossary of words which defines some of the words the reader may not know. This is a wonderful book to be used for studying nocturnal animals and fungi.

SPOTLIGHT POEM:

“The Mushrooms Come”

From moss and loam

the mushrooms come.

From bark on trees,

from crumbling logs,

from musty leaves,

the mushrooms come.

From vast pale networks

underground

they shoulder up

without a sound;

they spread their damp

umbrella tops

and lose their spores

with silent pops.

Unbuttoning the forest floor,

the mushrooms come,

the mushrooms come.

Like noses pink

in midnight air,

like giants’ ears,

like elfin hair,

like ancient cities

built on cliffs,

the mushrooms come,

the mushrooms come.

I would begin a discussion on nocturnal animals and have the students name some nocturnal animals. I would explain to the students that animals are not the only things considered nocturnal. I would share this poem and using the notes provided in the book, I would give the students additional information about the mushrooms. I would also guide them in performing the poem in a variety of ways to include using two or three voices and an ensemble for the repetitive phrase “the mushrooms come.” Also using specific instruments from the music classroom, the students could “orchestrate” the second paragraph.

To further this concept, the students could work in groups to gather information on other nocturnal fungi or plants and present their findings as a presentation using web 2.0 tools or writing their own poem and performing it as a group. 

MODULE 4: POETRY ACROSS THE CURRICULUM


SCIENCE POETRY

Singer, Marilyn & Ed Young. A Strange Place to Call Home: The World’s Most Dangerous Habitats & the Animals That Call Them Home. San Francisco, California. Chronicle Books LLC. 2012. 

ISBN: 978-1-4521-0120-0

A Strange Place to Call Home: The World’s Most Dangerous Habitats & the Animals That Call Them Home is a wonderful book for children to learn about fourteen animals who beat the odds of survival by adapting to unusual habitats.

Children will enjoy reading about these amazing animals due in part to the various poetic forms contained in the book. Free verse, triolet, and sonnet are just a few of the forms Marilyn Singer uses. The haiku, “Dry As Dust,” will have the reader imagining what it would look like to have an explosion of toads hopping around. The other poems contained in the book will appeal to the reader’s imagination and will leave readers curious about other animals which have made unusual adaptations. The language Singer uses presents the information in a manner which will appeal to the reader and reinforces the overall purpose of the book which is to make the reader aware of the unusual habitats of some animals.

All of the poems in the book are written by Marilyn Singer who is a renowned poet. The illustrations by Ed Young, who is a Caldecott Medalist, are reminiscent of paper collages which portray the animals in their unusual habitats. The illustrations will capture the interest of the reader as much as the poems will. Endnotes at the end of the book give more detailed information about the animals which makes this book a good resource for teachers.

SPOTLIGHT POEM

A Strange Place To Call Home

Where it’s dark

Where it’s deep

Where it’s stormy

Where it’s steep

Where the rain rarely falls

            or the water always races

They survive

              strive to thrive

                        in a world of risky places.

This poem is actually found on the back cover of this book and not inside the book. I would begin a lesson on habitats of animals with this poem. Discuss with the children what kind of animals might live in the type of places described in the poem. We would then read and discuss the animals from the poems. As a follow up activity, I would put the students in small groups and have them research an animal’s habitat and behaviors. The students would create a Popplet to organize the information from their research.