Transcript Poet’s Toolbox - Independent School District 196

I Am Poem
I am
Life, Hope, Living
I care very much about the world and life on it.
Honesty is important to me.
Optimism is important to me.
Unselfishness is important to me.
Hospitality is a good thing.
Meanness is bad, but can be good to get people
off your back.
The world is getting weaker.
The longer the days the more beautiful they are.
People are too negative.
I am.
--Liz Webster (grade 9)
Writing your own “I Am” poem
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I am
3 words about which you have strong feelings. (Each noun is capitalized)
A complete sentence about 2 things you like.
Three words that describe what you like to see in other people; end with
“are important to me.” Capitalize each word.
A sentence containing a positive thought/feeling.
Sentence in which you show something negative in yourself and others;
however, sentence must end with something about how the BAD can come
to GOOD. Use the word “but” to link the bad and good.
Each line is a short sentence relating something about which you have
strong feelings -- likes/dislikes.
End with “This is me” or “I am.”
I Am Poem
By: Mrs. Sullivan
I am
Strong, Steady, Sweet
I am smitten by children and want them protected.
Honesty is important to me.
Family is important to me.
Creativity is important to me.
Generosity is a good thing.
Self-centeredness is bad, but can be good if needed
to get you through the day .
The world is getting more desolate.
The longer I live, the more content I find myself to be.
People are too selfish.
This is me.
Dictionary Poem
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Find 12 words randomly in the dictionary.
Write them down.
Exchange words with another student.
Using the 12 words you have received, create a
poem which is at least 10 lines long.
Dictionary Poem
by: Mrs. Sullivan
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Brink
Comic
Dander
Fixture
Gasp
Hope
Laundry
Postscript
Sedate
Fierce
Gumdrop
Hesitate
On the brink she stood
Like a comic without a joke
Hesitant, and without hope.
A fierce fixture on the stage.
Like the stickiest gumdrop
She remains stubbornly stuck.
Going round and round
A constantly damp laundry load.
Just one gasp, center right,
Draws her attention.
Just one steady, sedate look.
A calmly breath.
The show goes on…postscript.
Found Poem
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Walk through your journal, and write down
sayings or words that you like.
Once you have found 15 or more, use them to
create a poem.
MWP RIDE: a found poem by Mrs. Sullivan
Initial Value
Uncertain
Put VARIETY in your life
Consult the trip planner
On time
Always
Limited service
No stopping
It’s your call
Decision made
join the queue
passengers line up
Flats happen
Nobody walks1
Hop on
Pay now
A lullaby is sung
Of shifting seats
And unconsciously released signs
Slumber calls
A sudden shift in the ride
NOTICE!
Pull to signal
Stop requested
Locate your nearest exit
Transfer
Detour
Detour
Rough road ahead
Sidewalk closed
Route changed
You are now
In a Community of Conversation
Sit back
Let the rhythm change
Listen:
Horns honk
Always a sound removed
Driven to discover
And your journey ends
With Stored Value
Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes
I've known rivers:
I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the
flow of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln
went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy
bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
I've known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
Creating Your Own
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Hughes reflects on the different places
throughout history that his soul has “known.”
(He traces his ancestors’ pasts and how
they’ve influenced who he is.)
Where are you from? Create a poem that
reflects on your ancestry or where you are
from.
Where I’m From
I am from clothespin,
From Clorox and carbon tetrachloride
I am from the dirt under the back porch.
(Black, glistening
it tasted like beets.)
I am from the forsythia bush,
The Dutch elm
Whose long gone limbs I remember
As if they were my own.
I’m from fudge and eyeglasses,
From Imogene and Alafair.
I’m from the know-it-alls and the pass-it-ons,
From perk up and pipe down.
I’m from He restoreth my soul with a cotton ball lamb
And ten verses I can say myself.
I’m from Artemus and Billie’s Branch,
Fried corn and strong coffee.
From the finger my grandfather lost to the auger
The eye my father shut to keep his sight.
Under my bed was a dress box
Spilling out pictures,
A sift of lost faces
To drift beneath my dreams.
I am from those moments Snapped before I buddedLeaf-fall from the family tree.
Where I Am From, by Mrs. Sullivan
I am from small town community farmers
And big city classic caution.
I am from fathomless spaces
Filled with the sweetest yellow raspberries
and long cane fishing poles.
I’m from fried donuts
And the “Reader’s Digest”
Always condensed.
I’m from high achievers
And the right to vote.
I’m from poor simple souls
To having the full support to soar
I’m from a Father’s love
To a closed confession.
I’m from a big family,
Full of meat and potatoes.
I’m from a military marine - policemanWho supervised with the strictest discipline & sacrifice.
I’m from an artist
With a knack for fabled flowers.
I’m from weathered chests
Tossed into weeds
Discovered decades later.
I’m from a red tractor
A mile long dirt road
A wood burning stove
And even a swinging porch bed.
I am from these two
So carefully
Blended
Into me.
Creating an Extended Metaphor
Poem
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Brainstorm a list of totally dissimilar things.
Exchange your list with another student.
Pick 2 things from the list you were given that are
the most dissimilar.
Draft a short poem showing the relationship
between the two. (Basically create a bridge
between the items.)
Partner up and share your poem.
Revise your poem.
Proof and polish it.
Mrs. McCrady’s Extended
Metaphor Poem
Life is a rollercoaster
Time moves at lightning pace,
Yet no one seems to win the race.
Relationships have their ups and downs,
Very rarely leave us with a frown.
Our careers, they have their twists and turns,
Success and tribulations provide us more to yearn.
Education seems to never end,
Before you know it, the ride suspends.
Be brave, hop on, take a chance,
The unknown, it’s exciting, life’s sustenance.
Extended Metaphor
Mrs. Sullivan
School is a quilt.
Traditions old.
In some homes a proud display
In others, jammed in backroom closets.
School is a quilt.
Pieces strung together
From numerous sources
Sometimes with distinct patterns
But more often, a mismatch.
School is a quilt.
A dependable warmth,
A comfortable barrier to life’s rainy days,
A tradition
To be passed on to each new generation.
School is a quilt.
Credo for Life
I believe in the perfect game
The four for four game,
The no hitter,
The National League,
The tradition of the game,
That the greatest player ever to put on spikes will always be Willie Mays, that
Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds are overrated, that baseball will never be
surpassed as the National past time.
But the claims that baseball is boring are for whiners with short attention spans
and no respect for the game
Credo for Life continued…
I believe in going to the ballpark rather than watching TV,
I believe in the tradition of Wrigley, Fenway and Yankee Stadiums,
I believe in rooting against the New York Yankees and the way they buy their
championships.
And I believe in the 3 hour, one to nothing game that is decided in the bottom
of the ninth inning
With a single, bunt, and someone clutching up to capture the moment.
That’s baseball.
Ben E.
“Bull Durham”
Student Example of Credo for Life
I believe in the wisdom of elders,
The influence of peer pressure,
The importance of success,
The evil that exists in money,
The effectiveness of hard work,
Dedication, courage, strength.
But the belief that you don’t have to strive
For your goals is just outrageous.
I believe in the truth that will set you
free,
I believe in love that will conquer all,
I believe in respect for others,
Courtesy, politeness, gratitude.
And I believe in the fact that
tomorrow
Isn’t promised to you.
Tierra Jones
Credo for Life
by: Mrs. Sullivan
I believe in the intelligence of every child
I believe in the goodness of people
I believe that tomorrow will be brighter
And I believe that silence is golden.
I don’t believe in people feeling superior to others.
I do believe in our ability to change ourselves
In the laughter and sweetness of children
In the strength of one person to make this a better world
I believe in lazy, rainy afternoons where nothing is expected.
Creating Your Own Credo for Life
I believe in the _____________________
The ______________________________
The ______________________________
The ______________________________
The ______________________________
__________________________________
But (something you don’t believe in)
I believe in ________________________
I believe in ________________________
I believe in ________________________
___________, _____________, _______
And I believe in _____________ (longest)
If I Were in Charge of the World
If I were in charge of the world
I'd cancel oatmeal,
Monday mornings,
Allergy shots, and also Sara Steinberg.
If I were in charge of the world
There'd be brighter nights lights,
Healthier hamsters, and
Basketball baskets forty eight inches lower.
If I were in charge of the world
You wouldn't have lonely.
You wouldn't have clean.
You wouldn't have bedtimes.
Or "Don't punch your sister."
You wouldn't even have sisters.
If I were in charge of the world
A chocolate sundae with whipped
cream and nuts would be a vegetable
All 007 movies would be G,
And a person who sometimes forgot
to brush,
And sometimes forgot to flush,
Would still be allowed to be
In charge of the world.
Judith Viorst
If I Were in Charge of the World
by: Mrs. Sullivan
If I were in charge of the world
I’d cancel cold lunches
Sleepless nights,
Grades,
and also report cards
If I were in charge of the world
There’d be a constant supply of caffeine,
No need to walk my dog,
And only sunny winter days.
If I were in charge of the world
You’d never have angry.
You wouldn’t have dirty laundry,
You wouldn’t have alarm clocks,
Or the need to stack chairs.
If I were in charge of the world
Chips would be a required food group
And a person who sometimes misses
details,
And sometimes doesn’t exercise daily
Would still be allowed
To be in charge of the world.
Your Own “In Charge” Poem
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Stanza 1: 4 things you’d cancel.
Stanza 2: 3-4 things that would exist in your
world.
Stanza 3: 4-5 things that would not exist in
your world.
Stanza 4: 4-5 things that would happen.
List Poem
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Close your eyes and picture your bedroom
Make a list of everything that you see
Pay attention to word choice, be creative, and
carefully select words to help create a picture
“List” Poem,
by Mrs. Sullivan
The newly stained closet with the clothes tucked away
Always an afterthought
In no particular order.
The books I’ve bought
Stacked lovingly by my bedside
In no particular order.
The bed, on which I lay wearily
With all of my dreams flitting through my brain
In no particular order.
The photos scattered
Each one a testament to what really matters
In no particular order.
The slippers discarded
Sometimes upright, sometimes flip-flopped on the floor by my bedroom door
In no particular order.
The pile of receipts, jewelry, and coins
Flung-forgotten- onto my bureau drawer
In no particular order.
The relief of reaching my retreat
Where there’s no pressure
‘cause there’s no particular order.
“Time Somebody Told Me”
by Quantedius Hall
Time Somebody Told Me
That I am lovely, good and real
That I am beautiful inside
If they only knew
How that would make me feel.
Time Somebody Told Me
That my mind is quick, sharp
and full of wit
That I should keep on trying
and never quit.
Time Somebody Told Me
How they loved and needed me
How my smile is filled with hope
And my spirit sets them free
How my eyes shine, full of light
How good they feel when they hug me
tight.
Time Somebody Told Me
So, I had a talk with myself
Just me, nobody else
‘cause it was time
Somebody Told Me.
Your Own “Time Somebody…”
Time Somebody Told Me
That I am _________, _______ & ______
That I am _______________ inside
If they only knew
How that would ___________________.
Time Somebody Told Me
That my mind is _________, _______,
and ________________
That I should keep ________________
and _________________.
Time Somebody Told Me
How they _________, & ______
How my ________ is _______________
and my _______________________
How my ____________, ____________
How good they feel when I
__________________________.
Time Somebody Told Me
So I had a talk with myself
Just me, nobody else
‘cause it was time
Somebody Told Me.
“Time Somebody Told Me”
by Mrs. Sullivan
Time Somebody Told Me
That I am genuine, captivating, and true
That I am always sane and serene
- If they only knewThey’d confide this to me.
Time Somebody Told Me
That my mind is unique, inventive,
And not at all contrived.
That I should keep on being creative
So I stay totally alive.
How they admired and respected me
How my thoughtfulness was never a waste of time
How my eyes are a direct sign of the humor inside.
Time Somebody Told Me.
So,
I sat down, and spoke to myself
‘Cause it was time
SOMEBODY told
Me.