Friday, May 22, 2009

Topic: Writing Poetry

10-second review: What are some techniques for teaching students how to write poetry? Students underline words and phrases on a page torn out of an old book; or in books they are reading [that are their own personal copies]. Arrange the words and phrases into a poem. I tried it. Here’s mine, taken from several pages in Schlesinger’s Robert Kennedy and His Times:


A profound emotion—the dread of war:

Unrelenting antagonisms lead to the end of everything,

The only victor—compulsive gloom.


Source: L Gajdostik. Classroom Notes Plus (April 2005), 7-8. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).


Comment: I’m not saying it’s great or even good or even fair poetry. But putting those words together into a connected thought made me think. RayS.

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