WHY POETRY?
Why I choose to love words.
MR. WILSON




8th grade English teacher
Encouraged us to express ourselves
Wanted us to seize the day
Taught form but didn’t constrict our creativity
His favorite poem was: She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies…
(We will look at the rest of this poem later)
WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens.
DIANE DI PRIMA & THE BEATS
for you
i would no longer pick
my so-pickable nose
or bite my delicious nails
for you I would fix my teeth
and buy a mattress
for you
i’d kill my favorite roach
that lives in the woodwork
by the drawing table
WHY DO I LOVE THESE POEMS?
Simplicity
A moment
A vivid picture
Real and tangible
WHY DO I LOVE POETRY?
POETRY IS MUSIC
Gale’s Song by The Lumineers
It's a lonely road
for the tired man,
and you can see it in your
face.
And you'll be home in
spring,
I can wait 'til then.
I heard you're on the big
train.
And oh, this too shall pass.
This loneliness won't last for
long.
I wasn't there to take his
place.
I was ten thousand miles
away.
So when you hear my voice,
when you say my name,
may it never give you pain.
But I don't wanna go,
but it's time to leave.
You'll be on my mind, my destiny.
And I won't fight in vain.
I'll love you just the same, oh.
I couldn't know what's in your mind,
but I saw the pictures, you're looking fine.
And there was a time when I stood in line
for love, for love, for love.
But I let you go, oh,
I let you go.
And he fell apart
with his broken heart,
and this blood, this blood, this blood.
Oh, it drains from my skin, it does.
POETRY IS A MOMENT
This Is Just To Say
William Carlos Williams, 1883 - 1963
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
POETRY IS A LIFETIME
For sale: Baby shoes, never worn. – Ernest Hemingway
POETRY IS A PICTURE
A bee by Matsuo Basho
A bee
staggers out
of the peony.
A POEM IS IMAGINARY:
THOUGH SOMETIMES BASED ON REAL LIFE, A POEM CAN BE (AND
OFTEN IS) BASED ON FICTION. YOU MAY WRITE A POEM ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO YOU.
Jabberwocky
One, two! One, two! And through and through
BY LEWIS CARROLL
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
He took his vorpal sword in hand;
He left it dead, and with its head
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
He went galumphing back.
All mimsy were the borogoves,
So rested he by the Tumtum tree
And the mome raths outgrabe.
And stood awhile in thought.
“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
He chortled in his joy.
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
The frumious Bandersnatch!”
And burbled as it came!
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
SIX WORD POEMS
I leave. Dog panics. Furniture shopping.
Painfully, he changed “is” to “was”
Joining the President is his husband…
Strangers. Friends. Best friends. Lovers. Strangers.
Her Mondays never meet her expectations.
Painted toenails scream "finally, it's spring!!“
No hit songs for his journey.
Let's not pretend I learned anything.
Sunday night: homework laughs at procrastination
WHAT DID YOU NOTICE?
- After reading the six-word poems, what surprises you about this form of writing?
- What were some of the common themes that emerged from the writing? Which
themes stood out to you the most and why?
- What emotions are revealed through these six-word poems?
- Choose one of the six-word poems. What do you think is the backstory for this
author’s six-word poem?
DISCUSS WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR: CHOOSE ONE OF THE SIX-WORD
POEMS. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BACKSTORY FOR THIS AUTHOR’S SIX -WORD POEM?
I leave. Dog panics. Furniture shopping.
Painfully, he changed “is” to “was”
Joining the President is his husband…
Strangers. Friends. Best friends. Lovers. Strangers.
Her Mondays never meet her expectations.
Painted toenails scream "finally, it's spring!!“
No hit songs for his journey.
Let's not pretend I learned anything.
Sunday night: homework laughs at procrastination
WRITE YOUR OWN SIX WORD POEMS
Tips:
1. Make your six-word poem personal and honest.
2. Use the Six Word limitation to inspire creativity.
3. Think about the emotion/tone you wish to express through your writing.
4. Put the six best words in the best order to express exactly what you want to
communicate.
5. Consider where you will place capital letters and punctuation marks.
WRITE A SIX WORD POEM ABOUT THIS SETTING:
WRITE A SIX WORD POEM ABOUT WHAT ONE OF
THE CHARACTERS IN THIS PICTURE IS THINKING:
WRITE A SIX WORD POEM USING AS MUCH
DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE AS YOU CAN: THINK TASTE, TOUCH,
SMELL, SOUND AS WELL AS SIGHT
WRITE A SIX WORD POEM ABOUT YOUR HIGH
SCHOOL EXPERIENCE…
CHOOSE ONE OF YOUR SIX WORD POEMS…
Write two more six word poems about that same topic.
Do not try to tie them together as one poem – write two different poems.
 When you are finished, try reading them together
HW: WRITE ANOTHER THREE SIX WORD POEMS
THAT FOCUS ON THE SAME THEME AND UPLOAD TO TURNITIN.COM
Jumping off points:
Write a six word poem about spring break
…about a dream you had
…about a picture on your facebook, instagram, photo album etc.
…about your childhood
…about your family
…about your favorite place
…about your best friend
For more ideas go to: sixwordmemoirs.com/teens/index.php