(1) Poetry Lesson 5
(2) Poetry Lesson 5
Sometimes poetry can be difficult to figure out. The
way poets use shorter lines, a different type of
organization (stanzas), fragments, and certain words
can make some poems hard to understand. When
you read a poem for the first time, it can be tricky to
know what the poet is trying to say. One way we can
have a better idea of what the poet is trying to
communicate to the readers is by making connections
to the poem’s topic. If we can relate to the way that
the poet feels and make a connection with his or her
words, that can often help us understand the poem in
a deeper way. Let’s read some of Kalli Dako’s poems
from her collection If You’re Not Here, Please Raise
Your Hand: Poems about School and see if we can
connect to her ideas.
There are some very silly and some pretty serious
poems in Kalli’s collection. That’s just like our lives in
school-some days great/some tough. Here is a poem
of Kalli’s that is silly and fun.
(3) Poetry Lesson 5
(4) Poetry Lesson 5
Poems that are upbeat or silly are usually pretty
easy to understand. It’s clear that this poem is
about a child who feels like kissing friends in
school is super yucky and gross. But sometimes,
when poems have a deeper mood or feeling to
them, it can be a little tougher to figure out
what the poet is trying to say to the readers.
Display and read aloud “Hiding in the Bathroom” on p. 36
Let’s read another one of Kalli’s poems and
think about whether we have ever felt the way
the poet does about the situation she writes
about in hiding in the bathroom.
(5) Poetry Lesson 5
Now I am going to read another one of Kalli’s poems
called “You Can Do Better”. As I read, listen closely
and think about whether you have ever had a similar
experience. It doesn’t need to be the exact same
experience but, rather, a time in your life when your
life when you felt the way the student in the poem
does.
Display and read aloud “You Can Do Better” on p.13
Have you ever felt like the student in this poem? Can
you think of a time when you were trying your best but
someone didn’t think it was good enough? Turn and
talk to your partner and discuss that time and how it
made you feel. Please be honest and sensitive as we
share these moments.
Display and read aloud “It’s Gross to Kiss” on p. 7
Have any of you ever felt like this when someone
teases you about having a boyfriend or girlfriend in
school?
Ask students to raise their hands.
I can remember times when I was in school and
felt like other people didn’t like me, or
sometimes I felt like I needed to be by myself. I
would try to make myself quiet-almost invisibleso that no one would make fun of me or bother
me. I understand the poem better because I
have a personal connection to the feelings that
the poet discusses.
Ask Students to raise their hands if they have felt this
way in school.
(6) Poetry Lesson 5
Allow students a few minutes to share events, and
then ask some students to share their experiences
with the whole class if they feel comfortable doing so.
Trying to connect with the feelings or
experiences presented in poems can help us
understand the writing is a much clearer way.
When you are reading poems, try to think
about a time in your life when you felt the same
way or experienced something similar. This can
be the trick to helping you figure out the poet’s
meaning!