“I Want to Hear a Poem” by Steve Coleman
How to Find a Poem
Discovering the Stuff our Souls are Searching For
Presented by Shelly K. Unsicker-Durham
“Valentine for Earnest Mann”
by Naomi Shihab Nye
QUICKWRITE – Try this:
1. Write as quickly and specifically as you can all that the
poem brings to mind for you.
2. Borrow any line from the poem and let that line lead
your thinking.
3. Write about the places in your own life, where poetry
may be hiding.
Magnetic Poetry
Trays and Magnetic Words
Create a Palette of
Colorful Words
1)
2)
CHOOSE WORDS THAT
SEEM TO SPEAK TO
YOU.
DON’T WORRY OVER
WORDS YOU CANNOT
FIND, JUST WRITE THEM
DOWN.
Create a Palette of
Colorful Words
3)
4)
5)
6)
ONCE YOU HAVE 20
WORDS OR MORE,
BEGIN A LIST POEM.
SEE pg 2 FOR MY
EXAMPLE.
PAIR & SHARE.
AUTHOR’S CHAIR.
Create a Palette of
Colorful Words
1.
2.
AS YOU CREATE POEMS
ON THE MAGNETIC
TRAY, WRITE THEM
DOWN SO YOU CAN
KEEP THEM.
FIND AT LEAST 10 MORE
WORDS TO ADD TO
YOUR PALETTE.
Imitation Poems
TAKE A FAVORITE POEM AND USE THE
BEGINNINGS OF EACH LINE TO IMITATE ITS
FORM – SEE PAGES 7 – 8.
This is just to say
I have ____________
the _______________
that were ____
the ________________
and which
you _______________
________
for _____________
______________me
they were ___________
so__________
Pages 7 - 8
and so ______________
Imitation Poems
USE WORDS FROM YOUR PALETTE TO
HELP YOU FILL IN THE BLANKS.
FOUND POETRY
RULES, pg. 3
1) Read / skim
the selection.
Circle or underline any words,
phrases, or sentences you think
are powerful or meaningful.
2) Copy words,
phrases, and
lines, creating a
word palette.
3) Do not add
words (unless
you want to
break this rule).
4) Arrange the
lines, words,
and phrases
into a poem.
5) You may
repeat words,
phrases, and
lines.
6) You may
rearrange
words.
Kind of a Warning
Cars plummeting
explosions and floods
pipelines and traffic
shut down
aging roads
aging bridges
cascading failure
crumbling infrastructure
corroding steel
rusted out
transportation system
more than 100 years old
We need
innovative thinking,
adequate public financing,
state and local governments
willing to pay the cost.
No-brainer
Nothing lasts forever.
If we don’t act?
Massive Emergency
Deficient roads
deficient bridges
grazed
buckled
aging
killing
Revision Matters, pg. 9
THINK FRAGMENTS
SAY THE MOST WITH
THE LEAST
EXPERIMENT WIT
LINE BREAKS
USE WHITE SPACE
CONSIDER SHAPE
END WITH A BANG!
Author’s Chair
National Carry a Poem in
Your Pocket Day
April 30, 2015