Poetry Prompts
Responding to Poetry
Read With a Purpose, Respond to a
Prompt
• Whether we are conscious of it or not, we all
have natural responses to poetry.
• Sometimes the poems make us feel a wide range
of emotions, and other times we may simply
take pleasure in the rhythm or the sounds of
the words on the page.
• Today, we are going to examine poems, try to
think deeply about their messages, their
purposes, then respond to a prompt.
Image: http://www.delsearegional.us/Academic/MediaCenter/hs/poetrywinners08.htm
“Sick” by Shel Silverstein
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XaZboMtdEo
“I
cannot go to school today,”
Said little Peggy Ann McKay,
“I have the measles and the
mumps,
A gash, a rash, and purple
bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is
dry,
I’m going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox
And there’s one more—that’s
seventeen,
And don’t you think my face
looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue--It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and
mouth,
choke,
I think my hair is falling out.
I’m sure that my left leg is
My elbow’s bent, my spine ain’t
broke—
straight,
My hip hurts when I move my My temperature is one-o-eight.
chin,
My brain is shrunk, I cannot
My belly button’s caving in,
hear,
My back is wrenched, my ankle’s There is a hole inside my ear.
sprained,
I have a hangnail, and my heart
My ‘pendix pains each time it
is—what?
rains.
What’s that? What’s that you say?
My nose is cold, my toes are
You say today is---Saturday?
numb,
G’bye, I’m going out to play!”
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my
Image: http://www.visualphotos.com/image/2x1902611/girl_sick_in_bed
Read With a Purpose
• Think for a minute what this poem is about?
• What have you learned about little Peggy Ann
McKay?
Respond to a Prompt
• Think of a time that you misled someone.
• What did you bend the truth about?
• How did you feel after you told that person
something that wasn’t 100% true?
• Did s/he ever find out that they had been
misled?
• Would you do it again?
• Why or why not?
Another Look at Poetry
“MOON-CATCHIN' NET”
I've made me a moon-catchin' net,
And I'm goin' huntin' tonight,
I'll run along swingin' it over my head,
And grab for that big ball of light.
So tomorrow just look at the sky,
And if there's no moon you can bet
I've found what I sought and I finally caught
The moon in my moon-catchin' net.
But if the moon's still shinin' there,
Look close underneath and you'll get
A clear look at me in the sky swingin' free
With a star in my moon-catchin' net.
- Shel Silverstein
Image: http://www.re-imagine.com/print_catchmoon.html
Respond to a Prompt
Has there ever been something you wanted very
much that you may or may not have been able to
get? Write about what you wanted. Include the
following:
a. What did you want and why did you want it?
b. If you got it, explain how it happened and why
you were successful. If you didn’t, explain why
not.
c. Explain how you might be successful in getting it
in the future.
Yet another look at Poetry
“Sea-Fever”
by John Masefield
I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship to steer her by,
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.
I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy say with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must down to the seas again to the vagrant gypsy life.
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
All I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.
Respond to a Prompt
• The poem below may give you ideas for your
writing. Read the poem again and pay
attention to unusual details. Then create a
story.
• Imagine you are on a ship’s crew. Your ship is
your home. Write a story about how the ocean
affects your life. Tell about some of the things
you’ve seen. Use your imagination to make
your story interesting and original.
5-Point Response
Being on a ship’s crew, I feel happy and free. As a sailor, I get to see all
different parts of the world, and I have all sorts of amazing stories to tell when I
return home. I have seen beautiful islands and amazing animals. Once, we saw a
bunch of dolphins jumping through the waves. Another time, we saw a giant whale.
I miss the ocean when I’m not on it, but my crew and I live near each other, so I am
never alone.
Our ship has been on rough oceans and in big storms. We even had waves
come over the railings and onto the deck of our ship. I was afraid we might
shipwreck. These things can be scary, but I have always been happy on the seas.
Feeling the wind in my hair and smelling the salty waves is great!