I've been thinking for a few hours about teaching poetry in my classroom. Where do we begin? was always my first question. Reading chapter 5 of triggering town gave me some ideas about the contrustion of a poem, which should help me in the classroom. Being a sports writer has made creative writing difficult for me, because I was always worrying about the facts of a story. Now, I have to step outside that box and find new ways to tell the same story.
The chapter focuses on how we can make our poems more intersting, which is something that I need, so my students should suffer the same problem. Instead of tyring to come up with types of poems to write, I think I will start with simple writing exercises and hopefully poems will come out of there. Then, we can move on to learing about the different styles and types of poems. I already feel 1,000% better about teaching poetry, and it has only been a few days in class. Hopefully, I will continue to grow and try new things to reach my students. I really feel that all educators could benefit from taking classes like this, because they are way better than professional learning workshop about learning focused schools.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Improv, Week 2
Sadness
Shuntaro Tanikawa
Sadness
A half-peeled apple
Not a metaphor
Not a poem
Merely there
A half-pealed apple
Sadness
Merely there
Yesterday's evening paper
Merely there
Merely there
A warm breast
Merely there
Nightfall
Sadness
Apart from words
Apart from the heart
Merely here
The things of today
Sadness
Chris Yarbrough
Sadness
Waiting for next year
Not a title
Not a championship
Merely there
Waiting for next year
Sadness
Merely there
Yesterday's box score
Merely there
Merely there
A blue flag
Merely there
Lights cut off
Sadness
Apart from expectations
Apart from happiness
Merely here
Waiting for next year
Sign Inventory, Week2
A Poetry Calendar
I who wait for myself
I who don't appear
again today I turn a page of the sea
throw away a tight-lipped dead clam
the day not quite dawn the beach white
a mother's barren womb a broken oar
I who wait for myself
I who don't appear
again today I turn a page of the horizon
throw away a snake's too light slough
the day not quite dawn a useless parasol
the suspicious laugh cold fried food
I who wait for myself
I who don't appear
again today I turn the page of the sky
sweep together and throw away all the soot stardust
the day not quite dawn the grass full of hanging tears
I leaf and leaf through a calendar
yet I don't appear
I who wait for myself
world of imaginary numbers love without arms
1. The first three stanzas all begin the same way, but the third and fourth lines have variations.
2. The refrains all start the same way, but after the first two lines there are changes to the words.
3. The first major change happens in the last stanza. It is only three lines compared with four from the other stanzas.
4. The speaker changes the last stanza from "I who wait for myself" to "yet I don't appear I wait fro my self." There is a reverse from lines one and two.
5. There are no punctuation marks in the entire poem. Each line breaks without ending to create a feeling of openness.
6. In the refrains, the author uses huge spaces between words. It is the only time that the he creates this space throughout the poem.
7. All the stanzas begin with the same three lines, except for the third stanza, where it begins "sweep together" instead of throw away. But throw away is used later in the same line.
8. The third park of the refrain is very different each time. You have the white beach, useless parasol and grass full of hanging tears. The third item is very different, because it invokes a much different image.
9. In the final three lines, the objects become much more abstract. We go from leafing through a calendar to love without arms.
10. The idea that the speaker is not there is interesting, because the "I" is able turn the sky, sea and horizon.
I who wait for myself
I who don't appear
again today I turn a page of the sea
throw away a tight-lipped dead clam
the day not quite dawn the beach white
a mother's barren womb a broken oar
I who wait for myself
I who don't appear
again today I turn a page of the horizon
throw away a snake's too light slough
the day not quite dawn a useless parasol
the suspicious laugh cold fried food
I who wait for myself
I who don't appear
again today I turn the page of the sky
sweep together and throw away all the soot stardust
the day not quite dawn the grass full of hanging tears
I leaf and leaf through a calendar
yet I don't appear
I who wait for myself
world of imaginary numbers love without arms
1. The first three stanzas all begin the same way, but the third and fourth lines have variations.
2. The refrains all start the same way, but after the first two lines there are changes to the words.
3. The first major change happens in the last stanza. It is only three lines compared with four from the other stanzas.
4. The speaker changes the last stanza from "I who wait for myself" to "yet I don't appear I wait fro my self." There is a reverse from lines one and two.
5. There are no punctuation marks in the entire poem. Each line breaks without ending to create a feeling of openness.
6. In the refrains, the author uses huge spaces between words. It is the only time that the he creates this space throughout the poem.
7. All the stanzas begin with the same three lines, except for the third stanza, where it begins "sweep together" instead of throw away. But throw away is used later in the same line.
8. The third park of the refrain is very different each time. You have the white beach, useless parasol and grass full of hanging tears. The third item is very different, because it invokes a much different image.
9. In the final three lines, the objects become much more abstract. We go from leafing through a calendar to love without arms.
10. The idea that the speaker is not there is interesting, because the "I" is able turn the sky, sea and horizon.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Response to a classmate’s journal, Week 2
From Zac Cooper's journal:
I understand a lot of where Zac is coming from and I was struggling with the same felings. During the imatation process, I find myself trying to emulate the poem's style with some kind of idea. I'm still working on my imatation this week, because I can't find the right balance. Zac's comments on creative writing are telling for us that don't consider ourselves creative writers. I feel that many of the ideas in this class will help us come to grips with the notion that everyone can write if they spend enough time working through those different exercises to help us come up with intersting items in our poetry.
Throughout the course of my writing this week I have tried to employ some of the notions we have been discussing in class. One of these notions that stuck out for me was the technique of using words within a poem for their sound and/or connotation instead of their meaning. While I grasped this idea in our class discussions and can observe it in other writers' poems, as a first time creative writer I was having trouble using the technique in meaningful ways in my own writing. However, I feel that while completing the Improv/Imitation entry for this week I had an epiphany of sorts with the technique.
Even though this entry was an imitation of another's work, I went through several drafts of my poetic attempt. As I continuously changed words and searched for synonyms I noticed that I was choosing words based on their sound alone. I didn't mean to, but I definitely started doing it somewhere along the line. After I noticed this technique taking place I went back and analyzed what I was choosing and why. I realized that there were two specific sounds I enjoyed using in that particular poem (which I titled Weekly Relic). Those sounds were the soft, conciliatory "s" and the hard, sharp "k" sounds. So, I decided to use and contrast those sounds within the poem and the title. Now, by no means am I singing any form of praises of this poem or claiming to have broken through a milestone in the art. However, I am saying that for me, a person who has never looked in the mirror and seen a creative writer, it was fun.
I understand a lot of where Zac is coming from and I was struggling with the same felings. During the imatation process, I find myself trying to emulate the poem's style with some kind of idea. I'm still working on my imatation this week, because I can't find the right balance. Zac's comments on creative writing are telling for us that don't consider ourselves creative writers. I feel that many of the ideas in this class will help us come to grips with the notion that everyone can write if they spend enough time working through those different exercises to help us come up with intersting items in our poetry.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Junkyard Quotes 3, Week 2
Ayo, lesson here, Bey. You come at the king, you best not miss. - Omar, "The Wire"
Mr. Little, how does a man rob drug dealers for eight or nine years and live to tell about it?
Omar: Day at a time I suppose?
Mr. Little, how does a man rob drug dealers for eight or nine years and live to tell about it?
Omar: Day at a time I suppose?
Junkyard Quotes 2, Week 2
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. ~Dave Barry
People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring. ~Rogers Hornsby
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971
I see great things in baseball. It's our game - the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism. Tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set. Repair these losses, and be a blessing to us. ~Walt Whitman
People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring. ~Rogers Hornsby
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971
I see great things in baseball. It's our game - the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism. Tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set. Repair these losses, and be a blessing to us. ~Walt Whitman
Friday, August 27, 2010
Calisthenics, Week 2
Vertigo
Somebody point the commotion,
like we are some great prize.
Devouring the many-storied building,
like a hungry beat in Autumn.
My insides shift,
like a piece of the road.
Dreams climb over a fence as
the circle works.
We are priviledge, because
James Stewart is passionately in love.
I had about 15 more lines, but I saw this theme after I read the like about James Stewart. I was wondering if I could build a poem around James Stewart with just the lines I read in the books. I made many cuts and changed some of the word chances.
Somebody point the commotion,
like we are some great prize.
Devouring the many-storied building,
like a hungry beat in Autumn.
My insides shift,
like a piece of the road.
Dreams climb over a fence as
the circle works.
We are priviledge, because
James Stewart is passionately in love.
I had about 15 more lines, but I saw this theme after I read the like about James Stewart. I was wondering if I could build a poem around James Stewart with just the lines I read in the books. I made many cuts and changed some of the word chances.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Free Write, Week 2
Extra
The journey of growth, intriguing, yet
scary all the time
There were parties, books and class.
Still, nothing prepares for shock.
Fuss surrounds as cells provide extra
Families gather and pray.
Yet, there is nothing compared
to your face.
What will life bring?
All this fuss over extra.
To be safe and fulfilling,
but be as close to regular.
Mom and Dad spend hours gazing.
They will always be willing and ready.
Just because you have 27, instead of 26
will make you that much more special.
The journey of growth, intriguing, yet
scary all the time
There were parties, books and class.
Still, nothing prepares for shock.
Fuss surrounds as cells provide extra
Families gather and pray.
Yet, there is nothing compared
to your face.
What will life bring?
All this fuss over extra.
To be safe and fulfilling,
but be as close to regular.
Mom and Dad spend hours gazing.
They will always be willing and ready.
Just because you have 27, instead of 26
will make you that much more special.
Junkyard Quotes 1, Week 2
"I can't tolerate any organization that is intolerant towards any group. Well, I guess it's ok to hate the Nazis."
- Conversation in car about religion.
- Conversation in car about religion.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Sign Inventorary, Week 1
Robert Creeley
I Know a Man
As I sd to my
friend, beame I am
always talking,-John, I
sd, which was not his
name, the darkness sur-
rounds us, what
can we do against
it, or else, shall we &
why not, buy a goddamn big car,
drive, he sd, for
christ's sake, look
out where yr going.
*There is an interesting use of the lack of vowels.
*There is an odd change in the third stanza where the author uses the & for and. Why do that now? This is the only stanza that doesn't have word without vowels.
*The peom is one long conversation, which is an interesting way to write a poem.
*The speaker calls his friend John, but he points out that that is not his name.
*The speaker speaks out about the darkness, which is mentioned right after his friend's name.
*What are the speaker's avoiding?
*Why is the speaker always talking? It is a flaw in the character or something else?
*The goddamn big car is a change of tone for the poem. Maybe it is a shot at the industrial advances.
*The peom is one sentence, which is an interesting stream of thought. There are two commas, but no periods until the end.
*The title of the peom talks about a man, but nowhere do we find out anything about him.
I Know a Man
As I sd to my
friend, beame I am
always talking,-John, I
sd, which was not his
name, the darkness sur-
rounds us, what
can we do against
it, or else, shall we &
why not, buy a goddamn big car,
drive, he sd, for
christ's sake, look
out where yr going.
*There is an interesting use of the lack of vowels.
*There is an odd change in the third stanza where the author uses the & for and. Why do that now? This is the only stanza that doesn't have word without vowels.
*The peom is one long conversation, which is an interesting way to write a poem.
*The speaker calls his friend John, but he points out that that is not his name.
*The speaker speaks out about the darkness, which is mentioned right after his friend's name.
*What are the speaker's avoiding?
*Why is the speaker always talking? It is a flaw in the character or something else?
*The goddamn big car is a change of tone for the poem. Maybe it is a shot at the industrial advances.
*The peom is one sentence, which is an interesting stream of thought. There are two commas, but no periods until the end.
*The title of the peom talks about a man, but nowhere do we find out anything about him.
Improv/Imatation, Week 1
Mark Strand:
"Coming to This"
We have doen what we wanted.
We have discarded dreams, preferring the heavy industry
of each other, and we have welcomed grief
and called ruin the impossible habit to break.
And now we are here.
The dinner is ready and we cannot eat.
The meat sits in the white lake of its dish.
The wine waits.
Coming to this
has its rewards: nothing is promised, nothing is taken away.
We have no heart or saving grace,
no palce to go, no reason to remain.
"School Bell"
We show up for the bell.
We leave when it rings
or when we feel moved
and feel bored.
We sit in the room.
The class is starting and we cannot learn.
The distractions are all around.
Some are small and others are silent.
We show up for the bell
and it has possible rewards: money or fame.
We have no feelings or motivation,
no other place to roam, no true reason to stay.
"Coming to This"
We have doen what we wanted.
We have discarded dreams, preferring the heavy industry
of each other, and we have welcomed grief
and called ruin the impossible habit to break.
And now we are here.
The dinner is ready and we cannot eat.
The meat sits in the white lake of its dish.
The wine waits.
Coming to this
has its rewards: nothing is promised, nothing is taken away.
We have no heart or saving grace,
no palce to go, no reason to remain.
"School Bell"
We show up for the bell.
We leave when it rings
or when we feel moved
and feel bored.
We sit in the room.
The class is starting and we cannot learn.
The distractions are all around.
Some are small and others are silent.
We show up for the bell
and it has possible rewards: money or fame.
We have no feelings or motivation,
no other place to roam, no true reason to stay.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Pedagogy Forum, Week 1
Teaching poetry is something that has never come natural to me. I actually feel like I do more harm than good. When Dr. Davidson was talking about some of the way poetry is read to students, it was like he was pointing right at me. I know he wasn't, but it didn't change the fact that I was that guy saying, "this is what it means." I probably taught that way, because I wasn't comfortable with the material, so I had to throw some smoke and mirrors in front of the class to avoid being found out. In all, I probably spend less time with poetry than any other teacher. I teach just enough to get by and hope my students are able to comprehend enough to make logical guesses on their standardized tests.
As we work in this class, I feel like I will evaluate my stance on poetry and how I approach it in class. I feel part of my problem stems from the fact that I was a newspaper reporter for a few years. The only poetry I read was "Baseball's Sad Lexicon":
These are the saddest of possible words:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."
Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,
Tinker and Evers and Chance.
Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,
Making a Giant hit into a double –
Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."
Granted, I love the history of this poem and do teach it on occasion. Side note, all three of Tinkers, Evers and Chance made it into the baseball Hall of Fame based on the popularity of this quick poem. So, I guess there is poetry I do feel comfortable teaching.
As we work in this class, I feel like I will evaluate my stance on poetry and how I approach it in class. I feel part of my problem stems from the fact that I was a newspaper reporter for a few years. The only poetry I read was "Baseball's Sad Lexicon":
These are the saddest of possible words:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."
Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,
Tinker and Evers and Chance.
Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,
Making a Giant hit into a double –
Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."
Granted, I love the history of this poem and do teach it on occasion. Side note, all three of Tinkers, Evers and Chance made it into the baseball Hall of Fame based on the popularity of this quick poem. So, I guess there is poetry I do feel comfortable teaching.
Junkyard Quotes 4, Week 1
"It's like a ghost town in here." - A student in response of walking into my classroom before the bell rings.
"Some special kid bumped into me in the lunch room and didn't say anything. I'm pissed and don't want to do nothing now." - From one of my students.
"Some special kid bumped into me in the lunch room and didn't say anything. I'm pissed and don't want to do nothing now." - From one of my students.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Junkyard Quotes 3, Week 1
“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.”
-Quotes about life.
“Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.”
I was looking for some quotes about how life can change really fast. With all the stuff that is going on in my life, I was looking for things that might help me make sense of things.
-Quotes about life.
“Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.”
I was looking for some quotes about how life can change really fast. With all the stuff that is going on in my life, I was looking for things that might help me make sense of things.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Response to a classmate’s journal, Week 1
I'll be honest. The first class was a little unnerving. I have never written a poem and given it to someone I was not familiar with. In fact, I have rarely given my poetry to anyone. I have either read it to them or watched them read it. I have always been very protective of my writing. I am not an "open book". My poetry was for me, and me alone. There has only been one exception, and I was letting go of someone very important. It was the last step in moving forward, the last step towards freedom. Maybe giving my writing to someone else is a good thing. I need to learn to open up more. I need not to hoard my thoughts and feelings. I need to find that sense of freedom again.
- Laura L.
I was reading everyone's blog this week, and I was trying to find something to write about this week. I wasn't sure where to begin, until I came across Laura's blog. I had many of her same thoughts on Tuesday, except for the fact I do not consider my self a poet or a creative writer. I've had things published before, but those were all newspaper articles. My four years as a sports writer did not prepare me for writing poetry. I'm glad I've challenged myself, but it does not make the process less nerve wracking. I'm just glad that other people are struggling with this concept as much as I am. I hope to become a better writer, and more importantly, a better teacher.
Junkyard Quotes 2, Week 1
These quotes come from one of my favorite overlooked movies of all time.
"Now, a few words on looking for things. When you go looking for something specific, your chances of finding it are very bad. Because of all the things in the world, you're only looking for one of them. When you go looking for anything at all, your chances of finding it are very good. Because of all the things in the world, you're sure to find some of them."
I always say that the essence of my work relies fundamentally on two basic principles: objectivity and observation, or "the two obs" as I call them. My work relies on my ability to remain absolutely, purely objective, detached. I have mastered the fine art of detachment. And while it comes at some cost, this supreme objectivity is what makes me, I dare say, the greatest observer the world has ever known.
- Daryl Zero, from Zero Effect
"Now, a few words on looking for things. When you go looking for something specific, your chances of finding it are very bad. Because of all the things in the world, you're only looking for one of them. When you go looking for anything at all, your chances of finding it are very good. Because of all the things in the world, you're sure to find some of them."
I always say that the essence of my work relies fundamentally on two basic principles: objectivity and observation, or "the two obs" as I call them. My work relies on my ability to remain absolutely, purely objective, detached. I have mastered the fine art of detachment. And while it comes at some cost, this supreme objectivity is what makes me, I dare say, the greatest observer the world has ever known.
- Daryl Zero, from Zero Effect
Friday, August 20, 2010
Free Write, Week 1
Wait till next year
Earlier stalks the present,
Which turns to hope each Winter.
Always looking to shake,
but never able to run.
Four words that haunt.
Four words that give hope.
Thousands share in misery
Looking for ecstasy.
101 grows to 102,
with no end in sight.
Is this the year?
Alas, we still wait for next year.
Earlier stalks the present,
Which turns to hope each Winter.
Always looking to shake,
but never able to run.
Four words that haunt.
Four words that give hope.
Thousands share in misery
Looking for ecstasy.
101 grows to 102,
with no end in sight.
Is this the year?
Alas, we still wait for next year.
Junkyard Quotes 1, Week 1
"America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again."
Terrance Mann, Field of Dreams
"I can't be failing this quiz."
Student from Class
"This is crickett, Ebob."
Student to another studnet about a poster project.
See, the king stay the king, a'ight?
D'Angelo, "The Wire"
Terrance Mann, Field of Dreams
"I can't be failing this quiz."
Student from Class
"This is crickett, Ebob."
Student to another studnet about a poster project.
See, the king stay the king, a'ight?
D'Angelo, "The Wire"
Calisthenics, Week 1
What the Oriole Said
Sunlight winks from wings
As Gray-spotted Lady Bugs buzz
Flight lanes filled with Polka-dotted Volkswagons
As one brave bug inches along a dandelion
Scents of freshly tended garden invade dreams
They sink towards the cotton froth float
Sunlight winks from wings
As Gray-spotted Lady Bugs buzz
Flight lanes filled with Polka-dotted Volkswagons
As one brave bug inches along a dandelion
Scents of freshly tended garden invade dreams
They sink towards the cotton froth float
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