Poetic Lessons

This semester in AP Lit, I tried out Station Rotation for some work with poetry.  In brief, here was the focus at each station:

1.  share notes from previous night's homework (on imagery)

2.  Read My Papa's Waltz.  Make a T chart of positive or negative imagery.  Make determination of Woo Hoo or Boo Hoo for the poem.

3.  Read Those Winter Sundays.  Determine Woo Hoo or Boo Hoo.  Write brief paragraph explaining decision.

4.  Read poems on poetryfoundation.org.  Select a few lines from a poem of your choosing that would be suitable for hanging on a poster in our school.

5.  Read Blackberry Picking.  Then, listen to Seamus Heaney read it.  Annotate the poem to show what you noticed about it based on hearing the poet read his own work.


I wanted to share some of the results of my students' work on #4.  I thought they had great ideas about how to inspire others through poetry (and even gave pointers about where to hang the hypothetical posters!).

Here are some of their selections:

• Books are door shaped portals carrying me across oceans and centuries, helping me feel less alone.  —Margarita Engle

• We need you and your stories and questions that like a fresh path will take us to new vistas.  —Pat Mora

• You had my back.  We fought the fight.  And though our score was less last night, we’re walking tall.  Our team came through and stuck together like crazy glue. I’m proud to say I lost with you. —Sara Holbrook

• The windows of a classroom always open to the future. —Yehuda Amichai