THE POEM THAT WILL NOT END: Fun with Poetic Forms and Voices
THE POEM THAT WILL NOT END is . . .
A NCTE Notable Poetry Book
Winner of the Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Poetry
Recipient of a Eureka! Silver Award for Excellence in Nonfiction
Former U.S. Children's Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt said, "masterful . . . the book belongs in every classroom and school library, and in the bands of every young reader who wants to know more about poetry."
"may have language arts teachers doing a happy dance." --Kirkus Reviews
"Full of energy and humor . . . engaging." --Booklist
TEACHER IDEAS
Four important skills to consider in education are Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, & Creativity. All of these come into play in the creation of a children's book! My editor and I are communicating. She is communicating with the illustrator and art director. We are all collaborating on ideas, thinking critically about how to best present the poems, page breaks, covers, etc. At the core of it all is a lot of creativity—an exciting process!
Language Arts:
In art it is important to find the medium that works best for what you want to express. In poetry you need to find the form that best conveys your thoughts and observations. Try out many forms for the same poem to see which is the best "fit" for what you want to say.
Ryan rides his skateboard and plays soccer. Both of those poems are concrete, or shape, poems. What sports, hobbies, or activities do you enjoy? Create a shape poem focusing on one of your interests.
What do you do at recess? Write your own "Recess" poem. It can be an acrostic or any other form you like. Draw a picture of what recess is like at your school.
"Bike" is a mask poem, where the object speaks for itself. What object would you like to give a voice?
In a poem of address, Ryan talks to a "Soccer Ball." In your own poem, talk to a piece of sports equipment or something in your classroom (your desk?).
Like "Couplet for French Fries," create a couplet for one of your favorite foods. Display class poems on a bulletin board or make a video.
In the "Soccer Ball" poem it says "The bell rang and I bolted." The word "bolted" is an auto-antonym, or contranym, a word that can mean two opposite things—bolt, to secure in place, or bolt, to dash away suddenly. Can you find any other words like this?
I used many different words to mean "write." How many can you find? (1. scribble, 2. doodle, 3. scrawled, 4. scratched, 5. wrote, 6. dashed, 7. inked, 8. stacked)
The end of the story is an example of IRONY.
Can you think of other unique ways Ryan might write a poem? See if you can add your own stanza to my story poem.
Invite someone from a local Toastmaster's Club to speak to students about giving effective oral presentations.
Art:
Using a collage and paint technique like artist Kyrsten Brooker, incorporate a poem that you have written, or one you enjoy, into a piece of art. Collect old magazines to cut up and scraps of fabric to use with your project.
Study artists who have used words in their paintings. At the USC Fisher Museum of Art there was an exhibit, "Drawn to Language," from five contemporary artists who are "inspired by and incorporate text in their visually striking pieces."
Social Studies:
The poetic forms haiku and tanka originated in Japan. Ryan also writes an Italian sonnet and a French villanelle. Create a Poetry Map or bulletin board with poems from around the world. The oral traditions of storytelling and poetry are important in many cultures. Poetry provides diverse points of view. Collect poems on a similar theme, poems that contradict each other, or poems that display visual language.
Science:
Get a kick out of the science of sports! Talk about why a soccer ball sails, how a bicycle moves, and why a skateboard can go airborne.
In "Soccer Ball" Ryan uses a "solar system" metaphor—a comparison, saying one thing is something else (The soccer ball is the "sun"—everything revolves around it.). What is a galaxy? Discuss the sun and our solar system. Make papier-mâché planets to suspend from the ceiling of your classroom. Think of other space metaphors.
Music:
Long ago poetry was accompanied by the music of the lyre; this is where we get the word lyrics-- the words to songs. Create a classroom or library museum exploring "Poetry through the Ages." You might include a timeline.
In the poem "Conductor," Ryan conducts an environmental symphony. Plan to do this with an ocean drum, rain sticks, a thunder stick—any instruments available. Others can be part of the "wind chorus." Use a very large pencil as Ryan's baton. Have someone read the poem while Ryan "conducts" and others join in with their instruments.
Get the feel of a villanelle by doing the "Fever" poem as a choral reading. Print and number the two repeating lines (color-coded) on strips of poster board or oak tag:
"I cannot stop this fever in my brain." (red)
"Day in, day out, the words just fall like rain." (blue)
Invite two students up to the front of the room to hold these "refrain" signs. Whoever reads "Fever" can point to the refrain when it comes up in the poem, and then everyone can join in the chorus. The two refrains, together, end the poem.
Math:
There is a lot of counting going on in poetry! Counting "beats" per line . . . there are five stresses, or beats, in iambic pentameter. Counting the number of lines--an octave has eight lines. Counting the arrangement of lines--a cinquain is 2,4,6,8,2 syllables or beats on each of its five lines. Explore the numbers vocabulary of poetry. Poetry counts.
Make a one-page "dummy" of a book. Most picture books are 32 pages as they are printed in "signatures" of eight. How will you fold the paper to get 32 blocks/pages?
Drama:
Use the book for Reader's Theater or have fun staging your own classroom production of THE POEM THAT WILL NOT END with simple props—a cap or striped shirt for Ryan, a scarf or feather boa for Ms. Frost, a bib and banana for "Banana Baby," a baseball bat for Eddie, and a large #1 to hang around Aimee's neck with yarn (That's the number on her soccer shirt.). Someone might even want to be Ryan's dog—with "ears," a bone, and his distinguished "houndstooth" jacket. Various students could read, or act out, the embedded poems, perform the environmental symphony for "Conductor," and everyone could participate in the choral reading for "Fever." Poetry gives you a chance to express yourself and have fun.
What other poems could Ryan write? Have a contest in your school to add additional stanzas to the book so the poetry will not end--be creative! © Joan B. Graham