It’s Poetry Friday and, after a few weeks’ absence, I am really happy to be posting again today.
Last Friday as an actual Poetry Friday for me. I spent the day at a conference where the focus was children’s poetry. The ALEA/ACMI State Conference in Melbourne was a wonderful event, with participants able to choose a poetry workshop or keynote for every single session. Magic. I was lucky to be invited to the conference to present a keynote on the importance of pleasure in poetry, and to then give a workshop.
I began the workshop by giving each participants two stickynotes: a heart shaped one (on which I asked them to write something they liked about poetry, or a line of poetry they loved) and a down arrow shaped one. On this second I asked them to write the thing they liked least about poetry. Sadly, I think lots of people found this one easier. the stickynotes were then stuck on the whiteboard – the hearts on a Poet-Tree and the arrows on a rubbish bin.
I brought the stickynotes home, and, as I looked at them on my desk, knew I needed to use them for something. What better than a found poem? So, here we have it: a poem about what teachers DON’T like about poetry.
So Many Rules!
Rules
Rules
Rules
So many rules
and forms
and different types.
Curriculum restricts
prohibits
limits
making kids frustrated
And me too!
Structures
and restrictions
and rules.
Hard haiku
ridiculous rhyme
limitations of vocabulary.
Skill heavy
makes it hard to teach.
Takes time to read
to understand
to connect.
Sometimes I can’t relate
to the words
and I hate being told
what a poem means
when I think something different.
Writing in rhyme can be boring
I don’t know what to write about!
Even if I had the ideas
I don’t have the technical ability:
I am terrible at writing poetry!
Boys want to write
about snot
the toilet
disgusting food –
and that’s just not poetry to me.
Poetry can be sad
and dry
and it’s filled with
rules
rules
rules.
(Poem copyright Sally Murphy)
Sound negative? Actually, this was a really positive bunch of teachers, there to learn, to share because they recognised that poetry is important. Next week I’ll share a second poem – based on the things they liked about poetry. See you then.
In the meantime, this week’s Poetry Friday roundup is hosted by Michelle at Today’s Little Ditty.
How exciting for you to have this opportunity to speak with these teachers. I especially like the comment about boys and snotty poems! Nice job with this found poem.
Thanks Doraine!
Wow, what a clever poem ‘found’ in the rubbish bin, Sally. I had a little girl write a poem about snot once, not a masterpiece, but at least she was writing. Looking forward to next week’s ‘love’ notes. =)
I agree Bridget. If snot is the topic that gets someone writing, then that snot bad (groan)
“Curriculum restricts” this line strikes me as sad! Congratulations on being a keynoter!
Sad, but true. Thanks Diane
“and I hate being told
what a poem means
when I think something different.”
YES!! This was one of the things I hated so much when I was in school, and part of what really turned me off poetry. Glad to hear I’m not alone! 😉
Me too, Jane. I loved poetry until I discovered that many people thought there was a ‘right’ answer to what each one meant. Took me a while to get past that.
For every person that hates rules, there’s one that loves them. For every one that hates thinking up new ideas, there’s one that loves to. Poetry may not be for everyone, but there’s something in it for everyone. Pleasure, beauty, thought, ideas, joy. Who would walk away from all that?
Yep. And this conference was all about trying to dispel the negatives, which I think it did. Participants left with lots of very positive ways to share poetry.
I like your gleaning of the goods and bads of writing poetry for teachers and others. What a great idea to turn the comments into a found poem! Some of their comments that were the negatives were actually positives for me. I like the rules, rules, rules much of the time, strangely enough!
And snot is a great poem subject in the right hands… ew!
Yes, Donna. Some of the negatives were not just positives to me, but to other participants.
“I hate being told
what a poem means
when I think something different.”
I’ll bet a lot of people can relate to that. Looking forward to next week!
Thanks Tabatha.
Yowza! I know many teachers have difficulty with teaching poetry (PF company excepted), but to gather all those negative thoughts in a found poem is a bit like a punch in the gut. Thank goodness you were there to help them discover some new approaches!
Thanks Michelle. It was a much more positive exercise than it sounded, because it was a chance to put those downs into a rubbish bin and move forward with the positives.
Thank you for this insight and the found poem. What would it take to turn those arrows up? What would you get if you tried this exercise with students?
I loved visiting Melbourne recently. I
In my sessions I addressed some of these downs and what could be done about/with them.