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Reading to the Core for hosting today's Poetry Friday Round-up.
Sometimes, at the close of a weekend, when I've read as many PF blog posts as I can get to, I think: What on earth will I share next week?
I have to laugh at myself because....
A. Poetry Friday is voluntary...I enjoy PF no one is forcing me.
And,
B. Poetry Friday can be as simple as thought, or idea
By Monday or Tuesday....I have a flicker of an idea and start thinking about how to share it. Usually, it's a piggy-back idea from another PF friend or something I see in social media.
Yesterday, I encountered this tweet:
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| https://www.edutopia.org/article/poetry-across-curriculum-brett-vogelsinger
I thought I'd give this exercise a try. I searched for poems that I would use with middle school students.
Choosing two poems, for a poetry lover/writer, is like choosing outfits for a family portrait. Do I go with matchy-matchy? Or, complementary colors, or matching tops of varied colors? Maybe we should all wear white shirts, blue jeans and show bare feet. Decisions, decisions! I chose these two beloved poems, Poem 1: Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins Poem 2: Truth Serum by Naomi Shihab Nye  I sat myself down and started reading and doodling and thinking. I had to read the poems out loud (which I don't often do ....even though you're suppose-ta'). I counted lines and stanzas and looked for sameness in the differences. I collected some of my doodles in a Venn diagram. I put it away for a day and pulled it out again. The thing about this activity is that you can find something each time you look. It's fun and I learned a thing or two....definitely more than if I had re-read each of these poems alone without the idea of comparing and contrasting them. I'll bet you can find more than I captured in an early diagram. What comparisons and contrasts do you see?  What two poems will you choose for comparison? I'd love to know. Have a poetry filled week. |
Hmmm...you know, I haven't actually read a poem out loud in ages, though you're right you are supposed to, to get the full effect. Maybe I'll read some poetry to my friend's cat, as a captive audience. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea, Linda. I'd have to try something from two of my favorite poets, Mary Oliver and Jane Kenyon.
ReplyDeleteFascinating comparison. Your diagram shows how packed with technique Nye's poetry is. I like that you ignore Collins advice on how to read a poem, waterskiing across the surface. Hard to figure out its magic that way.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a wonderful exercise. I want to try it with my students, but they may rebel. They get pretty upset when I make them think this hard. These are two great poets of our day. Thanks for the idea and the hard work you put in to think deeply about these poems.
ReplyDeleteLinda, thank you for your contribution to Poetry Friday! It's a wonderful community, isn't it? And the poetry sea is deep and wide. Thank you for showing us a peek into YOU as we look at these two poems. One can learn a lot this way!
ReplyDeleteI love the thinking you share as you read and compared these two poems. I've long loved the Collins poem, but the Nye poem is new to me. Now I will be savoring the all day!
ReplyDeleteLinda, this is a wonderful idea and great analysis that you provided for us. I think this would be a dynamite lesson for students. It allows them to dig deep to find connections. Some students may even try this on their own given ample modeling and support structures are in place
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting exercise, Linda! Enjoyed seeing your diagram and hearing your thoughts. Excellent poem choices, BTW, love both!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I love your own comparison, it might also be fun to have students find their own two. That would make a fun search and experience with lots of poems. I love both of these, feel like both have a strong message to give, and not all poems do that. Thanks, Linda.
ReplyDeleteCool exercise, interesting what you came up with. You would think at first reading knowing a bit about both poets that their poems would be very different, but they had quite a few similarities!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea. I like Linda B.'s suggestion, too.
ReplyDeleteLinda, students are often asked to compare two pieces of literature on tests so your activity would be excellent practice and deepen their understanding. Great choice of poems too. I loved reading your thought process. This would also be fantastic to share with students. I hope a lot of teachers give this a try!
ReplyDeleteI love both of these poems, Linda, but reading them side by side like this adds a depth to both I wouldn't have ever noticed. Thanks so much for sharing this today!
ReplyDeleteVery cool! These are both wonderful poems.
ReplyDeleteA fun pair to compare!
ReplyDeleteNew way to approach two fantastic poems! Thanks for sharing this insight, Linda! =)
ReplyDeleteSo interesting to read these two stellar poems side by side - terrific idea for students. And grown-ups too, of course. Thanks for sharing. (Funny how those PF ideas seem to materialize just before we need them?!)
ReplyDeleteOooh! I love this exercise, Linda. You were spot on!
ReplyDeleteCool idea, Linda! I love a good Venn diagram :-)
ReplyDeleteLove the Venn diagram method of comparing these two lovely poems. And it was fun hearing of your approach to Poetry Friday. I think we all tend to feel the same way. And then and idea sparks!
ReplyDeleteI love your horse, and the peppermints! I never knew horses like peppermints. I love the way you are putting so much time and effort into illustration, making each poem shine.
ReplyDelete