1. Discovering Poetry By A. Peckham We will be working with the activities on this presentation throughout the week. Take time to put your best effort and creativity into your work. Remember to keep all materials you have created in your folder as well as on disc.

2. Discovering Poetry: Table of Contents 1. Sound Poetry 2. Haiku Poetry 3. Limerick Poetry 4. Found Poetry 5. Concrete Poetry 6. Presenting Poetry 7. Poetic Theatre 8. Poetry Contests After this slide you must click the screen to continue.

3. Discovering Poetry: Sound Poetry Sound poetry is pleasing to the ear. It draws our attention to the ways that the words are organized to create certain effects and meaning. It is often a playful organization of words that seeks to engage readers with the sense of hearing. Activity #1Activity #2 Use just two words to Chose any sound(s) to create a create a sound poem.Sound poem (i.e. city street, kitchen, storm, clocks etc.) ping pong “Mud Cakes” ping pong ping splish splash splosh pong ping pong squish ping pong squirt squeek ~ Eugen Gomringer splat! ~Aimee Peckham To listen and view sound poetry click here.click here.

4. Discovering Poetry: Haiku A Haiku Poem is a very short form of Japanese poetry. It is like a photo that captures the essence of what is happening—often connecting two seemingly unrelated things. Although traditional haiku are often about nature or the changing seasons, they nonetheless convey emotion. With just a few words they manage to call a great deal of attention to their observation and often the meaning behind the observation. Traditional haiku have a total of seventeen syllables divided into three lines: Five syllablesThe seed of all song Seven syllablesIs the farmer's busy hum Five syllablesAs he plants his rice. ~Basho Write your own haiku poem. At first do not try to make it fit into this rigid format. Make a few practice poems first by describing a natural phenomena in the fewest number of words, making a lasting and thoughtful impression on the reader. Try looking at photos, art, and nature for inspiration. Write about what strikes you and then edit the sentences leaving only the important words and/or phrase. You will know you have done a good job of editing when the version with the fewest words makes the strongest impression. For more information and examples of haiku click here For more information and examples of haiku click hereclick hereclick here

5. Discovering Poetry: the Limerick A limerick is a short form of poetry known for its humor. The limerick usually contains five lines. The last words of the first, second and fifth lines rhyme with each other, and the last words of the third and fourth lines rhyme with each other (creating an AABBA pattern). There was an old man with a beard, Who said, “it is just as I feared”, Two owls and a hen, Four larks and a wren, Have all built their nest in my beard! ~ Edward Lear Using the rhyme scheme as explained above write your own limerick. Tip: use a “da DUM da da DUM da da DUM” rhythm. click here for step by step help with your limericklimerick

6. Discovering Poetry: Found Poetry A found poem is made up of pieces of writing you may find along your travels ANYWHERE. The words and phrases can come from signs, stores, advertisements, people talking, new papers and magazines etc. The possibilities are endless! A poet may alter or rearrange the words to suit the needs of their story. The story has to make some kind of sense or paint some kind of image in the readers mind. The author of a found poem plays with the space on the page, line lengths, stanza structure and of course the words themselves. A found poem encourages people to examine the effects of the shape and the structure of poems. “Don’t Stop At This Restaurant” Next Exit Taco Bell Now that you know Food what to do, go find Gas your poem!!! ~ Bruce Lansky

7. Discovering Poetry: Concrete Poems Like found poems, concrete poems push the limits and expectations of what a poem is. A concrete poem shapes and organizes language so that its design or layout on the page illustrates the subject of the poem. It can also be considered a visual poem. Create an original concrete poem of your own. Choose any object and create a concrete poem. You may use computer software or any materials in the class (paints, markers, stencils etc). To find this poem and others like it click here. To find this poem and others like it click here.here.

8. Discovering Poetry: Poetry Theatre Performing poetry can be very fun but it is also a lot of work. There are many different aspects to dramatizing poetry effectively. With your partner try each of the following. 1 st -- Choose a poem you wish to read. Try to pick something of medium length and not very difficult for the purposes of this exercise. (Remember to keep a record of your responses) a) Read the poem aloud. Now read the poem again emphasizing different words. Discuss how the meaning of the poem can change as different words are emphasized. a) Read the poem aloud. Now read the poem again emphasizing different words. Discuss how the meaning of the poem can change as different words are emphasized. 2 nd —Choose a different poem. Try some thing that rhymes, possibly a limerick. b) Read the poem slowly, much slower than you normally would. Now read the poem very quickly. As quick as you possibly can. Discuss the effectiveness of both readings. (Read the poem moderately so you can hear the pronunciation of all words. Now isn’t that better!) b) Read the poem slowly, much slower than you normally would. Now read the poem very quickly. As quick as you possibly can. Discuss the effectiveness of both readings. (Read the poem moderately so you can hear the pronunciation of all words. Now isn’t that better!) 3 rd —Some poems have different characters which require different voices. Practice reading the poem on the board in many different voices. Have fun with this activity and try a few voices of your own! a) Your mother or father. b) A really strict person. c) With a really bored voice. d) With a cheerful voice. e) With a shy voice. f) With a police officer’s voice. g) With an opera singer’s voice. What kind of effect is created when you use a different voice? Why? Tips for presenting a poem: keep eye contact with the audience, maintain good posture, try not to sway as it will distract the audience and practice reading the poem thoroughly before presenting it.

9. Discovering Poetry: Poetic Theatre My New Pet Child: –I asked my father for a pet. he said: Dad: –I'll take you shopping. Child: –My father took me to a store where animals were hopping. He asked me: Dad: –Which one would you like? Child: –So I picked out a puppy, a parakeet, a rabbit, plus a gerbil and a guppy –I also picked a monkey and a yellow Siamese cat, a turtle, snake, and lizard, plus a very big white rat. –My dad said: Dad: –If you want a pet, then you will have to feed it. Child: –Instead, I picked a storybook. I cannot wait to read it. by Bruce Lansky. Empty Headed First reader: I've seen the hair of a bald-headed man and the socks on a barefooted boy. Second reader: I've seen the light in a very dark room and a sad woman jumping for joy. Third reader: I met a blind man who claimed he could see and a very tall midget in shorts. Next reader: There's a sick man in Jersey in excellent health, according to latest reports. Next reader: I took a hot bath in water so cold it actually turned my lips blue. Next reader: I went to a farm where the cows lay the eggs and the chickens give milk and say, "Moo." Next reader: I've seen a dead man just barely alive. I once combed my hair with a brush. Next reader: I walked to the store in a taxi one night to avoid the midafternoon rush. Next reader: I sat way up front in the back of the room. I bought ham that was labeled 'all beef." Everyone: They x-rayed my head and found nothing at all which I must say is quite a relief. by Linda J. Knaus. Now that you know a little about dramatizing a poem, try working with these poems. The lines of the poem should be read with a poetic rhythm. You are also encouraged to use props, different voices, music, dance, art work etc! Once you have practiced dramatizing these poems, make one of your own. You may work with a partner or two.

10. Discovering Poetry Visit the following websites to enter a poetry contest. You must enter at least 2 (two) of the 4 (four) contests with 2 (two) different poems. Remember to follow directions properly for each contest. Once you have entered your poems, save a copy of the confirmation pages and your poems. Limerick Contest Do Your Own Thing Contest Yankee Doodle Poem Contest Your Choice of Poem (Contest Page)