Social Commentary Subtitle
Social Commentary Social Commentary is the act of expressing an opinion on society. It is done with the idea of bringing about change through appealing to the society's sense of justice. This type of poetry is written with a lot of feeling or emotion and is often counter-cultural; it sometimes goes against the consensus of opinion and can be expressed either in verse or through song lyrics.
Social Commentary It points out the flaws in society and often coincides with social movements like:
Social Commentary Poetry Some social commentary poetry is quite explicit and directly states the issue that is meant to be revealed. Other poems may contain a social message that is quite subtle and is subject to interpretation. What ever the case, social commentary poetry is meant to provoke thought, battle apathy, and even move people to social action or change. It is also an effort to personalize an experience
Example: I Lost My Talk- Rita Joe
Economic Change Social Assistance Education
Peace, not War Youth Violence Middle East Conflict
Corruption of Innocence Political Agendas Mass Manipulation
Social Issue/ Movement Find Your Opinion/ Experience of it. (Article/ Evidence) Transform this message that you want to share into a piece of art for others to take in.
Spoken Word/ Slam Poetry
Social Issues Refugee Crisis Environmental Concerns Anti- War Women’s Rights/ Equality Civil Rights/ Race Equality Gay/ Sexuality and Gender Rights (LGBTQ) Racial Profiling Aboriginal Rights- Missing and Murdered Women Refugee Crisis Animal Rights Anti- War Occupy/ Economic responsibility Mental Health Awareness/ Ed
Environmental Concerns
Social Issues Refugee Crisis Environmental Concerns Anti- War Women’s Rights/ Equality Civil Rights/ Race Equality Gay/ Sexuality and Gender Rights (LGBTQ) Racial Profiling Aboriginal Rights- Missing and Murdered Women Refugee Crisis Animal Rights Anti- War Occupy/ Economic responsibility Mental Health Awareness/ Ed
Steps to Social Commentary Poem Find a Social Movement or Issue that you are passionate about. Find an article (real world) information/ experience of this issue. Newspapers/ Magazine articles Annotate the article: What do you find most interesting? : What words/ phrases are the most powerful? : What is the theme? Message? Complete Process Sheet Dive into Poetry Writing
How to Annotate an Article? Extract the meaning from the article by looking for key words and phrases. Do you have any personal connections to the article? Write it down. Are there any parts which are confusing and require you to ask questions or do further research? Are there any examples of figurative language? Usually it would be comparisons. The author might try to explain/clarify something by using a comparison. Maybe even imagery.
(Imagery, Metaphor, Hyperbole, Simile, Juxtaposition) After Annotating… After you have finished annotating and completed the questions on the planning sheet you will then begin to write your poem. This poem is meant to be inspired by the message/ information that you have learned from the article. The angrier you are after reading the article/ exploring the social issue and movement the better your poem will be. You must make use of figurative language in your poem! Make Choices!!! (Imagery, Metaphor, Hyperbole, Simile, Juxtaposition) Be Informative!! Make use of the information from the article. Include a “Call to Action” What can people do?