1. 8. The Bop Jamie Shin

2. ‘The Bop’ was made by Afaa Michael Weaver during a summer retreat of the African American poetry organization, Cave Canem. He was born Michael S. Weaver He was the sun of a beautician and steelworker. Who made it?

3. He entered the University of Maryland at 16 and studied engineering for 2 years. He joined the Army Reserves and worked with his father at steelworking His first son died and 10 months due to complications with the Down Syndrome

4. Who made it? He worked at the mill and a factory for 15 years, writing poems at coffee breaks. He published his first collection, ‘Water Song’, by 1985 He was influenced by Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, Michael Harper, and Jay Wright (African American poets)

5. Who made it? He writes poetry that engages the African Americans His new name (from Michael to Afaa) came in 1977, to mark his release from the weight that the death of his son had on him. Afaa means ‘oracle’, and he chose this name with the help of a Nigerian playwright, Osonye Tess Onwueme.

6. About the bop The Bop is a form of poetic argument consisting of three stanzas, each stanza followed by a repeated line, or refrain, and each undertaking a different purpose in the overall argument of the poem.

7. About the bop The first stanza (six lines long) states the problem, and the second stanza (eight lines long) explores or expands upon the problem. If there is a resolution to the problem, the third stanza (six lines long) finds it. If a substantive resolution cannot be made, then this final stanza documents the attempt and failure to succeed.

8. About the bop The Bop has variations to its form ex) there are people who have added a fourth line to a stanza

9. Examples Title: Haunting By: Lyrae Van Clief- Stefanon Note: The poem is too long, so it will be divided up into parts.

10. Stanza I In the evening she comes, her same unsatisfied self, with the hard, smug look of salvation. Mama, stop bothering me. When we argue, she says what you’re saying is not scriptural. You need to get back in your Bible. In one dream, I slap her. I’m tired of her mouth. I hate to see the evening Sun go down

11. Stanza II Yesterday, I dreamed a vampire held my wrist, dared me to wake to her, corporeal, stolid. Mama, was that you? I refused to touch her body in the casket. At the gravesite I refused everything but dry-eyed silence, her picture in my hand. I hate to see the evening Sun go down

12. Stanza III This is what I get for conjuring— Mama, after me all night, fussing about the holy ghost when what I need is sleep. But last night I lay dreamless. I didn’t sleep sound. I hate to see the evening Sun go down

13. About Haunting... The first stanza states the problem- the poet’s disagreement with his mother. The second stanza develops on the problem- the poet’s mother died. The third stanza shows the failure to succeed also with regret- his mother died, and he had wanted to probably apologize, as the childhood memories came flooding back.

14. My Example Title: I Hate My Brother By: Jamie Shin Note: The poem is too long, so it will be divided up into parts. By the way, this poem is dedicated to what exactly happened today. You notice that the font changes throughout the presentation. The poem will tell you why.

15. Stanza I I come home late, at eleven thirty, dead tired I open my computer to finish my undone presentation What the heck! All is gone! I hate it when someone goes on my computer, it makes me want to kill them.

16. Stanza II I wondered, who can possibly locate all my internet sites, and successfully erase them too? Not only quit safari, mind, but quit firefox too. So carefully done, all histories erased, my 21 tabs gone with my younger brother. I hate it when someone goes on my computer, it makes me want to kill them.

17. Stanza III I ran to my brother’s room, and gave him a kick at his leg. He howled for mom, and I told her what my younger brother had done, exaggerated, of course. Mom gave me Sweet Revenge, and so did Dad. I hate it when someone goes on my computer, it makes me want to kill them.

18. About the poem... The first stanza talks about the problem, me finding the sites gone. The second stanza elaborates, saying that all history was erased so I could not go back. The third stanza talks about the resolution, me getting revenge by using my parents. P.S. The reason why the font changes is that he deleted my powerpoint too, but I had a page document saved with all the words from the deleted one just in case something like this happens. I copied and pasted a lot from that document, and didn’t match the style. The slanted writing is copied from the now-deleted-by-brother-powerpoint, the round one (like this) is new.

19. Activity! Make your own! The first stanza is 6 lines and it should state a PROBLEM. Decide on 2 lines that will be repeated throughout the poem. The second stanza is 8 lines and it should ELABORATE on the problem. The third stanza is 8 lines and it should SOLVE and the problem or the ATTEMPT and FAILURE to solve the problem.