I love irony...and I know you do too. We'll be looking at some more tomorrow, but why not bring in your own, original, never-before-seen-on-the-walls-of-Discovery example? I'll sign your Archer card.
We talked a bit about poetry today: ballad, narrative, lyric, free verse, stanza, and anaphora for starters. Some of those ideas will be used in your Found Poems. Be sure to come in with a good list (at least 40-50 phrases or "magic lines") tomorrow. The stronger your initial list, the better your poem will be. Remember to write down page numbers as well. We'll spend some time tomorrow shaping these lines into fascinating, emotional, logical poems. Just in case you need it, I've included the assignment sheet below. See you tomorrow.
THE FOUND POEM
“A poem is a machine made out of words.” William Carlos Williams
And guess what you are going to do. That's right. You will be writing a poem. Or should I say, finding a poem. You see, a “found” poem is not created from scratch; instead its words are “found” --in advertising, in headlines, or, in this case, in the writing of Elie Wiesel.
Thankfully, Mr. Wiesel has already done the hard stuff for you: he's supplied the words in his holocaust memoir Night. Your job is to find the ones from his book which move/stun/impact/affect you the most, and arrange them into a “found” poem. Sound simple enough? Good. Here's what you'll be doing.
*Write down words, phrases, or parts of sentences that particularly strike you. Since you've already highlighted the text, I'd start with those words and phrases, but I wouldn't limit myself to them. These “golden lines” must stand out or “resonate” for you. As you look through Wiesel's writings, listen with your ears and eyes for words that sound especially suitable.
*Your poem must have a purpose or theme. Maybe you have a theme or topic in mind as you write down the words; maybe you want a theme to find you. Either will work; however, the sooner you identify the theme the more focused your word and phrase selection will become.
*Once you have compiled a sturdy list (I'd recommend at least 40-50 different lines), it's time to put them in the order you want for your poem. Arrange them in a way so that the poem makes sense and so that the theme is easily recognizable.
*Next is the fun part. Now you want to arrange the words artistically. Manipulate the words and phrases so they make any kind of rhythm you like and so they read like you want them to. You might
space words out so they are alone
orrunthemalltogether
you may decide to put
key
words
on lines by
themselves
*You should have a base font (a font you use when not doing anything artistically to the words) but feel free to print words LARGE or underline them or use different fonts or italics. What you do with the type font should impact your message.
*Use color. But use it carefully.
*In the end, know why you did whatever you did to the words. In other words, be able to explain why you emphasized the words the way you did.
*Read your words aloud to yourself as you arrange them. If they sound good, go for it. Hear the words as you arrange them. ***Remember, though, that the poem has to make sense.***
*You may add up to three words of your own. You may make changes in verb tense, possessives, plurals, punctuation, and capitalization to help with the flow or rhythm of the poem.
*Create a title which indicates your poem's topic or theme.
*Be ready to read or have your poem read aloud. Be creative and allow yourself to be surprised.
W
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