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HISTORY & HUMANITIES | POETRY

THE BIG PICTURE

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers 1 History & Humanities | Poetry

What is poetry? To find the answer to that question, let’s see what some famous poets have to say. Robert Frost described poetry as “when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” Percy Shelley said poetry is “a mirror, which makes beautiful that which is distorted.” Carl Sandberg defined it as “an echo, asking a shadow to dance.”

Confused? You aren’t alone. Though these quotations give us a feeling about poetry, they really don’t really explain exactly what poetry is. No one, not even poets who have written some of the most famous poems in history, have truly defined poetry.

So, what is poetry? Well, some types of creative writing have to have certain literary traits within them. A biography, for instance, must tell the story of a person’s life and must be written by some-one other than the subject of the book. An autobiography is like a biography, but the story of a person’s life is actually written by that person (yup, no one can write your autobiography but you).

However, poetry, one of the oldest forms of creative writing (some historians believe it is the oldest), has evolved over thousands of years and doesn’t have a set of rules to follow. A poem can rhyme, but it doesn’t have to rhyme. A poem can be short or it can be many pages long. A poem can be funny or serious, make you laugh or cry — or do all of those things. As a result, unlike other types of writing, poetry really doesn’t have a set definition or guidelines.

So, what makes a poem a poem and not just a bunch of words plopped on a page? The main purpose of a poem is to create an emotion within the reader. A poet does this by carefully selecting the words he or she uses. The way a word sounds, the rhythm of a group words of together, even how the words may look on the page all are things a poet considers when crafting a poem. When finished, a poem, with those specific words placed just so, should make a reader feel something.

“ Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found

words.”—Robert Frost

Above is a bust of Homer, one of the first poets on record.

Best known for the epic poems “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey”.



ZOOMING INMaybe you think you haven’t read or heard a poem, but think again. Nursery rhymes are poems. Many song lyrics are poems. What you read on those greeting cards are often poems. See? Poetry is every-where. Anyone can write poetry. Really, anyone can…even you!

For instance, look at this poem:

Yeah, every time I think I’m flyingI’m just fallingSo close to touching the skyBut gravity keeps pulling me back down But I can’t stay here foreverI want to go, ooh one day!I want to goSomewhere where there’s no gravity.

Guess what? This poem is a part of the rap song “Gravity” by the award-winning rapper Lecrae. He chose and placed those words specifically to create a certain emotion as we listen to his song. Yes, many song lyrics are poems. Song lyrics meet the criteria of poetry in that they evoke feelings when we hear the words.

Where else can you find poems? Nursery rhymes are poems. What you read on those greeting cards are often poems. Poetry is every-where. Anyone can write poetry. Really, anyone and so can you!

“ Poetry is what in a poem makes you laugh, cry, prickle, be silent, makes your toe nails twinkle, makes you want to do this or that or nothing, makes you know that you are alone in the unknown world, that your bliss and suffering is forever shared and forever all your own.”

—Dylan Thomas

TAKE A BREAK!Go get inspired! Head to the library or look online and read some poems. Some great poets to start with are: Shel Silverstein, Maya Angelou, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickenson, William Shakespeare, Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, and Juan Felipe Herrera. Ask your guide if you need help with this.



Memoir, historical fiction, fantasy, mystery. These are all different types of literature, right? Just like in literature, there are different types of poems. Though writing poetry in general doesn’t have set of rules to follow, specific categories of poems do have cer-tain qualities that need to be present in order to be classified as that style of poem. Check out these different types of poems, as well as a few poetry terms.

VERSE – A verse is a single line of poetry. If you group verses (or lines) together, you make a stanza.

STANZA – As described above, a stanza is a group of verses (or lines) or poetry put into a separate unit. Often, a poet will break up his or her poem into stanzas to create an emotional affect for the reader. Stanzas of a poem are usually separated by a space or blank line on the page.

METER – Meter is how many syllables are in each line of poetry and how the syllables are stressed when reading the poem. Meter gives a poem its rhythm, the sing-songy way some poems sound as you read them.

IMAGERY – The descriptive words and language that a poet uses is imagery. Using strong imagery is how a poet evokes emotions and feelings in the reader.

HAIKU – Dating back to the seventeenth century, the haiku is one of the oldest types of poetry. It is a traditional Japanese poem, and made up of only three lines. The first and third lines only have five syllables, while the second line has seven syl-lables. Usually, haikus are about things in nature, such as the seasons, the ocean, or animals, but more modern haikus tend to focus on everyday, common things the poet encounters in his or her life.

ODE – This is a poem that is written to celebrate a person, an event, or a thing. You can write an ode about your dog or Christmas morning, the sunset or your favorite breakfast cereal.

#ONE MORE THING

Poems That Rhyme

Poems do not have to rhyme, but many famous poets do use rhymes when they write. Why would a poet want his poem to rhyme? Well, rhym-ing poems often are fun to read. The rhymes add a sort of “musical” quality to the poem, which makes readers have a stronger feeling about what they are reading.

When talking about poems that rhyme, you might

see things like “abab” or

“aabaab” or “abab cdcd efef gg”. Kinda weird, right? This is how people break down the rhyming scheme of a poem.

Take the rhyming scheme “aabaab.” Here, in these six lines of poetry, the “a”s rhyme and the “b”s rhyme. The “aabaab” poem would look like this:

a I watch the first snowflake drift and float

a Though the air like a soft, white, little boat.

b More and more start to fall, covering all I can see.

a I run to the hall and don my hat and coat,

a And wrap a fluffy red scarf ‘round my throat.

b Outside, I run, I jump! Winter is here to play with me.



ELEGY – Similar to an ode, an elegy’s subject is someone or something that has died. It is a poem that remembers those people and things that meant something to the poet. You could write an elegy about your great-grandmother who has passed away, your dead goldfish, or even your favorite baseball mitt that your dog chewed to bits.

ACROSTIC POEM – In an acrostic poem, when you look at the first letter of each line going down the page, it spells a word that usually describes what the poem is about. What is the poem below about?

LIMERICK – A limerick is a silly or funny poem with five lines. The first, second and fifth line all must rhyme and have the same number of syllables. The third and fourth lines of a limerick rhyme and have the same number of syllables, but must be shorter than the other lines. Limerick usually start with “There once was a…”.

FOUND POEM — A found poem is often called a “literary col-lage.” Just like an art collage, where an artist takes pictures from other places and combines them to make a new piece of art-work, a found poem is a poem created from taking existing text you “find” (like sentences in a magazine article, on a bus stop ad, speeches, and so on). That found text is rearranged by the poet, by using alternate spacing of the words, adding words or delet-ing words to give them a whole new meaning within the poem.

Come and gather at The Salvation Army.

Opportunities are here for all!

Read and build, learn and grow.

Prepare for Life’s amazing adventure.

Share your gifts with the world!


ACTIVITY | POETRY

GO DO SEE BE NAME:

DATE:

To achieve this Poetry emblem, complete THREE of the five exercises.

TASK 1 Here’s a great place to start: www.familyfriendpoems.com /poems/famous/inspirational

Read some poems, and find one that you really like. Memorize it, and recite it to the group. Also, be ready to explain why you picked this poem, what you liked about it, and how it made you feel. Try to make your feelings known in the way you recite the poem!

TASK 2

Write your own poem! Choose one of the types of poems dis-cussed in the Zooming In section (haiku, ode, elegy, acrostic, or limerick) and be sure to follow the guidelines for that type of poem. Share your poem or turn your poem in to your guide.

TASK 3 Do a Google image search on the Internet for some creative ways to complete this task.

Create a Found Poem by cutting out words, phrases, or short sen-tences from magazines and/or newspapers, or another resources provided or approved by your guide. Glue or tape them on a piece of paper to create your own original piece or poetry!

TASK 4

Research a famous poet and write down at least five fun facts about him or her. Share your findings.

FAMOUS POET: ______________________________________________

FACT 1: ___________________________________________________________________________________

FACT 2: ___________________________________________________________________________________

FACT 3: ___________________________________________________________________________________

FACT 4: ___________________________________________________________________________________

FACT 5: ___________________________________________________________________________________


ACTIVITY | POETRY

GO DO SEE BE NAME:

DATE:

TASK 5

Listen to some songs from rappers such as Lecrae, Andy Mineo, Derek Minor, and Tedashii, or any song that inspires you, with approval from your guide. Write down parts of their music that move you and think of an emotion as you listen to it. What emotion is it? What lines of the song make you feel that? Discuss with your guide or group, and/or write down why you like that song’s poetic element.

Song Lyrics Your Emotional Response

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK! So many poems are about what the poet himself is thinking or feeling. But what happens when a poet puts himself in some-one else’s (or something else’s) shoes? In this special exercise, write a poem from the perspective of someone or something other than yourself. It could be from the point of view of your dog or your grandmother, the traffic light, or the mailbox. Have fun and share with your guide!

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers GR-1 History & Humanities | Poetry


GUIDE’S RESOURCES


RESOURCES

Poetry

RAP LYRICS ARE POETRY

» www.lecrae.com/bio/

» www.metrolyrics.com/lecrae-

albums-list.html

» www.azlyrics.com/a/

andymineo.html

» www.azlyrics.com/d/

derekminor.html

» www.azlyrics.com/t/tedashii.

html

WRITING AN ACROSTIC POEM

» www.publicdomainpoems.

com/robertfrost.html

» www.edutopia.org/blog/

national-poetry-month-

teacher-resources-matt-davis

» www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/

poems-kids

» www.grandparents.com/

grandkids/activities-games-

and-crafts/top-21-poems-for-

your-grandchildren

WRITING FOUND POETRY

» www.foundpoetryreview.com/

about-found-poetry/

The purpose of this topic is to expose boys to the amazing world of poetry. Many boys (and some adults) think that poetry is a very tough style of writing to get into, but it’s actually a great form of writing to express oneself and can be a fantastic outlet to deal with a variety of feelings and emotions. At the end of this unit, the student should be able to write a poem individually.

Though poetry is for all ages, you may prefer to complete this topic when your boys are a little older, toward eighth grade or so. Some of the conversations you can have about poetry and the feelings they stir up are often deeper when the boys are more mature and able to put feelings into words. However, if you have a group that is inter-ested at a younger age, it can still be a great unit to explore!

Many kids may be hesitant to write a poem or show their creative side. To help them with this, remind them that many of the picture books they read as a kid are poems, as well as some song lyrics. Other famous poems they probably know? “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” is a poem, as is “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” or any of those nursery rhymes they heard years ago.

Another possible way to introduce poetry and make it more “accessible” to your kids is to discuss how rap is a form of poetry put to music. When you look at the lyrics of many rap songs, they are, indeed, poetry (and really good poetry at that!). Playing some hits from rappers such as Lecrae, Andy Mineo, Derek Minor, and Tedashii while the kids read a print–out of the lyrics can emphasizes how poetry really is everywhere. See the resources box for links to some of these lyrics.

A fun group exercise, which we include in the topic guide as a Group Task to introduce the unit before they do individual exercises, is a group acrostic poem. Write a word on the board going down so that each line of the poem will start with a letter of that word. It’s best to pick a word that everyone can get into (some examples: Christmas, Basketball, Ice Cream, Spaghetti, or Homework), or have the boys pick the word. The poem will be about that word. Go around the room, and have each ranger come up with a line starting with the appropriate letter. This exercise allows the group to realize writing poetry can be a fun and positive experience. Our final group exercise at the end of the unit is an acrostic poem found in the Book of Hebrews.

X Differentiation point: Remember that poetry is available for struggling read-ers, advanced readers, and everything in between. It’s all poetry, and it’s all worth studying! Some students may be ready to tackle a Shakespearian sonnet, while others will feel more comfortable working with limericks, and others may like free verse, non-rhyming poems.

X Differentiation point: Since the goal of this unit is to explore poetry and feeling, it is not so important to correct grammar or spelling. If a boy asks for help with grammar or spelling, feel free to help him, but it does not need to be a focal point for this unit.

X Differentiation point: Encourage students to explore poetry representative of their culture or heritage if they wish to do so. For instance, there are many extremely important Latino/Latina poets (Lorna Dee Cervantes,




GUIDE’S RESOURCES

MATERIALS

¨ nametags (if needed)

¨ poetry manual

¨ make sure to have enough copies for everyone or have a plan for them to share if you don’t have enough copies

Alurista, Martín Espada), Filipino-American poets (Vince Gotera, Regie Cabico), and Native American poets (Laura Da’, Esther Belin). Feel free to allow students to create bilingual poetry if they are bilingual, or even write an entire poem in a language other than English. This is a wonderful time to celebrate diversity!

TOPIC GUIDE: INTRODUCTION1. Welcome students and have them sit down. For this unit, sitting in a semi-circle

or circle, which allows students to look at and easily talk to each other is helpful. Sitting on a rug or on the ground in a circle is another good choice.

2. Read the Big Picture together. You or a few students can read it aloud, or you can give them a moment to read to themselves. (NOTE: If you do chose to have students read aloud, the students should not feel like they are being tested on their reading or pronunciation. The purpose of the lesson is to learn about poetry, so the read aloud should be low pressure!)

GROUP TASK: ACROSTIC POEM1. Choose word to serve as the base for your acrostic poem (see Guide Resource

for ideas, or you and the boys can come up with a word together)

2. Put word in all CAPITAL LETTERS in a vertical line on the left side of board

3. Take care to make sure everyone participates. Give each student time to think about a word or line if needed. You could go around the circle, or have one person start and then choose the next person, if you have a group that works well together.

INDIVIDUAL TASKSBelow you will find descriptions and instructions on how to lead the boys in the five tasks. Remind students that three of the five tasks must be completed to receive their emblem. Provide a brief overview of each of the five tasks, then direct students to read through all five tasks before making their choices. Answer questions and provide guidance as necessary.

TASK 11. Boys completing this task will need to research and choose a poem. The guide could

help each boy find a piece that he likes, or it can be done completely independently.

2. Help the boys recite the poems, by practicing with them or giving them prompts if they forget lines. Give a lot of encouragement!

3. Help boys try to incorporate emotions into their recitation. For example, you can ask: “Does this make you happy? How can you show ‘happy’ in the way you recite the poem?”

4. When a boy is ready to recite in front of the group, give a lot of praise and encouragement. Have the boy explain why he chose the poem and how it made him feel. And again, praise him for his courage!

MATERIALS

¨ chart paper & markers — or —

¨ laptop — or —

¨ white or black board & writing tools




GUIDE’S RESOURCES

TASK 2Have the boys work independently to create their own poems.

You can circulate around, helping them as necessary.

1. As boys begin to complete their individual poems, have them share with a partner or in small groups. You can circulate to the small groups, giving encouragement, and prompting the boys to explain to each other what emotions they thought were in their partner’s or group member’s poem.

2. Boys can share poems with the whole group if you wish to ask them to do so, or they can hand in what they wrote to you. We encourage you to do what you feel is best for the group, given their personalities and comfort level with large group sharing.

TASK 31. Provide magazines and/or newspapers so that boys can find words that

they can cut from the materials and pasted/taped/glued onto a piece of construction paper to create an original poem.

+ This can be done independently, but it is often quite fun for them to do this activity during group meetings. We find allowing them to work on their own poems while sitting in small groups with materials – in the center of the table or in the center of the circle on the floor – to be particularly suc-cessful. They can work in a circle, giving each other help and feedback on each other’s work.

2. Circulate around, helping as needed.

3. We recommend giving the boys a 10 minute, 5 minute, and 2 minute warning, so that they are able to stay focused and keep track of time.

TASK 41. Have the boys work independently to research a poet that interest them. You

can circulate around, helping them as nec-essary. You may provide them with a list of poets and give them information that they can peruse. However, we suggest that you allow the boys to select a poet that interests them, or help them come up with a poet based on the kind of poetry they like. You can then either help them research, or provide them with guid-ance in conducting their own research.

2. Boys can share the five facts with the whole group, in a small group, or they can hand in what they wrote to you. We encour-age you to do what you feel is best for the group, given their per-sonalities and comfort level with large group sharing.

MATERIALS

¨ Paper & Writing tool (pencils are suggested, so the boys can make changes easily)

MATERIALS

¨ Magazines & Newspapers

¨ Scissors

¨ Paste, tape, or glue

¨ Construction paper

MATERIALS

¨ Information about poets (from internet or books)

¨ Paper

¨ Writing tool

¨ smart phones/video technology software (if boys are sharing their interviews via video)




GUIDE’S RESOURCES

TASK 51. Have the boys work independently writing down their impressions of song or

rap lyrics. If you have access to the music itself, you could play it for the group. When completing the task, circulate around and help students as necessary. Provide a lot of encouragement.

+ Be sure that the boys have chosen song or rap lyrics that are morally appropriate.

2. You can circulate around, helping them as necessary. Be sure to ask them guiding questions: “Why did you choose that emotion?” “What part of the song made you feel that way? Show me exactly which words or phrases give you that emotion!” The goal here is that they give reasons for why they feel a particular way after listening to a particular line of music or rap. Keep track of time so that they don’t feel rushed. Remind them when they have 10 minutes left, and then remind them again at 2 minutes left to work.

3. Boys can share with the whole group, in a small group, or they can hand in what they wrote to you. We encourage you to do what you feel is best for the group, given their personalities and comfort level with large group sharing.

MATERIALS

¨ Printout of song/rap lyrics

¨ Paper

¨ Writing tool




GUIDE’S RESOURCES

CLOSING TASKAt the end of each poetry work session, end with a prayer from the book of Psalms. You could choose the same Psalm each time, or you could read a different one at the conclusion of each session. Three Psalms that highlight the power of poetry when praising God are provided here.

Point out that the Book of Psalms is composed entirely of poetry. One way to praise God is to recite poems to him. The Israelites sang or spoke these poems to give thanks, ask for help, or express sorrow.

PSALM 1171 Praise the LORD, all you nations;extol him, all you peoples.2 For great is his love toward us,and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.

PSALM 1381 I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;before the “gods” I will sing your praise.2 I will bow down toward your holy templeand will praise your namefor your unfailing love and your faithfulness,for you have so exalted your solemn decreethat it surpasses your fame.3 When I called, you answered me;you greatly emboldened me.4 May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD, when they hear what you have decreed.5 May they sing of the ways of the LORD,for the glory of the LORD is great.6 Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar.7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,you preserve my life.You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;with your right hand you save me.

8 The LORD will vindicate me;your love, LORD, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands.

PSALM 145 (an acrostic poem in its original Hebrew form) 1 I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.4 One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works.6 They tell of the power of your awesome works— and I will proclaim your great deeds.7 They celebrate your abundant goodnessand joyfully sing of your righteousness.8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,slow to anger and rich in love.9 The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

10 All your works praise you, LORD; your faithful people extol you.11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is trustworthy in all he promisesand faithful in all he does.[c]14 The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.17 The LORD is righteous in and faithful in all he does.18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear he hears their cry and saves them.20 The LORD watches over all who love him,but all the wicked he will destroy.21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

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