Poetry à la Shel Silverstein

how do we write "good" poetry?

Module summary:

Everyone knows Shel Silverstein... but have you ever considered the brilliance of his technique? Well, after this week, you can say you have! We'll use Shel Silverstein as our master poet this week - study his forms and test out a few for ourselves.
Each day will be a mini lesson on one of the following elements:
- Rhyme and rhythm
- Irony
- Storytelling
- Perspective
DOK: a collection of your own poetry in Shel Silverstein style

What is poetry?
How can we express thoughts, observations, and ideas creatively but with intention?

Students will understand that poetry is a form of writing where the form and language is used intentionally to enhance ideas.
Students will understand that poetry can take many forms - sometimes with rules, sometimes without - to express ideas with focus and purpose.

Writing

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach

Language

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meaning

Monday:

Warm-up: Non-Rhyming Poem (see handout)
Expose:
- Forms and techniques of poetry
- Rhythm and rhyme schemes
  - Practice with poems (see handout)
Practice: Find your own Shel Silverstein poem in one of his books that has a distinct rhythm and rhyme scheme. Photocopy the page, then mark out the syllables and rhyme scheme.
- Discuss poems - what is the impact of the structure rhyme and rhythm provides? does Silverstein ever break his own patterns?
Create: Write your own poem with a purposeful rhyme scheme and rhythm.
Reflect: Share poems and discuss - does this type of structure open you up as a poet or close you off? what was the experience like?

Tuesday

First: shape/concrete poetry
- Warm-up: "Lazy Jane" poem exercise
- Read examples of shape/concrete poems
- Write your own shape/concrete poem
Second: storytelling poetry:
- Review plot arc (see board)
- Read an example of a Shel Silverstein poem that tells a story - identify elements of plot on the page
- Write your own poem that tells a story

Wednesday:

Share shape/concrete and storytelling poetry
Write your own poem with intentional rhythm and rhyme (wrap-up from Monday's activity)
Discuss irony - definitions, examples in life
Read samples of Shel Silverstein poems with irony - first together, then independently
- identify irony and share its purpose and meaning
Write a poem that includes irony
Share poems, get feedback, discuss value of irony in poems

Thursday:

Read examples of poems with concrete imagery and shape
Write a group shape or concrete poem
Write your own shape or concrete poem
Share poems, get feedback, discuss merits and challenges of shape/concrete poetry

Friday:

Finish, revise, finalize poems (at least four) and create a cover page for poem portfolio
- include MLA heading info, a creative title, and an image of some sort
Collect and submit poems with cover page