Poetry – Small Group Activities
Construct a poem using pairs of words such as “you” and “I,” “love” and “hate,” “yes” and “no.”
Prepare a Readers Theatre presentation of Jabberwocky
Go for a walk around the building and note “text” (eg – signs, notices etc.). Use your findings to create a found poem.
Construct a poem made up entirely of headlines and product labels cut out of newspapers and magazines. The poem can focus on a particular theme – eg. ecology, violence, love…
Prepare a Readers Theatre performance of Brother
Create a Collage Poem
Collect magazines, newspapers, pamphlets – any print material that includes headline-sized type. Collect as many different kinds of publications as possible, as the contents of the printed matter can influence the content of the poem.
Note that the poem will arise from the process of the activity. It’s best NOT to have a preconceived poem in mind before starting. Leaf through the material and cut out striking letters, words, phrases, and sentences. Look for type (fonts) that is visually appealing; the look of the collage poem will be as important as its verbal sense. Try to find phrases and sentences with vocabulary you do not normally use in writing. The idea is for poems to say things you might not know you wanted to say.
After cutting everything out, spread the words on your desks and play around with them. Move the words around as you would a puzzle. Make odd phrases. Don’t worry if some phrases or lines don’t make sense. Let the poem bubble up from the material, creating itself.
As an idea forms, glue or tape the cut-outs to paper. You don’t have to use all the material you cut out, and you may decide to include pictures.
(Craig Hill, Notes Plus, NCTE)
Create a Definition Poem
Select one difficult word. Look up the word’s meaning and search for synonyms.
Fold a sheet of paper in half, width-wise. On the left side, write what your chosen word is, can do, positives, and synonyms.
On the right, list each word’s opposite – is not, cannot do, negatives, and antonyms.
Fill in the blanks. What is it? What can it do? What is good abut it? What else can you call it? On the right side, list what it is not, what it cannot do or accomplish, negative associations and antonyms.
Use words from both lists to create a definition poem.
Eg.. Poem
is – a collection of wordsis not - lengthy
can - make me feel good, comfort mecannot – talk back
positives – read, recognizenegatives – boring
synonyms – rhymes, wordsantonyms – trilogy
Poem
A collection of
feel good words,
recognition
a mirror of my inside
not a never—ending trilogy
but a comforting moment