Aim: How can we use the poem, “This is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams as inspiration for our own poems?
Do Now (whole-class discussion): Describe a time when you or someone you know did something that was “technically wrong” and you should have felt sorry for it but you didn’t.
The Do Now is trying to get us to remember a moment when we didn’t feel sorry for something in our lives. Several classmates shared their personal experiences. A poem we would soon read related to the idea of not feeling sorry. The Do Now helped us realize that everyone has odd moments in their lives which can be used to retell in literature. Poems can be created from our past experiences just like the poem “This is just to say” by Willian Carlos Williams. William Carlos Williams’ poems inspired us to create our own unique poems later on during the lesson.
Here is the poem:
“This is Just to Say”
by William Carlos Williams
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
Shortly after reading the poem “This is Just to Say” we noticed that the author doesn’t feel sorry for their actions. Towards the end of the poem, the author justifies their actions with selfish reason. The poem relates to the Do Now because William shared his personal experience as our class had done except in a poem. This poem did not include any regular rhythm or syllabic count, rhyme, and punctuation. Poems don’t have to make sense or seem professional and William’s poem proves this statement true. William Carlos Williams wrote many other poems relating to don’t feeling sorry for acting negatively.
Variations on a Theme by William Carlos Williams:
1
I chopped down the house that you had been saving to live in next summer.
I am sorry, but it was morning, and I had nothing to do
and its wooden beams were so inviting.
2
I gave away the money that you had been saving to live on for the
next ten years.
The man who asked for it was shabby
and the firm March wind on the porch was so juicy and cold.
3
Last evening we went dancing and I broke your leg.
Forgive me. I was clumsy and
I wanted you here in the wards, where I am the doctor!
-- Kenneth Koch
After looking over several examples of poems, our class got put into break out rooms for an activity. Each break out room was our class teams and our task was to create as many “This is just to say” poems as we could in 5 minutes. The team with the most poems would earn points for their team. This task posed as a challenge at first but after remembering the Do Now, my team realized we could use our past experiences to create poems. Furthermore, the poems by William Carlos Williams inspired my teammates and I to create poems when we ourselves didn’t feel sorry for a certain incident in our lives. During the five minutes our team created a total of 6 poems which was higher than the amount of poems our other classmates created. Some of our poems had proper punctuation while others didn’t. Some of our poems included literary devices such as imagery and metaphors. Creating poems had no limit and they didn’t have to make sense.
Before looking over a poem including imagery, our class went over what imagery actually was. Authors use imagery to provide the reader a visual of what is occurring in the poem. The reader is able to understand the poem and feel a certain way because of imagery. Image is the root word of imagination. It’s from Latin imago, “picture,” how you see things. Instead of simply stating the emotions present in the poem, the author can use imagery to make you feel an emotion which is more efficient in hooking the reader in. Certain poems can make us feel in unexpected or even relatable ways which can be enjoyable. Our class then watched a video on poetic devices.
Here is the link to the video:
Red Room Poetry Object Poetic Device #2: Imagery | ClickView - YouTube
The video starts off by reading aloud a poem which includes poetic devices such as imagery.
The Sun is setting in the horizon
The evening breeze begins to blow
I climb up my tree into its mighty branches
as the stars in the east start to glow
a few leaves fall swirling in the breeze
They silently dance in my eye
as the wind carries them along
as the sunlight begins to die
the crickets begin to chirp
he moonlit creatures start to emerge
some birds fly over the setting sun
as the dark blanket of night starts to emerge.
I feel different one with nature up here
in the wind or wild and free
as if I am connected to the universe
me a small leaf hanging from my tree.
According to the video, imagery uses descriptive language to awaken our five senses, adds details, tone, and depth. In the poem, the author connects with nature by telling the poem as a leaf. The author is able to feel the peacefulness the leaf is experiencing in the poem because of the descriptive details provided in the form of imagery. Imagery stimulates the reader’s imagination, taking them to different places in their mind.
Going back to reviewing the class slideshow, we go over several examples of poems that include imagery. Each poem uses imagery to make the reader feel a certain emotion.
Here are the poems including imagery:
the clouds collapsed,
they’re touching the ground
trying to come alive,
but they can’t.
Images from a landscape are used to indicate hopelessness.
My heart was warm,
Like the swelling waters of the ocean,
Just basking in the first rays of morning sun
Natural images (ocean and sun) are used to express joyfulness.
I felt the end of something great,
Like when you take the last bite of birthday cake,
And all that’s left is a few powdery crumbs on your frosting streaked dish
Images of birthday cake are used to create feelings of melancholy and sadness.
The next poem our class had to read and annotate was titled “Fast Break” By Edward Hirsch. Our task was to find literary elements, techniques, and 1-2 examples of imagery which support the theme.
Here is the poem:
A hook shot kisses the rim and
hangs there, helplessly, but doesn’t drop,
and for once our gangly starting center
boxes out his man and times his jump
perfectly, gathering the orange leather
from the air like a cherished possession
and spinning around to throw a strike
to the outlet who is already shoveling
an underhand pass toward the other guard
scissoring past a flat-footed defender
who looks stunned and nailed to the floor
in the wrong direction, trying to catch sight
of a high, gliding dribble and a man
letting the play develop in front of him
in slow motion, almost exactly
like a coach’s drawing on the blackboard,
both forwards racing down the court
the way that forwards should, fanning out
and filling the lanes in tandem, moving
together as brothers passing the ball
between them without a dribble, without
a single bounce hitting the hardwood
until the guard finally lunges out
and commits to the wrong man
while the power-forward explodes past them
in a fury, taking the ball into the air
by himself now and laying it gently
against the glass for a lay-up,
but losing his balance in the process,
inexplicably falling, hitting the floor
with a wild, headlong motion
for the game he loved like a country
and swiveling back to see an orange blur
floating perfectly through the net.
After reading and annotating the poem I completed the assigned task. A simile is used when the poem states “and filling the lanes in tandem, moving together as brothers.” The players aren’t actually brothers but the poem uses the term “as” to describe the players moving like brothers would. Personification is used when the poem states “A hook shot kisses the rim. This example gives the basketball human traits. Imagery is used when the poem states “who looks stunned and nailed to the floor in the wrong direction, trying to catch sight.” The author uses imagery all throughout the poem but this example specifically describes how the player looks. Imagery is also used when the poem states “but losing his balance in the process, inexplicably falling, hitting the floor.” This describes a player in detail which provides the reader a visual of an issue occurring.
1st Anthology Pastime Poem Homework:
Using the document provided with the slideshow, write a poem about a pastime (something you do to pass the time, a regular activity for enjoyment you feel passionate about).
What the document looks like: 5 RL Spring: Poetry in the 21st Century - Google Docs
What did I learn?
During today's lesson I learned that poems include several literary elements and techniques. Many poems use imagery to hook the reader in. Poems that use imagery allow the reader to experience a certain emotion. This emotion is created when the author uses descriptive words and details relating towards a topic in their poem. The reader is then able to visualize what is occurring in the poem and grow an interest. William Carlos Williams’ poems are very inspirational because they are based on personal experiences. Although his poem didn’t include regular rhythm, syllabic count, rhyme, and punctuation it became one of the most popular creations during 1934.
Why did we learn this?
We learned about literary devices and techniques used in poems to help us create our own poems and understand other poems. Poems can pose as a challenge to understand especially since they don’t have to be written in a professional manner. Recognizing the authors’ literary devices and techniques will make other poems seem more understandable. When we create our own poems we have to remember to include our own literary devices and techniques to hook in our audience.
How will I use what I learned?
I will use what I learned during today's lesson to create my own poems while using literary devices and techniques, such as imagery. When writing my own poems I can describe in detail my own personal experiences to make my audience interested and have a clear visual of what is happening. If I need to express an emotion in my poem I now know to use imagery because it will alter how the reader feels. Similarly, if I am reading a poem and don’t understand how the author wants me to feel, I can always look for imagery that is used.
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