Poetry Poetry and and

DramaDrama--and Indians!

ELE 616 Readings and Research in ELE 616 Readings and Research in Children’s LiteratureChildren’s Literature

Fall 2009Fall 2009

22

Young Adult Librarian Dewey on poetryYoung Adult Librarian Dewey on poetry

33

Dewey and poetry 2Dewey and poetry 2

44

More Dewey and poetryMore Dewey and poetry

What is What is Poetry?Poetry?

PoetryPoetry Poetry (ancient Greek: ποιεω Poetry (ancient Greek: ποιεω

(poieo) = I create) is an art form in (poieo) = I create) is an art form in which human language is used for which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and or instead of, its notional and semantic content. It consists largely semantic content. It consists largely of oral or literary works in which of oral or literary works in which language is used in a manner that is language is used in a manner that is felt by its user and audience to differ felt by its user and audience to differ from ordinary prose. from ordinary prose. • from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

66

77

What is poetry?What is poetry?

What is poetry? Poetry really has no one set Poetry really has no one set

definition. Shadow Poetry defines definition. Shadow Poetry defines poetry as the art of writing poetry as the art of writing thoughts, ideas, and dreams into thoughts, ideas, and dreams into imaginative language which can imaginative language which can contain verse, pause, meter, contain verse, pause, meter, repetition, and rhyme.repetition, and rhyme.

April 21, 2023Poetry and Drama

88

How poets have defined itHow poets have defined it

Here’s how some famous poets define poetry:Here’s how some famous poets define poetry: ““The best words in the best order.” The best words in the best order.”

• Samuel Taylor Coleridge

““The record of the best and happiest The record of the best and happiest moments of the best and happiest minds.”moments of the best and happiest minds.”• Percy Bysshe Shelley

““If I read a book and it makes my whole If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that it is poetry.”know that it is poetry.”• Emily Dickinson

““Poetry is the spontaneous Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.”overflow of powerful feelings.”• William Wordsworth

What is poetry?

99

A poetical answerA poetical answer

What is Poetry?: A Non-Lecture What is Poetry?: A Non-Lecture What is poetry?What is poetry?

Love lie with me, and I will tell.Love lie with me, and I will tell.

Poetry a lawless enterprise.Poetry a lawless enterprise.Poetry the truth that reveals all lies.Poetry the truth that reveals all lies.Poetry a camera-eye without a Poetry a camera-eye without a shutter.shutter.Poetry, unlike armchair philosophy, Poetry, unlike armchair philosophy, does not leave the world unchanged.does not leave the world unchanged.• Selection: What is Poetry?

Rough Draft of an ARS POETICADelivered, on the occasion of his receiving The Frost Medal,by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

1010

12-year old Katie’s thoughts on poetry from 12-year old Katie’s thoughts on poetry from True to FormTrue to Form by Elizabeth Berg: by Elizabeth Berg:

If you see a sunset and try and describe If you see a sunset and try and describe it to someone in normal words, all you it to someone in normal words, all you can say is, “Boy, I saw a great sunset last can say is, “Boy, I saw a great sunset last night.” But if you are a poet, you can night.” But if you are a poet, you can give it to someone to feel for themselves. give it to someone to feel for themselves. Like you make a little seed of what you Like you make a little seed of what you saw, they swallow it, and it blooms again saw, they swallow it, and it blooms again inside their own heart.inside their own heart.

““. . . then there is the scritch scritch of . . . then there is the scritch scritch of my pen, trying to say something so true. my pen, trying to say something so true. What if it works? Then when I read it What if it works? Then when I read it again, the little voice inside will say, Yes. again, the little voice inside will say, Yes. Yes. Yes.Yes. Yes.

• From Poetry Thinks . . . by Kristine O'Connell George

The Poetry Foundation, publisher The Poetry Foundation, publisher

of of PoetryPoetry magazine, is an magazine, is an independent literary organization independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. It exists for poetry in our culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. largest possible audience.

Poetry Magazine. Founded in . Founded in Chicago by Harriet Monroe in Chicago by Harriet Monroe in 1912, 1912, PoetryPoetry is the oldest monthly is the oldest monthly devoted to verse in the English-devoted to verse in the English-speaking world. speaking world.

1111

Sponsored by Poetry FoundationSponsored by Poetry Foundation

1212

Welcome to poetry.org Poetry.org is a resource site for poetry and Poetry.org is a resource site for poetry and

poets. Here you can learn about the poets. Here you can learn about the history, meaning, and types of poetry, as of poetry, as well as well as terms often used when reading and often used when reading and studying poetry. There is also the studying poetry. There is also the resource page: a series of links to various : a series of links to various poetry sites for daily poetry, poetry poetry sites for daily poetry, poetry organizations, poet biographies, and more. organizations, poet biographies, and more. And there is our selection of poetry from And there is our selection of poetry from various various famous poets, including , including William Shakespeare, , Robert Frost, , Emily Dickinson, and , and e e cummings. .

1313

The Academy of American . . . administers The Academy of American . . . administers

a wide variety of programs, including a wide variety of programs, including National Poetry Month (April), the largest National Poetry Month (April), the largest literary celebration in the world; online literary celebration in the world; online educational resources providing free educational resources providing free poetry lesson plans for high school poetry lesson plans for high school teachers; the Poetry Audio Archive, a teachers; the Poetry Audio Archive, a collection of over 700 recordings dating collection of over 700 recordings dating back to the 1960s; and back to the 1960s; and Poets.orgPoets.org, our , our award-winning website which provides a award-winning website which provides a wealth of content on contemporary wealth of content on contemporary American poetry and receives a million American poetry and receives a million unique users each month.unique users each month.

1414

1515

Other poetry websitesOther poetry websites1616

A poet who wrote a load of nonsenseA poet who wrote a load of nonsense

Edward Lear, Limericks, and Nonsense: A Little Nonsense

Edward Lear, Limericks, and Nonsense: There Once Was…

1717

Shel SilversteinShel Silverstein1818

The Shel Silverstein Archive

Jack Prelutsky, the nation’s first Jack Prelutsky, the nation’s first Children’s Poet Laureate

“Never Poke Your Uncle With a Fork” For years For years Jack Prelutsky has been has been

known informally as a poet laureate for known informally as a poet laureate for kids. Now the Poetry Foundation has kids. Now the Poetry Foundation has made it official, naming him the made it official, naming him the nation’s first Children’s Poet Laureate and putting a prestigious stamp of and putting a prestigious stamp of approval on approval on the man and his work. the man and his work.

1919

Jack Prelutsky, poet and chocolate-chip cookie aficionado, features 17 poems all about school in his book What a Day It Was at School! (Greenwillow, 2006). Jack Prelutsky by Lee Bennett Hopkins from

Poetry lessonsPoetry lessons2020

WritingFix Project: Poetry Lessons & Prompts resources inspired by the NNWP's annual Piñon Poetry Festival

2121

What’s the use of poetry?What’s the use of poetry?Can Poetry Really Change the World?Can Poetry Really Change the World?

. . . there are those, including myself, . . . there are those, including myself, who  believe in  poets as the antennae who  believe in  poets as the antennae of the race, as the conscience of of the race, as the conscience of society, or at least as Jack Kerouac society, or at least as Jack Kerouac said, “the great rememberer said, “the great rememberer redeeming life from darkness.” The redeeming life from darkness.” The greatest poets’ greatest lines have greatest poets’ greatest lines have entered  mass consciousness, and they entered  mass consciousness, and they are great precisely because they have are great precisely because they have continued to resonate in our lives continued to resonate in our lives today.today. • Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Poetry As News

2222

What makes good children’s poetry?What makes good children’s poetry?

Three elements of good children’s poetry:Three elements of good children’s poetry: an emphasis on forman emphasis on form a not too elaborate grammatical and a not too elaborate grammatical and

narrative complexitynarrative complexity a reasonable familiarity and a reasonable familiarity and

established place in the language.established place in the language. It’s worth noticing, however, that this It’s worth noticing, however, that this

has the harsh consequence that has the harsh consequence that children are unable to write good children are unable to write good children’s verse—and we make a children’s verse—and we make a mistake when we demand they do so.mistake when we demand they do so.• J. Bottum, What Children’s Poetry is For

American Educator, Fall 1997.

A Native American PoetA Native American Poet

April 21, 2023Poetry and Drama

2323

Poetry by young Native AmericansPoetry by young Native Americans

April 21, 2023Poetry and Drama

2424

2525

More Dewey and PoetryMore Dewey and Poetry

2626

What is a poetry slam, anyway?What is a poetry slam, anyway?

An organization for poetry slamsAn organization for poetry slams2727

What is Poetry Slam, Inc.? Poetry Slam, Inc. is the official 501(c)(3) Poetry Slam, Inc. is the official 501(c)(3)

non-profit organization charged with non-profit organization charged with overseeing the international coalition of overseeing the international coalition of poetry slams. Though slams are maintained poetry slams. Though slams are maintained in a growing number of cities by local in a growing number of cities by local volunteer organizers, the vast majority of volunteer organizers, the vast majority of slam series follow the rules established by slam series follow the rules established by the governing body, and are certified by the the governing body, and are certified by the governing body as slams that adhere to the governing body as slams that adhere to the vision slam's founders established for the art vision slam's founders established for the art form over a decade ago. form over a decade ago.

What What about about

Drama?Drama?

2929

What is drama?What is drama?What is drama?

‘‘Drama’ is an Ancient Greek word Drama’ is an Ancient Greek word meaning ‘act’ or ‘deed’. The Ancient meaning ‘act’ or ‘deed’. The Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle used this Greek philosopher Aristotle used this term in a very influential treatise term in a very influential treatise called the called the PoeticsPoetics. In this text, Aristotle . In this text, Aristotle classified different forms of poetry classified different forms of poetry according to basic features he thought according to basic features he thought could be commonly recognised in their could be commonly recognised in their composition. He used the term ‘drama’ composition. He used the term ‘drama’ to describe poetic compositions that to describe poetic compositions that were ‘acted’ in front of audiences in a were ‘acted’ in front of audiences in a

theatrontheatron..

3030

What about theatre?What about theatre?What is theatre?

Theatre is a living art. Theatre is Theatre is a living art. Theatre is storytelling at its most magical. storytelling at its most magical. Theatre is reality. Theatre is Theatre is reality. Theatre is fantasy. Theatre is the expression of fantasy. Theatre is the expression of the human condition in its myriad the human condition in its myriad forms throughout history. Theatre forms throughout history. Theatre is experimentation. Theatre is is experimentation. Theatre is problem-solving, and Theatre is problem-solving, and Theatre is fun. fun. • BA in Theatre – Major/Minor

3131

The Purpose of Drama The Purpose of Drama

Why study drama? Through drama you can become Through drama you can become

anyone, anywhere, at anytime. By anyone, anywhere, at anytime. By understanding drama you can learn understanding drama you can learn to understand anyone, anywhere to understand anyone, anywhere anytime. Plays often capture the anytime. Plays often capture the essence of a culture or a group essence of a culture or a group within that culture. They reveal the within that culture. They reveal the attitudes and opinions of their day.attitudes and opinions of their day.•

3232

Drama in educationDrama in educationWhy can drama lead to successful teaching Why can drama lead to successful teaching

and learning?and learning? Drama . . . can offer a powerful

stimulus in motivating children to learn as they are operating within a relationship that is human- to- human, rather than one that is human- to- abstract concept. It is this that acts as the lure to draw members of the class in and enables them to see the relevance of the learning• Holden, J. (2002, Summer).

What’s this got to do with maths? Education Review, 15,2

Drama as a motivatorDrama as a motivator3333

3434

A special form of dramaA special form of drama

Reader’s theatreReader’s theatre Readers Theatre is an oral reading Readers Theatre is an oral reading

activity that closely resembles radio activity that closely resembles radio drama. Two or more readers stand drama. Two or more readers stand or sit side by side, usually in a or sit side by side, usually in a semicircle, holding scripts and semicircle, holding scripts and reading their parts to portray reading their parts to portray characters, narration or exposition. characters, narration or exposition. Physical movement is minimal. Physical movement is minimal. Instead, speech conveys the action. Instead, speech conveys the action. • Readers Theatre by Sam Sebesta

3535

What Is RT? What Is RT? And How Do You And How Do You ReallyReally Spell It? Spell It?

There are many styles of reader’s There are many styles of reader’s theater, but nearly all share these theater, but nearly all share these features: features: • Narration serves as the framework of

dramatic presentation. • No full stage sets. If used at all, sets are

simple and suggestive. • No full costumes. If used at all, costumes

are partial and suggestive, or neutral and uniform.

• No full memorization. Scripts are used openly in performance – Aaron Shepard

For more reader’s theater, visit Aaron Shepard’s RT Page at www.aaronshep.com/rt

Native American playsNative American plays

Pushing Up the Sky: And Pushing Up the Sky: And Other Native American Plays Other Native American Plays for Children for Children (2000) A collection of (2000) A collection of stories by Joseph Bruchacstories by Joseph Bruchac

From acclaimed Native From acclaimed Native American storyteller Joseph American storyteller Joseph Bruchac comes a collection of Bruchac comes a collection of seven lively plays for children seven lively plays for children to perform, each one adapted to perform, each one adapted from a different traditional from a different traditional Native tale. Native tale.

3636

3737

Drama from YA Librarian DeweyDrama from YA Librarian Dewey

Graphics Graphics www.animationfactory.comwww.animationfactory.com