“The wind may blow the snow about,
For all I care, says Jack,
And I don’t mind how cold it grows,
For then the ice won’t crack.
Old folks may shiver all day long,
But I shall never freeze;
What cares a jolly boy like me
For winter days like these?”
–Sarah Orne Jewett, “A Country Boy in Winter”
Do you, as Wallace Stevens said, “have a mind of winter”? Do you get lost in thoughts of snow-laden tree branches and frost-covered windows? Or are you of another mind altogether; a mind that leans towards warmer climes and shuts down at the thought of putting on another layer of thermal clothing? Well, we have a list of seasonal poems to suit either mindset. Would you rather celebrate the winter weather in Baer’s “Snowflake” or wallow in the cold despair it can bring in Rexroth’s “The Bad Old Days”? Take a look at these other chilly POL poems: Continue reading »
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 12.15.09 | PERMALINK | NO COMMENTS
Of all of the lesson plans that we have online and in the Teacher’s Guide, the one that garners the most praise from educators is the Tone Map.
This 1 -3 day lesson plan is designed to show students that many poems move through a series of moods and tones to tell a particular emotional story. It has a term list for use in the classroom with nearly 200 tones from “abashed” to “zealous” to spark students to learn to describe mixed emotions and distinguish subtle shifts in tone and mood. Not only will they build their emotional intelligence, they will perfect their recitation skills by knowing how to portray the shifting tones and moods of a poem.
Click here to download the Tone Map lesson plan and other great planning resources for teachers.
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 12.03.09 | PERMALINK | NO COMMENTS
We would like to thank all the educators who stopped by the POL booth this weekend at NCTE 2009 in Philadelphia. It was great to talk to all of you about the program and we hope that all of you who were able to get a teacher’s kit enjoy using the materials in your schools. For those who were unable to get a kit, all of the materials (and more) are available for free download on this site. We also would like to thank all the POL veterans who stopped by to praise the program and let us know how it’s working for them and their students. Remember, if you ever have any questions about the program or materials, don’t hesitate to email us at any time. Again, thank you and good luck for a successful 2009-2010 POL season!
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 11.24.09 | PERMALINK | NO COMMENTS
“I tell you it has taken me all my life
to arrive at the vision of gas lamps as angels,
to soften and blur and finally banish
the edges you regret I don’t see,”
-Lisel Mueller, “Monet Refuses the Operation”
Much of reading and reciting poetry lies in each individual performer’s interpretation of that poetry. Here is an animated interpretation of one of our POL poems, “Cartoon Physics, Part 1,” read by the author, Nick Flynn. This short video is part of a series of short poetry films on the Poetry Foundation website. After watching that poem, check out these other animated adaptations of POL poems: Continue reading »
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 11.18.09 | PERMALINK | COMMENTS (1)
On November 6, Minnesota Public Radio featured a story about Sadiya Mohamed, a young Somalian woman living in Minneapolis, and her challenges with living in a new culture. She discusses learning English and how that has changed her sense of home and freedom. One of her successes in learning the new language was winning her school Poetry Out Loud competition. Continue reading »
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 11.09.09 | PERMALINK | NO COMMENTS
Videos of select recitations from the 2009 National Finals are now available on the POL site. Click here to see the National Champion, Will Farley, perform Williams’ “Danse Russe” as well as 2nd Place Winner Barbara Gooding, and 3rd Place Winner Kareem Sayegh perform their poem selections. We have also posted the performances of two of our top 12 finishers, Kaleena Kovach and Stanley Jackson, as well as Oregon State Champion Tiffany Hill. At the bottom of the video page, we have singer/songwriter Natalie Merchant performing a Gerard Manley Hopkins poem, which is an eligible POL poem and is found here.
Watch and share with friends, family, teachers, students, anyone. We hope you enjoy these wonderful recitations!
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 11.02.09 | PERMALINK | NO COMMENTS
If you will be attending the NCTE Annual Convention in Philadelphia this November, be sure to visit the Poetry Out Loud booth in the exhibitor hall. Come to booth # 728 to ask us questions and tell us how the program is working in your school and community. Continue reading »
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 10.23.09 | PERMALINK | COMMENTS (1)
The Poetry Foundation has recently launched an amazing new teaching and learning resource. The Poetry Learning Lab was developed for teachers, students, and learners of every age, and encourages readers of all levels to immerse themselves in poetry. Visit this section of the Poetry Foundation website for all things educational: Continue reading »
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 10.14.09 | PERMALINK | COMMENTS (3)
Days are getting cooler, leaves are changing, autumn is everywhere and a new Poetry Out Loud season is off to a strong start. If our site traffic is any indication, more and more students are beginning their searches for those perfect poems. While you can look through the comprehensive alphabetical listings of poems or poets, we thought we’d highlight some of the other ways to search that the site offers. Continue reading »
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 10.01.09 | PERMALINK | NO COMMENTS
In theaters today is Jane Campion’s new film, Bright Star, an account of John Keats’ young love affair with his neighbor and muse, Fanny Brawne. The title of the movie is taken from Keats’ poem, “Bright Star”, which was written for Fanny. Continue reading »
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 09.25.09 | PERMALINK | COMMENTS (2)
