Video Clip Assignment
“The sign on I-81 N says, ‘Shoulders are for Emergencies Only’”
-Nikki Giovanni
What does poetry mean to you? What is poetry to you?
Haikus are easy
but sometimes they don’t make sense
Refrigerator
Pick a poem (rhyme, lyrics, any length) from any genre that means something significant to you. Please keep it classroom appropriate. Identify at least three elements of writing we have discussed in this class. Explain how these elements were used and how they made this poem significant. You will share your poem and findings with the class.
- Imagery
- Symbolism
- Diction
- Point of view
- Figurative language
- Simile
- Metaphor
- Irony
- Satire
- Theme
- Personification
Example:
SHOULDERS ARE FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY
Talk to me, Poem (personification)…I’m all alone…Nobody understands what I am saying…
Have you been in jail, Poem…A lot of poems go to jail…like a lot of women get tired of no good men (simile)…Do no good poems beat up on people…Do no good poems say I’m sorry the next day…
I know poems get lost…because they’re always being found…
There are Wanted posters… milk bottles…and lonesome guitars in the night…looking for a poem to take home…I know poems get neglected…just like doo-wop singing on the back porch and the deacons opening church with Leaning on the Everlasting Arms (figurative language)…people forget what got them over…what saved them
What are your plans, Poem…Give it up…I hear you’re a rap star now (metaphor)…going for the Grammy and the gold…everybody singing your praises…Do you ever miss your home…
The sign on I-81 says: Shoulders Are For Emergencies Only… (irony)
Ride me, Poem… I think I’ve got the blues…
by Nikki Giovanni, “Quilting The Black-eyed Pea” 2002, Harper Collins Publishers
- One of the main components of this poem is personification. Giovanni gives human characteristics to “Poem.” Through her conversation with “Poem,” Giovanni provides an analysis of how poetry has evolved.
- Simile is drawing comparison by using like or as. Giovanni uses simile here to illustrate how versatile poetry can be.
- Figurative language is used as visual imagery to explain that poetry has the power to mean different things to different people.
- Irony is used to evoke emotional response at the end through a traffic direction. To me, it says that poetic substance can be found anywhere.
I chose this poem because it correctly illustrates how versatile the poem can be. A poem can take literally any form the writer wishes it to take, and inspire readers and listeners in countless ways. I find this poem to be inspirational because it encourages us to find the beauty in words all around us.
Here are some resources to get you started:
on September 15, 2009 on 9:44 pm
Casey Childers
Video Clip Assignment Rationale
This assignment is designed for a tenth grade classroom, and goes along with standard ELA10RL1 from Georgia Standards for tenth grade. Here we would be revisit the concepts I would have presumably already taught and place a culturally relevant emphasis on this reinforcing approach. I was also inspired by an article about Nikki Giovanni on NPR and how she was putting a beat to poetry when teaching it to kids.
I chose this clip for an assignment because I thought it would be a fresh way to reinforce locating things like figurative language, imagery, diction, and point of view in a literary text. By incorporating popular music, modern poetry, personal preference for the students, it is my hope that they will approach this project with enthusiasm and make the connection that literary devices are not just reserved for poetry past, but also for present and future poetry. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder in this assignment, I want students to find a lyrical text that speaks to them, and then to apply it to what they already know about literary language devices. I am assuming here that my students have already learned about these literary terms (presumably in my classroom here) and are now asked to apply what they’ve learned.
An extension to this project would be for students to take those three literary devices they discovered and write a haiku using those same three devices. For instance, I found personification, figurative language, and irony. I might then try to write a haiku with personification, figurative language, and irony myself. Remediation for this project would perhaps ask the student to find one important literary device in their chosen poem and explain its importance, rather than three or more.
This assignment matters beyond the classroom because it draws upon what is interesting to students musically, culturally, and personally and asks them to take what they have learned in school and apply it to something they already love and appreciate. This is a good practice for any portion of a curriculum, because students need to see that the things they’re learning in the classroom are not only relevant to the outside world, but applicable. What I am teaching essentially is the value of literary terms and devices, I am reassessing students’ understanding of the terms, and I am making a connection between classroom writing and the power of words that we experience every day.
Some essential questions to ask:
Define poetry?
Is that the only definition? What else can poetry be?
Do you think music can be poetry?
Why does music speak to you?
What is poetry to you?
Where can you find poetry? Do you think it has to be restricted to a textbook?
Why are musical lyrics different than the usual poetry you might read in class?
My biggest challenge is going to be making the connection between poetry that students are used to, and more palatable things like music, lyrics, slam poetry, etc. A big concern is that students will not take advantage of the activity and will select the first poem/song they find just to complete the assignment. I hope that I would be able to give students ample time to explore their options and put a big emphasis on the piece they choose being significant to them. Presented correctly, however, I think this has the potential to be a fun assignment.
on September 17, 2009 on 2:55 pm
Cool! I really like that video. I’ve heard that poem before, but the reading was incredible. I think that’s a great way to kick off a poetry unit. The reading was catchy and really drew me in, and then your assignment asks students to bring in their favorite poem. I think anything that asks a student for their favorite is going to be a hit. I really like how you show all the literary devices in the poem, too. What a cool poem.
on September 17, 2009 on 2:57 pm
I love this clip. It is a perfect intro into a poetry unit. Most students do not understand poetry or even care about poems. I think the way you broke down the poem in writing really helps the students understand and appreciate a good poet. When students have to pick out elements in poems it helps them identify with the poets message and true emotions and not just summarize the poem.
on September 17, 2009 on 2:57 pm
I like this assignment, because I know that in high school I did not take much interest in poetry. However, I feel that if students have the opportunity to relate their feelings and emotions towards a poem of their choice, then they will become more involved in poetry. The assignment allows students to express their feelings about a poem of their choice, instead of the teacher picking out a poem for them.
on September 17, 2009 on 3:12 pm
Love that you added the standard! Such a dreaded thing in my world, to look up what standard I can stretch to fit my lesson! I think your poem choice is fantastic. It really lends itself to a lot of discussion. The fact that you ask the students to define poetry, and then ask if that is the only acceptable definition–wonderful!! I think some clips by Taylor Mali would be great for this too. Great job.
on September 17, 2009 on 3:14 pm
I like the idea, and the choice of poem. It is short, interesting, and uses a lot of literary devices. If it were me, I would allow them the option to write more than a haiku. It would be difficult for them to use three literary devices within the space of three lines.
on September 17, 2009 on 8:35 pm
This assignment is great. I like the idea of integrating music (lyrics) into the classroom and it works really well with poetry. This assignment works well with any grade level because all children relate to music. Letting them choose a song or a piece of work that they relate to will help them hopefully enjoy poetry and more importantly see how poetry is relevant to them.
on September 17, 2009 on 9:52 pm
Ahh! I am obsessed with her poetry! “I know poems are lost because they are always being found.” … This assignment ROCLS! That is all I have to say.
on September 17, 2009 on 9:57 pm
…rocKs…
on September 20, 2009 on 1:28 pm
I like the video that you chose. I like how you allowed the students to choose their own poem. Students will have a lot more fun with this assignment since they can choose the poem instead of being assigned one. I also really like how you gave a detailed example of what their assignment should look like. It really helps when the students can see what you expect instead of just being told what to do.
on September 20, 2009 on 7:34 pm
What a great way to teach students the meanings of literary devices. Great poem too.
on September 22, 2009 on 1:26 am
I am a lover of poetry, as well as Nikki Giovanni. I love the idea of having students to bring in a poem of their choosing because it offers an element of comfort. A comfortable student is more apt to become involved in the assignment, and it also offers insight to the students’ character.
on September 23, 2009 on 5:11 pm
Great clip and assignment! I think this is great because a lot of kids groan at the thought of doing poetry and this will make them relate to poetry more easily. Also, this might even make them appreciate poetry in general, if they didn’t before. I also like the examples of the poetry. Awesome