Friday, February 10, 2012

Poetry Friday & Unicorn


Believe
by Amy LV


Students - did your writing ever just make you happy? Writing "Unicorn" made me very happy. It might be because I love magical creatures like Puff (the Magic Dragon) and unicorns. It might be because this is a mask poem, written in the voice of another, in the voice of a unicorn. This is one of my favorite kinds of poems to write.

One thing I especially enjoyed while writing this poem was working on the ending. I hope that it surprised you. By titling the poem "Unicorn," I hope that a reader will think the poem is about believing in unicorns. Of course, it's really about believing in CHILDREN, and I want this to be a surprise.

This week's poems and lessons all focused on endings. Monday's "I Doodle Poodles" took an ending-lesson from David McCord's "The Pickety Fence."  And Wednesday's "Tucked Twinkie" ended abruptly, a different kind of surprise than today's twisty ending.

Endings are important in poetry. If the beginning lines of a poem make a first impression, helping a reader decide whether or not to continue reading, the last lines of a poem leave a taste in a reader's mouth. After you write something, reread the ending and ask yourself, "What taste am I trying to leave in my readers' mouths? Is it working?"

Laura is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Writing the World for Kids. Swing by and check out all of this week's offerings.  And if you feel like writing and sharing, don't miss Laura's 15 Words or Less photograph!

SPARK 15 registrations are up.  This is a great opportunity for writers to connect with artists and musicians - sharing and inspiring!

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(Please click on POST A COMMENT below to share a thought.)

13 comments:

  1. I love the surprise, the expected that isn't! And I like the words about the endings leaving a taste for the reader. It's true, & sometimes I think it's the 'so what' of the poem. Thank you Amy.

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  2. great twist, love the punch of the "summary moment" in light verse and haiku. also make me wonder what near extinct animals who haven't been seen think about encroaching world. but i digress. thanks for stirring up my brain.

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  3. Loved the surprise! I enjoyed the sweet determination of the unicorn :).

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  4. Wonderful poem, Amy. I thought I was reading a child's voice and loved the twist.

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  5. Yep...the twist got me, too! I like the idea of a "mask" poem....my students would enjoy the challenge, and have fun with it, too!

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  6. HA! You got me! That ending made ME happy, too!

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  7. Are you going to join Ed DeCaria's March Madness?

    http://tinyurl.com/6wfbwsx

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  8. Aww, I love poems from different (unexpected) perspectives! And yes to poems that are fun to write and make you feel good. Thanks for sharing.

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  9. Love the surprise ending! Great poetry lesson too! One of the best things about mask poems is that it allows kids to say things through another voice that they might not otherwise say. Your blog is very kid-friendly, Amy!

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  10. Hey everybody! Thank you for being surprised! And Mary Lee...I don't think I am going to join in because I have lots of March travel, and that's going to make even these regular posts a little more tricky. Sounds like fun, though! Happy Valentine's Day, all! a.

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