Tips to Locate Poetry in the P.J. Gelinas Information Center:
Seach the Online Catalog
Type in the search term "poetry" as a keyword;
or browse our book shelves in the 811 Dewey Number Area;
search using the author's name;
Consult the librarian for special assistance.
Finding Your Story through Found Poetry!
Honors
As a way of getting to know one another, we’re going to write found poetry based on book titles we find at the library. A found poem is a poem that is constructed by literally finding words that are meaningful to you and then combining them with your own. In this case, we’ll be looking at book titles that interest you, and from there, you will create a poem that tells us a little bit about yourself. Follow these guidelines to help you out:
1) Find book titles!
They can either be about a subject you love (example: The Beatles, cooking, traveling, etc), or could just be really interesting titles that speak to you (example: The Tell Tale Heart). Also take a look at words on the front or back cover, or even flip open to a random page and read it. Jot down phrases that are interesting to you. Fill out the chart on the back of this sheet while we’re down there. When you’re done with that, show it to Ms. Pardi or Ms. Mustafa for an easy 100 as a classwork grade.
They can either be about a subject you love (example: The Beatles, cooking, traveling, etc), or could just be really interesting titles that speak to you (example: The Tell Tale Heart). Also take a look at words on the front or back cover, or even flip open to a random page and read it. Jot down phrases that are interesting to you. Fill out the chart on the back of this sheet while we’re down there. When you’re done with that, show it to Ms. Pardi or Ms. Mustafa for an easy 100 as a classwork grade.
2) See what some of the titles and phrases have in common.
If you see a common thread in the titles, it may help you figure out what to write about.
If you see a common thread in the titles, it may help you figure out what to write about.
3) Write the poem!
It doesn’t have to rhyme, but it should meet the following requirements:
It doesn’t have to rhyme, but it should meet the following requirements:
a. Should be no less than 15 lines long
b. Should include 5-7 book titles, underlined. Feel free to include as many or a few words from the books.
c. Should include one of the following devices, in bold and labeled:
i. Simile
ii. Metaphor
iii. Personification
d. Should have a title
4) Publish your poem!
For homework, please type your poem up and decorate it. Include a picture of yourself! We will be hanging these up for open house!
Make sure the following heading goes on top:
YOUR NAME
THE DATE
PERIOD NUMBER
For homework, please type your poem up and decorate it. Include a picture of yourself! We will be hanging these up for open house!
Make sure the following heading goes on top:
YOUR NAME
THE DATE
PERIOD NUMBER
Have fun telling your story! If you have any questions, please see Ms. Pardi or Ms. Mustafa.
The Poem: “Bella Italia”
Mrs. Shaw’s Found Poem Example
Book Titles I Found:
Animal Farm, by George Orwell
The Golden Notebook, by Doris Lessing
Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
Gravity’s Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon
1984, by George Orwell
On the Road, by Jack Kerouac
A Passage to India, by E.M. Forrester
The Power and the Glory, by Graham Greene
Revolutionary Road, by Richard Yates
The Sheltering Sky, by Paul Bowles
Tell-Tale Heart, by Edgar Allan Poe
Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Eugene O’Neill
Corn Flakes With John Lennon, by Robert Hilburn and Bono
Under the Tuscan Sun, by Frances Mayes
The Poem: “Bella Italia”
I flew through the sheltering Long Island sky
Into an orange-juice sunset
And found myself swimming through sunflower fields
Half a world away, under the Tuscan sun.
We ate and danced, celebrated life and its simple joys
And, in that moment, felt like victorious gladiators (simile)
With all the power and the glory this beautiful country
Grants those who open up their tell-tale hearts and feel
What it truly means to be in Bella Italia.
Yet my revolutionary roads always seem to lead me back
And soon I kissed the sunflowers adieu.
But during my long day’s journey into night
I took to my golden notebook and wrote
Feverishly and passionately
Trying capture the essence and lock it into perfect words
Before it was gone with the jet stream winds
What it truly means to be Bella Italia.
Tips for writing poetry…
1) Place words you think are most important at the end of lines
2) If you want one idea to stand out, have the idea in a short line by itself
3) Think about the words you are using! You don’t have many lines to get your idea across, so make sure every word is working toward the general story you’re trying to tell.
