I knew what it was about the minute I received the e-mail:
On Tuesday, my son shared a
poem with me that he found in a collection he said you shared with him.
I have some concerns about the content of the poem and feel it might be
easier if we talked.
To help my students prepare for Poem in your Pocket Day, I always break out my personal poetry library. Consisting of sixty or so volumes, many are edited and written for kids, but some are for more general audiences. Don't get me wrong-- I have culled my collection of any books that might have more mature material than not-- there is no Reuben Jackson, Richard Brautigan, or even Sylvia Plath, although I do own some of their work.
However, I do share a couple of anthologies by Wislawa Szymborska. I first read her writing when she won the Nobel prize for Literature in 1996. Born in 1923, she spent her entire life in her native Poland, living through Nazi occupation, Stalinism, Solidarity, and eventually Democracy. She has said that her poetry explores the large truths that exist in every day life. "Of course life crosses politics, but my poems are not strictly political. They are more about people and life."
When I offer my poetry books to my students it is always with the caveat that they must turn the page on anything that they feel may be inappropriate, or bring it to me. Since the purpose of the assignment is to find a poem to share, I caution them to consider their audience and avoid choosing anything that might offend. As an example, I offer Szymborska's poem, The Terrorist, He Watches.
Published in 1979 during a rash of European bombings, it starts like this:
The bomb will go off in the bar at one twenty p.m.
Now it's only 1:16 p.m.
Some will have time to go in,
some to get out.
And it follows the people who go in and out of the bar unaware of the mortal choices they are making, until the bomb explodes in the last line.
I warned my students about this poem on Monday morning. On Monday afternoon, two bombs went off at the Boston Marathon. On Tuesday morning, I pulled the anthology off the table, and on Tuesday afternoon, this particular student mentioned the poem to his parents. Despite my discouragement, he had copied some lines from the poem the day before, and was struck by how timely they were.
When I explained the time frame and objectives of the assignment, his mother was very understanding, and she could even set her concern aside for a moment to appreciate that her 11-year-old was making literary connections to current events.
However, I do share a couple of anthologies by Wislawa Szymborska. I first read her writing when she won the Nobel prize for Literature in 1996. Born in 1923, she spent her entire life in her native Poland, living through Nazi occupation, Stalinism, Solidarity, and eventually Democracy. She has said that her poetry explores the large truths that exist in every day life. "Of course life crosses politics, but my poems are not strictly political. They are more about people and life."
When I offer my poetry books to my students it is always with the caveat that they must turn the page on anything that they feel may be inappropriate, or bring it to me. Since the purpose of the assignment is to find a poem to share, I caution them to consider their audience and avoid choosing anything that might offend. As an example, I offer Szymborska's poem, The Terrorist, He Watches.
Published in 1979 during a rash of European bombings, it starts like this:
The bomb will go off in the bar at one twenty p.m.
Now it's only 1:16 p.m.
Some will have time to go in,
some to get out.
And it follows the people who go in and out of the bar unaware of the mortal choices they are making, until the bomb explodes in the last line.
I warned my students about this poem on Monday morning. On Monday afternoon, two bombs went off at the Boston Marathon. On Tuesday morning, I pulled the anthology off the table, and on Tuesday afternoon, this particular student mentioned the poem to his parents. Despite my discouragement, he had copied some lines from the poem the day before, and was struck by how timely they were.
When I explained the time frame and objectives of the assignment, his mother was very understanding, and she could even set her concern aside for a moment to appreciate that her 11-year-old was making literary connections to current events.
We agreed that it's what we want, but not in this way.
"Of
course, life crosses politics," Szymborska once said "but my poems are
strictly not political. They are more about people and life." - See more
at: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/340#sthash.2y4N7fvB.dpuf
"Of
course, life crosses politics," Szymborska once said "but my poems are
strictly not political. They are more about people and life." - See more
at: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/340#sthash.2y4N7fvB.dpuf
"Of
course, life crosses politics," Szymborska once said "but my poems are
strictly not political. They are more about people and life." - See more
at: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/340#sthash.2y4N7fvB.dpuf
"Of
course, life crosses politics," Szymborska once said "but my poems are
strictly not political. They are more about people and life." - See more
at: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/340#sthash.2y4N7fvB.dpuf
