Performance Poetry and Beyond…

Call and Response ALL MY FAULT? The guinea pig has fleas, there are grass stains on my knees, AND IT’S ALL MY FAULT? There’s mustard on the floor, and flies came in the door, AND IT’S ALL MY FAULT? The milk is warm and sour, all the bread has been devoured, THAT TOO IS ALL MY FAULT? Why, when I walk into the room, do you always start to fume LIKE IT’S ALL MY FAULT? Did I cause the national debt? The creeping ozone threat? IS THAT ALL MY FAULT? How ‘bout overpopulation? Did I pollute the habitation? IS THAT ALL MY FAULT? Was I born to take the blame? A guilty face to fit your frame? LIKE, THIS IS ALL MY FAULT? I didn’t make the traffic slow, but that delinquent video is mine. That one is all my fault. Activity and poem by Sara Holbrook

You’ve Got Rhythm The dog ate my homework. You’ve heard that before? This one ate the table, then chewed through the door. Activity and poem by Sara Holbrook

COPYCAT I’m serious. Don’t copy me. I mean it now. You let me be. I’m outta here. Don’t follow me. I’m warning you. Stop. STOP. Stop that. No fair. You started it. I’m serious. Don’t copy me. I mean it now. You let me be. I’m outta here. Don’t follow me. I’m warning you. Stop. Stop that. No fair. You better quit. Activity and poem by Sara Holbrook

You are entitled to your point of view… I’m going to be as great as… Activity and poem by Sara Holbrook

Ways to Present! Choral reading Inflection Pace Attitude/tone Projection Gestures Facial expressions

Performing a Poem We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks The Pool Players. Seven at The Golden Shovel. We real cool. We Left school. We Lurk Late. We Strike straight. We Sing sin. We Thin gin. We Jazz June. We Die soon.

Harlem by Langston Hughes What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore – And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over – like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?

Text Rendering Choral Read Respond with whip around pass Read silently Vocabulary Figurative language Underline favorite parts Jump-in read Create new poems Read in parts (by gender, etc.)

An Exercise in Imagery Imagery Exercise.doc Painting by Shawn Reed

And Beyond… Poetry Café Creative Responses Personal Responses Student Poetry Poetry Analysis (long essays) And whatever else you may dream of…