What Can Poetry Do For People?

We learned yesterday that poems can be about absolutely anything. Today we will discuss what poetry can do for those who read and write it. Kelli was an eighth grade poet who adored a certain children’s book author. He lived in her state and spent a lot of time in local schools, including Kelli’s, giving readings and working with kids on their writing. One morning, there he was in the headlines of the local newspaper. He’d been arrested and charged with molesting little girls and boys. Kelli’s response to the bad news was a poem. She wrote it on the bus on the way to school, tore it out of her notebook, folded it about twenty times, and left it on her teacher’s desk.

Footsteps to Follow What happened to all the Lone Rangers, the heroes on white stallions, the knights in white armor who fought for our honour? Where have all the good guys gone? Whose footsteps are we to follow now? Whose shoes are we to fill? Mine is the voice of this generation- the voice of a thousand. Do you hear our unanswered questions? Or are you so deaf that you cannot hear? So what happened to you, Lone Ranger? Each time you don’t answer, a little part of us dies. -Kelli Carter

Some Features to Notice 1.The use of questions- seven of them- to create cadence, build a theme, and suggest the poet’s confusion. 2.The simple, direct language that gives the poem its emotional power: Where have all the good guys gone? Who do I trust? 3.Because of the coded nature of poetry, kelli can write about what happened and convey her anguish indirectly. The heroes on horseback, knights, and Lone Rangers function as metaphors for the children’s author. Cadence: the rhythm or flow of a sequence of sounds or words. Metaphor: a symbolic representation of something.

Something you can do as a poet is express your own strong emotions about a situation that troubles you. For Homework: Use a poem to help you capture, define, and get some control over what hurts. Don’t worry about rhyme scheme, just get your negative emotions on paper.