April 8 1.Blog: Can poetry change the world? 2.Present! Group pre- assessment poems 3.Vocabulary 27: Work it! AA 1.Blog: Can poetry change the world? Research: Gather quotes and poems for blog. 2.District Essay — Wait-what???? 3.Vocabulary 10 packet: due Thursday Poetry Devices, PA TOPIC: Poetry Devices, PA Identify, Explain LEVEL: Identify, Explain

On Your Desk Blank binder paper (unripped) Vocab 27 packet Cornell Notes paper

Can Poetry Change the World? There is no place that does not see you; You must change your life. -- Rainer M. Rilke, “Archaic Torso of Apollo”

Blog: April 8 Can poetry change the world? Can it change someone’s world? Explain yourself. ( words)

Not really... I believe that poetry cannot change the entire world. First of all, poetry doesn’t even have an effect on most of the world. Furthermore, even if poetry did affect the majority of people, there is no way that every single person on this planet could be changed by poetry. But, poetry can definitely change aspects of our world, perhaps giving emotion and feeling to certain subject. Probably the most obvious example of poetry changing lives is poets themselves. They write for a reason.... 2

Don’t Look Now, But Edgar Is Behind You... I honestly think that poetry can actually change the world. I mean, seriously, isn’t poetry one of the major things that has shaped English [speaking] culture over the past couple hundred years? Without poetry it would seem that our society would have no “depth” to it. People would be educated, but having no literature of the poetry genre would make it seem like they were “missing something” in their personalities. Poetry makes the world aware of a much more refined aspect of life. Poetry can also change someone’s world. Many people throughout history have devoted their entire lives to writing poetry because that is their true passion. Without poetry, Edgar Allen Poe may have just been “some weird guy” instead of “some weird guy that can write.” 2

Imagination Is More Important Than Knowledge I believe that poetry can change the world, from the poet’s perspective. When a poet writes, he writes about the world as he sees it. When the poet changes how he writes, then he changes how he can see the world. The imagination of the poet is his world. And if they are grim or joyful, their poetry reflects their emotions. Poetry can change the world. As society progresses, so does literature and poetry. Poetry might be the advancement of thought. 2

I was ready to change the world when... before I could even get a thought on paper, I heard my world-changing idea, my philosophy and the secret of happiness on Oprah. All hope could’ve been lost right there, but [suddenly I realized] that if I placed my idea in a different medium, such as poetry, it could gain an entirely different audience. Ideas are reassembled, reconstituted, and rehashed constantly. I believe they are subject to the same universal laws as energy and matter. There’s no real creation or destruction of ideas... just reconstruction. 2

Skipping Stones I don’t believe it can change the whole world, but I do believe it can change a portion of it. If the message is really strong, it will start a ripple effect. The ripple effect starts with something small and then spreads out. However, there is always a wall that will stop it, because someone always has to disagree. 3

Stop, Look, and Listen Poetry can definitely change someone’s world. There are many people who have had a complete turn around in their lives because of something they read. 3

Obscurities I don’t think poetry can change the world because even though it can be very passionate and strong, I don’t think that it has enough power to reach multitudes of people, especially since more than half of the world can’t read. And even if poetry was to be read out loud, most people might not understand it, especially if it has a deep meaning. 3

Weapons of Mass Construction I think that poetry can change the world. It’s kind of like painting a picture. Some people who see (read) it will love it as much as you. Others might think, “Well, oh, that’s an ugly picture. It’s just a big blob of colors” (a lot of rhyming words that are nonsense). So, no matter how hard a poet tries, there won’t be any two groups who respond the same way to the poem. Everyone forms their own opinions. I think that the possibility of World War III is very high because of how people feel about poetry. England and France with their old poetry might become our enemies because they don’t believe in our new, modern, radically thinking poets. This could become a great tragedy where the hero always dies. 3

Can Poetry Change the World? Absolutely. Poetry not only can change the world but it has. Poetry has conveyed the feelings and concerns of common people to higher classes and led to change that was well worth the wait. It’s brought attention to the social wrongs that are committed daily. Poetry has been a way for millions to show who they are and explain what they believe in. 3

Group Poem Presentation One person will read the poem (with feeling!) to the class. The group will answer questions about the meaning of the poem. Group members will take turns identifying the poetry devices: figurative language, sound devices, theme, and implied narrative.