Dan Lesosky

Lindsey Williston

Jill Lessig

English 479

Teaching writing in secondary schools

(Brinkley)

Poetry-portal.com is a directory or guide to an internet poetry world.  It provides a simple and 
comprehensive overview of what's currently online. Students, as well as teachers, are offered a
plethora options from sites dealing with metaphor and imagery to Turkish and Arabic poetry.  
Not only can the user learn about the fundamentals of poetry, but also explore different genres 
and publishing ideas.

Ýwww.poetry-portal.com

Poetry.com is the largest and most comprehensive free poetry site on the Internet. Over 3 million people have submitted poetry and is viewable on this site. Viewers can see published poetry and submit their own, interactive opportunities are available as well. It is a great resource to use as a spring board to other information as well.

www.poetry.com

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Gigglepoetry.com is a site geared specifically towards younger children. They have an assortment of places students can go to learn the rules to write common more simple forms of poetry.

Ýwww.gigglepoetry.com

 
Everypoet.com provides a great forum for all aspiring poets to showcase their poetry.
One can also read and comment on the poetry of others.
http://www.everypoet.com/pffa.htm

Positively Poetry is a website designed by a high school student
and consists of poems submitted by kids around the globe.
This site is great for kids interested in the publication process,
as well those in search of ideas and inspiration.
http://home.highway.net/~emedial/kv/poetry1.html

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ The Poetry Zone is a remarkable web page that provides interviews with famous poets, strategies for teachers to use, and enables students ages 4-18 to submit their own poetry. Once a week there is a weekly round up of the best poems, which are displayed for easy and fun to use viewing. Poetry Zone also recommends other great poetry sites and a Top Ten list of favorite poetry books, which are voted on by guests to the site. This is a great interactive website for teachers and students alike.

www.poetryzone.com

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ This website is exclusively for teachers and those who wish to promote an appreciation of poetry to students. It contains a multitude of projects, activities, and lesson plans, both short-term and long-term, that teaches poetry. Poetry pals emphasizes fun in learning and their ideas create an enthusiastic approach to poetry. The activities are both on and off-line, so teachers can choose whether students work directly from the site or on their own.

http://www.geocities.com/cponykid/pages/lessonplans.html

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ The English Room is focused on English/Language Arts in grades 6-12. It includes a complete 30- day plan for teaching different genres of poetry. It is extremely sufficient in describing each type of poem and giving directions for students to write their own. It gives great examples and provides an in-depth look at poetry. Another aspect of this site is called Treasure hunt. This teaches students how to properly navigate the Internet. There is also a trait-scoring guide for teachers to learn this accurate style of grading.

http://members.tripod.com/the-english-room/

Here is a sample of some poetry from some WMU students:

Time

By: Lindsey Williston

I ask for your help,

But apparently your problems are more important than mine.

All I ask is a minute of your precious time,

You donít have to listen,

Or even say you care,

I just want to know that youíre there.

If you do happen to listen,

Or maybe even care,

Iíd be much obliged,

But I really just want to know that youíre there.

Whenever you were down,

I always said I cared,

Now it seems you really didnít want me there.

If you were really a true friend of mine,

Youíd give me a minute of your precious time.

HOMELAND

By: Emily E. Walbridge

I come from a sea of shipwrecks

Where water weeps

And creatures surround me

Where the anchor reaches down

Blackness meets blue

And enraged silence becomes

A cacophony of sound.

Dead Leaves

By: Jen Gerow

Red, orange, and yellow

Scattered along the yard

Rustling around the streets

Branches covered

Orange jack-o-lanterns smiling on the porch

The strong smell of fall

Leaves burning in bins

Fresh cider and apples

Dead leaves piled

Along the busy road

For pickup today

The big green truck

Will haul them away

Chugging and smoking

The Hero

By: Jill Lessig

ìCattails, Daddy!î She yelled, pointing her tiny five-year old finger.

Immediately, the big blue beast slowed to a halt on the dirt road.

He quickly disappeared into the bristling weeds as the sun beat down.

He emerged seconds later with a handful of fuzzy cattails.

He was magic, her hero.

ìFor you, sissy,î he said. ìFor you.î

Death or Rebirth?

By: Jill Lessig

A layer upon the ground that crunches with each step.

Impossible to remain unheard with any kind of movement.

Lucky hunters, their prey have little hope.

The leaves will be given another chance, however.

In spring they will be reborn.

Why do the very leaves that give away an innocent victimís location get another chance, when for us, death is forever?

The door slams, clomping up the stairs,

the key plays in the lock,

I swivel in my chair to face the door.

The beanbag sighs under the weight of a dayís work.

I hear the pitter patter of stocking feet round the corner and down the hall.

I smile because I know my kiss is on its way.

-Lindsey Williston

My God! What a handsome man! 

You know, the one you wish'd could think 

I think he came from Alabam 

'A la Fred Astaire, right down to the wink. 



Many have tried to replicate a style 

That gathers in closets, waiting awhile 

Until that time when made manifest 

You can smug one off, done surely in jest. 



The world has concocted and you have supported 

In fertilizing an idea, stupendousely contorted 

That we are much less than we actually are 

Oh no! Don't reach out, don't reach out that far! 



Yet the queer thought in my brain is intoxicating 

For me to deny these images, I would be fabricating 

Just inhale their vile stench, right into my lungs 

And pose the real question: "Could you just hand me some?" 



Chris Killian 




 
Mother Nature's Child
 
Soft and innocent vanilla skin
Patient blue psychiatrist eyes
Autumn winds sing Julia Lynn
As Old Man Winter sighs
 
Then ushers in the brisky breeze
Frosting hearts and chilling spines
But hers is warm and does not freeze
For her lovelight always shines
 
Mother Nature showers Spring on Thee
May buds bloom, fragrancing the air
Compassion calms the weeping willow tree
And runs it's fingers through her hair
 
The wild Marram grasses grow wise as does the child
Lake winds gravitate to a new uncharted shore
A child of nature, her soul becomes a woman mild
As she greets the seasons with grace and faith for
evermore
 
-Daniel Lesosky
 
 
Picture Window
 
The pine tree staggers side to side, to and fro
Intoxicated by Autumn's windy, winter song.
She dances--forest green tracers excite the eyes,
So clumsy yet graceful, like a novice ballerina
Always regaining her shaky balance just in time
For the final bow.
Lake winds have ceased it's invisible caress
And the pine tree rests--content,
Stubbornly stiff and sober

-Daniel Lesosky

skeletons
 
We've dreamed more than once
of empty houses- unfinished
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ wind blowing through vacant window frames,
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ walking on dusty floors through anonymous rooms,
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ planks instead of stairs,
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ on dry, grassless land.
 
Skeletons of the home
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ where she celebrates a seventh birthday
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ and he
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ a broken heart.
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Tears, giggles in the kitchen
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ warm sun streaming through the glass panes of the
front door.
 
We're building a house.
 
It is still bare bones-unfinished.
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Don't know who will fill it.
Unsure how to
pound the nails-completion
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ don't know how to
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ where to
ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ build it yet. 
-Liz Baumgarten

Stupid Drivers

You will never see students smiling

As long as there are stupid drivers

Jeeps cruising down the street

Breaking mailboxes and tossing cigarettes from their windows

The bright sunshine in my eyes

Nearly made me miss the cell phone driver

That almost rear ended me

And the weird man in the red truck honking and waving

As the caramel sticks to my teeth I sayÖ

Get off the damn cell phone!!!

Amy Martin