The Poetry Center of Chicago

Hands on Stanzas Blogs

how-to
Submitted by Rachel Javellana on June 19, 2011 - 10:23pm.
Tarkington School of Excellence

"How-to" poems are simply poems that somehow use the format of instructions, often in surprising ways. "How to See Deer" by Philip Booth is a how-to poem that also has some interesting structures: it's written in enjambed tercets...simply, three-line stanzas (tercets) that have sentences which wrap around and continue from one stanza to the next (enjambment). Students also connected with the natural imagery in the piece. See the poem here to see what I mean.

News & Updates

Elise Paschen and Kevin Prufer Reading 3:00 Saturday November 19th at The Poetry Center of Chicago 78 E Washington St.,

Kevin Prufer is the author of five books of poems, the most recent of which are In a Beautiful Country (Four Way, 2011) and National Anthem (2008), named one of the five best poetry books of the year by Publishers Weekly. He is also Editor of, among others, New European Poets (Graywolf, 2008; w/Wayne Miller) and Editor-at-Large of Pleiades: A Journal of New Writing.

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Hands on Stanzas Summer Fling

This summer Hands on Stanzas, The Poetry Center's literacy through poetry program, was proud to partner with Alternatives, Inc. to bring poetry programming to seven summer camps sponsored by the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago.

Alternatives, Inc. is northeast Chicago's largest agency dedicated to at-risk youth and their families. The not-for profit agency's goal is to facilitate personal development, strengthen family relationships, and enhance the community's well being.

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Hands on Stanzas Anthology Live!

The 2010 Hands on Stanzas Anthology of Student Verse is here.

Students participating in the Poetry Center's literacy through poetry program for the 2009-2010 academic year are assembled here, for the first time, in this comprehensive electronic collection of poetry.

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Natalie Merchant on NPR's Morning Edition

Natalie Merchant spoke to Morning Edition host Renee Montagne this morning about her newly released album Leave Your Sleep, which features Merchant's musical interpretations of poetry by a diverse array of writers. Merchant will be performing songs from this album in an upcoming concert brought to you by the Poetry Center. The interview is available online here.

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Paul and Maryrose Carroll Beat Collection

Through his editorship of literary journals, Paul Carroll promoted the development of the 1950s era Beat poets. While serving as the poetry editor of the Chicago Review, Carroll and editor Irving Rosenthal included controversial rising poets William Burroughs, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac. Although Chicago Review was recognized for avant garde works, University of Chicago's Chancellor Lawrence Kimpton suppressed its Winter 1959 issue leading Carroll and Rosenthal to found a new journal Big Table with increased literary freedom to publish Beat poets.

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Li-Young Lee reading on Chicago Amplified

Li-Young Lee's October 20th reading at the Poetry Center of Chicago is featured on WBEZ Chicago Public Radio's Chicago Amplified. To listen to the program just click the link below.

http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=29727

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