The last two sessions at Shields we focused on persona poems (also called dramatic monologues), which are poems written in the voice of a character other than the author.

Last week we read Loren Goodman's Recital, where a young boy recounts his experience participating in a solo piano performance. As his reward the boy receives a bust of Franz Liszt, and the poem unexpectedly (and hilariously) careens off into a stream-of-consciousness reverie: "I admired him for being worse than the other composers, for / concentrating more on his playing and physique. His hair looked / better than Beethoven's. Beethoven looked mean, but Liszt looked / tough." Students brainstormed on characteristics of their own personas, making lists of possible details to be used as background material for when they write their poems.

This week we read a song in the front yard by Gwendolyn Brooks, discussing similarities and differences between the young girl in Brooks' poem, and the boy in Goodman's. We also thought about motivations for each character, and considered choices each poet made in how they presented their poems on the page. Using their brainstorming from the previous week as a jumping off point, students then wrote their own persona poems.

Jumpy
Beatriz B.

I had always lived
in an attic
I loved to play with
the kittens that live
in the attic too.
Here in Mexico it
gets real hot
I feel like getting
out of the attic
but I am scared
they might catch me.

You know I once
went to jail
I stole something
from a house.
My mom said I
was a bad girl.
I felt good because
I always wanted
to be a bad
person.

Untitled
Francisco R.

There was a kid named
Walle. I am crazy, smart
and big. I love soda, chips
and drawing. I want to do crazy
stuff and build something.
I live in Chicago on Black Street.
I am so scared of water, dogs and
windows.

I was in the park, not just
a park, a lovely park, when I
saw a dog. I gave him a shower
with soap and gave him
lovely food. Then I slept with
him. I found a friend.

Untitled (My Name Is Cherry)
Jessica R.

My name is Cherry. I love to get straight
A's. Right now I am going to be officially
an astronaut. I hate flowers. I am going. Here I
go. I'm so nervous. OK, first my name. Now
multiple choice. And I have. I'm done. It
was a little bit hard but it worked
out. My grand
ambition. Yes I am officially a.....
What, woke up, it's time for school. Oh
it was just a dream.

Ms. Fialkowski, 5th Grade

Stuck in the Same Place
Andres P.

I always stay in one place
it's like if there was
nothing in the world to
do. I stay in my home
with nothing to do.

My dad won't let
me go outside, only
for 20 minutes or less.

I want to explore the world
to see the flowers shine
in the sun and smell
the flowers. I want
to lay in the grass
but for now
I am stuck in
the same place.

Untitled
Mayra P.

I want to get out of
this box! I've been here
since I was five.
I feel lonely....

I see lots of kids
playing. I still have
no friends, unless you
count my brother.

It's just not fair!
I want to be free!
But my mom won't
let me until I'm
13 years old. I want
to get out! But until
then I will still be
in my box!

Untitled (My Name Is Eager)
Sergio P.

My name is Eager.
The poem is set
in my back yard.

I was playing
soccer in my back
yard. Then a girl showed
up and said that she
wanted to play. I got
in shock 'cause I did
not know girls like
soccer.

I thought she was
a mean person but she
is not, she is nice.
Then we played soccer
for the rest of the day.

Ms. Rodriguez, 5th Grade

Being Invisible
Adriana A.

I see my mom working every day.
No one stops to look at me.

My dad goes to work early in the morning.
My brothers & sisters always stare right
through me.

I looked in the mirror & I didn't
even see myself.

Do you know the feeling of when you
are invisible? I do.

No one cares & no one even dares
to pay attention to me.

If one day they should find out
that I am alive I would be
grateful that I didn't die.

A Problem With My Nose
Eduardo C.

I have a
problem with my
nose
I cannot
smell my rose....

I can't smell
the dead fish
that's on top
of the dish....

My mom could
smell good, but
my brother smells
even more....

I can't smell
the cake my
mom baked...

I have a
problem with my
nose....

Untitled
Saul R.

Every time I'm in the house playing,
My mom won't let me go outside to smell the fresh air.

My dad comes home eats and leaves.
My mom goes to work in the city.

The only people at home are me and my brother.
I'm watching TV and my brother is sleeping.

Later we have to sleep.
And then the next day it happens again.

Mrs. Maxwell, 5th Grade

Untitled (I'm a Good Girl)
Carolina M.

I'm a good girl.
I like to wear make-up.
I love to wear dresses.

I like to go to
the back garden.
I love to smell
the flowers.

I love to go to the
park and skateboard.
I love to go shopping.

I'm scared of dogs
and bulls and snakes.

I would like to
know if I have
a chance to be
the President.

I live in a
wood, a very
pretty wood house.

I'm in the woods
walking alone.

I get lost in
the woods in the
night.

Untitled (On a Cold Day)
Georgina R.

On a cold day like this day I was
here in my house practicing my trumpet
for my school concert. Day by day I
practiced until the day was here. Grabbed
my chair, took my sheet of notes and
started playing. While I was here
I thought of my poetry teacher oops I
said I missed a note and it just
heard as a ~~~~~ That sounds
horrible. My teacher said.

Untitled (Hello My Name Is Laylie)
Lizayra R.

Hello my name is Laylie.
I am tall, kind of skinny, and
not that funny. I like rats
and snakes.

I live in a house made
of grass and feathers, the feathers
are soft for me to sleep on.
My house is on top of a mountain,

sometimes the rain falls
with money but what should
I need it for, because everything
is free for me.

Mr. Heredia, 5th Grade

¡Cool!
Stephani L.

I'm stuck in a refrigerator
¡HELP!
But no one
comes
¡Oh no!
The frozen peas
are ¡COMING!

Someone opened the door
finally
but I'm not home
I'm in
another
dimension

with all my favorite
things
I'm going to like it here

Untitled (I Am Stuck at Home)
Juan R.

I am stuck at home I want to go
outside to play soccer with my friends
but I have to eat first but I don't like the
food help help I want to go outside with
my friends. Ooh I got an idea I'll give my dog
the food. Now I can play outside.

Untitled (I Have Been in My Cave)
Francisco V.

I have been in my cave for a
long time. I am so weird. I want
to come out of the cave. I want
to have friends that care about me.
Can I get out? Can I see
light?

I love playing with friends.
I love meeting new people.
I love meeting the world.

I get scared when people
yell at me. My mother thinks
I get scared of bats and I
am. I want to learn new
things. I just wish I
could get out of this cave.

Ms. Montoya, 5th Grade

Untitled (Hello)
Gelacio A.

Hello my name is Jazz. I
spend all the time
in the air. I am a hawk. I mostly
eat plants. I was found by
a horse. That explains how
fast I am. I hate eagles. I live
in a barn. And I fight with
my brother the goat.

The Night Sky
Lenin E.

I have been on the ground my entire
life (except that time I went for a fly
in the sky in an airplane).

I want to jump and fly in the sky
and sleep in the clouds, look
at the stars that bright the sky,
and see the beautiful silent sky.

I wish I could go into the sky,
and hear the silent night. I wish I could
sleep in the fluffy clouds and look
at the night lights.

Dragon
Cristian G.

I am a dragon. I throw ice.
I also have heat vision.
My color is black. My enemy
is Dinoslash. I defeated him
one time in a volcano.

Mr. Chewy Nutty Peanut
Daniel S.

My name is Mr. Chewy Nutty Peanut.
I love to dance and dance till I fall.
What scares me the most is people try to
eat me all the time. I sleep next to a remote
in a drawer.

Pointy, Poke, Poke, Pokeadoodle
Stephanie S.

My name is Pointy, Poke, Poke
Pokeadoodle. And I am
an ugly dog.

My hair falls down all
the time. And I live
in a barn. I am also
blind.

Everybody makes
fun of me.

I spend most of my
time in the streets.
I hate my horrible
life. Also have to wear
ugly glasses. I hate
it.

Untitled (Shark Girl)
Mari V.

My name is Shark Girl.
Shark Girl can
do what sharks
can do but never do.

The Shark Girls
can eat every-
thing, can do what
Shark Girls can do, what
they can do.

Mr. Hughesdon, 5th Grade

Giggles
Lucina A.

My name is
Giggles I'm funny I'm
cool I like ice cream
I like the name Giggles
because I laugh a lot
I hate rats they're ugly.
I would want to know
how to cook. I would
want to visit space.

My Name Is Squidunar
Diana G.

I love green old broccoli.
The thing I hate most is nachos,
I am really scared of a
piece of paper. I want to learn so much
about Rainbow City. I live in
Sphereobania. I live in a ball
as a house. My brother calls it a
ball. I love my house. I live on
the planet Mars and my brother lives
on Pluto. That's my life.

My Name Is Rhino
Rony M.

I am mean, odd, and kind of
nice. I like to get fed
and like to read. I get
scared when I see any dog
mad, they bite me or jump
in front of me and I
like to jump and play!!!!

My Life
Jesse R.

My name is Marcel. I never ever
have left the country farm.
I'm a very hard worker. I see very laid-
back people from the city I would like
to be. They have speaking stones
and magic boxes. They come
in with nice clothes. I love
to mow lawns and pick fruit.
I'm scared of city people and what
they bring. I live way off in
Pennsylvania in the country. My
mom tells me never go to the city
but I wanna. So when I grow up
I'm moving to the land of what they
call T-V.