All semester long we’ve been looking at imagery-heavy, linear, and narratively driven poems — but what happens when a poet is not interested in linearity or telling a story? What happens when a poet just wants to be a little weird? That’s where experimental poetry comes in (hooray!) — you know, the sort of thing that really makes people scratch their head in confusion. But here’s a trick, don’t try to understand it — just think about how it makes you feel!
After looking at sound poets like Tracie Morris and Jackson Mac Low (he’s from Chicago!) — students were excited to try their own experimental sound poems, where they tossed aside trying to tell a story and just played around with what happens when we break language down to its elemental parts, letter by letter, word by word. In other words, we had a bit of fun!
I am tired
by Zarissy
8th grade
I am tired
tried am I
I I I
tired am I
tired tried
am I tried
am am
I I I
tried I am
tried am I
Hello
by Natalie
7th grade
hello? can you hear me?
hear me hello?
you-hear-hello?
we hear can
tell you hear me
c-c-can-t be-hell-hear you
c-c-a n hell- hello?
hear you —
hear can me.
I remember
by Mireya
8th grade
I remember when I saw a bug
crawling on your blue bedroom walls
and I began to cry
cry
cry
cry
I remember I saw
I
I
I remember
