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# The Chicago Poetry Center

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## Posts

- [Nature Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/nature-poems-2/) - This week the young viking writers went on a side quest outdoors to find inspiration in the courtyard of their school building. Before venturing outside, we discussed "why" nature poetry and what does nature poetry serve. We read ol reliable Mary Oliver and went out in search of our own wild geese. “What She Told
- [Come See Us at Printers Row Lit Fest!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/come-see-us-at-printers-row-lit-fest/) - Come See Us at Printers Row Lit Fest! The Chicago Poetry Center is excited to be part of the 40th Annual Printers Row Literary Festival this Saturday and Sunday, September 6-7th from 10am - 6pm. Explore the largest literary festival of over 200 authors, 70 programs, 150 booksellers, and 6 stages. Find us under the Chicago
- [Poetry @ The Green at 320: Summer 2025](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-the-green-at-320-summer-2025/) - Poetry @ The Green at 320 returns for summer 2025! The Chicago Poetry Center and The Green at 320 S. Canal are proud to reintroduce this free, weekly reading and open mic series co-curated by CPC Poets in Residence Joy Young and Timothy David Rey. This summer, join us on Monday nights at 6 p.m. to hear
- [Blue Hour 2025-2026 Season](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-2025-2026-season/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop. Each event takes place at Haymarket House (800 W. Buena) and features two readers from Chicago and beyond, preceded by a brief open mic and limited-space workshop that includes a guided generative writing practice. 2025-2026 Season Line-up:
- [Blue Hour September 17th](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-september-17th/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop. Our September featured readers are Marianne Chan & Meghann Plunkett. Each event takes place at Haymarket House (800 W. Buena) and includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets. Pre-registration is free and recommended. The open
- [We're Hiring! Communications Intern](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/were-hiring-communications-intern/) - *** UPDATE: We’re no longer accepting applications. Thank you to all who have applied! We will follow up with all candidates. *** Downloadable PDF - Communications Intern Job Posting Downloadable PDF - Communications Intern Performance Task Details Restrictions This role is funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Youth Employment program; as such, only
- [Introducing Our New Board Members!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/introducing-our-new-board-members/) - Today, we're sending a big and bigger table WELCOME to the newest members of CPC’s Board of Directors: Ashley Tran, Candace D. Green, Chris Toft, Ola Faleti, Stephanie Schultz, Whitney Capps, and Zeshawn Qadir! We’re thrilled to welcome this incredible group of new members to our community. Collectively, they bring a great diversity of experience,
- [Angel of the Get-Through: A Celebration of the Life & Legacy of Andrea Gibson](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/angel-of-the-get-through-a-celebration-of-the-life-legacy-of-andrea-gibson/) - On Wednesday, August 20, please join the Chicago Poetry Center in celebrating the life and legacy of poet Andrea Gibson. The event will include a brief tribute reading by local poets as well as an open mic-style opportunity for readers to share work written and inspired by Andrea. Angel of the Get-Through: A Celebration of
- [We're Hiring! Poetry Teaching Artists](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/pir2025/) - *** UPDATE: We’re no longer accepting applications. Thank you to all who have applied! We will follow up with all candidates. *** Downloadable PDF - Poet in Residence Posting Position: Poet in Residence with the Chicago Poetry Center Deadline: Friday, August 29 – note that applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until all positions
- [Summer Poetry Gathering 2025 Rocked!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/summer-poetry-gathering-2025-rocked/) - More than 125 Chicago poets, poetry fans, and literary leaders gathered at Haymarket House on June 18, 2025 to honor CPC’s anti-censorship roots and wrap up our 50th anniversary year. Our headlining poet for the night, Martín Espada, is the author of more than twenty books as a poet, editor, essayist, and translator. We brought
- [Blue Hour 50th Anniversary Season Preview](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-50th-anniversary-season-preview/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop. Each event takes place at Haymarket House (800 W. Buena) and features two readers from Chicago and beyond, preceded by a brief open mic and limited-space workshop that includes a guided generative writing practice. For the Chicago
- [Summer Poetry Gathering 2025](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/summer-poetry-gathering-2025/) - On Wednesday June 18, join the Chicago Poetry Center for our annual summer celebration! In line with CPC's anti-censorship roots and wrapping up our 50th anniversary year, the headlining poet for our 2025 Summer Poetry Gathering is none other than Martín Espada. Martín is the author of more than twenty books as a poet, editor,
- [Letters To Self](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/letters-to-self/) - As we come to the end of our workshop, I like to share more informal writing exercises with students that they can use on their own if they wish. A basic building block of a writer’s practice is the timed free write. It's something that I return to time and time again in my own
- [And it's a wrap!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/and-its-a-wrap/) - Today we wrapped up our residency at Latino Youth High School with both our English Class and After School Poetry Club by watching some videos of some significant spoken word poets. I introduced students to Patricia Smith, Beau Sia, Saul Williams, Chicago’s own Nate Marshall, as well as a few other poets who have been
- [All’s Well That End’s Well](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/alls-well-that-ends-well/) - I’ve reached the end of my residency here at Perez, and another school year draws to a close. For our last class, we celebrated by having an in-class poetry reading, where everyone had a chance to read their favorite poem in front of the class. It was a great way to end the residency by
- [Persona Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/persona-poems-5/) - This week as we prepare to wind down and finish up our residency, I decided to bring in a wonderful lesson plan by another Poet In Residence, Noel Quiñones. We started off by listening to an excerp of the podcast Everything is Alive when a satellite was interviewed and shared her perspective of floating in
- [Critical Conversations: Anti-Racism Free Sessions](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/critical-conversations-anti-racism-free-sessions/) - From February through June of 2025, the Chicago Poetry Center is offering free online Critical Conversations: Anti-Racism sessions open to all. Drawing on CPC’s decades of workshop facilitation, Critical Conversations use poetry as a springboard to increase belonging and inclusion in the workplace. By centering the dialogue on lived experiences reflected in poems,
- [Storytime](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/storytime/) - This week the young viking writers explored narrative in terms of collective familiarity and the deeply personal narrative in the family. We read Marie Howe's "Gretel, from a Sudden Clearing" and Kayleb Rae Candrilli's "My Mother Believes in My Marriage and this Shows Me Her Heart Can Forgive Even Years Spent Dancing Alone." The young
- [Final Poetry Party](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/final-poetry-party/) - We had our final poetry party today. It was so hard to say goodbye but we had so much fun! We passed out our final poetry books that we've been working so hard on and held a reading. Almost everybody shared their poems! Then we moved outside to the playground to make it beautiful with
- [Paint Chip Party](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/paint-chip-party/) - This week for our 10th and last day of our residency, we celebrated with color. Together we read and discussed the poem "What You Need for Painting," by Raymond Carter, based on a letter by famous French Artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. In his poem, Carver lists colors for a painter's palette, which has interesting names such
- [Hyde Park Is Sticking Together](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/hyde-park-is-sticking-together/) - This past Thursday was bittersweet, as it marked the final session of Hyde Park's 2025 poetry club. The poets were presented with a chapbook, full of their favorite poems written over the year. The title chosen by our intrepid poet? Gum. why? "Because we stick together, Mr. C," and I couldn't agree more. These young
- [The Blank Page](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-blank-page/) - For their 9th week of poetry, Twain 6th graders revised and completed their past poems from our residency. Together we read the poem "The Blank Page" by Chetana Kamath. In her poem Kamath is speaking directly to a blank sheet of paper, asking it, "What do you want me to make you?" The page replies
- [Summertime (2nd grade!)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/summertime-2nd-grade/) - I got to make a special visit to the 2nd grade today. They've clearly had an amazing teacher with Ms. Leslie and they were very enthusiastic about poetry. We read Nikki Giovanni's "Knoxville, TN" and wrote poems about our favorite seasons. Here is one we wrote together! SummerSummer makes me fill upwith happiness. It feels
- [Dada!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/dada-2/) - Today, we explored Dada poetry. We talked about how Dada artists were dealing with a world at war and post-pandemic and how they decided art should be random and meaningless. We discussed whether or not we agreed with them, and then followed directions written by Dada poet Tristan Tzara on how to create a Dada
- [A Special Gift](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-special-gift-3/) - We read Pablo Neruda's "Ode to My Socks" today. We watched a video that represented all the different similes and we loved talking about how fun and strange they all are! The students had the great observation that the similes were mostly of living things--which made it feel like the socks were really alive! Shiny
- [Summertime! (3rd grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/summertime-3rd-grade/) - As the weather changes and things start to warm up, it felt like the perfect time to read "Knoxville, TN" by Nikki Giovanni. We watched a video of her reading the poem from Knoxville itself and talked about how we can use all of our senses to represent our favorite seasons. We also were very
- [What animal am I?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-animal-am-i/) - Today, we read Ada Limon's poem "How to Triumph Like a Girl." It was very interesting to talk about the ways that the world might expect us to be one thing based on our identity, but we are actually a lot more complicated. Some kids shared how people didn't expect girls to be good at
- [Similes!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/similes-2/) - Today, we experimented with writing similes for ordinary things that we experience. It was a lot of fun to be as strange and silly as we could be! Peanut Noodles--XioPeanut noodles smell like hot sauceflying across the seven seas, tasting like the islands in the watersand it looks like a big war. The noodles look
- [On Mondays, I feel like a dragon!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/on-mondays-i-feel-like-a-dragon/) - Today at Swift, we read Francisco X Alarcon's "On Mondays I feel like a dragon." We had a lot of fun acting out different animals and talking about what we feel like on different days of the week! It turns out that there are a lot of Japanese Flying Squirrel feelings in this classroom! What
- [The Shape of Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-shape-of-poetry/) - This week was the 10th and final poetry session for Twain 5th graders for the school year. Since, I know the 5th graders are fantastic artists, to celebrate our last day we explored concrete poetry. Concrete poetry is when the words of a poem form the shape or image that reflects the subject of the
- [Revision Party](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/revision-party-2/) - We had an excellent time today revising! We've been working so hard on our poems and it was a great opportunity to look through the poems we've written and think about which ones we loved the most and what we loved about them. Each student chose a poem they loved and set a goal for
- [Poetry Publishing: Part 2](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-publishing-part-2/) - Today, I made a visit to Swift to work with small groups on their revisions for their final poems in our poetry books. We had a great time being able to work in a more one-on-one way. We're very excited for our poetry party on Monday. Some goals students worked on: In a poem about
- [Poetry Publishing](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-publishing/) - Today we started working toward our final poetry books! We got to choose a poem that we love to continue working on. We talked together about our goals, including using shorter lines to make the poem read faster, using more of our senses, adding similes, and adding descriptive languages. The students worked SO HARD! Here
- [Performance Poetry!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/performance-poetry/) - For our last session at Smyser, we broke into groups to create performance pieces based off our poems! Each poet contributed one poem to the group. Every group had to include the following in their piece: 1 element from everyone's poem (line, metaphor, title, theme, etc.), everyone had to speak at least once, a title
- [Ready... Set... Rewrite!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ready-set-rewrite/) - Twain 5th graders are so close to the end of our poetry residency. For week nine, students prepared to reach the finish line. Together we read the poem " "The Finish Line," by Laura Salas. In her poem a group of poets are participating in a race. Poets burst across the finish line/legs weak/bodies sweaty/brains
- [What poetry means to me . . .](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-poetry-means-to-me/) - O-School students celebrated the last day of our residency this week. Together we ate delicious Dum Dum suckers, while each group created Ars Poetica poems, poems that describe the art of writing poetry. I asked each student to contribute two lines to the poem, expressing how they feel about poetry, comparing poetry to things they
- [Cooking Poems & Illustrations](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cooking-poems-illustrations/) - Today, Brennemann 2nd Graders in Ms. Richter's class worked collaboratively to create a recipe for how to cook a poem: "How to Cook a Wonderful Poem"by the Class First: get pencils, papers, and erasersfrom your supply caddyget help with a pot for pouringan ocean's worth of ideaswith fire, feathers, and air.sprinkle some sadness or happinessmaybe
- ["Pencils are wild, magical, and so cool"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/pencils-are-wild-magical-and-so-cool/) - On the last day of our 2nd grade poetry residency at Swift - we looked at Carl Sandburg's poem "Pencils," in which I omitted a number of words and lines. Students came up with their own ideas to fill in the blanks. Read on for a cut-and-pasted-collage of a Carl Sandburg + Students version of
- [Editing as Practice](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/editing-as-practice/) - This week at Smyser, we spent time editing and revising our poems! We talked about how with most things, you have to keep doing it to get better: soccer practice, theater rehearsals, returning to your sketch book. Editing is returning to the practice of writing to help us hone our craft and see where we
- [Snap, Snap, Snap!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/snapssnap-snap/) - For our final week at Henry Elementary, poets took to the stage and shared their work with their fellow 7th graders! Check out these photos from our last session as these brave poets snapped and cheered for each other. Thank you to the poets of Henry Elementary! What a joy it was to be with
- [Personification](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/personification-2/) - The first step to building empathy is putting ourselves in the experiences of another, especially if that other can't speak. The 7th graders of Nettlehorst asked themselves what inanimate objects, animals, or fictional characters they would like to be before reading "Hulk Smash!" by Greg Santos. After exploring what a day in the life of
- [The Power of Revision (8th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-power-of-revision-8th-grade/) - All the best poets know that a writer is not judged by their writing alone, but by their ability to rewrite. The 8th graders of Clinton reflected on the power of revision as we read through two drafts of "Summer, Chicago" by fellow CPC poet-in-residence, Timothy Rey. Students started by choosing a favorite or unfinished
- [The Power of Revision (7th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-power-of-revision-7th-grade/) - All the best poets know that a writer is not judged by their writing alone, but by their ability to rewrite. The 7th graders of Clinton reflected on the power of revision as we read through two drafts of "Summer, Chicago" by fellow CPC poet-in-residence, Timothy Rey. Students started by choosing a favorite or unfinished
- ['Lilac/ Dreams': Making Poems from a Game!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/24574-2/) - Students made the old-school paper game called a ‘Cootie Catcher,’, which is a form of origami used in children's games. Parts of the catcher are labeled with words that serve as options for a player to choose from, and on the inside are eight flaps, each concealing a message. To create these poems, the students
- [Write A Poem for Someone](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/write-a-poem-for-someone/) - We only have a few weeks left in our residency, so for their 8th week of poetry Twain 5th graders thought about writing poems for someone else. Together we read and discussed the poem, "Poem For A Bully," by Eileen Spinelli. In her poem, Spinelli uses rhymes to speak directly to a bully, who teases
- ["...misty water-colored memories"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/memory-lane-2/) - For our last session, Brennemann 5th graders talked about the different ways that "freedom" is experienced as they move from being younger to older. They talked about not having homework, chores, or responsibilities, and getting away with jumping gates, fences, and on beds, when they were younger. Whereas, now, they enjoy later bedtimes, feel freer
- ["Poetry is many things that inspire people..."](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-is-many-things-that-inspire-people/) - To bring our terrific 6-week poetry residency with 2nd graders to a close, we talked about (1) things that poetry is: "many things that inspire people;" "imaginative;" "an art;" "its own world;" "art & writing combined;" "emotional writing"; "a lot of imagination;" "fun to read and write;" "interesting and lets you learn funny and weird
- [In process alike](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/in-process-alike/) - For class today we read "Versions of Me" by Aline Melo, a really wonderful piece that asks the reader to consider how all the different versions of us can be at peace with each other. Students brainstormed on three different "versions" of themselves, and then got work on a piece. After school, we read a
- [Zines!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/zines/) - At our final week at Social Justice, we explored how to make zines and the deep and rich community that zine culture creates. We shared both digital and in-person communities around zine making from political groups, to DIY spaces, and even zine-vests and local bookstores. We began making our own zines out of an 8.5"x
- [Future Goals](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/future-goals/) - O-School students thought about the future for their 19th week of poetry. I asked students "What do you wish to do in the future?" We discussed how the future can sometimes be scary, we don't know what might occur in a year from now or in adulthood. But the great thing about the future is
- [I am...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-3/) - Metaphors allow us to transform ourselves, if just for a moment. The 7th graders of Nettelhorst asked themselves what they could become after we read "The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee" by N. Scott Momaday. Upon exploring what metaphors were, students then created their own to describe themselves in new and exciting ways. Profound, fun, serious,
- [Haikus and Emotional Creatures](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/haikus-and-emotional-creatures/) - Last week a student expressed interest in writing haiku, so I offered Nettelhorst 2nd grade teachers the option of working on haikus or emotional creatures this week. Students in Ms. Rodriguez's and Mrs. Barbeau's classrooms practiced writing haikus for the first time. We looked at haikus from the book Guess Who, Haiku?, as well one
- [Poetry Out Loud 2025 National Champion !!!!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-out-loud-2025-national-champion/) - This year marks Poetry Out Loud's 20th Anniversary and there is much to celebrate. On Thursday May 8, 2025, Isavel Mendoza, a 12th-grade student at Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, became the Poetry Out Loud 2025 National Champion. Isavel's recitations of poems by Keith S. Wilson, Kabir, and E.E. Cummings
- [America's Nation](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/americas-nation/) - During our most recent workshop, Hyde Park began our session by attempting to fill in a map of the United States. This sparked a discussion about what it means to be part of a nation, the places in the US that dominate our consciousness, and who gets to decide what the United States is and
- [Sounds We Hate, Sounds We Love](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sounds-we-hate-sounds-we-love-2/) - We all have sounds we adore and sounds that make us cringe. The 7th graders of Nettelhorst asked themselves what these sounds were for them before we read "Sweet Like a Crow" by Michael Ondaatje. After exploring what similes were, students then created their own similes to describe their favorite and least favorite sounds. From
- [Black Out Poems!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/black-out-poems/) - At Smyser Elementary, students explored blackout poems and created their visual poetry through art. Check out what they created!Mrs. Showalter's ClassHazel P. Valerie S., "Where have all the children gone?" Noah C. Sienna K. Olivia C., "Playhouse" Mrs. Przeklasa's Class Gabriel C., "Mountain" Mrs. Edwards' Class Marino M., "The Shade Train" Sophia O., "The Collage
- [Poets can see into the future](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets-can-see-into-the-future/) - For their 8th week, Twain 6th graders used poetry as a crystal ball to see into their futures. I asked students “What do you wish to do in the future? How can you achieve it?" A few students mentioned their future goals of becoming a professional soccer or NFL player, while others thought about things
- ["When will it be my turn to control time?"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/when-will-it-be-my-turn-to-control-time/) - Today Brennemann 2nd graders talked about what it means to be curious: to be interested in learning what we don't know and wanting to understand how things work and why things and people are the way they are. Students didn't really believe me when I told them that poets' ideas for poems often begin with
- ["Dark and light both fill the page..."](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/dark-and-light-both-fill-the-page/) - Last Friday Swift 2nd graders began with a chat about things that are small enough to fit in one's pocket, such as coins, crumbs, pieces of candy, and folded up pieces of paper. We were thinking in miniature. From there we looked at two little - or, miniature - poems written by Nikki Grimes, before
- [Concrete Poetry (High School)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/concrete-poetry-high-school/) - Sometimes words are not enough to convey what we are trying to say. The high schoolers of MLA thought about what objects, animals, or shapes meant a lot to them before reading "Social Distancing" by Juan Felipe Herrera. After discussing how concrete poems use words to create the shape of what is being written about,
- [Group Poems (8th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/group-poems-8th-grade/) - What can writing with a partner accomplish that can't be done alone? This is the question the 8th graders of Clinton reflected on after watching "Cat Poem" by the Get Lit Los Angeles BNV Slam team. After pairing up, students used Venn Diagrams to interview each other and find out what they had in common.
- [Group Poems (7th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/group-poems-7th-grade/) - What can writing with a partner accomplish that can't be done alone? This is the question the 7th graders of Clinton reflected on after watching "Cat Poem" by the Get Lit Los Angeles BNV Slam team. After pairing up, students used Venn Diagrams to interview each other and find out what they had in common.
- [Concrete Poetry (8th grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/concrete-poetry-8th-grade/) - Sometimes words are not enough to convey what we are trying to say. The 8th graders of Clinton thought about what objects, animals, or ideas meant a lot to them before reading "Our Tree's Last Christmas" by Ashley Wood. After discussing how concrete poems use words to create the shape of what is being written
- [Personification (8th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/personification-8th-grade-2/) - The first step to building empathy is putting ourselves in the experiences of another, especially if that other can't speak. The 8th graders of MLA asked themselves what inanimate objects, animals, or fictional characters they would like to be before reading "Hulk Smash!" by Greg Santos. After exploring what a day in the life of
- [What Has Wronged You? (High School)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-has-wronged-you-high-school/) - Addressing what has wronged you can be healing, a way to clear the air. The high schoolers of MLA asked themselves what they liked and what they wanted to change about their school before watching "High School Training Ground" by Malcolm London. After discussing invective poetry (or clapback poetry), students chose an institution or ideology
- [Introduction to "The Blues"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/introduction-to-the-blues/) - Last week Brennemann 5th graders talked about the blues as a feeling of sadness, and as a musical form created by African-Americans in the late 1800s. We watched video of our example blues song, "Everyday I Have the Blues" as performed by Emmet Cohen, Tyreek McDole & Anthony Hervey. We also viewed a blues sung
- [Return to the blues](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/return-to-the-blues/) - Brennemann 5th graders returned to their bluesy ideas from last week. While much of the blues are steeped in heartfelt sadness, some blues can make us laugh. Remembering that blues songs and poems have rhythm, rhyme, and repetition, some students worked to give their poems a musical feel. We had time toward the end of
- [A Cut Above: Cut-Up & Collage Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-cut-above-cut-up-collage-poems/) - Students used magazines and created cut-up poems! They used ‘found language’ and images to create new meaning. Lesson Note: Creative Artist guru Julia Cameron says the part of us who creates art is about 7 years old. And so, it is no surprise that, with scissors in hand, even the most serious student finds themselves
- [Tools of the Trade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tools-of-the-trade/) - This week was a departure from our usual read a poem, discuss a poem, write a poem format. When I’m able to, like to share some of the resources I use as a writer with students iny own writing practice as a “professional writer” (which is always so strange to say.) I brought in some
- [Dreams](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/dreams/) - This week we read “Eating Dinner Alone at the 163rd Street Mall” by Ariel Francisco for both our English class and after school poetry club. Sometimes students shift around from different classes at LYHS, and I’m really glad that I got to share this poem with both groups today. It's a beautiful piece and makes
- [That's what makes me human...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/thats-what-makes-me-human/) - Mario Benedetti's poem, No Te Rindas has been a great addition to the curriculum arsenal. It's always great when a poem can work across age groups because the message is so strong. For English class we discussed moments when you may have felt like giving up, and who the people were kept you strong, or
- [Like you I want the world to be a better place...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/like-you-i-want-the-world-to-be-a-better-place/) - Today we introduced the concept of the list poem. Which is exactly what it sounds like! We read Pat Mora’s “To Do List” a silly poem about a student who imagines their perfect weekend, complete with lots of [potato chips and rock star dreams. We talked different poetic forms, like haikus, sonnets and tankas, and
- [I Will Never Forget](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-will-never-forget/) - This week we got to read of my favorite poems to use with students. The Quiet Machine by Ada Limon works so well with students of all ages, and it gives them a really great framework to be able to talk about emotions, something that can be hard to write about because of the vulnerability
- [Identities and Lesson From Nature](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/identities-and-lesson-from-nature/) - I was really looking forward to getting back to LYHS this week and introducing my students to one of my favorite poets. Chicago’s very own Jose Olivarez. I really enjoy sharing work that students not only feel connected to, but that reflects their own experiences and upbringing. We read his piece “When I Walk Into
- [Getting Started](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/getting-started-3/) - Today I got started at Latino You High School in Little Village with Ms. Gualitos’s English Class, and the after school poetry club. An unexpected treat with this group, is there’s always great food after school! I started off with the English class, and introduced ode poems. We listened to and read Ode to Coffee
- [Choose Your Own Adventure...with a Golden Shovel](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/choose-your-own-adventure-with-a-golden-shovel/) - This week Ms Caplan’s class continued working on their golden shovels. In Ms. Murray’s class we tried something a little different. Students did a quick free write exercise and then picked a line they loved from what they wrote. That line was written on a blank sheet of paper, and then passed around at their
- [The Golden Shovel ](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-golden-shovel/) - This week we explored the Golden Shovel form created by Terrance Hayes. We discussed how even now, there are forms of poetry still being created and invented. Hayes was inspired by one of our very own Chicago poets, Gwendolyn Brooks and used her piece, The Pool Players: Seven at the Golden Shovel as inspiration for
- [Love Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/love-poems-6/) - "What are some different kinds of love". is the question we started off with this week, before reading Gwylym Cano’s poem “Love”. Sushi, pets, family, friends…we had a lively discussion about all the different ways we can experience love, and how Cano used personification and metaphor in the piece to bring the concept of love
- [“When I feel down, I come back and laugh in joy.” ](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/when-i-feel-down-i-come-back-and-laugh-in-joy/) - This week we read a translated excerpt of Mario Benedetti’s poem No Te Rindas, or Don’t Give up. We’ve reached the time in the school year when students have to a lot of mandatory testing happening, and so this creative break was a welcome moment by students. We discussed the idea of resilience and how
- [The Hands](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-hands/) - This week, we read an incredible poem by Gina Valdes, called The Hands. We talked about the concept of symbolism in poetry and what hands symbolize in Valdes’s poem. Our discussion about this poem was absolutely amazing. Student’s observations, interpretations and questions were so thoughtful and profound. They talked about community, culture, magic, and the
- [Like you I love music](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/like-you-i-love-music/) - Week 15: Like You This week we started off by asking, “Have you ever had a moment of deep appreciation for the world around you? After a few minutes we read Roque Daltons poem “Like You” a piece that celebrates our connection to each other and the world by celebrating some of the simple joys
- [Getting Started](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/getting-started-2/) - Week 1 Blog I’m so excited to be back at Perez Elementary again. This year our residency will be with Ms. Murray's and Ms. Caplan's 6th graders. We started off our first session by introducing ourselves and talking a little bit about the work CPC does across Chicago. Then we had a brief discussion about
- [Myths from long ago . . .](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/myths-from-long-ago/) - Things became mythical for Twain 6th graders for our 7th week of poetry. A myth is an ancient story or legend explaining the early history of a group of people or about a natural phenomenon. Myths are usually passed down from one generation to the next. Every culture around world has their own unique myths.
- [Practice, Practice, Practice](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/practice-practice-practice/) - In our 2nd to last week together at Henry Elementary, we spent our time together editing poems and talking about performance techniques in prep for our 7th grade reading! Check out some of the student's newest edits.Mrs. Carrion's First ClassAlitza L., "Downtown Chicago"building lights beaming speakers blastingcars honkingbusy streets on summer daysthat is downtown for
- [Group Poems + Writing our Beliefs](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/group-poems-writing-our-beliefs/) - In our 2nd to last week at Social Justice High School, we watched and read the poem "Rise" by Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner and Aka Niviâna. These two poets share how climate change has and will continue to affect their communities first on Marshall Islands and Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), perspectively. Poets were then tasked to write about
- [Extended Metaphors! BOOM! WHOOSH! (And Onomatopoeias)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/extended-metaphors-boom-whoosh-and-onomatopoeias/) - At Smyser Elementary, we learned about extended metaphors and onomatopoeias through Maya Marie Washington's poem "Alien." Students were tasked with writing their own extended metaphor poem where they turned into one non-human thing. Check out this week's poems!Mrs. Showalter's ClassSofia G., "I am a Dog"Being a dog is fun.My owner gives me dog food.I like
- [The Perfect Day](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-perfect-day/) - The 7th week of poetry for 5th graders involved imagining an ideal day for themselves. I asked students, "What does the perfect day look like to you?" Some students responded with ideas such as playing volleyball on the beach with friends, visiting New York City, or listening to music alone in their rooms. Together we
- [Poetry Book Recmmendations](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-book-recmmendations/) - This week Brennemann 2nd graders spent time re-visiting previous lessons, and reading their poems aloud for an audience of their classmates and teachers. Since we did not write new poems this week, I've chosen to share some poetry collections that I enjoy sharing with students and highly recommend!
- ["Over the moon..."](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/over-the-moon/) - Last week Swift 2nd graders performed collaborative poetry and music in a special morning assembly for family and community as part of the school's partnership with Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I was very moved to see their creativity on display, in fact, you could say that I was "over the moon!" Unfortunately, I am not authorized
- [Of Haikus & Murder](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/of-haikus-murder/) - This week at Howe, we were murderous and full of sensation. On Monday, we talked about beats, stomping and clapping our way through the 5-7-5 form of the haiku. After reading haikus about racial profiling and the wonders of being outside, from Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming, poets wrote about their own small moments of
- [Chicago State of Mind](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/chicago-state-of-mind/) - This past Monday at Howe, we merged poetry & rap with their intuitive collaborator -- basketball. We began by defining poetry -- getting creative with words to express emotions. Then we explored other places where words are used creatively, quickly landing on music! As corny as it may sound, music is an incredible avenue to
- ["This is class is not demure"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/this-is-class-is-not-demure/) - This past Monday and Tuesday marked the beginning of a new partnership with Howe School of Excellence's after-school program. The group is made up of boys ranging in age from 2nd - 7th grade, and for our first two sessions, we focused on getting to know each other and starting to know poetry. We specifically
- [Heroes](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/heroes/) - Students read Gwendolyn Brooks, "Young Heroes II | For Don at Saalam", and we talked and wrote about what a hero is an where we find ours. There is no one mold for a hero to fit, and sometimes the heroes we find are based upon who and what we are around. We could feel motivated
- ["why are there so many questions?"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/why-are-there-so-many-questions/) - My first sessions with Nettelhorst 2nd graders were a joy! Their teachers had recently concluded a poetry unit and students were excited to delve into it some more. My hat goes off to Nettelhorst teachers for making my job feel so great! I shared that when I was a younger poet, I'd thought it was
- [Erasure Poems!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/erasure-poems-2/) - This week at Henry Elementary, we learned about erasure poems and blackout poetry as an extension of this! We looked at examples from Austin Kleon and Tracy K. Smith's "Declaration." Poets were tasked with creating their own blackout or erasure poem! Check out some of their work below. Mrs. Carrion's First ClassAlitza L. Jason R.
- [Juxtaposition in Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/juxtaposition-in-poetry/) - This last week at Social Justice, we read and watched a portion of Ross Gay's "Catalogue of Unabashed Gratitude." We learned about juxtaposition and how to implement this into our writing. Check out this week's poetry!Mr. Robles' Class Lillian D., "Soulless" I find myself letting the peace overtakemy body, the music filling my earsdrowning out
- [New Personas "pulled out of / a pile of all my / paper friends"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/new-personas-pulled-out-of-a-pile-of-all-my-paper-friends/) - For our penultimate workshop, students in Ms. Smallwood and Ms. Hernandez's classes wrote poems from the point of view of people, animals, and things other than themselves. To get us started, we read "According to Bread" by Lesléa Newman. Students were drawn to the use of double meaning in puns an as well as the
- [Odes of every flavor](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/odes-of-every-flavor/) - For our 4th week of poetry, 6th graders discovered odes. An ode is a poem that gives praise and celebrates a person, place, or object. Together we read Marcus Jackson’s poem “Ode to Kool-Aid.” Jackson creates unique similes to describe this beloved sugary drink from his childhood, “Extra sugar whirlpooling to the pitcher-bottom like gypsum
- [Differing Perspectives](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/differing-perspectives/) - This week at Social Justice High School, we looked at Aziza "Z" Barnes' poem "Aunt Jemima." We both listened and read the poem and talked about how you can show various viewpoints or voices through the layout on a page. Z uses many cultural references, modern and more historic, to emphasize their point in the
- [Revision, revisited](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/revision-revisited/) - As all good writers know, revising is as important to the writing process as writing. Waters 6th graders went through a first round of revision some weeks back, so now they're like old pros. To inspire revision, we watched a few slam poetry videos to see how poets express dynamic language out loud (including "Embrace
- [What Lives | What We See](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-lives-what-we-see/) - We read On the Pulse of Morning, by Maya Angelou, and then drew the story we heard in the poem. Here is what lives, here is what we see!
- [Sensing A New Season](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sensing-a-new-season/) - We have been thinking about our senses and noticing new smells, sounds and even colors as the weather is changing to spring. These are some poems we wrote, thinking about our senses! El paisaje Escrito por, Nahomy El paisaje o salir te hace sentir feliz por que salta brincas, juegas muchas cosas podemos hacer afuera.
- [All of Us Are Poets! | ¡Todo Somos Poetas!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/all-of-us-are-poets-todo-somos-poetas/) - In celebration of all of the poems we've written this year, and Poetry Month, we are hosting a Café de Poesia/Poetry Cafe! Here are some of the poems students will read this week! Why Friends Are Important By, G’lyani Friends are important because if you fall they will help you. You can tell them anything
- [Our Favorite Objects](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/our-favorite-objects/) - At Smyser Elementary in our 4th grade classrooms, we looked at the poem "Perhaps the World Ends Here" by Joy Harjo. Students learned about personification and used word bubbles or word maps to help generate creative ideas! Students were tasked to write their own personification poem about a favorite item/place of theirs in their home!Mrs.
- ["a lot to come for my future"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-lot-to-come-for-my-future/) - At Henry Elementary, I visited two new classrooms with Mrs. Carrion! We read Clint Smith's "Counting Descents" and discussed imagery, enjambment, and the use of repetition and counting in Smith's poem! Students were tasked with counting off things that they loved to create their own poems!Mrs. Carrion's Class 1Alitza L.My favorite person is my mom,her
- [5th grade sound machines](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/5th-grade-sound-machines/) - For our third week, Twain 5th graders explored sound effects in poetry. Poets often use Onomatopoeia, words that imitate sounds from everyday life to emphasis the images and actions occurring in a poem. We discussed outdoor sounds, such as birds chirping, kids screaming at recess, or cars zooming fast, we also talked about indoor sounds:
- ["a poem like no other poet as written or rewritten before."](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-poem-like-no-other-poet-as-written-or-rewritten-before/) - I can't believe O-School students are halfway through their 20-week poetry residency. For week 14, we revisit poems we have written together throughout our residency. We read and discussed the poem "Dear Poet," by Lee Bennett Hopkins. In his poem, Hopkins shares great advice to poets, that rewriting can help strengthen their poems. This allows
- [What We're Thankful For (7th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-were-thankful-for-7th-grade/) - Sometimes it is hard to choose just one thing we are thankful for. This week the 7th graders of Clinton celebrated gratitude by writing odes for what makes them most thankful. After reading "Ode to Thanks" by Pablo Neruda, students reflected not only on who and what they are thankful for but why and how
- ["I touch the mighty and the weak"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-touch-the-mighty-and-the-weak/) - One of my favorite poetry books is Patricia Smith's Blood Dazzler, which reflects on and embodies the horrors of Hurricane Katrina. In our most recent session at Hyde Park, the poetry club learned about the persona poem using this master text. After reading Smith's poem "8 A.M., SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2005" we discussed what it
- [Memories and Images](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/memories-and-images/) - Starting off our 2nd week and Smyser Elementary, we explored imagery, the five senses, and writing from our memories! We looked at the poem "When I Was Six" by Aimee Nezhukumatahil. Check out some of the poem the students wrote below!Mrs. Showalter's 4th Grade ClassBryan C., "When I was 8"My mom makes waffles for me
- [Cutting Up! Collage Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cutting-up-collage-poems-3/) - Students used magazines and created cut-up poems! They used ‘found language’ and images to create new meaning. Lesson Note: Creative Artist guru Julia Cameron says the part of us who create art is about 7 years old. And so, it is no surprise that, with scissors in hand, even the most serious student finds themselves
- [Fade to Black: Blackout Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/fade-to-black-blackout-poems/) - Blackout Poetry: A blackout poem is created when a poet takes a marker (usually a black marker) to already established text, like that from a newspaper, and starts redacting words until a poem or image is formed. The key thing with a blackout poem is that the text AND redacted text form a visual poem.
- [I remember . . . .](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-remember/) - For our week 18 of poetry, O-School students explored ideas about memories. We discussed the importance of remembering. Whether it's remembering happy moments such as birthday parties or family vacation, or sad memories like moving away from an old home, or the death of a loved one. Together we watched a video clip of 23rd
- [Food Memories](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/food-memories-2/) - Many of our 5 senses are deeply connected to memory. This week the 7th graders of Nettelhorst reflected on their favorite foods and the people, places, and things connected to them. After reading "The Tropics in New York" by Claude McKay, students reflected on their strongest food memories and how to use the 5 senses
- ["Our Ideas of a World"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/nettelhorst-2nd-graders/) - For our 4th sessions, I asked Nettelhorst 2nd graders to think about the kind of world they want for themselves and others. We talked about serious hopes - such as safety for all children - and we considered playful hopes as well - such as living in a world full of candy! I shared my
- ["Gems"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/gems/) - Today Brennemann 2nd graders read two "little" poems written by Nikki Grimes: "Moon" and "Shower." Both poems had six lines or less, yet they packed a lot of interest. As a group we worked on poems built around a one word title. Afterward, students each selected one word to build their own little poems upon.
- [I am...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-2/) - Metaphors allow us to transform ourselves, if just for a moment. The students of MLA asked themselves what they could become after we read "The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee" by N. Scott Momaday. Upon exploring what metaphors were, students then created their own to describe themselves in new and exciting ways. Profound, fun, serious, and
- [Concrete Poetry (7th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/concrete-poetry-7th-grade/) - Sometimes words are not enough to convey what we are trying to say. The 7th graders of Clinton thought about what objects, animals, or ideas meant a lot to them before reading "Our Tree's Last Christmas" by Ashley Wood. After discussing how concrete poems use words to create the shape of what is being written
- [A day to celebrate](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-day-to-celebrate/) - The first Friday in May commemorated the end of my 6th and 7th grade residencies at Waters Elementary...how fast a school year flies by. 7th graders celebrated by writing a class exquisite corpse poem followed by an in-class open mic. And as we did with last year's 6th graders, this year all three classes gathered
- ['When I was 5 /my parents gave me the choice...: Choose Your Own Adventure Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/not-some-random-goopy-animals-choose-your-own-adventure-poems/) - Students were instructed to grab a book and find words and passages that stood out to them, or to use random words as the starting point for a poem. They were then instructed to pick one prompt from a series of prompts and write a poem based on that. PROMPT #1: Home Planet: Imagine you
- [Exquisite Corpses](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/exquisite-corpses/) - One of my favorite forms of poetry is the exquisite corpse (beautiful body) -- a poem written by multiple poets, often without knowing what the previous poets have written. Last week, Hyde Park wrote their own exquisite corpses. They chose a theme for each poem to guide them, and wrote in a circle, only knowing
- [A Celebration](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-celebration/) - This past Monday was a bittersweet day at Lawndale. Our last session marked the end of a residency full of games, conversations, and yes -- poetry. We also had the entire 8th grade reunited for their final workshop, which was fitting. Students received class chapbooks of their work (courtesy of my printer and a resilient
- [Almost There](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/almost-there/) - Students read Nayyiryh Waheed's poem "fresh" and wrote about what it means to be on the way or almost to something —maybe a goal, maybe an event— and what we might think about to prepare ourselves. We talked about thought about both what hasn’t happened, and the unknown. These are both creative and deeply philosophical
- [I Was Scared, Not Anymore](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-was-scared-not-any-more/) - Students read "Life Doesn't Frighten Me" by Maya Angelou, and wrote poems about their fears, overcoming them and ways they will help help protect others and help them overcome fear. In the words of a student poet, sometimes fear won't let go: “I try to let it go but it is sticking to me like
- [Personas that make us laugh](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/personas-that-make-us-laugh/) - Twain 5th students became comedians for their 6th week of poetry. Poetry can help us make fun of ourselves and the world around us. Sharing jokes and laughter connects people. Together we read Lesléa Newman's poem, "According to Bread." In her poem, Newman writes using a persona, the voice of a piece of bread. She
- ['I can't. Take it. ANYMORE!!!': Repetition Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-cant-take-it-anymore-repetition-poems/) - We explored the powerful device of Repetition in Phil Kaye’s poem of the same name. Some poems in our workshop are ‘after’ Kaye’s work. Lesson Note: “Repetition can make magic happen- repeat a word or a phrase enough times and it breathes new life, fresh meaning. Or repetition can strip language until all that’s left are
- [Poets Become Mind readers](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets-become-mind-readers/) - Twain 6th graders became mind readers for their 6th week of poetry. I asked students, if you could look inside someone's head, what interesting things would you find? Most students wished they knew what their pets, parents, teachers, and friends were thinking. Together we read and discussed the poem, "A Girl's Head," by Kathrine Gallagher.
- [Dear Chicago](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/dear-chicago/) - This last week at Henry, we watched and read Ariana Brown's poem "Ode to the City Bus." Poets spent the day learning about extended metaphors and reviewed what an ode is. Each student was tasked with writing a poem about something they love about Chicago or any other city they have lived in!Mrs. Carrion's 7th
- [2nd graders invite you to see...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/2nd-graders-invite-you-to-see/) - After questioning in our first sessions and comparing in our second sessions, it was time for Nettelhorst 2nd graders to get down to the business of seeing for our third sessions. We talked about how poets use words to create imagery, or, use words to help our imaginations see pictures. Using the "Swan of Bees"
- [Personification (8th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/personification-8th-grade/) - The first step to building empathy is putting ourselves in the experiences of another, especially if that other can't speak. The 8th graders of Clinton asked themselves what inanimate objects, animals, or fictional characters they would like to be before reading "Hulk Smash!" by Greg Santos. After exploring what a day in the life of
- [Personification (7th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/personification-7th-grade/) - The first step to building empathy is putting ourselves in the experiences of another, especially if that other can't speak. The 7th graders of Clinton asked themselves what inanimate objects, animals, or fictional characters they would like to be before reading "Hulk Smash!" by Greg Santos. After exploring what a day in the life of
- [I am… (7th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-7th-grade/) - Metaphors allow us to transform ourselves, if just for a moment. The 7th graders of Clinton asked themselves what they could become after we read "The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee" by N. Scott Momaday. Upon exploring what metaphors were, students then created their own to describe themselves in new and exciting ways. Profound, fun, serious,
- [Can You See It?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/can-you-see-it/) - This week Brennemann 2nd graders joined me on the carpets in their classrooms, to think about places where poems are found. Students said poems can be found in books and on walls, in computers, on worksheets, and in libraries, among other places. They agreed with me when I said that poems can also be found
- ["My skin is caramel..."](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/my-skin-is-caramel/) - Last week, for our fourth sessions, Brennemann 2nd graders tried to imagine worlds in which only one color was present, like a world in which everything is red, or gray. We tried to pair colors with emotions, shapes, and the five senses: seeing, hearing , tasting, smelling, and touching. We read Shel Silverstein's poem, "Colors,"
- ['Endless mirror': Star Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/enless-mirror-star-poems/) - Students read a student poem that used personification to talk to a star before trying their hands at their own poems addressing something… bigger than themselves, while using words from legendary poet/teacher Kim Addonizio's word bank below! Mirror Smoke Angel Sizzle Burn Blanket Fold Dark Light Lesson Note: “We are chemically connected to all molecules
- [Poems and Paintbrushes](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poems-and-paintbrushes/) - As we get closer to the end of our residency, I wanted to have have a colorful theme. For their 17th week, O-School students learned about Ekphrastic poetry. Ekphrastic poetry is poetry that is inspired by art, such as drawings, sculptures, paintings, or photographs. Together we read my poem "Two Brothers" inspired by mural at
- ["Believe it!" Power of Repetition](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/24253-2/) - This past week at Smyser Elementary, we learned about the power of repetition with the poem "When to Write" by Sophia Thakur. Students were challenged to write their own poem about a favorite activity using repetition. Check out this week's poems from our 4th graders!Mrs. Showalter's Class Isabella G.I love swimming. Swimming makes me and
- [Food Memories](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/food-memories/) - Many of our 5 senses are deeply connected to memory. This week the students of MLA reflected on their favorite foods and the people, places, and things connected to them. After reading "The Tropics in New York" by Claude McKay, students reflected on their strongest food memories and how to use the 5 senses to
- [Sounds We Hate, Sounds We Love (7th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sounds-we-hate-sounds-we-love-7th-grade/) - We all have sounds we adore and sounds that make us cringe. The 7th graders of Clinton asked themselves what these sounds were for them before we read "Sweet Like a Crow" by Michael Ondaatje. After exploring what similes were, students then created their own similes to describe their favorite and least favorite sounds. From
- [I am... (8th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-8th-grade/) - Metaphors allow us to transform ourselves, if just for a moment. The 8th graders of Clinton asked themselves what they could become after we read "The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee" by N. Scott Momaday. Upon exploring what metaphors were, students then created their own to describe themselves in new and exciting ways. Profound, fun, serious,
- [Sounds We Hate, Sounds We Love](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sounds-we-hate-sounds-we-love/) - We all have sounds we adore and sounds that make us cringe. The students of MLA asked themselves what these sounds were for them before we read "Sweet Like a Crow" by Michael Ondaatje. After exploring what similes were, students then created their own similes to describe their favorite and least favorite sounds. From funny
- [Editing our Favorites!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/editing-our-favorites/) - There was a school wide celebration last weekend at Social Justice High School with an hour dedicated to the students reading their work from the Poetry Society! To help the poets prepare, we talked about editing, reading our work out loud, and spent the day revising some of our favorite poems from the semester. Check
- [Table Songs](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/table-songs/) - Poet in Residence Timothy David Rey's "Around the Table" poetry lesson got Brennemann 5th graders talking about the things that happen at kitchen/dining tables. Things such as preparing food, eating, drinking, playing games, doing homework, bonding with moms and dads, laughing, and cleaning - for starters. We read Joy Harjo's poem, "Perhaps The World Ends
- [Farewell Centos](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/farewell-centos/) - This past Monday was Lawndale's penultimate workshop. To commemorate our time together, we are putting together a chapbook! Students returned to their favorite poems and each submitted one. Our tool for the week was the cento, a poem that combines lines from many poems and poets to create something new. Students torn between many pieces
- [I'll have two scoops of vanilla clouds, please!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ill-have-two-scoops-of-vanilla-clouds-please/) - The day of our second sessions was "Wacky Wig Wednesday" and some teachers surprised their students - and me - by showing up with zany tresses!😁 Nettelhorst 2nd graders got down to the business of comparing things, looking for similarities in color, sound, shape, size, movement or action, feeling, and idea. We examined and discussed
- [Sky wears a hat](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sky-wears-a-hat/) - For their 5th week of poetry, Twain 5th graders discovered exciting things about nature. I asked students what were some of their favorite things about nature, their responses were amazing: flowers, rain drops, autumn leaves, snowflakes, squirrels, birds chirping, trees, and oceans. Together we read the poem, "Sky Wears A Hat," by Chicago poet Sandra
- [Ask me any question](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/head-scratching-questions/) - For our 5th poetry session, the theme was questions. Twain 6th graders were asked, Why do people ask questions? Most students mentioned how people ask questions because they want to gain knowledge and know what others are thinking and feeling. We also discussed rhetorical questions, questions that are often asked without expecting a clear answer
- [Lessons in Joy](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/lessons-in-joy/) - Last week at Smyser Elementary, we read Ross Gay's poem "Sorrow is Not My Name." Students challenged themselves to write their own poems about joy or a difficult experience utilizing metaphors and similes. Check out the student's poems from this week!Mrs. Showalter's ClassOliver L., "About Joy"Joy is something I have learned. Joy is something I
- ['Then repeat with essence': Instruction  Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/then-repeate-with-essence-instruction-poems/) - Students read Dana Levin's poem, 'Instructions for Stopping,' and then crafted their instruction-based poems! Lesson Note: Instruction poems offer a unique blend of creativity and utility. They can be memorable and engaging ways to convey information, instructions, or even moral lessons, making them a powerful tool for teaching and learning. Their creative structure and poetic language can make
- [The Lasagna of Life](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-lasagna-of-life/) - This week was all about similes as entrances to extended metaphors, specifically about life. Reading Langston Hughes' "Mother to Son" inspired a conversation about struggle, growth, and change. These poets then used the extended metaphor of a river to map out their lives, with tributaries, mountains, whirlpools, drains, and the sun shining over their heads.
- [Memories come back like a boomerang!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/memories-come-back-like-a-boomerang/) - For Twain 5th graders fourth week of poetry, they went back to the past using their memories as time machines. We explored how to use our five senses (touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight) to recall memories. Sometimes smelling a certain scent or hearing a specific sound can transport us back to an event in
- [Where We're From](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/where-were-from-4/) - Where we're from is never just the geographic place we call home. This week, the 7th graders of Nettelhorst explored how place impacts their sense of self. After reading George Ella Lyon’s “Where I’m From” poem, students drew their homes, reflecting on the memories held there by using their five senses. Then, students wrote about
- [Where We're From](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/where-were-from-3/) - Where we're from is never just the geographic place we call home. This week, the students of MLA explored how place impacts their sense of self. After reading George Ella Lyon’s “Where I’m From” poem, students drew their homes, reflecting on the memories held there by using their five senses. Then, students wrote about the
- [Ode to the Artist](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ode-to-the-artist/) - At Social Justice High School, we read and watched Hanif Abdurraqib's poem "Ode to Biggie Smalls Ending in Gold." We discussed odes, musicians/artists and their larger cultural impact, and spent time writing our own odes to our favorite artists!Lluvia GS., "Ode to ABBA""Oh, ABBA, with melodies that soaryour harmonies echo, forever adored.In the flow of
- [Life the Storm, the Rollercoaster, the River](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/life-the-storm-the-rollercoaster-the-river/) - This past Monday Lawndale explored the meaning of life in metaphors. We did an activity called "the river of life" where students mapped out their lives up to this point using the image of a river and natural elements to represent different aspects of growing up (mountains, whirlpools, sunlight, trees). These elements helped poets explore
- [I've got the school blues](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ive-got-the-school-blues/) - For their sixteenth week of poetry O-School students explored Spoken Word poetry. Spoken Word poems are made for the stage, its storytelling told through elements of rhythm, rhyme, repetition, and even hip-hop. Most students were familiar with Together we read and listened to a student named Nikoli’s spoken word poem, “Mathematical Blues,” that he performed
- [Dear Artist...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/dear-artist/) - This week at Henry Elementary, we watched and read Joshua Bennett's poem "Dear Stevie." We learned about epistle poetry and wrote poems in letter form to our favorite musicians (or authors or sports teams)! Check out the student's writing from this week. Mrs. Carrion's Class 1Ashley M., "My Ivan Cornejo"Dear Ivan Cornejo, You are mine
- [Poetry is Perfect: Ars Poeticas](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-is-perfect-ars-poeticas/) - Last week marked our last week writing poem with Waters 6th graders. In our many weeks together, students learned about poetry in its many, many forms and wrote dozens of thoughtful, heartfelt, and funny poems of their own. It's fitting to wrap up our poetry sessions with ars poetica. An ars poetica, to put it
- ["Look Amidst the Trees"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/look-admidst-the-trees/) - Last Thursday in my sessions with Brennemann 5th Graders, we talked about gardens and the value of having someone who believes in you. We viewed a video of the poet Joaquin Zihuatanejo, who talked about how he was able to grow in the garden of his abuelo's belief in him, before performing his poem "Abuelo's
- [Daydreaming...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/daydreaming/) - My fourth session with Swift 2nd graders was dreamy. We talked about many kinds of dreams and nightmares. Then we read the poem "D is for Daydreaming," which ends with the following stanza:"Try to daydream once a dayAnd see what comes to mind.Perhaps write down the thoughts that comeAnd see what you can find." Ms.
- [Virtual and In Person Writing Workshops May 3 & 9 ](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/virtual-and-in-person-writing-workshops-may-3-9/) - We have spent the month of April writing letters to strangers on the internet around the themes of Despair, Love & Tomorrow. We would love to start May by gathering in community and share some poems, some conversation, share snacks & write letters to ourselves, to strangers, to loved ones. We’ll bring the poems, the
- [One more revision round!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/one-more-revision-round/) - How quickly 20 weeks flies by! We've come close to the end (!) of poetry sessions for Water's 7th graders. They've already proven to be experienced revisers of their writing, and we're wrapping up this residency with another session of revision. Students watched spoken word examples from Rudy Francisco, Elizabeth Acevedo, and a teenager named
- ["pero tu luz como un ángel no se esconde entre la frazada oscuridad ": Star Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/pero-tu-luz-como-un-angel-no-se-esconde-entre-la-frazada-oscuridad-star-poems/) - Students read a student poem that uses personification to talk to a star before trying their hands at their poems addressing something… bigger than themselves, using words from legendary poet/teacher Kim Addonizio's word bank below! Mirror Smoke Angel Sizzle Burn Blanket Fold Dark Light Lesson Note: “We are chemically connected to all molecules on Earth.
- ["But the scar is still there" Diagramming Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/but-the-scar-is-still-there-diagramming-poetry/) - This week, students leaned about another visual poetic form, diagram poems! We discussed there crossover between poetry and diagrams, how we can represent metaphors and allusions in this combined form, and how to integrate graphic elements into our poems. Please enjoy a selection of student poems below! Ms. Smallwood6th Grade Time Gone Time And Time
- [Monster List](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/monster-list/) - Last Friday, I was reunited with Swift 2nd graders after missing them for two weeks in a row: one Friday they visited the Peggy Notebaert Museum; and the following week there was no school for students in observance of Good Friday. We resumed our Monster Poem Lesson. In Ms. Brist's class, students collaborated on a
- [I Remember & Remember & Remember](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-remember-remember-remember/) - One of my favorite works to teach is Joe Brainard's 1975 book I Remember. It is a book of poetry exclusively made up of memories, personal and cultural, each beginning with "I Remember." This past Thursday at Hyde Park, pizza in hand, these high-school-aged poets laughed, reminisced, and wrote about their lives up to this
- [Letters floating in the clouds](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/letters-floating-in-the-clouds/) - For their 15th week of poetry O-School students explored epistolary poems, poems that can be written in the style of letters. Letter writing is no longer as popular as it was in the past, since we have new ways to communicate with others. Most students mentioned emails, texts, and phone calls to stay in touch
- [I'm grateful for my beautiful life...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/im-grateful-for-my-beautiful-life/) - This week we read a beautiful poem called prayer by Jorge Argueta, where he expressed gratitude for may simple things we take for granted on a daily basis. Students worked on a brainstorm exercise where they thought of things they were grateful for in different categories. Family and friends, basic necessities, nature, and memories were
- [Revise, revise, revise...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/24137-2/) - “If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.”—Elmore Leonard This week, instead of reading a new poem or introducing a new concept we discussed the importance of revision and editing in poetry. It was time for students to look at all the work they have created over the last 11 weeks. I brought in some
- [The Tools of A Writer](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-tools-of-a-writer/) - This week I introduced students to some of the tools I like to use on a regular basis in my personal writing practice. As a teaching artist, and “professional” writer, I like to let students know that I still struggle with coming up with ideas, and sometimes I get stuck too. We started off our
- [Snow Ball Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/snow-ball-poems/) - This week we had in indoor snowball fight! Well, sort of. We used a fabulous lesson plan by fellow CPC poet-in-residence Musu Bangura where students write down responses to winter-inspired writing prompts on different sheets of paper and crumple them up into “snowballs”. Then we have a snowball fight! After the mayhem dies down, students
- [Sounds We Hate, Sounds We Love (8th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sounds-we-hate-sounds-we-love-8th-grade/) - We all have sounds we adore and sounds that make us cringe. The 8th graders of Clinton asked themselves what these sounds were for them before we read "Sweet Like a Crow" by Michael Ondaatje. After exploring what similes were, students then created their own similes to describe their favorite and least favorite sounds. From
- [How to Organize a Poetry Manuscript: Presented by C. Russell Price](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-organize-a-poetry-manuscript-presented-by-c-russell-price/) - Are you looking for a way to collect and organize your poems into a manuscript that might one day be published as a chapbook or full-length collection of poetry? Join the Chicago Poetry Center as poet C. Russell Price shares practical advice on how to edit and order a poetry manuscript. Bring your questions for
- [A poem for those we admire](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-poem-for-those-we-admire/) - This week at Smyser Elementary, we learned about performance poetry and watched a poem by Sarah Kay titled "Mrs. Ribeiro." Students learned about similes and practiced writing our own while thinking about a person in their life they admired! Mrs. Showalter's 4th Grade ClassMason M., "My Mother"My mother you are kind as Jesus Christyou give,
- ['For once I feel like my life isn’t dirt cheap': Poems of Routine and Repetition](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/for-once-i-feel-like-my-life-isnt-dirt-cheap-poems-of-routine-and-repetition/) - We explored the powerful device of Repetition in Phil Kaye’s poem of the same name. Some poems in our workshop are ‘after’ Kaye’s work. Lesson Note: “Repetition can make magic happen- repeat a word or a phrase enough times and it breathes new life, fresh meaning. Or repetition can strip language until all that’s left are
- [Cento of a Poem](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cento-of-a-poem/) - For our last classes, I brought in a poem of my own, “The Saddest Ice Cube Tray Ever,” and fielded questions regarding what inspired it as well as choices made when drafting. As always, I truly appreciated the students' deeply insightful comments and perceptions. Then, for our finale, I explained that everyone would be contributing
- ["Joy is half love and half regret"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/joy-is-half-love-and-half-regret/) - This week at Henry Elementary, we looked at a poem by Melissa Lozada-Oliva titled "My Spanish." We discussed personification and repetition, and how these can change or strengthen a poem. We shared how it feels when people assume things about us or even we end up doing the assuming! Students were tasked to write their
- ["I am so sunny, you need sunglasses to see me"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-so-sunny-you-need-sunglasses-to-see-me/) - For our third week of poetry, Twain 6th graders explored ideas about weather. They were asked the question “What type of weather describes your own personalities? We discussed how the weather and seasons can reflect our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Sadness might be the heavy rain causing floods, happiness or joy are the gold and
- [Around The World At Lawndale](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/around-the-world-at-lawndale/) - Not but hours ago, Lawndale traveled around the world and the US in a workshop inspired by Joy Young's travel poetry lesson and John Balaban's "Passing Through Albuquerque". We started with a game of Name That Place, where students had to guess and identify cities from around the world based on a collage of images.
- [What is shiny, hot, yellow, and orange?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-is-shiny-hot-yellow-and-orange/) - Today Brennemann 2nd graders put on their imaginative thinking caps to meet the challenge of creating their own comparisons and writing similes (a comparison that uses the words "like" or "as.") We talked about finding similarities between very different things, such as: a stylus and a tree limb - which may share the same size
- [A Look At Us](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-look-at-us/) - This is a collection of some of the poems students have written through out this year. Students write about what makes them feel alive, what makes them feel inspired, the memories they have and what they are imagining! _______________________________ My Heart is Beating By G’Lyani When I think of my heart beating awake. I think
- [Can Poems Take Care of Someone](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/can-poems-take-care-of-someone/) - Today, we read Naomi Shihab Nye's "The Red Brocade" and discussed the way the poem tries to take care of the reader and the generous ways it makes offerings to us. We talked about how poems can or can't help others and decided that poems can do a lot in the world! Here are some
- [Unique and underrated names](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/unique-and-underrated-names/) - O' School students had their 13th session of poetry on Monday. This week's theme was about names. I asked students: Why are names important? If you could choose another name for yourself, what would it be and why? We discussed how names are very powerful; they help us introduce ourselves to others and they connect
- [Blue Hour May 21](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-may-21/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop at Haymarket House (800 W. Buena) hosted and facilitated by Marty McConnell. Our May featured readers are Nadia Alexis and Keith S. Wilson. The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets from Chicago
- ["a fire alarm that sounds angry"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-fire-alarm-that-sounds-angry/) - For our 2nd sessions, Brennemann 2nd graders sat with me on the rugs in their respective classrooms, as I read the poem "Collecting Words" by Pat Mora, from her book Bookjoy, Wordjoy. The poet writes that "All day, I collect words,/ words that move like wiggle,/ glowing words, candle,/ drifting words, butterfly/ singing words, ding-dong...."
- ["We use tools"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/we-use-tools/) - For our 2nd sessions, I showed up in Brennemann 5th grade classrooms all set to introduce them to the Gwendolyn Brooks poem, "We Real Cool," but they were already familiar with it from a poetry unit that they had done with their teachers! (That did make me happy!) Nevertheless, students were willing to re-visit the
- [Recipes & Hand Games](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/recipes-hand-games/) - This week was quite the variety show! For 6th grade, inspired by Leslie Reese's "How to Write A Recipe" workshop and Shoesmith student Kamya J.'s poem "Recipe for A Great Summer", we wrote our own recipes. First, students took me through how to screw in a lightbulb step-by-step, giving me both practical and emotional tools,
- [Figures of Speech](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/figures-of-speech/) - For our penultimate sessions, we read and discussed Vievee Francis' “Clarity.” As kind of a 'greatest hits' literary device-wise, we examined the poet's use of simile, personification, and in particular blank space, as well as the poem's (apparent) main idea as expressed through its language and lineation. Leading into their own composition time, we focused
- [Transformation Time](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/transformation-time/) - For their second session of poetry, 5th graders explored metaphors. Metaphors are direct comparisons, saying that one thing is another thing. Together we read and watched a video clip of Michael Salinger performing his poem, "If I Were a Gear." Students were surprised to discover that not only is Salinger a poet and educator, but
- [Welcome to the neighborhood!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/welcome-to-the-neighborhood/) - For our second session of poetry this week, Twain 6th grades traveled to other places, through vivid imagery. Imagery is when a poet paints a picture inside their readers minds. What make a place memorable is when someone can experience it through their five senses. Together we read "candy store," by Nate Marshall, a poet
- [Not home, not yet](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/not-home-not-yet/) - Spring is here, which means summer isn't too far behind. Last week, Waters 7th graders pondered things to look forward to (big and small) before reading Rita Dove's vacation. After discussing the astute people watching in the poem, students wrote about the things they look forward to in the months and weeks ahead. Take a
- [Roses that like to play tag: odes & personification](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/roses-that-like-to-play-tag-odes-personification/) - Oh, odes. An homage to the things we hold close. Last week, Waters 6th graders were inspired by Francisco X. Alarcon's Ode to my Shoes/ Oda a mis zapatos, an ode that delightfully indulges in personification. Personification describes non-human things are described as having human attributes. Take a look at students' personification odes and enjoy!Ms.
- ['Being alone but feeling accompanied': 'If I were...' Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/being-alone-but-feeling-accompanied-if-i-were-poems/) - After reading Michael Salinger's poem ' If I Were A Gear, ' students experimented with metaphors and extended metaphors. Lesson Note: "The greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor. It is the one thing that cannot be learnt from others, and it is also a sign of genius".— Aristotle in the Poetics
- ['Memories left in a bind:" Elegies](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/memories-left-in-a-bind-elegies/) - Students wrote elegies on lost people, places, things, and feelings. Lesson Note: “…research reveals the role of elegy writing in acknowledging and nurturing ongoing bonds with lost loved ones.” - The Literature of Loss: Elegy Writing as a Therapeutic Strategy for Coping with Grief, by poet Judith Harris, British Journal of Guidance and Counseling, 2021.
- [What We're Thankful For (8th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-were-thankful-for-8th-grade/) - Sometimes it is hard to choose just one thing we are thankful for. This week the 8th graders of Clinton celebrated gratitude by writing odes for what makes them most thankful. After reading "Ode to Thanks" by Pablo Neruda, students reflected not only on who and what they are thankful for but why and how
- [As Far As I Know](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/as-far-as-i-know/) - Last week, we read and discussed Philip Larkin's “Far Out.” Unlike the previous selection, this has a regular rhyme scheme, along with four-line stanzas (called quatrains), and (mostly) unambiguous language. However, there are a few phrases that inspired much conversation, such as its opener, “Beyond the dark cartoons.” What do we think of when we
- [The name that's true to me](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-name-thats-true-to-me/) - Last Friday was my first poetry session with Twain 6th gradera. Since it was our first time meeting each other, we discussed the importance of names. Names are part of our identities; names are how we introduce ourselves to the world, names can have connections us to our families, religions, or cultures. But sometimes names
- ['jellyfish, sharks, and sea anemone': Aimee Nezhukumatahil Imitation Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/jellyfish-sharks-and-sea-anemone-amiee-nezhukumatahil-imitation-poems/) - What were our favorite TV shows when we were young? What did they teach us? What makes a hero (both real and imagined), and how can we learn from them (even the villains) and the inner hero inside of us? We explored those concepts and more in the poem, 'What I Learned From The Incredible
- [One that tries too much - Haiku](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/one-that-tries-too-much-haiku/) - For our last session with Waters 7th graders before spring break, it felt fitting to explore the haiku. This traditional Japanese poetic form is often used to describe observations in nature, and often accompanied by drawings. Sonia Sanchez subverts the haiku with her poem 9 Haiku (for Freedom's Sisters). Students wrote their own haiku series,
- [Food Memories (8th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/food-memories-8th-grade/) - Many of our 5 senses are deeply connected to memory. This week the 8th graders of Clinton reflected on their favorite foods and the people, places, and things connected to them. After reading "From Blossoms" by Li-Young Lee, students reflected on their strongest food memories and how to use the 5 senses to create powerful
- [Revision Party](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/revision-party/) - Today, we had a revision party in Ms. Reed's third grade! We chose a poem we love and wanted to spend more time with, talked through some of the things we've learned and then got to work. At the end, we had a reading to celebrate all we've been doing! Please enjoy these student poems.
- ['And I understood sadness...': Elegies](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/and-i-understood-sadness-elegies/) - Students wrote elegies on lost people, places, things, and feelings. Lesson Note: “…research reveals the role of elegy writing in acknowledging and nurturing ongoing bonds with lost loved ones.” - The Literature of Loss: Elegy Writing as a Therapeutic Strategy for Coping with Grief, by poet Judith Harris, British Journal of Guidance and Counseling, 2021.
- ["Pero no se alarmen / que ese polvo de estrellas / cáe en las personas / buenas de este / Tierra" ("Don't be alarmed / that star dust / falls on the good people / of this Earth")](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/pero-no-se-alarmen-que-ese-polvo-de-estrellas-cae-en-las-personas-buenas-de-este-tierra-dont-be-alarmed-that-star-dust-falls-on-the-good-people-of-this-earth/) - How do you fix things? How do you know what needs fixing? This week Waters 6th and 7th graders discussed the poem "What is handed down" by Ada Límon and what it means to be a fixer. Students asked questions about what the difference is to something (or someone) working versus no working and wrote
- [Comic Poems!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/comic-poems/) - This week in Ms. Smallwood and Ms. Hernandez's classes we read an excerpt from Cartoon Dialectics by Tom Kaczynskki and discussed how something can both be a comic and a poem. We came up with some guidelines for each and saw how they could be combined in the poem we read and in our brainstorming
- ["In response to the season of winter" Responding with poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/in-response-to-the-season-of-winter-responding-with-poetry/) - This week students explored what it means to respond through poems. We started class by exchanging some short letters. We read "Way Opposite" by Harryette Mullen which was also a response to the poem we read last week. We discussed how Mullen uses homophones to create interesting language and connect different ideas together. Students then
- [Many Ways to Write a Poem](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/many-ways-to-write-a-poem/) - This past Thursday, I was excited to meet Twain 5th graders for the start of our 10-week residency. Some students I had worked with last year as 4th graders, so it's great to see them again. For our first week together, we discussed how there are many ways to accomplish a goal or activity, including
- [Without this I look like a new kid: concrete poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/without-this-i-look-like-a-new-kid-concrete-poems/) - Greetings! Waters 6th graders have already had plenty of experience connecting the dots between poetry and visual art. continue that trend with concrete poems, which are poems that are shaped like a object or symbol that's reflected in their poetry content :) We read Juan Felipe Herrera's "Social Distancing" before students wrote their own concrete
- [See yourself all over again: Concrete poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/see-yourself-all-over-again-concrete-poems/) - Greetings! Waters 7th graders have already had plenty of experience connecting the dots between poetry and visual art. continue that trend with concrete poems, which are poems that are shaped like a object or symbol that’s reflected in their poetry content 🙂 We read Marilyn Nelson's “Fingers Remember” before students wrote their own concrete poems.
- [2nd Grade Wishing-Well](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/2nd-grade-wishing-well/) - I met Brennemann 2nd graders for the first time this week. They were curious about everything from what I was wearing, to what is a poem? and what do I think about animals? and video games? Their liveliness was much appreciated and we had fun talking about why it feels magical to wish for things.
- [What a monster looks like!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-a-monster-looks-like/) - For our first session upon returning from spring break, I thought we could spend time reviewing, as well as looking at some illustrated poetry books and reading poems aloud. This is what we did in Ms. Pendola's class, before testing our rhyming skills! Students in Ms. Brist's class read "I Eat Kids, Yum-Yum" by Dennis
- [Mythical Poets](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/mythical-poets/) - For their 12th week of poetry O-School students explored myths. A myth is an ancient story or legend explaining the early history of a group of people or about a natural phenomenon. Students were familiar with Greek Gods and Goddess such as Aphrodite the Greek Goddess of love and Zeus with is thunderbolt, the ruler
- ["yo sueño en hacer poesia y ser grande"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/yo-sueno-en-hacer-poesia-y-ser-grande/) - It was my pleasure to meet with Brennemann 5th graders for the first time last week. They were energetic, curious, and open to going with me on a creative writing journey with poetry. We used the "I Am" poem to introduce ourselves. Ms Keuten5th Grade Santiagopor Santiago Soy SantiagoMe pregunto en los ancestor de miescucho
- [Paint me...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/paint-me/) - Starting off our poetry class at Smyser Elementary, we looked at a poem by Delia Garcia titled "Paint Me Like I Am" (workshop adapted by another PIR, Joy Young). These young poets learned about lines, stanzas, and repetitions as we explored painting with words through our poetry. Each poet created their own self-portrait poem. Here
- [Food Memories (7th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/food-memories-7th-grade/) - Many of our 5 senses are deeply connected to memory. This week the 7th graders of Clinton reflected on their favorite foods and the people, places, and things connected to them. After reading "From Blossoms" by Li-Young Lee, students reflected on their strongest food memories and how to use the 5 senses to create powerful
- [Remembering Our Childhoods (7th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/remembering-our-childhoods-7th-grade/) - There are some realizations you can only come to by reflecting on your past. This is what the 7th graders of Clinton did as we explored our childhoods with the Aimee Nezhukumatathil poem “When I Am 6”. Students first drew their homes, reflecting on the memories held there. Then, they compared these to memories from
- [Apply Now – Open Board Call](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/board-call-2025/) - *** UPDATE: We’re no longer accepting applications. Thank you to all who have applied! We will follow up with all candidates. *** Application Open: March 10 - 31, 2025 Please click here for Board Application Form The Chicago Poetry Center is excited to announce an open call for new board members. We are seeking individuals with
- [Exquisite Corpse "the dark slapstick"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/exquisite-corpse-2/) - This week 6th and 7th graders worked together to create exquisite corpse poems. Each student responded to a prompt "What animal scares you the most?" and passed their papers to the next student to either write a line based on another prompt or their classmate's response above. Together they created a series of collaborative poems.
- [Ears like an elephant - Self Portrait poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ears-like-an-elephant-self-portrait-poems/) - Last week, Waters 6th graders read and wrote self-portrait poems. First, students drew a "cartoon" self portrait of themselves, some of them in human form and some in the form of a different creature. Then we read John Lee-Clark's Self Portrait Poem before each student wrote their own. Take a look below and enjoy!Ms. Hooper's
- [Household Names](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/household-names/) - The speaker in Sonia Sanchez's “This Is Not a Small Voice” talks about “large / voice[s] coming out,” listing the names of a half-dozen children “navigating the hallways / of our schools spilling out / on the corners of our cities.” The second half of the poem uses personification to celebrate the students' “passion for
- [Hyde Park Is Calling](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/hyde-park-is-calling/) - This week at Hyde Park we discussed calls to action and what it means to push for changes large and small. These young men brought their grievances and visions to the table, confronting everything from AI to processing emotions, for us to hear. Here are some of those calls. Ms. Gholston "The PC" Poetry Club
- [The Projector, El Tiburón, and Other Personas](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-projector-el-tiburon-and-other-personas/) - This week was all about personas at Lawndale. After an enthusiastic game of "What's My Name?" we read "Being A Bag" by Washington Elementary's Asano L, and got to work. Please enjoy! Ms. Barker 6th Grade "My Life As A Projector" by Ji'Mia W. I am a projector, a projector whose only ever traveled two
- [In the Black: Blackout Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/in-the-black-blackout-poetry-3/) - Blackout Poetry: A blackout poem is created when a poet takes a marker (usually black marker) to already established text–like that from a newspaper–and starts redacting words until a poem or image is formed. The key thing with a blackout poem is that the text AND redacted text form a visual poem. Lesson Note: ”
- [Blue is everything good - Color Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-is-everything-good-color-poems/) - ​Colors are all around us, and some show up in our lives more than others. For this 15th week at Waters, we talked about the colors that are meaningful to us. We watched the video for and listening to the lyrics of "I'm Blue" by Eiffel 65 (a 90s classic). After discussing how blue shows
- [Poetry Out Loud 2025 Illinois State Champion](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-out-loud-2025-illinois-state-champion/) - Monday March 17th was a magnificent day for the Poetry Out Loud 2025 Illinois State Competition. In Illinois this year, 48 high schools were part of Poetry Out Loud, 200 teachers, and over 7,900 students. Foundation students represented Illinois’s eight regions competed at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. The state competition featured recitations by winning
- [A List for the Future](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-list-for-the-future/) - At Henry Elementary, we looked at Chen Chen's poem "When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities" and explored our own list of future possibilities! Following Chen Chen's model for stanzas and unusual line breaks, students wrote poems of their own future selves. This was my last time with Mrs.
- [Conversational Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/conversational-poetry/) - At Social Justice HS, we studied how to incorporate conversational language into poetry by analyzing Anis Mojgani's "To Where the Trees Grow Tall." How can conversations be a doorway into another world? How can we use conversations to juxtapose a setting inside of a poem, similar to how Mojgani does in his poem? I asked
- [Jealous clouds, guitars, and more](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/jealous-clouds-guitars-and-more/) - In our recent sessions, Swift 2nd graders were counting down the hours before spring break began! We read "Ode to My Shoes" by Francisco X. Alarcón, and talked about giving non-human things - like chairs and trees - human feelings and capabilities. Students then wrote poems using personification. Ms. Pendola2nd Grade Zila the pencil dancesmy
- [Emotion Machines](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/emotion-machines-2/) - If your sadness was a machine how would it work? This week we started off by exploring Ada Limon’s poem “The Quiet Machine”. In it Limon uses the structure of a prose poem to explain all the different ways that she experiences being quiet. After reading, students chose an emotion they wanted to explore, and
- [Food Glorious Food](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/food-glorious-food-2/) - This week we wrote about all things edible! This is one of my favorite lessons to work on with students of all ages. Food is such a great way to engage all five of our senses and everyone has a favorite snack or dish that brings comfort. I started off by giving students a rather
- [Weekend List Poems ](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/weekend-list-poems/) - What does a perfect weekend look like to you? This week we read Pat Mora’s “To Do List” and came up with our own poems using the structure of a list poem. In her piece Mora describes a fabulous weekend filled with favorite food, friends and music. After discussing some things that they enjoy doing
- [Spring Break is only a week and gone in a flash.](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/spring-break-is-only-a-week-and-gone-in-a-flash/) - For our 11th week of poetry, O-School students shared their thoughts about Spring Break. Usually during Spring Break, people take vacations or stay at home for self-care and rest. A few students mentioned how taking a break is important for mentally and can improve your mood. Together we read and discussed the poem, "Spring Break
- [Lights! Camera! Action!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/lights-camera-action/) - This week the young vikings explored cinematic approaches to poetry. They read "Please Refrain from Talking During the Movie" by Robert Polito and "Movie" by Eileen Myles. It was the toughest week to narrow down which poets to publish because every student wrote a gut buster. I am so proud of them. Here are this
- [Blue Hour April 16](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-april-16/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop at Haymarket House, 800 W. Buena. Our April featured readers are Ayokunle Falomo and Viola Lee. The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets from Chicago and beyond. The open mic includes
- [Call 'Em](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/call-em/) - Alice Walker's poem "Calling All Grand Mothers", inspired Lawndale to make their own calls this week. The theme was Calls To Action, bringing people together to make things happen. After having students brainstorm all the communities they consider themselves part of (age, culture, family, activities, neighborhood, etc.) they identified a group they wanted to gather,
- [stop what you are doing - Instruction poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/stop-what-you-are-doing-instruction-poems/) - Why do we give instructions and whom do we give them to? These are the questions that anchored this 11th week with Waters 7th graders. We read Dana Levin's "Instructions for Stopping" and tried actually following the instructions in the poem (such as Whisper it/three times in a row:/Stop Stop Stop). Then students wrote their
- [Un Año para Recordar | A Year to Remember](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/un-ano-recordar-a-year-to-remember/) - Leímos el poema, fresca, escrito por Nayyirah Waheed y nos da la inspiración de pensar en lo que pasará. Entonces, estamos pensando en este año y en lo que podría ser. Primero respondimos preguntas sobre el año: ¿De qué color es; de qué animal; cómo suena, qué traerá? Aquí están algunas de nuestras respuestas; y
- [Grissom Elementary School | Acrostic Poems:                       Allow Us to Introduce Ourselves](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/grissom-elementary-school-acrostic-poems-allow-us-to-introduce-ourselves/) - We introduced ourselves to each other by reading acrostic poems we wrote about ourselves. How would you introduce yourself in an acrostic poem? Can you find our names written within our poems? _______________________ The pome of my favorite animal Milani M: My favorite animal is a wolf. I: I think they are cute and so
- ['To be hapcited': Emotion Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/to-be-hapcited-emotion-poems/) - Students talked about and then wrote poems about emotions using personification and other poetic devices. Some students created new emotions to write about by combining two existing emotions. Lesson Note: "Developing creativity in students is not a luxury." How Social-Emotional Imagination Facilitates Deep Learning and Creativity in the Classroom, Cambridge Univ. Press. Ms. Hernandez, 7th
- [the opposite of me - Persona poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-opposite-of-me-persona-poems/) - For our 12th week with Waters 7th graders, we explored Persona poems. These are poems written in the voice of someone else. For this lesson we discussed examples of celeb personas (like Beyonce/Sasha Fierce, Kobe Bryant/Black Mamba) before reading “What the Moon Said to Michael.” We discussed how to convey a fictional character through a
- [Ode to...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ode-to-2/) - For our fifth week at Henry, we looked at Elizabeth Acevedo's "Rat Ode." We learned about odes, imagery, and word bubbles (or word maps), and how useful word bubbles can be to our pre-writing time in generating descriptive imagery.Check out our odes for this last week!Mrs. Siciliano's 7th+8th grade class Edras C. Ode to HomeOde
- [Imagery Building!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/imagery-building/) - This last week at Henry, we looked at Ayokunle Falomo's "#BlackBoyJoy" poem. We learned about personification as a further expansion of metaphors and imagery. Check out some of our poems from this week!Mrs. Siciliano's 7th+8th Grade ClassMemories, AnonymousMy home is like a beachFun dances around youyet it's calming and warming.My laughter is a photograph.When you
- ["power already in my bones" Corrupting the Sonnet](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/power-already-in-my-bones-corrupting-the-sonnet/) - This week in class we read "My earliest memory is telling myself stories without" by Diane Seuss and expanded on some of the history of poetic forms we started with odes. We discussed how to change the construction of a sonnet through corruption, the way Seuss does in her poem and students wrote their own
- [The Places We Come From](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-places-we-come-from/) - For our last session at Jordan, 6th graders explored the people, places and things that represent where we come from. We opened up with an activity where students created their own paint chips based on colors that were important to their lives. (For example, taki red or peach orange). Then, we read an "I Am
- [Odas | Odes](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/odas-odes/) - We read Poem for the Tin-tun-teros, by Brenda Cárdenas, and we talked about a poem called an Ode: this is a poem you write for or about someone or something special. Here are our odes! Leímos Poema para los tin-tun-teros, escrito por Brenda Cárdenas y hablábamos de poemas llamados Odas: un poema que escribes para
- [Veo Veo... Poemas  I Spy...Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/veo-veo-poemas-i-spy-poems/) - ¡Nos divertimos mucho practicando la escritura de poemas con descripción y detalles cuando escribimos estos poemas! Pensábamos en el juego de ‘Veo Veo…’ y pensábamos en maneras de usar nuestras palabras para describir y pintar con palabras. ¿Puedes adivinar de qué se trata cada poema? We had a lot of fun practicing writing with description
- [Poemas Sobre Música | Poems About Music](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poemas-sobre-musica-poems-about-music/) - ¡Estos son nuestros poemas sobre la música! ¡Y pensamos que la voz también es un instrumento! These are our poems about music! And we think the voice is an instrument too! ____________ No Music Braxton I don’t like music. ____________ Poema Cantando Feliz o Aburrido Ervin Cantando sin parar con morado mucho más. Feliz o
- [What I Like: Acrostic Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-i-like-acrostic-poems/) - We wrote Acrostic poems to introduce ourselves and some of what we like. What would you add to an Acrostic poem about yourself; can you read our names within our poem? We will soon post more: from Braxton and Ervin! ____________ A Little About Me Isabella Ice cream has a nice taste Spiderman is my
- [Remembering Our Childhoods (8th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/remembering-our-childhoods-8th-grade/) - There are some realizations you can only come to by reflecting on your past. This is what the 8th graders of Clinton did as we explored our childhoods with the Aimee Nezhukumatathil poem “When I Am 6”. Students first drew their homes, reflecting on the memories held there. Then, they compared these to memories from
- [Blue, do I know you? Color Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-do-i-know-you-color-poems/) - Colors, colors, colors. There are many poems, songs, and paintings devoted to particular colors and how they show up in our lives. So during out 14th session with Waters 7th graders, we explored colors. First we watched/listened to lyrics for Eiffel 65's "I'm Blue". Then, after discussing the tone of the song and how blue
- [Blue Hour March 19](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-march-19/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop at Haymarket House, 800 W. Buena. Our March featured readers are Sarah Ghazal Ali and R.A. Villanueva. The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets from Chicago and beyond. The open mic
- [What if we lived in a world without color?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-if-we-lived-in-a-world-without-color/) - Swift 2nd graders pondered this question, and then came up with responses such as "It would be boring," "It would be sad," and "Artists wouldn't be able to have any fun!" In Ms. Pendola's class, several students were out for ACCESS testing, so I read from Rob Gonsalves' book Imagine a World and students looked
- ["It's really easy to get a pet..."](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/its-really-easy-to-get-a-pet/) - Last week at Swift - rather than introducing a new lesson - I asked students to look through their folders to select a poem that they would like to spend more time on. Many 2nd graders in Ms. Pendola's class chose to write out their "Love Poems," which they brainstormed artfully during Valentines Day. Students
- [Instructions: Grow up to be troublemaker with hair as gold as wheat](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/instructions-grow-up-to-be-troublemaker-with-hair-as-gold-as-wheat/) - For our lucky 13th poetry session with Waters 6th graders, we talked about instructions - why does one give them? What makes for good ones? We opened with an activity where a few students were tasked with giving instructions on drawing to another student. Then we read William Holden's "How to Throw Apples." Funnily enough,
- [Strength in Writing](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/strength-in-writing/) - For our second week at Social Justice High School's poetry club, we read and listened to Elizabeth Acevedo's "Rat Ode." Discussing what an ode is, we learned how to build imagery. In the version of the poem we watched online, Acevedo tells about why she wrote this poem as a response to a professor who
- ['For fortitude fills each word that I speak.': How We Talk Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/for-fortitude-fills-each-word-that-i-speak-how-we-talk-poems/) - Students read Langston Hughes’ poem, ‘Motto,’ and then wrote their short poems using modern slang. “Motto” by Langston Hughes I play it cool And dig all jive That’s the reason I stay alive. My motto, As I live and learn, is: Dig And Be Dug In Return. Lesson Note: “The world of teenage slang
- [Writing Through Tradition](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/writing-through-tradition/) - In Social Justice High School last week, we read Jane Wong's "After Preparing the Altar the Ghosts Feasts Feverishly." We discussed the layered meaning of food, cultures, and how this was reflected in the style of writing as well as Wong's reading of it. Each poet was tasked with writing about their own food or
- [I wish](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-wish-3/) - In Ms Reed's class, we wrote poems that make wishes! We talked about how we could write with our five senses and all of the different types of wishes we can make. We had so much fun! Here are a few of their poems. I WishAli I wish I can be fast like shadow. I
- [We're Hiring! Community Outreach Intern](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/were-hiring-community-outreach-intern/) - *** UPDATE: We’re no longer accepting applications. Thank you to all who have applied! We will follow up with all candidates. *** Downloadable PDF - Community Outreach Intern Job Posting SUMMARY Application deadline: March 16, 2025 Restrictions: This role is funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Youth Employment program; as such, only candidates
- [2nd Grade Experts Weigh In](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/2nd-grade-experts-weigh-in/) - Today Swift 2nd graders talked about (1) things they know how to do well; (2) the recipes they know how to cook; (3) and how to give someone expert instructions. We passed around different kitchen utensils that I brought from home and demonstrated how and when to use things like a whisk, a grater, measuring
- [Retellings - Triumph & Magic](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/retellings-triumph-magic/) - Two weeks ago, before illness took this poet away from the 4th floor of Hyde Park High School, we all sat around a table in Ms. Gholston's art room and discussed magic. How would we use it, what situations would we remedy? Inspired by Eve L. Ewing, these poets took situations of dissatisfaction and distress
- ["I am a force, a legend, an echo"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-a-force-a-legend-an-echo/) - This week, Hyde Park's poets discussed big egos and big statements. Using Nikki Giovanni's poem "Ego Tripping," we explored the power of hyperbole and what it means to overcome and bet on yourself. These poems are out of this world, with themes of strength, inheritance, and embodying the natural world's power. Hyde Park Poetry Club
- [Out Of This World: Retellings](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/out-of-this-world-retellings/) - After being ill last week, I could not have been more excited to return to Lawndale this week, which was all about reimagining the past and revitalizing our power, our magic. After a game of never-ending-story, where students used their imagination to create new worlds and possibilities (breaking rules, enchanting cheese, destroying Lebron James' career),
- ["How can you tell a name is yours? / You hold it tight"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/how-can-you-tell-a-name-is-yours-you-hold-it-tight/) - This week in class we read "Everyone who happens to live where" by Kimberly Alidio. We talked about our names, what they meant in the past and what they might mean in the future. Student's brainstormed names that are important to them and in their writing explored their family history and relationships. Please enjoy a
- ["Lemon/Lime by itself" Odes to the Unusual](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/lemon-lime-by-itself-odes-to-the-unusual/) - This week we read "Ode to my socks" by Pablo Neruda. Students thought about the things they love and were challenged to write an ode to the most unusual. The below poems are a sample of the unexpected passions of Waters 6th and 7th graders, including Crystals, Birds, and Lemon/Lime by itself. Please enjoy! Ms.
- [Comedic Poets](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/comedic-poets/) - For our 10th session of poetry, O-School students explore their sense of humor. There's usually a misconception about poetry, that it has to be serious all the time. But the great thing about poetry is that it can have elements of humor and satire. Poetry can help us make fun of ourselves and the world
- [Once I was funny like really funny: self-portrait poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/once-i-was-funny-like-really-funny-self-portrait-poems/) - For this 13th week with Waters 7th graders, we explored the self-portrait poem. How do we paint ourselves? Mary Jo Bang's self portrait poem paints a pretty odd, confusing version of herself. We talked about the clear and unclear parts before students wrote their own self-portrait poems. Take a look below and enjoy! Funnyby Connor
- [Curious Questions](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/curious-questions/) - For our 9th poetry session, the theme was questions. Why do people ask questions? Does every question have to have an answer? The O-School students gave great responses to these questions. Most students mentioned how people ask questions because they are curious, wish to gain new knowledge about the world around them, and want to
- ['It felt like a trip I wanted/ to go back to:' Meditaiton Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/it-felt-like-a-trip-i-wanted-to-go-back-to-meditaiton-poems/) - Students participated in a short meditation and breathing exercise. I read them. I Close My Eyes by David Ignatow. After the meditation, they were asked to write whatever came to mind. Classwork was conducted in silence. Daydreaming and even boredom were encouraged! Lesson Note: "Boredom heightens daydreaming because moments of boredom resemble sleep. Each inhalation
- [Yum! Poems about Food](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/yum-poems-about-food/) - In Ms. Reed's class, we wrote poems about food! We thought about how food can be connected with memory and people we love. We read a poem from Kwame Alexander about fried chicken and discussed all the different senses he used to describe the chicken. Please enjoy these delicious poems! PizzaBaldipThe pizza is looking so
- [First Hand](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/first-hand/) - What can you hold in your hand? “Nonspecific stuff,” says Hua Xi in her poem, “Handfuls,” as well as snow “on a summer's day” that “must come from somewhere inside me.” The speaker also mentions “tossing handfuls of somewhere, anywhere,” moving this meditative piece further into the realm of abstraction. Nonetheless, our close reading and
- [50 for 50: Help Us Create 50 New Residencies With Your Donation!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/50-for-50-help-us-create-50-new-residencies/) - Let's make it 50 for 50! With Your Support We Can Fund 50 Residences Next Year As we head towards the end of the calendar year and launch our annual campaign, the Chicago Poetry Center team is excited to share some of the organization's recent accomplishments. Over the past year, CPC has been able to
- [I should be me - Persona poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-should-be-me-persona-poems/) - For our 12th week with Waters 6th graders, we explored Persona Poems. These are poems written in the voice of someone else. For this lesson we read one of my poems (!!) titled "Lavender" and inspired by the 1996 film adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel, "Matilda". After watching Matilda clips for context, we read
- [Bravery Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/bravery-poems/) - In Ms. Reed's third grade class, we read Maya Angelou's "Life Doesn't Frighten Me at All." We talked about how bravery doesn't mean that you're never afraid, it just means that you figure out how to face what's scary, even if you have butterflies in your belly! We practiced stretching out our ideas and adding
- [Rickety Doors and More](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/rickety-doors-and-more/) - For our most recent session, we read and discussed Justin Danzy's “A rickety door, a back one or side, not stable.” At the midpoint of the residency, this poem is the first to include a few more challenging words, such as domineering, apocryphal, and officiant. That said, it was still easy enough to follow the
- [Poetry Out Loud 2025 Chicagoland Regionals Winners!!!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-out-loud-2025-chicagoland-regionals-winners/) - The Chicago Poetry Center is now in its 8th year as Chicagoland Regional Host Organization for the national youth poetry competition, Poetry Out Loud. Poetry Out Loud is a collaborative project of the Illinois Arts Council Agency and seven arts agencies, each of which hosts a regional contest. The Chicago Poetry Center is grateful for
- [Odes over Everything](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/odes-over-everything/) - This week the young viking writers explored odes and other poetic forms of praise. We read Lucille Clifton's "won't you come celebrate with me" and Chicago poet Jessica Walsh's "When My Daughter Says I Was Never Punk." They were then tasked with writing an ode to someone or something they want to celebrate. I'm so
- [How to Apply to Writing Residencies: Presented by Keith S. Wilson](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-apply-to-writing-residencies-presented-by-keith-s-wilson/) - Looking for a way to devote time and energy to your poetry without the distractions of your busy life? Apply to a writing residency! Join the Chicago Poetry Center as poet Keith S. Wilson talks about how to find a residency that suits your needs and what you should know about the application process. Bring
- ['I take a big, deep breath': Meditation Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-take-a-big-deep-breath-meditation-poems/) - Students participated in a short meditation and breathing exercise. I read I Close My Eyes by David Ignatow. After the meditation, they were asked to write whatever came to mind. Classwork was conducted in silence. Daydreaming and even boredom were encouraged! Lesson Note: "Boredom heightens daydreaming because moments of boredom resemble sleep. Each inhale and
- [Love Poems, Again](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/love-poems-again/) - To celebrate Valentine's Day, the young viking writers read Frank O'Hara's "Animals" and Richard Brautigan's "A Boat" and "Catfish Friend." They were then tasked with writing a love poem to an unexpected object of admiration. I'm so proud of these fantastic young adults. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Dad Took Me to the
- [Erasure Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/erasure-poems/) - This week we took a look at some examples of erasure poetry. Students saw many different forms, using the page they were given for their own poems to make a variety of poems with interesting orders, illustrations, and blacking out techniques. Please enjoy a selection of their work. Ms. Smallwood6th Grade The Watcher Jonah Plain
- [Poetry | La Poesía](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-la-poesia/) - Metaphor| Metáfora Sabin Elementary School | 4th Grade Our work with metaphor! We read Nikki Giovani's poem, "Poetry" What is poetry? Students thought about what poetry is to them. Check out some student poetry from their work with metaphor, and find Nikki Giovanni's poem below! ___________________ ¡Nuestro trabajo de esta semana es una metáfora! Leímos
- [Símil | Simile](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/simil-simile/) - We are thinking about similes and practicing writing them. Here are some of our similes and soon we will share poems that we’ve written inspired by them! Estamos pensando sobre símil y practicando escribiendo unos. ¡Aquí están algunos de nuestros símiles y viendo pronto los poemas que escribimos inspirados por estos símiles! Mrs. Taylor &
- ['A family is...': Abecedarians](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/23677-2/) - Students wrote “Abecedarian” poems that use the entire alphabet as the lefthand spine of the poem. Lesson Note: Abecedarian poetry offers a structured framework to explore complex ideas. It allows the poet to navigate a topic through the alphabet, creating a sense of progression and uniquely revealing the nuances of language. Ms. Wright, 7th Grade
- [Where Are We From?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/where-are-we-from/) - Last Saturday two bold poets represented Lawndale's 6th and 8th-grade poets at the Poetry Center's All School Reading. In another turn of events, the 8th grade class became two sections of poets, instead of one. This has been my excuse to showcase even more poems. This week, inspired by Amorosa M.'s poem "Where Are We
- [why isn't it baseball season already? Letter Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/why-isnt-it-baseball-season-already-letter-poems/) - For the 11th session with Waters 6th graders, we looked at letter poems, also known as epistolary poems. Students thought about figures they would talk to if they could (living or dead, fictional or real, animal or human). Then we read "Another Night at Sea Level" by Meg Day, discussed who the speaker may be
- [CPC's Values Remain in Times of Change](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cpcs-values-remain-in-times-of-change/) - Letter sent by CPC Executive Director to all board, staff, and Poets in Residence on Monday, February 3, 2025: As news mounts of organizations changing their values or language due to pressure from the current administration, I wanted to reach out and let everyone know that CPC remains grounded in its mission and organizational values,
- ["Black so cool it must be golden"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/black-so-cool-it-must-be-golden/) - Black History Month is a time for celebration and reflection, and this past Thursday, Hyde Park High's poets celebrated their own Blackness. Called on by Gwendolyn Brooks' "Primer for Blacks," the poets took to the page. In other important news, Hyde Park's poetry club members (excluding faculty advisor Ms. Gholston and myself) have officially named
- [Do you love sour pickles?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/do-you-love-sour-pickles/) - Valentines Day landed on my most recent sessions with Swift 2nd graders, so we read Eloise Greenfield's poem, "Honey, I Love." Students enjoyed lines in which the poet said she LOVED "a flying pool" - referring to getting wet in water from a hose in the summertime; and when she wrote about loving the warmth
- [Collage poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/collage-poems/) - Poetry and collage aren't so far removed! Water's 7th graders explored the intersection of the two by looking at examples from artists like Krista Franklin and Marcus Dawson. Then students created their own collage poems, with many collages overlaid with words, and others relying on images alone to convey an idea or concept. Take a
- [most things are beautiful firecrackers](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/most-things-are-beautiful-firecrackers/) - For our most recent session with Waters 6th graders, we delved into erasure poems, also known as blackout poems. After looking at a variety of examples, each student received an excerpt from Sandra Cisneros' House On Mango Street. They pulled their own weird, cool, funny and beautiful poems out of Cisneros' poetic prose. Enjoy their
- [Poems (with footnotes)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poems-with-footnotes/) - This week Water's 6th and 7th graders in Ms. Smallwood and Ms. Hernandez' classes read "Thank you Letter (with footnotes)" by John Grandits. In class we discussed creating double meanings in our writing and formatting and students tried their hands at writing their own poems (with footnotes). Please enjoy a selection of their writing! Ms.
- [A picture is worth infinite words](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-picture-is-worth-infinite-words/) - Beautiful magic can be made when words and images collide. For that reason, Waters 7th graders dove into the world of Ekphrastic Poetry. Ekphrastic poems are written in response to an image, often a work of art. Students examined Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" before reading "The Kiss" by Sasha Pimentel. After talking about similarities between
- ["I capture every moment..."](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-capture-every-moment/) - In Mrs. Siciliano's 7th+8th grade class, we looked at "Sorrow Is Not My Name" by Ross Gay. Through the exploration of similes and metaphors, we learned about holding the complexity of things being both good and bad, all at once. Mrs. Siciliano's 7th+8th gradeJasper Q.I RememberI remember my grandma's house being so near to my
- ['Ask me about what my wonderful family does and i will tell:' Abecedarians](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ask-me-about-what-my-wonderful-family-does-and-i-will-tell-abecedarians/) - Students wrote “Abecedarian” poems that use the entire alphabet as the lefthand spine of the poem. Lesson Note: “My essential poetics is simply to be doing something, making something, playing, struggling, learning something – more time in practice than in the game.”-Terrance Hayes, poet Ms. Hernandez, 7th Grade Abecedarian List Poem by Enyer P. B.
- ['Something on my mind..." Simile Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/something-on-my-mind-simile-poems/) - Students read Mike Taylor's poem, 'Thinking About You,' and experimented with rhyming, exploring their daydreams and creating similes. Lesson Note: “I learned that the only way to get a thing done is to start to do it, then keep on doing it, and finally you’ll finish it, even if in the beginning you think you
- [Choosing our Stories](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/choosing-our-stories/) - In our first meeting at Social Justice High School in the after school program, we shared a poem by Tonya Ingram titled, "I am 22." In this poem, Tonya shares about herself, her diagnosis with lupus, and then interweaves the story of herself with her diagnosis with lupus. We discussed how we often cannot choose
- [All Schools Reading Winter 2025](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/all-schools-reading-winter-2025/) - The Chicago Poetry Center sends our warm gratitude to the incredible students, families, and teachers that helped make CPC's Winter 2025 All Schools Reading a success! It was an absolute delight to hear such awesome poems from our school residencies and to celebrate the work of our inspiring student poets. We're excited to share photos
- [Walk the Walk](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/walk-the-walk/) - Last week we discussed our most rhymingest poem to-date, “People Walk Around” by Frederick Seidel. Skinner students are already savvier regarding slant or half rhymes; while Seidel's haphazard scheme relies largely on the impact of its full or exact rhymes, its more subtle moments enhance the poem's overall sonic qualities. Thematically, the title conveys much
- [The parts of me I love](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-parts-of-me-i-love/) - To celebrate Valentine's Day, the theme for our eighth session this week the O-School students thought about things that they loved about themselves. I showed a few black and white photos and words from kids featured in Wendy's Ewald's book, "The Best Part of Me." The book promotes self-esteem and positivity. In one photo a
- [Blackouts and Erasure Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blackouts-and-erasure-poetry/) - This week the young viking writers escaped the cold through playing with blackout and erasure poetry. Our source text was back issues of Tin House magazine and I'm so proud of how they changed someone's language into their own. Here are a handful of their wild explorations.
- [Would you like to see...?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/would-you-like-to-see/) - As usual, when working with 2nd graders - many of whom have never had a creative writing practice - the first 5 sessions are meant to introduce students to how poems look on the page, how poems feel in our mouths and throats, and how they sound in our ears. We learn about LINES and
- [A Rainbow of Memories and Feelings](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-rainbow-of-memories-and-feelings/) - Today, we read "Green" by a 4th grade student named Malik. We thought about how colors can remind us of memories and experiences and feelings. The kids were full of energy and enthusiasm and ideas and we loved sharing our thoughts. Enjoy a few of their poems. Lavender is Calm -Xio Lavender is being calm
- [Poetry as Play](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-as-play-4/) - Today in Ms. Reed's 3rd grade, we talked about play and surprise. We talked about how poetry can give us tools to express some of our deepest emotions and thoughts, while also giving us a place to play with language and tap into our weird inner small kids. To practice getting in touch with this silly
- [Nice To Meet You](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/nice-to-meet-you/) - This past week Hyde Park Academy High School's poetry club spoke their names. They discussed their origins, the power of each nickname, and what their names mean to them. These are two of those poems. Hyde Park Poetry Club 9th-12th Grade Bernard... by Bernard T. bravery saving me in the situations that I'm handling patiently
- [Our Silent Auction is Live!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/silent-auction-launch/) - Our silent auction is open for bids! We’re excited to be auctioning dozens of great bundles ranging in interest, all generously donated by staff, board members, and board alums! A few highlights: Lollapalooza passes Goal Line Chicago Fire Tix Michelin starred restaurants Ravinia + Highland Park Winery Hotel stays, museums, and theaters Massages & self-care
- ['For 100s of sleep unders and overs': Letter-Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/for-100s-of-sleep-unders-and-overs-letter-poems/) - Students wrote letter poems called Epistolary poems after reading Kobe Bryant's poem, 'Dear Basketball.' Lesson Note: “When you make art, and you don’t know what’s going to happen, you’re involved in the mystery that life is.”-Judy Tuwaletsiwa, an 80-year-old artist from Your Brain on Art, How The Arts Transform Us, 2023, Ross and Magsamen Ms.
- [Blackout! Blackout!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blackout-blackout/) - This week Lawndale tried their hand at Blackout poetry. Using Aesop's fables, song lyrics, and the full text of the national anthem, poets explored how to tear something up and put it back together. In addition to words, they played with images. Here not only will you see innovative erasures, but also rainbows, flowers, and
- [You Say You Want a Resolution](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/you-say-you-want-a-resolution-2/) - This week we read “Burning the Old Year” by Naomi Shihab Nye. As the titles suggests, the poem is about the New Year celebration, though it focuses on its subject obliquely, through a central metaphor comparing burning (in the title as well as the text, with such words as sizzle, flammable, flame, crackle, and blazing)
- [In my heaven...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/in-my-heaven/) - At Henry Elementary Week 2, we learned about lines, line breaks, and stanzas! We watched and read a poem by José Olivarez titled "Mexican Heaven." Students then created their own poem of heaven or an ideal place by asking themselves, "Who's there?"What does my dream place sound like? What does it taste like?" Ms. Siciliano
- [Lying About](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/lying-about/) - James Tate's poem, “Untitled” begins, “I sat at my desk and contemplated all that I had accomplished / this year.” The speaker then runs through a litany of 'accomplishments' growing more and more nutty, including winning a hot dog eating contest, “catching the largest boa constrictor / in Southern Brazil,” marrying the Princess of Monaco,
- [Power of Voice](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/power-of-voice/) - Today in Mrs. Siciliano 7th + 8th grade class, we looked at Melissa Lozada-Oliva's poem, "Like Totally Whatever." We learned about tone of voice, and the power of using it in poetry, particularly in reclaiming our own personal power. Mrs. Siciliano 7th + 8th gradeJhon QYoYo soy, es lo que se suedo dean pana expreseanse,
- [Chicago Born and Raised](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/chicago-born-and-raised/) - This week Hyde Park's poetry club read "Where I'm From" by Willie Perdomo, a poem about the people, lessons, and experiences that define our "origins." Enjoy these poems by two Chicagoans about the push and pull between their selves and their hometown. Hyde Park Poetry Club 9th - 12th Grade Where I Call Home by
- [If I were something else, I would be ...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/if-i-were-something-else-i-would-be/) - For our sixth session of poetry, the O School Group A and B students were asked to transform into different objects, animals, or people using metaphors. Metaphors are direct comparisons, saying that one thing is another thing. Together we read and watched a video clip of Michael Salinger performing his poem, "If I Were a
- [Inside Out Emotions](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/inside-out-emotions/) - This Tuesday for our 7th poetry session at the O-School we embraced our emotions. As a warmup activity students played saw scenes from the movie "Inside Out 2," the main character Riley is going through puberty and new emotions were moving inside her head, such as Anxiety, Envy, Ennui (Boredom), and Embarrassment. Every emotion wore
- [New Planets to Discover](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/new-planets-to-discover/) - After Holiday break, I returned back to the O-School on Monday to write poetry with two new groups (Groups A & B ) of students to kick start 2025. The theme for this week was all about planets. I showed students images of the eight planets in our solar system: Earth, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury,
- [Becoming Magical with Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/becoming-magical-with-poetry/) - This past Monday the O-School's Group C students dabbled in magic, potions, and spells. A poem is similar to a spell, each poem is unique, using powerful words and images. I asked students to imagine potions for real or fantastical things, such as potions for good grades, courage, or superpowers. The lesson for this week
- [Wishes For the Holidays](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/wishes-for-the-holidays/) - This past Monday the O-School's Group D elementary students, thought about wishes. The holidays season can feel magical. Wishes can be dreams for things that you truly want: a pet kitten, toys, money, or traveling to faraway places. We discussed different ways people try to make their wishes come true, either by wishing on a
- [Celebrating the little things](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/celebrating-the-little-things/) - For their 3rd week of poetry this past Monday, students from Group D of the O-School discussed what it means to celebrate. Celebrations are not just for holidays or birthdays, but can involve showing love to people, animals, or objects in life, those who have been overlooked or taken for granted. Together we read the
- [Moving and grooving with sounds](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/moving-and-grooving-with-sounds/) - For their 3rd week of poetry, the Group C students at the O-School discovered how sounds are part of daily life. Every activity we perform whether it's brushing our teeth, taking a walk, or drawing in a notebook expresses distinctive sounds. Together we read the poem "Dribbling," by Kwame Alexander. In his poem Alexander uses
- [Thoughts run free](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/thoughts-run-free/) - On Monday the Group C students returned back to the O-School after Thanksgiving break. Holiday times can be relaxing, spending time with family and loved ones, but also can sometimes feel overwhelming. This week we discussed ways to calm and center our thoughts. Together we read the poem "Thought Machine," by Laura Mucha. In her
- [Poem for Your Plate](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poem-for-your-plate/) - The Group D Students returned back to the O-School on Monday, from Thanksgiving break refreshed and full of leftovers. For our second week of poetry, we discussed our favorite comfort foods that we love to eat, especially with friends and family, which included mac n' cheese, chicken nuggets from McDonalds, French fries, and homemade banana
- [Building A Community](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/building-a-community/) - This past Monday I was excited to be back for another residency at the O School. I taught poetry during the summer session and I'm looking forward to having twenty weeks to share and write poems with a new group. I even saw a few familiar faces from the summer session. For my intro lesson
- [I Am Autumn](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-autumn/) - This past Monday I was excited to be back for another residency at the O School. I taught students during the summer session and I'm looking forward to having twenty weeks to share and write poems with a new group. For my intro lesson with the Group D (Elementary) students, we discussed the Autumn season,
- [A picture is worth ______ words...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-picture-is-worth-______-words-2/) - Beautiful magic can be made when words and images collide. For that reason, Waters 6th graders dove into the world of Ekphrastic Poetry. Ekphrastic poems are written in response to an image, often a work of art. Students examined Vincent Van Gogh's painting "Starry Night" before reading "Starry Night" by Anne Sexton. After talking about
- [Poems after Paintings](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poems-after-paintings/) - This week students dipped their toes into art criticism. We read "Untitled #9, 1981" by Victoria Chang, after the Painting by Agnes Martin of the same name. We discussed how Chang's poem described the painting and her relationship with it. Then we looked at a series of paintings in a variety of styles and students
- [A Glossary of Glossary Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-glossary-of-glossary-poems/) - This week in class we read "Glossary of Terms" by Franny Choi and discussed how form affects poetry with a new and unique form. Students filled in their own categories for Choi's terms as well as coming up with their own. They were also able to take these ideas and form a plain text poem
- ['I remember now. Aha!': James Tate Imitations.](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-remember-now-aha-james-tate-imitations/) - Students read James Tate's poem, 'Untitled,' where the speaker embellishes their accomplishments...just a little. Lesson Note: "I love my funny poems, but I'd rather break your heart. And if I can do both in the same poem, that's the best."-James Tate. Ms. Hernandez, 7th Grade Untitled by Rae N. I ate 50 Cream-Betweens in one sitting.
- [Who are you!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/who-are-you/) - At our first week at Henry Elementary working with a combined 7th+8th grade class, students were tasked with writing an introductory poem: What is the one thing you want people to know about you? We read Anis Mojgani poem titled "Out of the Garden" and looked at using inanimate objects to help describe how we
- [Poetry As a Canvas](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-as-a-canvas/) - This past Tuesday, I started my afterschool residency at the Gary Comer Center and met a great group of 8th graders. The theme for our first poetry session on was self-portraits. Artists create self-portrait paintings to express who they are and how they see themselves. I showed students slides of self-portraits painted by the famous
- ['where the dove still sings' : Poems of Place](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/where-the-dove-still-sings-poems-of-place/) - Students wrote 'Where I'm From' poems investigating the real and fantastical in poetry. Lesson Note: "What I like about this exercise is that it asks poets to look at what we think and think we see and then ask questions that lead us to answers we don’t expect or to questions that yield no answers.
- [First Poem](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/first-poem/) - Happy New Year Greetings!Being invited to return to Swift for my 6th year brings me feelings of joy and humility. This year I have the pleasure of joining Ms. Pendola's and Ms. Brist's 2nd grade classrooms for a 10 week poetry residency. For our first session, students expressed curiosity about poetry and I said that
- ['Some things are meant to keep still/Stopped': Potion Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/some-things-are-meant-to-keep-still-stopped-potion-poems/) - Students read Naomi Shihab Nye's poem 'Truth Serum' and then talked about wishes, wants, and dreams that might come true if they made a special serum of their own! Lesson Note: “Writers don’t need tricks or gimmicks or even necessarily need to be the smartest fellows on the block. At the risk of appearing foolish,
- ['And, of course, Adidas': Odes](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/and-of-course-adidas-odes/) - Students wrote Odes, using personification, after reading Francisco X. Alarcon's poem, 'Ode to My Shoes.' Lesson Note: “If it were up to me, everything I love would have a poem in praise of it. I mean everything: homemade chocolate cookies, park benches, sinuous roads beside city rivers — even that clear plastic cap on a
- [I Am Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-poems-5/) - How would you describe yourself to others, and how would others describe you? That’s the question we started off with this week to open up the topic of the “I Am” poem. Students had an opportunity to discuss with classmates what makes them unique, and when they feel most like themselves. We also listened to
- [Just Ratio It](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/just-ratio-it/) - This past Thursday at Hyde Park Academy, a group of students came into the 4th floor art room for pizza and an open mic. What they got was a poetry workshop and an audience of their peers to hype them into sharing their work. We read a poem of 1920's Chicago slang (the petty pantry,
- [No Silly Questions](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/no-silly-questions/) - Do all questions have an answer? This question was our jumping-off point for this week's lesson as we read excerpts from Pablo Neruda’s Book Of Questions. After a lively discussion about the nature of inquiry, and how sometimes thinking too logically can stifle our imagination, students got to work on a list of questions about
- ["En Otra Vida"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/en-otra-vida/) - This week Lawndale's 6th graders explored dreams, with everything from mystery men to goats. Enjoy! Ms. Barker 6th Grade Señor by Anonymous En mi sueño había un señor escalofrianteque me seguía y me había pedido dinero pero ledije que no y se enojó conmigo. llegué a casay mis padres me vieron y se pasieron allorar
- [Writing & Rewriting, pt 2](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/writing-rewriting-pt-2/) - Ah, the joys of revision! As every great poet knows, much of the "work" of poetry takes place through the revision process. With Waters 6th graders, we talked about some different ways to make a poem better. Sometimes, some strategically added line breaks, a new title, and more simile can open a whole new world
- [First This Happened, Then This, But Before That](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/first-this-happened-then-this-but-before-that-2/) - This week the young Viking writers used vintage photos to write stories in a poetic form about strangers. They used Warsan Shire's poem "Backwards" as inspiration on how to write mirror poems. I'm proud of the poets I'm publishing below. "It is September" by Sherie M. It is September, early days, I faced my fear,
- [Writing and Rewriting](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/writing-and-rewriting/) - Ah, the joys of revision! As every great poet knows, much of the "work" of poetry takes place through the revision process. For Waters 7th graders eighth week, we talked about some different ways to make a poem better. Sometimes, some strategically added line breaks, a new title, and more simile can open a whole
- [Love Poems -______-](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/love-poems-______/) - This week the young viking writers were eager to try their hand at love poems--a topic they have been excited to write for weeks. They read and thoroughly enjoyed Matthew Olzmann's "Mountain Dew Commercial Disguised as a Love Poem" and Kim Addonizo's "My Heart." They were then asked to write a love poem to a
- [Chicago Over Everything](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/chicago-over-everything-2/) - This week the young vikings explored prose poetry. They read Hanif Abdurraqib's "When I Say That Loving Me Is Kind Of Like Being a Chicago Bulls Fan" and "The Fight in the Meadow" by Russell Edson. They were tasked with writing a biographical or semi-autobiographical poem in relation to Chicago. I am so proud of
- ['I sift my hands through the sail sand I see': Poems of Observation](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-sift-my-hands-through-the-sail-sand-i-see-poems-of-observation/) - Students read 'Along the East River and in the Bronx Young Men Were Singing' by Ariel Francisco, in a nod to the opening lines of Fredrico Lorca’s ode to Walt Whitman, ‘ By the East River and the Bronx boys were singing.' We talked about observing others, watching closely what they do, imagining places special
- ["big kids sound like brown bears roaring"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/big-kids-sound-like-brown-bears-roaring/) - For our 3rd sessions Swift 2nd graders talked about comparisons. We tried to look at pairs of very different things to find similarities in color, texture, shape, size, and feeling. After examining similes written by 3rd graders, such as "my clothes are itchy like a Christmas tree," students brainstormed substitutions for Christmas tree such as
- ['I like the way Jacky says my name': Name Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-like-the-way-jacky-says-my-name-name-poems/) - ‘I celebrate and sing myself…’-Walt Whitman Students explored names through a series of prompts, which began with a reading of 'a girl named jack' by Jaqueline Woodson. What occurs when someone or something is named? How does it sound when spoken? How does it feel to be announced or announced to someone by their name?
- [Real Cool](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/real-cool/) - This week Lawndale's 6th grade workshop was all about rhythm. After a lively game of "The Clap Heard Around The World" they read Gwendolyn Brooks' "We Real Cool" and used her work as inspiration for their own "We" poems, with their own grooves. We talked about what it means to be a 6th grader, how
- ["crackly" and "crunchy"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/crackly-and-crunchy/) - For my second meeting with Swift 2nd graders, we discussed things we experience using our sense(s) of sight, taste, smell, sound, and touch. We also talked about the seasons, and some of the changes in the natural world that mark different times of year; for instance, the delicate blossoms on trees in spring which turn
- ["I just wanted to say/THANK you"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-just-wanted-to-say-thank-you/) - This week was all about gratitude. After reading Kobe Bryant's "Dear Basketball" (which sent the 8th grade into a very animated side quest about who the GOAT really is) students at Lawndale said thank you to the non-human things they love. Through letters, lyrics, and odes, poets spoke to everything from sleep to school to
- [Concrete Week!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/concrete-week/) - This week in Ms. Smallwood's 6th grade class and Ms. Hernandez's 7th grade class we took a crack at concrete poems. We read "Spew Machine" by John Grandits and discussed the logistics of a rollercoaster in poetry. Students used this poem as inspiration for their own concrete poems about objects, including some rollercoasters and some
- [Being 6 is gone in a blink of an eye](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/being-6-is-gone-in-a-blink-of-an-eye/) - Oh, nostalgia. It's a powerful feeling, and one that 7th graders at Waters explored with the Aimee Nezhukumatathil poem "When I Was 6". Before we read the poem, I asked students to think back to their favorite or most memorable age. What made it so memorable, what made it so good? Students wrote about a
- [The clock was always there](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-clock-was-always-there/) - Oh, nostalgia. It's a powerful feeling, and one that 6th graders at Waters explored with the Aimee Nezhukumatathil poem "When I Was 6". Before we read the poem, I asked students to think back to their favorite or most memorable age. What made it so memorable, what made it so good? Students wrote about a
- [What's Your Name?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/whats-your-name/) - This past Monday kicked off Lawndale Community Academy's Poetry Residency with Ms. Barker's 6th and 8th grade ELA classes. Our first session was an opportunity to get to know each other; thus, the day's theme was our names. "Choosing My Name" by Puanani Burgess got poets talking about what makes names powerful, and why they
- [Turn On A Rhyme](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/turn-on-a-rhyme/) - Week two at Lawndale was all about rhyme. After a classic game of Concentration 64, students used their rhyming skills to write poems about their city, the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. They considered the sights, sounds, and smells of Chicago, exploring everything from music to street violence. This is their
- ["She smells like oatmeal"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/she-smells-like-oatmeal/) - This week at Lawndale we talked odes and similes. While 6th grade was sabotaged by a broken down bus, they still enjoyed exploring Pablo Neruda's "Oda a los Calcetines"/"Ode to My Socks." I can't wait to see where their odes take them next week, and I am still buzzing from last week's Chicago poetry. 8th
- [The World Is A Home Run](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-world-is-a-home-run/) - For our 3rd session with Waters 6th graders, we dove into the wonderful world of metaphors. They're all around us, like in the Katy Perry song "Firework" (which we listened to and watched the video for). After discussing examples in the video, we turned to two short poems: "Dreams" by Langston Hughes and "Frost" by
- ["No me digan que cambie"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/no-me-digan-que-cambie/) - This past week at Lawndale the 6th grade continued to explore the world of odes and similes. They wrote in appreciation of everything from erasers to themselves, with similes as dynamic as they are. The 8th grade explored the meaning of slang, and the language of their everyday lives. We talked about familial, generational, and
- [After Nikki Giovanni](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/after-nikki-giovanni/) - In the wake of Nikki Giovanni's death, our last 2024 session at Lawndale honored her work. After a spirited game of This/That, we focused on how the five senses appear in her poem, "Knoxville, Tennessee". In response, the poets at Lawndale wrote poems reflecting on their favorite seasons, and the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and
- [Science! Industry! Haiku!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/science-industry-haiku/) - Lawndale's poets were not in the classroom for our usual Monday workshops this week. Instead, they were visiting the Museum of Science and Industry for a field trip! And what better way to encapsulate a trip than with a haiku?! No better way. Together (on Wednesday) we discussed where haikus come from (Japan), how they're
- [Blue Hour February 19](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-february-19/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop at Haymarket House, 800 W. Buena. Our February featured readers are Elizabeth Strauss Friedman & Faisal Mohyuddin. The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets from Chicago and beyond. The open mic
- [Kicking Off Our 50th with So. Much. Press!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/communications-task-force-update-press-in-summer-2024/) - Kicking off our 50th with lots of press! Chicago Reader - Featured Article on CPC’s Legacy and Current Moment A Half Century of Poetic Possibilities NBC - 3 Minute Feature on NBC Chicago for Exhibit and Event Poetry Center Celebrates 50 Years Poetry Foundation: Essay on CPC Broadsides and Intro to our Exhibit On ‘A
- [Repeat, Repeat, Repeat](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/repeat-repeat-repeat/) - This week in class we read the poem "The Gift" by Ocean Vuong and talked about the way this poem uses repetition and how to incorporate it into our own poems. Students wrote about a variety of experiences, memories, and emotions. Please enjoy a selection of their work. Ms. Smallwood6th Grade The pencil comes down
- ['First of all, I am thankful for Beyonce': Thanks Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/first-of-all-i-am-thankful-for-beyonce-thanks-poems/) - Students read 'Thanks' by W.S. Merwin before crafting their poems and musings on thanks! Lesson Note: "Being grateful is linked to higher levels of life satisfaction, optimism, vitality, helpfulness, empathy, forgiveness, and positive affect. Gratefulness broadens our perspective on life, allowing us to be more creative and insightful. Gratitude also reduces feelings of envy, negativity, depression,
- [I am from life](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/where-i-am-from/) - We are all composed of the many places, people, things, and experiences that make us who we are. Which is why I love the George Ella Lyons poem "Where I'm From" and subsequent variations of it. For our 6th session with waters 6th graders, we did an activity I call "Paint Chips of my Life"
- [Dear _______,](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/dear-_______/) - ​For our 6th session with Waters 7th Graders, we explored the epistolary poem (ie, a poem in letter form). Our mentor text was "Dear P" by Victoria Chang. We talked about who P might be, and why the speaker felt compelled to write to them. Then students wrote their own letter poems, with some opting
- [Funny Ha Ha Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/funny-ha-ha-poems/) - This week the young vikings read David Berman's "The Moon" https://poets.org/poem/moon-1 The poets were then challenged to brainstorm a typical day in high school but to subvert it with surrealism. I'm so proud of what they produced this week. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ "Life of an Immortal" by Mack
- [Food for Thought](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/food-for-thought-2/) - As always, it was a treat to be back with Skinner West students. I introduced myself as well as the program and went over what to expect for the next several weeks. There were some key terms to identify upfront (line and stanza) that will help us with our class discussions; another was simile, which
- [Rewrite to make your poem stronger](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/rewrite-to-make-your-poem-stronger/) - I can't believe this past Tuesday was 4th graders 9th poetry week of our 10-week residency! Lucky week 9, was all about rewriting and editing. Together read and discussed the poem "Dear Poet," by Lee Bennett Hopkins. in his poem, Hopkins advises poets that rewriting can strengthen their poems. Sometimes it's hard for a poet
- [I Feel Like I Can Fly- Ode Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-feel-like-i-can-fly-ode-poems/) - This week we read “Ode to Tomatoes” by Pablo Neruda and discussed how we can celebrate everyday objects that we sometimes take for granted. Students brainstormed about different objects they interact with daily, and how sometimes we don’t realize how important something is until we really need it. Students then picked an object that was
- [Allow Us to Introduce Ourselves: Acrostic Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/allow-us-to-introduce-ourselves-acrostic-poems/) - Sabin Elementary School | 4th Grade We introduced ourselves to each other by reading acrostic poems we wrote about ourselves. Nos presentamos para leer nuestros poemas acrósticos. How would you introduce yourself in an acrostic poem? ¿Cómo te presentarás en un poema acróstico? Mikeyon My basketball skills are good, I like to go outside and
- [Imagination | Imaginación](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/imagination-imaginacion/) - Sabin Elementary School | 4th Grade Leímos el poema “fresca” escrito por Nayyirah Waheed; y toma forma interesante con el título en el fondo del poema. Hablábamos sobre el futuro, lo que venga y a dónde estamos yendo, en la vida y en nuestras imaginaciones. Estos poemas están inspirados por este tema: lo que no
- [Fear and Big Words](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/fear-and-big-words/) - This week we read "HIPPOPOTOMONSTROSEQUIPPEDALIOPHOBIA" by Aimee Nezhukumatahil. We discussed how we approach long words, how to write about what we're afraid of, and irony in poetry. Students used a map to connect the images in this poem and form their own. Some students also decided to take this approach to their poems. Please enjoy
- [If the world was pink](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/if-the-world-was-pink/) - For our last session before the winter break and new year, 7th graders thought about ideal worlds. We discussed the fact that poetry can be a powerful tool for envisioning the world you want to see. Danez Smith is a poet who wholeheartedly agrees, and we read an excerpt from their poem "summer, somewhere." We talked
- [Sorrow is not our names](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sorrow-is-not-our-names/) - Before the break and subsequent new year, Waters 6th graders had an opportunity to consider the power of imagery. Ross Gay is a great poet in that respect, one who combines optimism with vivid language. We read "Sorrow Is Not My Name" and talked about its meaning, and what it means to look for the
- ["bit by/bit" Narrative Food Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/bit-by-bit-narrative-food-poems/) - Our class began with a discussion of food and memory in preparation for studying Gary Soto’s Narrative-Style poem, Oranges. Nostalgia and feelings came up frequently in our discussions. What emotions are attached to memory and food? Why? Do memories change as time goes by? How? Below are some examples of students' work. Lesson Note: This
- ['And steal a lollipop to eat.': Age Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/and-steal-a-lollipop-to-eat-age-poems/) - Students shared childhood stories before writing their own poems, reflecting on their younger selves, as the speaker did in Billy Collin's poem, On Turning Ten. Lesson Note. “I think one of the strengths of nostalgia is that even if they have not had a good childhood, most people have at least one nostalgic memory that they
- ["so vibrant and orange" Poems of Memory](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/so-vibrant-and-orange-poems-of-memory/) - This last week students in Ms. Smallwood's and Ms. Hernandez's classes wrote poems about important memories. We read "My Father's Mustache" by Ada Limón and both classes discussed what it is like to see a photo from before you were born. Some of us found this uncomfortable like "being at a party you weren't invited
- [2024 POL Champion - Yohanna Interview](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/24-pol-champion-yohanna-interview/)
- [What is Poetry?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-is-poetry/) - This is the question that Twain 3rd graders were asked to think about during the final session of our generative residency. This was also Holiday Spirit Week at Twain and many students showed-off their holiday socks! We had a wonderful time enacting our poetry cafes, in which students "took to the stage" to share readings
- [Last Day Poetry Surprises](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/last-day-poetry-surprises/) - This past Tuesday was Twain 4th graders last day of poetry for 2024. I'm so proud of all they accomplished in 10 weeks. We've had 10 weeks of not just writing poetry, but bonding with each other, and creating fun memories. To celebrate, I gave students bookmarks and colorful ribbons to decorate. I told students
- [Join us in celebrating 20 years of Poetry Out Loud in 2025!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/join-us-in-celebrating-20-years-of-poetry-out-loud-in-2025/) - The Chicago Poetry Center is pleased to serve in its 8th year as the Chicagoland Regional Host Organization for the national Poetry Out Loud Teen Competition. Poetry Out Loud is a collaborative project in partnership with Illinois Arts Council Agency, Poetry Foundation, and seven arts agencies, each of which hosts a regional contest. The Chicagoland regionals two-day
- [as man as pink](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/as-man-as-pink/) - For our 4th week with Waters, we revisited the simile. I say revisited since I worked with most of these students last year, and we've reviewed the simile before. This time, I was inspired by a Larry O. Dean lesson using Harryette Mullen's "Wipe That Smile Off Your Aphasia." We talked about what aphasia is
- [How to Sneak Like a Snake](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-sneak-like-a-snake/) - For our 4th session with Waters 6th graders, we delved into the wonderful world of similes. Like metaphor, similes are all around us, especially in music. We saw similes in action when we watched "I'll Make A Man Out of You" from Disney's Mulan, then we read Ada Limon's "How to Triumph Like a Girl".
- [Oh My Unique Name!- Name Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/oh-my-unique-name-name-poems/) - This week we wrote about the importance of our names and how they can represent us out in the world. We read an excerpt from “The House on Mango Street” where the main character Esperanza talks about the story behind her name. We discussed how names can tell people about our culture, our families, our
- ["The/ Feeling felt like denser snow...": Narrative Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-feeling-felt-like-denser-snow-narrative-poetry/) - Our class began with a discussion of food and memory in preparation for studying Gary Soto’s Narrative-Style poem, Oranges. Nostalgia and feelings came up frequently in our discussions. What emotions are attached to memory and food? Why? Do memories change as time goes by? How? Below are some examples of students' work. Lesson Note: This
- [Blue Hour January 15](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/january-blue-hour-24/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop at Haymarket House, 800 W. Buena. Our January featured readers are Christian J. Collier and Maya Marshall. The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets from Chicago and beyond. The open mic
- ["If kindness was a creature..."](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/if-kindness-was-a-creature/) - This week Twain 3rd graders considered many kinds of emotions such as embarrassment, shyness, sadness, and anger. We looked at the poem "J is for Jealousy" and talked about what it feels like to want objects, talents, good grades, or praise that someone else has. The poem begins with the lines: "If jealousy was an
- [50% Terrible, 50% Amazing](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/50-terrible-50-amazing/) - I was back for another week with Waters 7th graders, this time talking about the stanza. Maggie Smith's "Good Bones" was our poem for the day, a poem particularly prominent around the time that Trump was first elected. We talked about what it means for the world to be 50% terrible, and what it means
- [There May Be a Reason Why](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/there-may-be-a-reason-why/) - This week, the world lost the poetry giant and phenom that is Nikki Giovanni. Fittingly, last week's 7th graders explored bravado and bragadoccio in her iconic poem "Ego Trippin (there may be a reason why)." We grounded the poem in the historical happenings of the time - namely, the "Black Is Beautiful" movement - before
- [If I Were in Charge of the World](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/if-i-were-in-charge-of-the-world/) - What does it mean to be in charge of something? What are things you wish you were in charge of? These are the questions Twain 4th graders pondered over for our 8th week of poetry his past Tuesday. The majority of students thought that being in charge means being the boss, or manager of a
- [Blue Hour November 21](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-november-21/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop at Haymarket House, 800 W. Buena. Our November featured readers are Monica Rico and Kush Thompson. The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets from Chicago and beyond. The open mic includes
- ['I woke up early, the sun barely bright': Talking With...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-woke-up-early-the-sun-barely-bright-talking-with/) - A lesson on Personification, giving human qualities to something non-human via the poem: A True Account of Talking to the Sun at Fire Island. We looked at Frank O’Hara’s touching and somewhat mystifying poem. Among the illuminating things in this text, our speaker converses with the Sun. The Sun imparts opinions and wisdom to the speaker.
- [Poetry Mailbox](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-mailbox/) - For their 7th week of poetry, Twain 4th graders thought about different ways they communicate with others. A few students mentioned learning sign language and even signed words for me with their hands. Other forms of communication discussed were text messages, emails, phone calls, and especially letters. Together we read the poem "Dear Daydream," by
- [Bigger Table: Write & Give Back Series (Virtual Workshop)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/bigger-table-write-give-back-series-virtual-workshop-2/) - The Chicago Poetry Center Board invites you to join us at Bigger Table: Write & Give Back - a thematic writing fundraiser series to support poetry programming at Chicago Public Schools. Theme: The theme for the workshop on Dec 7th will be Reflections, not Resolutions. This generative writing-sharing space is open & suitable for writers / literary fans of all levels. We
- [Like a Simile](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/like-a-simile-2/) - This week the young Viking writers were challenged with writing quickfire similes after reading "Like a Simile" by Mark Cox. They partnered up and did a quick surrealist writing exercise then were asked to write a stanza using their odd linguistic discovery as the starting off point. I am so proud of these adventurous writers.
- ["EL Mundo Para Niños"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/el-mundo-para-ninos/) - Back from the break for Thanksgiving, Twain 3rd graders sat with me and thought of whimsical and serious ideas for the kind of world they would like to live in. We read and discussed my poem, "Life is for us and It Shines" - a poem I wrote about the kind of world I feel
- [Where I'm From](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/where-im-from-6/) - Welcome back! This week students finished up the pieces they started during our last session about “Where I’m From”. They all did a great job of using imagery and the five senses in their pieces to make them come alive. I had such a great time reading all the pieces students wrote about home and
- [Opposite Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/opposite-poems/) - This week students at Waters wrote poems about opposites! In class we, fittingly, read "Some Opposites" by Robert Wilbur and talked about the confusing process of defining an opposite and making up our own. In the below poems, our student poets flexed their descriptive language skills and focused on how to use stanzas and punctuation
- [Self-Portraits in Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/self-portraits-in-poetry/) - In our first class meeting, Waters 6th and 7th graders read "Self-Portrait with my hijab" by Noora S. a 7th grader at Peterson Elementary. In class students discussed the use emotion and the idea of a significant object in this poem. Students used these ideas as a jumping off point to write their own Self
- ['Griffins, changelings, alicorns, unicorns, pegasus' and 'It/ made us feel like/ movie stars': Children's Television Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/griffins-changelings-alicorns-unicorns-pegasus-and-it-made-us-feel-like-movie-stars-childrens-televsision-poems/) - What TV shows did we cherish when we were young? What did we learn from them? What makes a hero (both real or imagined), and how can we learn from them (even the villains) and the inner- hero inside of us? We explored those concepts and more in What I Learned From The Incredible Hulk by
- [Line by Line (Waters 6th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/line-by-line-waters-6th-grade/) - How exciting to be back at Waters for another year of poetry! To lay a good foundation with the two 6th grade classes I'm working with, we started with some community agreements and discussed all the things we know to be true about poetry. Then we talked about one of poetry's building blocks: the line.
- [Line by Line (Waters 7th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/line-by-line-waters-7th-grade/) - How exciting to be back at Waters for another year of poetry! Last year's sixth graders are now seventh graders, and I look forward to building on our poetry knowledge from last year. As we did last year, we started with community agreements and discussed all the things we know to be true about poetry.
- [Who Our People Are!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/who-our-people-are/) - Greetings greetings! For our second week with Waters 6th graders, we talked about our commonalities: each student table came up with the longest possible list of things they have in common (such as being humans, being 6th graders, having skin, reading books) before reading José Olivarez's "I Walk Into Every Room And Yell Where The
- ['...when I sit in my own sea...': Kindness Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/when-i-sit-in-my-own-sea-kindness-poems/) - Students wrote and talked about kindness before reading the poem, ‘Small Kindnesses’ by Denusha Lameris. In crafting their own poems students focused on one idea, one stanza and small ways they have been kind or received kindness from others. Lesson Note: Kindness has health benefits. Kindness not only feels good, but it can also boost the giver’s
- [Epic Epic Epic](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/epic-epic-epic/) - This week the young vikings read Brigit Peegen Kelly's "The Leaving" and were tasked with writing a poem in an epic manner describing something they are proud of. This is a fantastic group of young writers. "The Fantasy" by Mack S. The mirror, with its lovely crop of aquamarine hair smiles back at me. The
- [What in the World of a Poem?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-in-the-world-of-a-poem-3/) - This week the young Vikings read Rachel Richardson's "Questions" and wrote lyric poetry exploring their own questions about poetry, life, and the world. I am so proud of the poets below. "Content" by Dawan T. If I was a content creator, I would yell in the wonderful area I would be in while filming. I'm
- ["a bright sound of a nice lime jingle"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-bright-sound-of-a-nice-lime-jingle/) - This week Twain 3rd graders read and discussed "What is Brown?" by Mary O'Neill; then worked to combine sensory details, similes, and metaphors to describe color. Ms. Lee3rd Grade Liam E. Bright lime is the sight of grass.A bright sound of a nice limejingle.Bright lime is the smell of aminty tree.Bright lime is a fruity
- [A New Challenger Has Entered The Arena](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-new-challenger-has-entered-the-arena-3/) - I'm so excited for this batch of young Viking writers. This week the poets read Brigit Pegeen Kelly's "The Leaving" and were tasked with writing a poem in an epic manner about something they are proud of. I'm so happy to publish the folowing poets: "Why Race" by Sam N. When am I getting back?
- [ICYMI: A Bigger Table Closing Screening](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/icymi-a-bigger-table-documentary/)
- ['blue sky': Ars Poetica](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-sky-ars-poetica/) - Students crafted visual and then poetic Exquisite Corpses! Afterward, they were challenged to create a clay figure of one of their collective group drawings! Below is one such sample. Students created topics around which to craft their surprising poems, which unfold as you see below, with the poetic line preceding the new writing invisible to
- [Spells that rhyme for Halloween time](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/spells-that-rhyme-for-halloween-time/) - This week is Halloween! To celebrate, on Tuesday, Twain 4th graders learned how rhymes can be magical. I asked students, "If you could create a magic spell, what would you use it for? Students thought about spells for unlimited riches, superpowers, or conjuring up creatures such as zombies and vampires. Together we read the poem,
- ["a cake filled with planets"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-cake-filled-with-planets/) - After not meeting last week because of Parent-Teacher Conferences and Election Day, it was good to return to Twain 3rd grade classrooms this week! The key term this week was imagery, which many students correctly understood as being related to pictures and photographs. We talked about how poets often use descriptive words that awaken the
- ['This world placed into a small wooden board called/ a table': Joy Harjo-inspired Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/this-world-placed-into-a-small-wodden-board-called-a-table-joy-harjo-inspired-poems/) - A common household object became the focus of this lesson while studying Joy Harjo’s poem, Perhaps The World Ends Here. The poet James Merrill once commented, ‘we understand history from the family around the table.’ Lesson Note: Harjo’s work is often autobiographical, informed by the natural world, and above all preoccupied with survival and the limitations
- [Things To Do If You Are a Poet](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/things-to-do-if-you-are-a-poet/) - For their sixth week of poetry Twain 4th graders learned about making a "To Do" list. This type of list helps someone keep track of all the tasks they have to complete. I asked students if animals or objects have important things they must do. Just like humans, things in nature and ordinary items have
- ["My dream is as fluffy as a cloud"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/my-dream-is-as-fluffy-as-a-cloud/) - Week 4 of our 3rd grade residency was during the final week of October, and many students were looking forward to overflows of Halloween treats! We warmed up by verbally creating similes that were Halloween themed: comparing things that were scary, orange like pumpkins, and pointy as a witch's hat. One of the risky and
- ['wrapped in a dress of seaweed..' Simply Exquisite!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/wrapped-in-a-dress-of-seaweed-simply-exquisite/) - Students crafted visual and then poetic Exquisite Corpses! It's a great way to work with one line at a time, which was the goal! Afterward, they were challenged to create a clay figure of one of their collective group drawings! Below are some of the group poems created. Students created topics around which to craft
- ["The ball spins round and round the rim until... Swish!"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-ball-spins-round-and-round-the-rim-until-swish/) - Things got louder and noisier for Twain 4th graders during their fifth week of poetry. Students discovered Onomatopoeia, when poets use words that imitate sounds from everyday life. I had shown examples of onomatopoeia words connected to people, animals, objects. We had fun reading the words out loud, trying to imitate the sounds. Afterwards we
- [PACBI and BDS at CPC](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/pacbi-and-bds-at-cpc/) - PACBI and BDS at CPC In 2024 Chicago Poetry Center conducted a community process and vote to formally adopt the guidelines of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) as an organization, after over a decade of informal adoption. The process involved hearing from teaching
- [Get Ready for Poetry Out Loud 2025! Registration Is Now Open!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/get-ready-for-poetry-out-loud-2025-registration-is-now-open/) - The Poetry Out Loud will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2025. The Poetry Out Loud Recitation Contest is a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through analysis, memorization, performance, and competition. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.4 million students and 81,000 teachers from 20,000 schools
- [Bigger Table: Write & Give Back Series (Virtual Workshop) ](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/bigger-table-write-give-back-series-virtual-workshop/) - The Chicago Poetry Center Board invites you to join us at Bigger Table: Write & Give Back - a thematic writing fundraiser series to support poetry programming at Chicago Public Schools. Date & Time: November 9th (Saturday), 7-8:30 pm CST (Virtual) Registration: Sign up for the virtual workshop on Eventbrite, with a suggested sliding scale donation of $10-$20. If price is
- [Carnival of the Animals Workshop](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/carnival-of-the-animals-workshop/) - CPC is facilitating three poetry workshops for middle and high school students at the Boys & Girls Club in Bridgeport! Musu Bangura, Timothy David Rey, and Madison Mae Parker are the Poets in Residence facilitating those workshops. Each poet workshop design is inspired by themes in Marc Bamuthi Joseph’s Carnival of the Animals, a performance
- [Seasonal Sensations](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/seasonal-sensations/) - For our 3rd session, I brought in containers of things for Twain 3rd graders to smell: (1) fresh lemon zest with lemon juice; (2) almond extract; (3) dried and fresh orange peel; (4) vanilla extract sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg; and (5) springs of fresh rosemary. Students were asked to describe what they smelled without
- [Paint Me Myself](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/paint-me-myself/) - I'm excited to be back teaching 4th graders this year at Twain Elementary. To get to know this new group of students, the theme for our first session on Tuesday was self-portraits. Artists create self-portrait paintings to express who they are and how they see themselves. I showed students self-portraits painted by the famous Mexican
- [Poetry Road Trip](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-road-trip/) - For our 3rd week of poetry, Twain 4th graders thought about memorable places they have visited, whether it's in their neighborhood or as far away as Mexico. Travel is about adventure and a discovery of new things. We discussed imagery, how poets use the five senses (sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste) to help readers
- [Dragon Days](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/dragon-days/) - What's your favorite day of the week? What's your least favorite? Why are some days better than others? These are the questions I asked this past Tuesday for my second week with Twain 4th graders. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays were the most popular days, since it's the weekend of fun, sleeping in, or staying up
- [Bigger Table: Write & Give Back Series (In Person Workshop)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/bigger-table-write-give-back-workshop-in-person/) - The Chicago Poetry Center Board invites you to join us at Bigger Table: Write & Give Back - a thematic writing fundraiser series to support poetry programming at Chicago Public Schools. Date & Time: November 6th (Wednesday) - The workshop begins promptly at 4 pm (arrival encouraged anytime after 3:45 p.m.) and ends at 6 p.m. Registration: Sign up for the
- ["Autumn, little autumn"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/autumn-little-autumn/) - Twain 3rd graders were eager to know what we would be doing for our 2nd session. We talked about things that poets do, such as pay attention to details and pay attention to how our senses help us to experience the world. We talked about being on the lookout for interesting words and phrases. We
- [Blue Hour October 16](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-october-16/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop at Haymarket House (800 W. Buena) hosted and facilitated by Marty McConnell. The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets from Chicago and beyond. The open mic includes five readers drawn lottery-style
- ["I am myself in every way"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-myself-in-every-way/) - It was my pleasure to return to Twain Elementary to meet with fresh groups of 3rd graders for our fall poetry residency. Students were curious and ready to begin our adventure into reading, discussing, and writing poems, and introduced themselves by writing "I Am" poems. I love "I Am" poems because they give students a
- [Dreaming with Twain 4th graders](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/dreaming-with-twain-4th-graders/) - For their 4th week of poetry 4th graders explored ideas about dreams. Students were asked to define what dreams are and describe different types of dreams. The responses given were mind-blowing. Dreams can be your goals or wishes for the future, dreams that make you laugh, nightmares that can seem real, or thoughts that jumble
- [How to Submit Poems to Literary Journals: Presented by Lisa Low](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-submit-poems-to-literary-journals-presented-by-lisa-low/) - You’ve written poems. Now it’s time find your readers. But where to start? Join the Chicago Poetry Center as poet and editor Lisa Low shares advice on finding the right publications your poetry, writing cover letters, and organizing submissions and deadlines. Bring your questions for a Q&A after the presentation. Lisa Low is the author
- [Chicago Poetry Center’s 50th Anniversary Virtual Learning Series](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/chicago-poetry-centers-50th-anniversary-virtual-learning-series/) - At the Chicago Poetry Center, we believe that poetry is for everyone: children and adults, career writers and hobbyists, people with creative writing degrees and folks who write privately in their journals. We also believe that information about opportunities in the literary art world should be easily accessible to all. In celebration of CPC’s 50th
- [Blue Hour September 18](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-september-18/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop hosted and facilitated by Marty McConnell. The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets from Chicago and beyond. The open mic includes five readers drawn lottery-style from a hat that goes out
- [Remembering Mary Ellen Woods](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/remembering-mew/) - The Chicago Poetry Center board, staff, and community at large are mourning a massive loss in our community, the passing of Mary Ellen Woods. Mary Ellen Woods joined the Chicago Poetry Center board in December 2022. Mary Ellen had already spent years in service of various nonprofits, and of her two beloved alma maters, Notre
- [We're Hiring! Poetry Teaching Artists](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/were-hiring-poetry-teaching-artists-2/) - ** UPDATE: We’re no longer accepting applications. Thank you to all who have applied! We will follow up with all candidates.** Downloadable PDF - Poet in Residence Posting ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION Mission & ProgramsThe Chicago Poetry Center’s mission is to connect people and poetry, equitably engage poets with communities, and foster creative literacy in the city
- [Check Out These Fun Mentions](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/draft-check-out-these-fun-mentions/) - Celebrating Our Historic Collection and Retrospective Exhibit Open Until September 14 🙌🏾 A Conversation with B. Metzger Sampson Executive Director B. Metzger Sampson sat down with writer James D. Sullivan to discuss the origins of the Chicago Poetry Center, its current work, and ongoing mission. READ THE INTERVIEW Celebrating the Broadside CPC's long history of
- [ECOS: A Chicago Latine Poetry Festival](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ecos-a-chicago-latine-poetry-festival/) - We hope that you'll join us in Albany Park this month at ECOS: A Chicago Latine Poetry Festival. The fest celebrates Chicago’s relationship with and influence on Latine poetry. It echoes (“ecos’ in Spanish) the Nezahualcóyotl Poetry Festival, organized in 1991 by Chicago poet Carlos Cumpián and aligns with the September release of Latino Poetry: the Library
- [Early Readers Collaborate in Color! 🖍️](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/early-readers-collaborate-in-color-🖍️/) - Early Readers Create A Visual Poem With the help of Poet in Residence Philip Berezney, 1st graders in CPC's Early Readers pilot program created an eye-catching collage. Phillip worked with these students over 10 weeks, culminating in a collaborative piece that includes multi-lingual lines and hand drawn illustrations. Read More Residency Students Erase for Charity Students
- [From Kindergarten to the Big Stage: Student Poems Galore! 📣](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/from-kindergarten-to-the-big-stage-student-poems-galore-📣/) - Student poets shine at CPC's annual All Schools Readings Earlier this month, Residency students gathered with their families, teachers, and Poets in Residence to share their original poems at the Winter 2024 All Schools Reading. Representing 11 Chicago schools, this showcase brought together over 30 students from across the city to bravely read their poems
- [Students Share Emotions and Emojis 😐🙂🥰😠😞😂](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/students-share-emotions-and-emojis-😐🙂🥰😠😞😂/) - More Than A Feeling Poet in Residence Joy Young asked students at Hamline Elementary to pick an emoji that answered the question, "How are you?" The most popular emojis were: 😐🥰😠 After this activity, they wrote poems about their feelings. Enjoy this piece entitled "Calm" by Antonio J and check out emoji-inspired poems on the student
- [Kicking Off Our Celebration with a Big Reveal 🤩🙌🏽](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/kicking-off-our-celebration-with-a-big-reveal/) - Chicago Poetry Center on the Big Screen As we prepare to kick off our 50th anniversary year, we're excited to see our name in lights! Wintrust is spotlighting the Chicago Poetry Center on its digital billboard until the end of May. Have you seen it in the wild yet? Check it out on 90/94 near
- [Thank you for supporting the All Schools Readings!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/draft-thank-you-for-supporting-the-all-schools-readings/) - The Chicago Poetry Center sends its warm gratitude to the incredible students, families, and teachers that helped make the Chicago Poetry Center's Winter and Spring 2024 All Schools Readings a success! It was an absolute delight to hear such awesome poems from our school residencies. We're excited to share photos from the January and May
- [Closing Event for A Bigger Table: 50 Years of the Chicago Poetry Center](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-bigger-table-closing-event/) - A Bigger Table: 50 Years of the Chicago Poetry Center Closing Event* Saturday, September 1411 AM - 12:30 PMPoetry Foundation: 61 E. Superior St. *Registration Required! Please register here. Celebrate the last day of Chicago Poetry Center’s 50th anniversary exhibit with a screening of A Bigger Table, a documentary that follows the CPC from its
- [A Bigger Table Recap: CPC's 50th Anniversary Exhibition Opening](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-bigger-table-recap-cpcs-50th-anniversary-exhibition-opening/) - Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Poetry Foundation for the exhibition opening of A Bigger Table: 50 Years of the Chicago Poetry Center. We had a blast celebrating CPC’s 50th anniversary with friends and community members. The exhibition features historic broadsides, event posters, and ephemera from throughout CPC's 50 years. Photos and
- [Program Spotlight: Another School Year in the Books](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/program-spotlight-another-school-year-in-the-books/) - Student poets shine at CPC's annual All Schools Readings What better way to end the 2022-23 school year than with not one, but two student showcases? This year, the Chicago Poetry Center brought Poetry Residency to nearly 90 classrooms across the city, engaging approximately 2500 students with weekly poetry lessons. With that much programming, it
- [Poetry @ The Green at 320: August 2024](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-the-green-at-320-august-2024/) - Poetry @ The Green at 320 continues for the summer season this August! The Chicago Poetry Center and The Green at 320 S. Canal are proud to host this free, weekly reading and open mic series co-curated by CPC's Poets in Residence Joy Young and Timothy David Rey. Join us on certain Monday nights at
- [Last Day Summer Memories](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/last-day-summer-memories/) - This past Wednesday, I finished my 5-week summer residency with the Terrapins and the Dreamers at the O-School. I created a chapbook for our time together as a final project. While listening to music, each student chose one poem they wanted to include in our chapbook. A couple of students wrote brand new poems and
- [Haiku Karaoke](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/haiku-karaoke/) - This was my 5th and final week at the O-School, where I had back-to-back days (Tuesday/Wednesday) to finish our summer residency. Since, the Terrapins and the Dreamers students love music, I decided on Tuesday that we should have a Haiku Karaoke. Karaoke involves people singing lyrics to their favorite songs in front of an audience.
- [Tech Talk](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tech-talk/) - This week at the O-School, students explored different types of technology. We watched a video of kids, who reacted to older technology such as a typewriter, rotary phone, and record player. It's amazing how technology has changed so much, now we have high tech devices smartphones, laptops, and e-readers. Humans rely so much on technology
- [Just One Of Those Days](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/just-one-of-those-days/) - What's your favorite day of the week? What's your least favorite? These are the questions I asked this past Tuesday for my second week with Terrapins and Dreamers students at the O-School. Friday and Saturday were the most popular days, since it's the start of the weekend of relaxing and fun, while Sunday and Monday
- [Age of the Senses](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/age-of-the-senses/) - For our 4th week at the O-School we explored how to use our five senses to recall memories. I passed around different objects to students that represented the five senses, a seashell (touch), a toy pumpkin (taste), scented candle melts (smell), orange binoculars (see), and on my phone, I played sounds of a playground (hear).
- [Paint Me Like I Am](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/paint-me-like-i-am/) - This summer I will have a short, yet exciting residency with the students at the O-School. I will be working with the groups: The Terrapins and The Dreamers. The theme for our first session last Tuesday was self-portraits. I showed students self-portraits painted by famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Students noticed the colorful flowers, exotic
- [Poetry @ The Green at 320: July 2024](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-the-green-at-320-july-2024/) - Poetry @ The Green at 320 continues for the summer season this July! The Chicago Poetry Center and The Green at 320 S. Canal are proud to host this free, weekly reading and open mic series co-curated by CPC's Poets in Residence Joy Young and Timothy David Rey. Join us on certain Monday nights at
- [Persona Poems- 7th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/persona-poems-4/) - This week we explored persona poems, and used the opportunity to think about what it might be like to walk in someone else's shoes. Students took their pieces a bit further past personification and embodied, objects, places or people in order to speak in their voice. It was a tough decision this week! Enjoy these
- [My People- 7th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/my-peple/) - This week we read and discussed Langston Hughes piece My People. We talked about the communities and identities we belong to, and how we can celebrate them. We also explored the list poem form and students had the choice to play with that , or use a structure of their choosing. Enjoy this weeks poems!
- [Letter Poems- 7th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/letter-poems-7th-grade/) - This week we explored the epistolary poem, or a poem in the form of a letter. We watched the video for Kobe Bryant's Dear Basketball piece, that he wrote to commemorate his retirement from the game. Students were struck by how poignant the piece was, and got to work on some of their own pieces.
- [Free Write- 7th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/free-write/) - This week I wanted to let students explore and play on the page, and we focused on some free writing. It worked out because students were a little burnt out after testing. Instead of our usual structured writing exercise, we set the timer and got to work on a 10-minute free write. Afterward they had
- [All Good Things… 7th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/all-good-things/) - Well, this is always a bittersweet time of year, as we come to the end of our residency sessions. For my last session with Mr. Reinholdt’s amazing 7th grade class, we spent the time handing back poems, and watching a few videos of young people from the LA poetry based non-profit, Get Lit, performing their
- [Like you... 7th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/like-you-roque-dalton-poems/) - What are some things that make you feel connected to the rest of humanity? That's the question we started with this week, before reading Roque Dalton's like you. Students worked on pieces, where their explored the commonalities and differences they shared with their families, communities and the world at large. I was so moved by
- [Editing- 7th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/editing-7th-grade/) - This week instead of working on a writing exercise, I shared a few of my favorite writing resources with students. I walked students through how to use a free online visual thesaurus, Etymology sites, and rhyming dictionaries. It's important to share a little bit of my own process with students, and show them the work
- [Around the Table- 7th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/around-the-table-7th-grade/) - After a bit of a pause in our program, due to the spring break and a schedule conflict, I was back at Perez with Mr. Reinholdt’s 7th graders to finish up poems inspired by Joy Harjo’s The World Ends Here. Students had the option of writing about a table that they gathered around, or a
- [Emotion Machines- 7th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/emotion-machines-7th-grade/) - This week our 7th graders read Ada Limon’s The Quiet Machine. This prose poem by the 2022 US Poet Laureate, describes all of the different kinds of quiet she experiences, based on her state of being, or where she is on any given day. Students then brainstormed on a specific emotion of their own, and
- [Personification Poems Pt. 2- 7th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/personification-poems-pt-2-7th-grade/) - After some schedule changes and a week off, we were back at Perez to finish off our personification poems. There were so many great pieces written this week, some to the universe, the ocean, to money, even one written to a pet who won’t stop nipping at fingers. Enjoy this week’s student pieces! Money Emanuel
- [Personification Poems- 7th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/personification-poems-7th-grade/) - This week we got started on poems using personification as a device in our poems. We read “A Lament” by Percy Bysshe Shelley and talked about how we could give human qualities to things that are larger than life. What would it be like to have a conversation with a tree, a lion, or the
- [Personification Poems- 7th grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/21554-2/) - After some schedule changes and a week off, we were back at Perez to finish off our personification poems. There were so many great pieces written this week, some to the universe, the ocean, to money, even one written to a pet who won’t stop nipping at fingers. Enjoy this week’s student pieces! Money Emanuel
- [We Real Cool](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/we-real-cool-2/) - I ended our Perez residency with Ms. Murrays 4th graders by bringing in We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks. Students wrote some amazing poems, and we closed out by sharing what we took away from our time together this year. For me, it was such an affirmation of the power of poetry and creativity to
- [Body Stanzas](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/body-stanzas-3/) - This week we celebrated our amazing miraculous bodies by celebrating what students thought was the most powerful part of their own. I really loved all of this week's poems and had such a hard time picking. We had hair, feet, hands, eyes, noses, and even a cynical 4th grade heart make their way into the
- [Magic Words](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/magic-words-2/) - What if you could speak a word and make something magical happen? That's the question we started this week off with, before reading an Inuit poem called Magic Words. We had a lively discussion about all the magical things we would make happen by just saying one word out loud. Some students even made up
- [Questions](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/questions-2/) - What's do you think is more important, the answer or the question? This week we read excerpts from Pablo Nerudas The Book of Questions and talked about some of the answerable and unanswerable questions that we wonder about. After brainstorming students got to work on their question poems, and came up with so many silly,
- [Body Stanzas](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/body-stanzas-2/) - This week we celebrated our amazing bodies! We started by asking what students thought the most powerful part of their body was. From feet, to brains, to our hearts, thwy did such a great job of letting their imaginations run wild and explaining why our bodies are so awesome. Enjoy this week's poems! My Heart
- [Ode Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ode-poems-3/) - This week we wrote Ode poems! We started off by talking about all of the everyday things we take for granted in our lives, and having those moments of realization about how essential and important they actually are. While ode poems can be written to people, places, and big ideas, we focused on those everyday
- [I Am Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-poems-4/) - This week we got started with a second session of afterschool workshops at Clissold and our group has grown to include a few kindergarteners and 1st graders. I was really excited to introduce our participants to Leslie Reese's I Am Poem, which is always an enjoyable writing exercise. This week's featured poet is 1st grader
- [Animal Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/animal-poems/) - This week at Clissold we started by asking the question if you could be any animal, what would you be and why? Our discussion was pretty lively, with a few students throwing in imaginary creatures, like unicorns! Some students picked multiples animals they felt reflected them and incorporated them all into their poems. Here are
- [Recipe Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/recipe-poems-2/) - This week at Clissold for our afterschool session, we wrote recipe poems! We discussed all of the different ingredients that might go into making up who we are in the world. It was a great way to celebrate all the different parts of us that we don't often take time to notice. Enjoy this weeks
- [A Bigger Table: 50 Years of the Chicago Poetry Center Press Release](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/press-release-a-bigger-table/) - A Bigger Table: 50 Years of the Chicago Poetry Center Press Release Celebrating a beloved Chicago literary institution’s legacy CHICAGO, June 12, 2024—The Poetry Foundation honors the Chicago Poetry Center’s 50th anniversary with an exhibition of archival materials, a documentary film premiere, and live readings and performances from CPC poets.A Bigger Table: 50 Years of
- [Poetry @ The Green at 320: Summer 2024](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-the-green-at-320-summer-2024/) - Poetry @ The Green at 320 returns for summer 2024! The Chicago Poetry Center and The Green at 320 S. Canal are proud to reintroduce this free, weekly reading and open mic series co-curated by CPC's Poets in Residence Joy Young and Timothy David Rey. Join us on certain Monday nights at 6 p.m. in
- [Black Out Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/black-out-poetry/) - For our final poetry class, the 5th and 6th graders worked on some Black Out and Cut Out Poetry! Check out some of their creations below.
- [A Poem Is Like Life](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-poem-is-like-life/) - Twain 6th graders completed their last day of poetry this week. To celebrate our 10th and final day, we wrote Ars Poetica poems. Ars Poetica is poetry that talks about the art of writing poetry, and what poetry means to the poet. I asked students the questions: How do you see poetry? How would you
- [Last Day of Poetry Blues](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/last-day-of-poetry-blues/) - Last week Shoesmith 4th graders reviewed our blues exploration from the previous week. Students brainstormed a ton of rhymes before closing-out our residency by rhyming and repeating and moaning and singing their blues poems. These last 8 weeks with Shoesmith 4th graders have been wonderful. Happy summer, everyone! Ms. Lehner4th Grade - Group 1 Boney
- [Bookmarked Memories](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/bookmarked-memories/) - This past Friday was Shoesmith's 5th and 6th graders 8th session and last day of poetry. I decided for our last day to have a poetry art project and brought each class blank bookmarks, markers, and colorful tassels. Students decorated their bookmarks by choosing their favorite lines from the poems they wrote from our residency.
- [Mic Check, One, Two, One, Two.... is this thing on?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/mic-check-one-two-one-two-is-this-thing-on/) - We are getting close to the end of our residency, so for their 9th week of poetry Twain 6th graders explored various ways to prepare for a performance. Some students suggested practicing a poem in front of someone, a friend, a parent, or in a mirror, while other students mentioned taking a deep breath before
- [Slam on the Last Day!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/slam-on-the-last-day/) - Our short and sweet residency with Jordan Elementary's 6th graders came to an end last week. For this last day, students didn't do any writing. We all learned about slam poetry (born right here in Chicago, Illinois) and watched videos from adult and youth poets alike. Everyone had an opportunity to play "judge" and score
- [What is Slam Poetry?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-is-slam-poetry/) - Hard to believe that last week was my penultimate week working with Waters' 6th graders! For our last session, students didn't do any writing. Instead we learned about slam poetry (born right here in Chicago, Illinois :)) and watched videos by adult and youth poets alike. Everyone had an opportunity to play "judge" and score
- [How Many Kinds of Blues?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/how-many-kinds-of-blues/) - Today Shoesmith 4th graders got bluesy. When I talked about the origins of blues music, some students remembered learning about it during a Black History Month program that explored the evolution of music created by African Americans. To warm up we practiced looking pitiful and sad and making the sounds of crying and moaning. We
- [5th Grade Group Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/5th-grade-group-poems/) - Twain 5th graders ended the residency reviewing the poems they have written, re-watching Joaquin Zihuatanejo's performance of "Abuelo's Garden," reading poems aloud in English and Spanish from Cool Salsa, and pitching-in to write group poems. Have a great summer, all! Ms. Fernandez5th Grade Who would I bewithout your belief in me?Mami, who tells me she
- [More poems inspired by "We Real Cool"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/more-poems-inspired-by-we-real-cool/) - So many students wrote poems inspired by the classic Gwendolyn Brooks poem, "We Real Cool" that I had to publish some more. Read the first group, here. Enjoy! Ms. Bell5th Grade We real fun...by Caleb K. The lively ones.4 in the field. We real fun. Weplay tag. We throw balls. We compete. Werun fast. We
- [Poetry is like a never-ending waterfall](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-is-like-a-never-ending-waterfall/) - Hamline 6th graders made it through to their last of poetry this week. To celebrate we wrote group Ars Poetica poems. Ars Poetica is a poem about the art of writing poetry and what it means to the poet. We used similes to compare poetry to different things using the words "like" or "as." Everyone
- [Concrete Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/concrete-poetry-2/) - Hello hello! For my 5th week with Jordan's 6th graders, we delved into the world of concrete poems, also known as shape poems. After students saw some engaging and graphically designed concrete poems, we read Juan Felipe Herrera's "Social Distancing." Then students designed and wrote their own concrete poems. Take a look below! Ms. Hamer's
- [I dream about ...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-dream-about/) - Have you ever woken up from a dream and scratched your head in complete confusion? This week we talked about all the strange and whimsical things that happen behind our eyes when we drift off to sleep. There was bigfoot, a killer kitten attacking dogs, twizzlers, houses flooding and a pond in the sky. I
- [Some Aren't So Shy](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/some-arent-so-shy/) - I got to meet with Twain 5th graders twice this week! On Monday, we worked on poems inspired by "We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks. I started losing my voice Monday evening, and had no voice on Tuesday. Wednesday I arrived with "cue cards" I'd made to help facilitate the day's workshops - thank you
- [Reeemix!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/reeemix/) - Last week, Grissom students got to learn about the lovely art of revision. While many students had previous experience with revising papers, we talked about what it feels like to work on poems until they feel right. After watching me edit my own poem, students tried their hand at a revision exercise to remix their
- [Blackout Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blackout-poems/) - My time at Grissom is coming to a close and I thought it would be a fun change of pace to work on some visiual poetry. Students got to learn what a blackout poem is before watching me create of of my own. After students watched my process, they were given magazines, markers, and got
- [Ending with an Ars Poetica](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ending-with-an-ars-poetica/) - As we prepare to wrap up the schoolyear at Waters, it felt fitting to end on the Ars Poetica. Ars Poeticas are poems about the craft of poetry - how it feels to write a poem, what poetry is, what poetry means to me, etc. We reflected on how students attitudes towards poetry have changed
- [Kindergarten Final Party](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/kindergarten-final-party/) - We received our published books in Kindergarten today and held a final "Coffeeshop Party." We ate sprinkle-y cookies (because poetry is full of color and detail and surprise!) and did a reading, including snapping or clapping for one another. We also played a few poetry games, including running around the classroom to make similes and
- ["I'm the big BEAN!"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/im-the-big-bean/) - Check out some of the fantastic poems the 5th and 6th graders have written during this Spring 2024 Poetry Residency! While revising and editing are important, there's just as much magic in first drafts. Can you guess if these are revised or first drafts?! - The Earth's Nature by Ella The trees the water everything
- ["He is like a bolt of lightning"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/he-is-like-a-bolt-of-lightning/) - This week, we read (in our best Hulk voice!) an excerpt of "Hulk Smash!" by Greg Santos and "Forest Walk" by Kristine O'Connell George. We talked about how to write a persona poem in the point of view of someone or something else, and we also went over what a simile is and how to
- [Till the End & Other Letter Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/22145-2/) - This week, we read Kobe Bryant's poem called "Dear Basketball" and learned all about epistolary poems, or letter poems. We talked about tone, learned that it meant the mood conveyed by the poet with certain words and literary devices, and talked about how Kobe Bryant's tone changed in his poem. We then wrote our own
- [Carrying Letters and Legacies](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/carrying-letters-and-legacies/) - We are coming towards the end of our residency. Less than a week away. For their 7th week of poetry, 5th and 6th graders thought about messages and memories the wished to give to others and keep for themselves as well. The 5th graders read and discussed the poem, "Dear Sky," by Naomi Shihab Nye.
- [Experiments in Revision!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/experiments-in-revision/) - Today, we did a wild revision experiment in both the 5th and 8th grade classes at Clinton Elementary. The students each chose a poem from the year that they were interested in continuing to do more work on. They wrote down 5-6 of their favorite short phrases on little slips of paper. They then glued
- [Erasure Poetry (8th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/erasure-poetry-8th/) - Today, we read and listened to Julia Kolchinsky Dasbach's "Mir in Ukraine." We talked about why she chose to write a poem about Ukraine by erasing Putin's words instead of starting from scratch. The students had brilliant insights about power and political commentary and art. We discussed what it means to erase different types of
- [Poetry Publishing Day (8th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-publishing-day-8th/) - Today was our last day of working on our poetry! We took the poems we have been revising for the past two weeks and created our final gorgeous versions of them. We talked about using the page and we talked tone and then the students created these amazing pieces of art! Next week, we'll have
- [Erasure Poetry (5th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/erasure-poetry-5th/) - Today, we read and listened to Julia Kolchinsky Dasbach's "Mir in Ukraine." We talked about why she chose to write a poem about Ukraine by erasing Putin's words instead of starting from scratch. The students had brilliant insights about power and political commentary and art. We discussed what it means to erase different types of
- [Poetry Publishing Day (5th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-publishing-day-5th/) - Today was our last day of working on our poetry! We took the poems we have been revising for the past two weeks and created our final gorgeous versions of them. We talked about using the page and we talked about tone and then the students created these amazing pieces of art!
- [Haiku in the countdown toward the last day of school!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/haiku-in-the-countdown-toward-the-last-day-of-school/) - It's hard out here in these poetry streets trying to get students to write poems as they count down the days 'til the end of the school year! STILL Swift 2nd and 3rd graders accepted my challenge to write haiku - despite lethargy, antsy-ness, and the absence of their classroom teachers. I have to extend
- [Poetry Final Party (5th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-final-party-5th-grade/) - We celebrated our final day of 5th grade poetry with a party today! We received our beautiful poetry anthologies, with a poem from each student. We then had a reading and the excitment in the air was palpable! So many kids read and shared and the poems crackled with emotion, figurative language, and sensory detail.
- [Valentine’s Day Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/21733-2/) - For our belated Valentine's Day class, we read Matthew Olzmann's "Mountain Dew Commercial Disguised as a Love Poem." We drew pictures of people we love and tried to think about as many specific and strange details about them, just like Olzmann does in his poem. We turned those pictures into list poems about someone we
- [Hero's Anthem](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/heros-anthem/) - Our 6th poetry session was all about celebrations for Shoesmith 5 and 6th graders. Some of the students participated in their school poetry slam competition. The theme for the slams was poems about heroes. Coincidently our poetry lesson was about celebrating through anthems. Anthems are uplifting songs that represent a country, group of people, or
- [Poetry Final Party (8th grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-party-8th-grade/) - On Wednesday, we had our last day of poetry class! We started the class by passing out our class poetry anthology and then celebrated with a reading. The poems were hilarious and tender and loving and bold and brave. We then signed each other's books, decorated notebooks for summer writing, and created poster gallery walls
- [I love the energy!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-love-the-energy/) - I love the energy that Shoesmith 4th graders bring to our poetry workshops each week! They always seem open to new ideas, ready to think, and eager to tap into their creativity. If we had more time together, there would be more opportunities for students to write and for me to select 3-4 poems to
- [Sensory Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sensory-poems/) - Today, 4th grade students tapped into their senses. We read a poem written by Noah - 6th grader - called "The Memories of South Troop," and noticed how the poet described details of their experience by using sensory details such as the sight of "light baby pink curtains," reading a book that was "dusty, hard,
- [Shoesmith 4th graders 2024: Let us Introduce Ourselves](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/shoesmith-4th-graders-2024-let-us-introduce-ourselves/) - The 1st session in my 4th year of being invited to engage Shoesmith 4th graders in poetry was 🔥! It included sweet reunions with staff, teachers, and former students at the front desk, in the hallways, and in Ms. Lehner's classroom. You should see how some students have grown to be my height and taller.
- [Living on the Verge](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/living-on-the-verge/) - One could argue that we're always living in the midst of change. It's true now and it was definitely true a quarter century (!!) ago, when we were on the verge of a new millenium! 6th graders at Waters learned a bit about the Y2K craze before reading Naomi Shihab Nye's "Last August Hours Before
- ['Unity': A Series of Blackout Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/unity-a-series-of-blackout-poems/) - Blackout Poetry: A blackout poem is created when a poet takes a marker (usually black marker) to already established text–like that from a newspaper–and starts redacting words until a poem is formed or an image is formed. The key thing with a blackout poem is that the text AND redacted text form a sort of
- [Cutting Up: Collage Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cutting-up-collage-poems-2/) - Students used magazines to create cut-up or collage poems, using ‘found language’ and images to create new meaning. Contributors are: 7th and 8th Grade Students from Mrs. McClain's Classroom: Piper M., Sloan L., Noah D., Arturo L., Alice F.P., Quinn Q., Liv H., Daniela P., Madison S. R., Anastasia N., David Z., Bridgid R. Lesson
- [Sincerely, P.S., Yours Truly](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sincerely-p-s-yours-truly/) - For their 8th week of poetry Twain 6th graders explored various ways to communicate with one another. Our society relies heavily on technology. Some students feel only comfortable communicating through emails and texts, while others like to use phone calls to stay in touch with one another. But long-ago sending letters was the only way
- ["Her confidence glows like a beautiful crystal gem"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/her-confidence-glows-like-a-beautiful-crystal-gem/) - This week, we talked about mythical creatures and symbolism. After reading "My People" by Pam Thompson, we discussed what myths and mythical creatures mean in poetry and stories. Check out some of the poetry the 5th graders wrote about whichever mythical creature they chose! - Mr. Goldner's Classroom - A Pretty Mermaid by Ella There
- [Ekphrasic Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ekphrasic-poems/) - This week, we learned all about ekphrastic poetry! This kind of poetry is inspired and written about a piece of art. First, we read two ekphrastic poems: one by a student poet that was inspired by the painting "Solitary Orpheus" by Giogio de Chirico and the second: a poem called "Replica of The Thinker" by
- [Strange voices at Shoesmith](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/strange-voices-at-shoesmith/) - For their 5th poetry session Shoesmith 5 and 6th graders explored persona poetry. I asked students to imagine seeing the world by walking in someone else's shoes. We joked about not actually wearing someone's shoes. Gross. But Poets use persona to take on the voice of someone else, to understand their point of view. Together
- [Nature's Calling](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/natures-calling/) - For their 4th week at Shoesmith students explored ideas about nature. Students were asked, Does nature have a voice? How does it communicate with us? Students came up with wonderful responses. We discussed the Percy Jackson book series where the Greek gods and goddesses such as Zues (Thunder), Persephone (spring), and Demeter (agriculture) represented aspects
- [Cool Dreaming](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cool-dreaming/) - Last week I got to meet with Twain 5th graders for our 4th and 5th sessions. Students spent more time working on their dream poems, some of which you can read, below. Before getting into a lesson introducing Gwendolyn Brooks' poem "We Real Cool," created by Davon Clark, I asked students what words could be
- [You Can Express Your Feelings](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/you-can-express-your-feelings/) - In addition to reading aloud from poetry books and watching the "We Real Cool" video produced by the Poetry Foundation, Dubois students discussed things they like and dislike about writing. Students reflected on things that they learned about poetry in our 5 sessions together. They remembered that line breaks separate lines in a poem, creating
- [Mixed Bag](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/mixed-bag/) - Poems from our 16th sessions reflect a mixed bag: while 2nd graders continued to write identity poems, 3rd graders played with ideas that reflected on their trip to the zoo. Ms. Reed's class still has some work to do on their poems about meditating gorillas, snoozing' snow leopards, excited monkeys, and sleepy sloths. Ms. Urquiza2nd
- [My People, My People](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/my-people-my-people-2/) - Last week, Grissom's middle schoolers got to show love to the people most important to them. We began our time together with a brief lesson on the Harlem Renaissance before reading Langston Hughes' poem "My People." Students observed the wide range of descriptive words Hughes used to write about the people around him. After chatting
- [Summering Party](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/summering-party/) - Sayre 7th graders recalled the key terms: imagery and line. Looking to Parneshia Jones' "For The Basement Parties at the YMCA" they sought out rich images, striking sounds, and astute line breaks. Then, they remembered or imagined a party they had been to or wished to go to! They reflected on what it feels like
- [Poems in Shapes](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/concrete-poems-3/) - Greetings, greetings! For our most recent session with Waters 6th graders, we talked about the fun, surrealist concrete poems! We looked at a bunch of different examples before reading Juan Felipe Herrera's "Social Distancing". For many concrete poems, there's no one way of reading, and that was definitely the case for this one. I enjoyed seeing the
- [What We Love](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-we-love/) - This week in Ms. Murray's 4th grade class, we read "Honey, I Love" by Eloise Greenfield and talked about all the things we love and don’t love. Some students noticed that the poem was similar to an ode, but instead of writing about just one thing, the author wrote about several things and celebrated each
- ['Meowtastic'  & 'She was a woman changed by his blood ': Hero & Villian Acrostic Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/meowtastic-she-was-a-woman-changed-by-his-blood-hero-villian-acrostic-poems/) - Students wrote Acrostic Poems, in which certain letters in each line form a word or words. The theme was 'Heroes,' both real and imagined, or Supervillains. Lesson Note: “You don't need permission to make your art. No one needs an artistic license or a permit to begin making stuff. You just need to begin. Don't
- ["My voice, which tries to help people like air"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/my-voice-which-tries-to-help-people-like-air/) - This week, we focused on our voices, and students were introduced to poetry slams and spoken word. We watched a recording of "We Day Poem" by the teenagers who were part of the 2016 Chicago Louder Than A Bomb. Then, students brainstormed what their own voices sounded like in the different parts of their lives
- [Summer Poetry Gathering: Recap!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/summer-poetry-gathering-recap/) - On July 20, The Chicago Poetry Center had the wonderful opportunity to host our Summer Poetry Gathering! The gathering was the first of many events to come at Haymarket House, our official new home.During the gathering, we heard poetry from Adrian Matejka, the new editor of Poetry magazine, along with some of our very own
- [We made our goal and celebrated in style! Spot yourself in the photos!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/we-made-our-goal-and-celebrated-in-style-spot-yourself-in-the-photos/) - Previous slide Next slide Photos by Sophia Guadalupe.Thanks to our amazing community, we met our fundraising goal of $90,000 or 30 classroom residencies supported!Not only did we meet our goal, but we had an amazing time doing it. No Love for Love 2023 was a sold out event at beautiful Haymarket House.Huge thanks to all the amazing
- ['What is 7th Grade?': Blackout Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-is-7th-grade-blackout-poetry/) - Blackout Poetry: A blackout poem is created when a poet takes a marker (usually black marker) to already established text–like that from a newspaper–and starts redacting words until a poem is formed or an image is formed. The key thing with a blackout poem is that the text AND redacted text form a sort of
- [To Rewrite or not to Rewrite...that is the question...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/to-rewrite-or-not-to-rewrite-that-is-the-question/) - We are close to the end of our 10-week residency at Hamline Elementary. So, for our 9th week of poetry, I gave Hamline 6th graders the option of editing one of their old poems or writing a free verse poem, where they had the freedom to write a poem in any style or topic they
- [2023 All Schools Readings Recap](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/2023-all-schools-readings-recap/) - On May 24th and May 31st, The Chicago Poetry Center had the wonderful opportunity to host our annual All Schools Readings! Students, parents, and loved ones packed the Haymarket House for a celebration of creativity and self-expression that showcased one young poet from every classroom we worked with this year. This year, the Chicago Poetry Center
- [Summer Poetry Gathering: Recap!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/summer-poetry-gathering-recap-2023/) - On July 15, The Chicago Poetry Center had the wonderful opportunity to host our Summer Poetry Gathering! We all gathered in Haymarket House, which provides us with such a fitting place for our community to get together.We heard from our amazing Poets in Residence including Alyx Chandler, Ola Faleti, Luz Magdaleno Flores, Lisa Low, Maya
- [Strong as a Raging Fire](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/strong-as-a-raging-fire/) - For our third week at Jordan, 6th graders delved into the wonderful world of similes! First, we talked about what a simile is and students heard their classmates give examples (for instance, this soup is as hard as a rock). Then, we watched a clip from Mulan that demonstrated similes perfectly -- from the classic
- [Finding Our People](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/finding-our-people/) - During our second week of poetry at Jordan, we did some thinking about what it means to belong. To start, I had students work at their tables and come up with a list of everything they had in common. After hearing some shares across the room, we read José Olivarez's "I Walk Into Every Room
- [Colorful Awareness](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/colorful-awareness/) - For our 4th meeting, Shoesmith 4th graders had a second look at the ideas and drafts they had written about colors and using sensory details. We talked about metaphors, and brainstormed the smell of morning, together - just to get our creative juices flowing! We worked to tap into ideas that were both familiar and
- [Dubois Dreamers](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/dubois-dreamers/) - This week at Dubois, students read aloud from dream poems written by a third grader, Louise Driscoll, and Langston Hughes. Students considered the importance of having dreams: hopes and goals for themselves and others. We shared dreams that we had while sleeping, as well as daydreams. Some students said that watching violent movies before going
- [A Behind-the-Scenes Look at CPC's New Video Series](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-cpcs-new-video-series/) - Behind the Scenes of Our First Video Series: Queen Zee's Poetic Adventures After months of project planning, script writing, and rehearsals, the Chicago Poetry Center filmed its first ever "poetry on demand" video series this month. Queen Zee's Poetic Adventures, starring CPC Poet in Residence Leslie Reese, is a five-episode series that follows a mystical being and her
- [Things That Go Bump In The Night](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/things-that-go-bump-in-the-night/) - This week our 4th graders at Perez explored all things Monsters. We started off our session by doing exquisite corpse drawings of monsters. Each table passed around their sheet of paper to everyone in the group and at the end we all got to see the wild and zany creatures that were created. Then we
- [For My People](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/for-my-people/) - This week, poets at Poe Middle School in Ms. Agboola’s class read Margaret Walker's "For My People" and wrote a poem inspired by Walker. My Swim Team Laniyah E. 8th g. My swim team are my people They're my family they're my heart My swim team gets the job done They always play their
- ["Language -- Conversation -- All poetry" Editing Poems with Dulles](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/language-conversation-all-poetry-editing-poems-with-dulles/) - During our 4th week at Dulles, we read an erasure poem from Austin Kleon's "Newspaper Blackout" to start a conversation about editing our work and how to recycle pieces of poetry to make something new. On Tuesday, we tried our hand at some erasures, and on Thursday, we reflected back on the poems we wrote
- [Remember to Write](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/remember-to-write/) - “Remember” by Joy Harjo was this week's selection. After hearing it read aloud, we wondered who the speaker might be—the poet, or someone (or something) else? One of the first elements of poetry we learned was that readers should never assume the speaker in a poem is the poet who wrote it. There were many
- [Out of the Pastoral](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/out-of-the-pastoral/) - David Baker's poem “Pastoral” evoked some interesting conversations this week. First of all, with its use of blank space, it created opportunities for various interpretative readings by student volunteers—some with pauses, others who chose to read it straight through, and also those who questioned if it should be read normally (across) or perhaps up and
- [Songs of Ourselves](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/songs-of-ourselves/) - My first week with Grissom's middle school students could not have been more welcoming. Student poets did not hesitate introducing themselves and sharing what they already know about poetry. Together, we read "This Body II" by Renée Watson and discussed what we observed. After spending some time brainstorming, students wrote their own poems celebrating themselves.
- [Honey, We Love](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/honey-we-love/) - For our 8th sessions at Swift, we read "Honey, I Love" by Eloise Greenfield. We counted the poem's stanzas, looked for all of the rhymes, and talked about our favorite sections. We brainstormed lists of people, places, and things that we love and do not love - before writing our own poems. Ms. Urquiza2nd Grade
- [We Think About Rainbow Colors](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/we-think-about-rainbow-colors/) - During our final two sessions, first graders selected one of their class poems to revisit and recreate. Ms. Cooley's class agreed to focus on their color poem, which tied into other projects they've been working on in class. Students used markers and colored pencils to illustrate their lines from the poem, and we created a
- [We're Not Afraid of Dogs and Cats](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/were-not-afraid-of-dogs-and-cats/) - During our final two sessions, first graders selected one of their class poems to revisit and recreate. Ms. Armand's class agreed to focus on their bravery poem, inspired by Maya Angelou. Students used markers and colored pencils to illustrate their lines from the poem, and we created a beautiful class book!*We welcome you to click
- [Sound Effects](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sound-effects/) - The weather outside school walls happened to be warm and springlike, contrasting with the scene set in Robert Frost's famous poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Arguably, the opposite environment intensified its chilly setting, where an unnamed speaker halts their horse in mid journey “to watch his woods fill up with snow” on
- [Ekphrastic Fantastic](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ekphrastic-fantastic/) - This week the young Vikings explored ekphrastic poetry and read examples by Anne Sexton, Frank O’Hara, and Homer. They were then tasked with picking a favorite painting of theirs and writing a poem in response. I am so proud of these budding poets. Their Voices By Ace E. After Charles White’s Harvest Talk I am
- [Maybe We're Metaphors](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/maybe-were-metaphors/) - Hello again, dear reader! Last week, Grissom's 6-8th grade students turned into cosmic metaphor explorers. This lesson was inspired by Joy Young and began with a quick question: what's something you wish you could transform into? After some entertaining responses, students read Alien by Maya Marie Washington. We discussed some metaphors and onomatopoeia we noticed,
- [Inquiring Minds](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/inquiring-minds/) - At this session the Sayre students brightened my day with their inquisitive capacities. We asked "What are questions like? What are they not like? How does it feel to ask a question? How does it feel not to know the answer? We read “Evening" by Jeannine Atkins, and students looked at how negative similes are
- [Poetry Out Loud 2024 National Champion!!!!!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-out-loud-2024-national-champion/) - Poetry Out Loud celebrates its 19th year with its new National Champion Niveah Glover. The Poetry Out Loud National Semifinals were held May 1 and the National Finals on May 2 hosted by poet, editor, and National Council on the Arts member Huascar Medina in Washington D.C. After advancing to the national finals, Niveah won
- [Spell Casting Poets](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/spell-casting-poets/) - The 7th week of poetry was magical for Twain 6th graders. I asked students, if you could create a magical potion, what would you use it for and why? Most students wanted, unlimited riches and to make their crushes fall in love with them, while others wanted to become smarter, a better athlete, and happiness.
- [We Imagine Our World...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/we-imagine-our-world/) - If you had the power to change the world, what would you change? That’s the question we started off with this week with our Perez 4th graders, before reading Leslie Reese’s poem “Life Is For Us and It Shines”. Students had some time to brainstorm ideas about the kind of world they would create for
- [Read It and See It](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/read-it-and-see-it/) - Grissom's poets never cease to impress me with their cleverness, and this week was no exception. After reading my poem wide-toothed and discussing what we noticed in the poem, students got to brainstorm about their own poems. After doing some sketching, we got to writing and drawing. Students wrote poems about items in their lives
- ['I did/a good job, and I stayed in the game/all day.': Poems in the form of Letters](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-did-a-good-job-and-i-stayed-in-the-game-all-day-poems-in-the-form-of-letters/) - Students wrote epistolary poems in the form of letters, fashioned after basketball player Kobe Bryant's poem, "Dear Basketball." Lesson Note: “I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see, and what it means. What I want, and what I fear.” -Joan Didion, Why I Write. Ms. Romano, 7th
- [Secret Dreams](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/secret-dreams/) - For their 6 week of poetry, Twain 6th graders explored ideas about dreams. Dreams can be stories we create while we are sleeping, wishes we want to come true, or goals we have for the future. There are also fantastical dreams, things that we want to exist in reality, and nightmares, the manifestation of our
- [Diversity in Identity](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/diversity-in-identity/) - For our 15th sessions, Swift 2nd graders reviewed what they remembered from last week when we watched a video of Janet S. Wong who talked about the value of handmade, handwritten, and well-thought-out gifts over store-bought presents. 3rd graders were on a field trip, but 2nd graders proceeded to "taste" and discuss Janet S. Wong's
- [Twain 5th graders begin to take hold of their dreams...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/twain-5th-graders-begin-to-take-hold-of-their-dreams/) - For our 3rd time meeting for poetry, Twain 5th graders shared some of their daydreams and sleeping dreams before we read 3 different poems about dreams: one by Annie C., a 3rd grader, one by Louise Driscoll, and one by Langston Hughes. The poems gave us a range of things to discuss, including deja vu,
- ['with twigs and mud and worms for eating': Video-Inspired Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/with-twigs-and-mud-and-worms-for-eating-video-inspired-poems/) - Students watched a bear cam video similar to the one described in the poem we studied, 'There was this bear cam' by critic and poet Sandra Simonds. Sandra Simonds charts the formations and deformations of the social and political through the observations of the poem’s speakers, interspersed with the language of social media, news reports, political speech, and
- [Dear Sky,](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/dear-sky/) - For their 8th week of poetry Hamline 6th graders explored various ways to communicate with one another. Nowadays people usually use social media, emails, texts and phone calls to stay in touch with one another. But long-ago sending letters was the only way to pass on information. Together we read and discussed the poem "Dear
- [Allusions: "Whenever I see a heart, crown, and a trident..."](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/allusions-whenever-i-see-a-heart-crown-and-a-trident/) - This week we talked about allusion! We read a poem by Nikki Giovanni, brainstormed our own allusions, and then students used their own brainstorms to write a poem about allusion in whatever way they wanted! Many students followed Nikki Giovanni's lead and wrote about music, but others wrote about TV shows, books, and other things.
- ["Your voice, your choice. It's you" Poetry Books with South Loop Poetry Club!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/your-voice-your-choice-its-you-poetry-books-with-south-loop-poetry-club/) - For our last week of South Loop Poetry Club, our talented poets continued to work on and finish our individual poetry books. Some students revised and reminisced on old poems we wrote in class, other wrote completely new piece for our collection, while others brought in their favorites and classics to reference! Before we left,
- [Sharing Know-How](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sharing-know-how/) - Our Sayre students' read the poem, "The Gift" by Ocean Vuong and considered the intertwining of narrative and imagery. We were especially struck by "the b bursting its belly/ as dark dust blows/ through a blue lined sky." We thought on experiences we've had of teaching things to others. Reflecting, how does it feel to
- [❤️Love Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/❤️love-poems/) - For our 3rd meeting, Dubois students wrote love poems inspired by Eloise Greenfield's poem "Honey, I Love." Enjoy a sampling, here! Ms. Wilson4th/5th Grade I loveby Tru'zell T. I love when the cool water hits me in the facethe water rinsing away my worries and innermost disgraces.Love, I love a cold shower aftersummer errands, washing
- ["A poem, folded small"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-poem-folded-small/) - Last week at Swift, we talked about gifts. Students discussed gifts they have received, such as video games, baby dolls, pets, family, and being in the world. And then talked about gifts they would like to give such as big family hugs, makeup for Mom, clothes for dad, raises and bonuses for teachers, and kindness.
- [Touching Our Senses](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/touching-our-senses/) - Last week, during our third sessions, Shoesmith 4th graders continued to massage their senses and reflections to write poems about colors and memories. Enjoy a sampling, here: Ms. Lehner4th Grade - Group 1 Steven S. I can't forget about the dayFebruary 18, 2021, the first time I ate hibachiit tasted very greatI heard the fire
- [Ugh, Gross!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ugh-gross/) - Sometimes, the ick is real. Last week, Grissom's 6-8th graders had lots to say about their pet peeves. We spent some time sharing some of our icks like chewing loudly and flies buzzing in our ears, then jumped into brainstorming some bodily sensations that our icks bring. After spending some time with our senses, students
- [Seeing the World in Color](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/seeing-the-world-in-color/) - For our last session with Waters' 6th graders, color was on our minds! We listened to a lyric video for the Rolling Stones song "Pain It Black" and talked abut how black shows up in the poem. Then, we read "Blue" by Carl Phillips and discussed similar things - notably, is blue seen as good
- [Cutting Up!: Collage Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cutting-up-collage-poems/) - Students used magazines and created cut-up poems! They used ‘found language’ and images to create new meaning. Lesson Note: Creative Artist guru Julia Cameron says the part of us that creates art is about 7 years old. And so, it is no surprise that, with scissors in hand, even the most serious student finds themselves
- [Poetry Ourselves Competition](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-ourselves-competition/) - April is usually crowned month of Poetry. Although its coming to an end but that's no reason not to still celebrate. Earlier this month the sixteen high schoolers who were the finalists in the 2024 Poetry Out loud Illinois State Regionals were invited to write original poems for the third annual Illinois Poetry Ourselves contest.
- [Poets Become Time Travelers](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets-become-time-travelers/) - Shoesmith 5th & 6th graders became time travelers for their 3rd week of poetry. We explored how to use our five senses (touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight) to recall memories. Week 3's theme about memories was inspired by the lesson from poetry resident Caroline Stevens. We discussed things that we use to do like
- ['and then your heart will/ start to hear like a drum': Open Mic Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/and-then-your-heart-will-start-to-hear-like-a-drum-open-mic-poems/) - Students wrote poems in the 'Open Mic' style after reading the poem by Black poet and playwright Zetta Elliot's piece, 'Mic Check.' Lesson Note: Making your own work is really important. [We] made work in the face of 1000 no's by just going and doing it ourselves. How to grow as an artist is to
- [When Is the Right Time to Write Poetry?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/when-is-the-right-time-to-write-poetry/) - It's exciting to be back at Shoesmith again. I saw familiar faces, met new students, and was greeted warmly by teachers and staff. Last Friday for their first session of poetry, 5th and 6th graders were asked, When is the right time to do something? How do you know it's the right time? Together we
- [Metamorphosis through Metaphors](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/metamorphosis-through-metaphors/) - For their 5 week of poetry, Twain 6th graders went through a transformation. I asked students if they could change and become one thing, what would it be? The responses were awesome: a taco, the rapper Drake, Spiderman, a painting, and a bird. Together we read "Alien," by teen poet Maya Marie Washington, who was
- ['Because everyone has a right to...' Because-style Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/22033-2/) - Students read Shirley Geok-Lin Lim's poem 'Learning to Love America' before they wrote their own 'Because' poems. Lesson Note: Born in Malacca, Malaysia, Shirley Geok-Lin Lim was raised by her Chinese father and attended missionary schools. Although her first languages were Malay and the Hokkin dialect of Chinese, she was able to read English by
- [If I Could Turn Back Time ...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/if-i-could-turn-back-time/) - Hamline 6th graders traveled back in time for their third week of poetry. We explored how to use our five senses (touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight) to recall memories. I showed students photos of myself as a kid up until adulthood, to show how everyone changes and evolves as we grow as individuals. This
- [Magical Recipes](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/magical-recipes/) - For their 7th poetry session Hamline 6th graders dappled with magic and spells. I asked if they could create a magical potion, what would you use it for and why? The majority of students said money or riches, while others wanted superhero like powers, infinite wishes or the ability to make their siblings disappear. This
- ["The sun is super hot just like my mom's cooking pot"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-sun-is-super-hot-just-like-my-moms-cooking-pot/) - During our fifth poetry workshop for the 5th graders, we talked about space poetry a couple of weeks after watching the eclipse. We first learned all about the United States Poet Laureate Ada Limón’s collaboration with NASA to send a poem to one of Jupiter’s moons! Then we learned about odes and read her poem
- ["I Have Great Eyes like Night Vision Goggles"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-have-great-eyes-like-night-vision-goggles/) - This week, we read (in our best Hulk voice!) an excerpt of "Hulk Smash!" by Greg Santos and "Forest Walk" by Kristine O'Connell George. We talked about how to write a persona poem in the point of view of someone or something else, and we also went over what a simile is and how to
- [Rainbows and Crayons, Part Two](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/rainbows-and-crayons-part-two/) - I was so inspired by Swift students who put so much effort into using their senses to write and re-write their color poems this week! Bravo! Ms. Urquiza2nd Grade Yellow Isby Ethan R. Yellow is sunhot like lavait sounds like a trumpetI would like to learn to playtrumpetyellow has a minty smelland tastes like mangoand
- [5th Grade Seasons & Senses](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/5th-grade-seasons-senses/) - For our 2nd sessions, Twain 5th graders talked about smells, tastes, sounds, and textures. We also made lists of words we could substitute for the word "happy" in our poems. Before brainstorming, we read and discussed two poems: Mary Oliver's "of What Surrounds Me" and a simple sensory poem by an anonymous author called "In
- [What do you love?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-do-you-love/) - For our second sessions, Dubois students loved having more time to share their "I Am" poems. Sometimes it just feels great to read aloud what you have written with your own creativity! We also read and discussed Eloise Greenfield's poem, "Honey, I Love" and brainstormed lists of people and things that we could write love
- [Dynamic Duo](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/dynamic-duo/) - The class asked, what does it feel like to compose a single poem for two different voices, rather than for one? How does harmonizing and speaking in unison feel? How does clashing feel? What does it mean to you to make a joyful noise? Reading Paul Fleischman's Poems for Two Voices 'Fireflies.' Then proceeded to
- [Spring Pictures & Self-Portraits!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/spring-pictures-self-portraits/) - Last week on Friday, 5th and 6th graders didn't just have their 2nd week of poetry, but it was also Spring Picture Day. Students were dressed to impress in vibrant colors: pinks, yellows, blues, and neon greens, like flowers popping up from the ground. Coincidentally our theme for our 2nd week was all about self-portraits.
- [Apply Now – Open Board Call](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/apply-now-open-board-call-2024/) - Applications are now closedApplication Open: April 1 -24, 2024Click here for applicationThe Chicago Poetry Center is excited to announce an open call for new board members. We are seeking individuals with a passion for connecting people to poetry–and to our poetry programs– in Chicago and beyond.As a member of the board, you will have the
- [Twain 5th Graders Ask: What makes a poet a poet?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/twain-5th-graders-ask-what-makes-a-poet-a-poet/) - Last semester I had the pleasure of working with 3rd grade students at Twain, and this Wednesday I returned to begin a residency with 5th graders. It was an inspiring day. Between the four groups, we talked about singing and song lyrics, rhyming, haiku, stanzas, lines, and narrative poetry. While discussing figurative language, one group
- [4th grader's powerful personas](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/4th-graders-powerful-personas/) - For their sixth poetry lesson, Twain 4th graders explored personas. The word persona comes from the Greek word for mask. Actors in ancient Greece wore masks on stage to represent different characters. Poets use personas to take on the voice and point of view of another person or object, imagining the world through someone else's
- [Questions](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/questions/) - What’s more important, the answer or the question? This week we read excerpts from Pablo Neruda’s “The Book of Questions” and talked about all the questions we’ve always or never knew we wanted to ask. We also discussed the idea of unanswerable questions and explored some of the things that kept us wondering the most.
- [Sabin 4th Grade: Celebrating National Poetry Month!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sabin-4th-grade-celebrating-national-poetry-month/) - ¡En celebración del mes nacional de poesía los estudiantes de Sabin están decorando tablones de anuncio con su poesía e imágenes de poesía! In celebration of National Poetry Month students at Sabin are decorating school bulletin boards with their poetry and images of poetry! ¡Más detalles para venir! More details to come! “Poetry is history.”
- [Sabin 4th Grade: What's to Come](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sabin-4th-grade-whats-to-come/) - Con la llegada de la primavera estamos leyendo Nayyiryh Waheed y hemos estado hablando sobre el futuro, lo que venga y a dónde estamos yendo, en la vida y en nuestras imaginaciones. Estás poemas están inspirados por estás temas. With the arrival of spring we are reading Nayyiryh Waheed and we have been talking about
- [Sabin 5th Grade Poetry: The Plot](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sabin-5th-grade-poetry-the-plot/) - ¡Leímos un poema que no tenía un fin, pues tratamos de imaginar un fin para el poema por escribir el fin en forma de poesía; aquí están algunos poemas que hemos escrito! We read a poem that did not have an ending, so we tried to imagine an ending for the poem by writing then
- [Sabin 5th Grade Poetry: Thinking About the Earth](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sabin-5th-grade-poetry-thinking-about-the-earth/) - Durante leer este poema escrito por Maya Angelou hemos hablado sobre la naturaleza y la personificación. ¡Mira lo que pensamos! While reading this poem by Maya Angelou we’ve been thinking about nature and personification. Check out what we think! ____________________ El puso de mañana Por Maya Angelou Una Roca. Un Río. Un Árbol anfitriones de
- [Sabin 5th Grade Poetry About What's to Come](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sabin-5th-grade-poetry-about-whats-to-come/) - Con la llegada de la primavera estamos leyendo Nayyiryh Waheed y hemos estado hablando sobre el futuro, lo que venga y a dónde estamos yendo, en la vida y en nuestras imaginaciones. Estás poemas están inspirados por estás temas. With the arrival of spring we are reading Nayyiryh Waheed and we have been talking about
- [Sabin 5th Grade Poetry: Celebrating National Poetry Month!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sabin-5th-grade-poetry-celebrating-national-poetry-month/) - ¡En celebración del mes nacional de poesía los estudiantes de Sabin están decorando tablones de anuncio con su poesía e imágenes de poesía! In celebration of National Poetry Month students at Sabin are decorating school bulletin boards with their poetry and images of poetry! ¡Más detalles para venir! More details to come! On Poetry By
- [Warming Up with Metaphors](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/warming-up-with-metaphors/) - Last Friday, we kicked off a short and sweet residency with 6th graders at Jordan Elementary! I talked about what students can expect over the course of our time together, experiences students have with poetry, and if they knew what a metaphor was. We watch Katy Perry's "Firework" music video (an excellent metaphor example) before
- [Self Portraits with Words](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/self-portraits-with-words/) - How do we paint a picture of ourselves with words? that's the question that guided our last session at Waters elementary. First, students drew cartoon versions of themselves. Then, we read "Self Portrait" by John Lee Clark, a poem where he described himself on the morning of his birthday (at the beginning of the pandemic).
- [Instructions for Living](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/instruc/) - For our last session, Waters 6th graders discussed how to give good instructions. First, we did an activity where one student instructed another stuent on how to draw an animal. How is that different from drawing a dog or cat yourself? What makes for good instructions, and what makes for unclear ones? Then, we read
- ['And the tape wears off and the streamers...': Party Poems.](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/and-the-tape-wears-off-and-the-streamers-party-poems/) - Students imagined life as a party and wrote poems using that metaphor based on Jason Shinder’s poem, ‘The Party.’ Lesson Note: “Find some humility, or it will find you.”― Jason Shinder, poet Mrs. McClain, 7th Grade The Party by Rowan B. And that's how it is drying off by the falling fireplace oh, how I don't
- ['Remember that love is free': Poems on Memory](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/remember-that-love-is-free-poems-on-memory/) - Students wrote memory list poems based on Joy Harjo's poem, 'Remember'. Lesson Note: Harjo’s work is often autobiographical, informed by the natural world, and above all preoccupied with survival and the limitations of language. “I feel strongly that I have a responsibility to all the sources that I am: to all past and future ancestors,
- ['impossible....good':Blackout Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/impossible-goodblackout-poems/) - Blackout Poetry: A blackout poem is created when a poet takes a marker (usually black marker) to already established text–like that from a newspaper–and starts redacting words until a poem or image is formed. The key thing with a blackout poem is that the text AND redacted text form a visual poem. Lesson Note: ”
- [Another Voice](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/another-voice/) - For their 6th poetry session Hamline 6th graders explored persona poetry. I asked students to imagine seeing the world through someone else's eyes. The word persona refers to the mask actors wore in ancient Greece as they performed different characters. Poets use persona to take on the voice of someone else, to understand their point
- [Can poems take care of someone? (5th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/can-poems-take-care-of-someone-5th/) - We continued talking about the purpose of art and poetry today, while reading several poems of Naomi Shihab Nye. We listened to her perform "Gate A-4" and then we read "Red Brocade." We decided that for Nye, the purpose of art is to spread kindness and empathy. We talked about the ways poems can do
- [It's Spring, I hate it: Nature Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/its-spring-i-hate-it-nature-poems/) - This week the young viking writers were tasked with writing nature poems. The students read "Earthly Meditations" by Robert Wrigley, "Dear One Absent This Long Time" by Lisa Olstein, and "Today" by Billy Collins. The students went outside to write nature poems and had an absolute blast. I am so proud of this class of
- [Retellings (8th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/retellings-8th/) - This week, in 8th grade, we read one of Eve L Ewing's "Retellings." We discussed the role of poetry in standing up to injustice and the ways that poetry can help us imagine different futures and different worlds. The students wrote powerful poems, thinking about injustices they care about. Hijab--Anggun They stare at my hijaband
- [Gender and Montage](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/gender-and-montage/) - Students montaged their experience of their gender using rich imagery informed by the senses. Ms. Hernandez, 7th grade, 1st period Sweet Girl by Kimberly G. Girl looks sparkling like shimmer. Girl feels cold as winter smooth as paper. Girl tastes like sweet yummy donuts. Girl smells like sweet strawberry cake, sweet girl. Untitled by Jacob
- [Technology & You](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/technology-you/) - For our 4th week of poetry, Twain 6th graders explored ideas about technology and its positive and negative influences on our daily lives. Students mentioned positive things about technology such as phone alarms to help wake us up in the morning, GPS so we don't get lost while traveling, Chromebook laptops to complete homework, video
- [Dubois Students Warm Up for Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/dubois-students-warm-up-for-poetry/) - This Tuesday, I met with some third, fourth and fifth grade students at Dubois Elementary School for the first time. Their ideas and energy were infectious! Some students made an impression on me when they shared the definition of Social Emotional Learning. When I asked students what they thought poetry is about, their thoughtful responses
- [Blue Hour May 15](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-may-15/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop hosted and facilitated by Marty McConnell. The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets from Chicago and beyond. The open mic includes five readers drawn lottery-style from a hat that goes out
- ["The sweetness will last forever"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-sweetness-will-last-forever/) - This week we "ate" poetry and talked about what memories we had that were connected to food. Students wrote poems sharing their favorite dishes and who they love to eat it with! Check out their delicious food poems here. - Mr. Goldner - Sweet, Sweet French Toast by Anis Aguilar We make french toast The
- ["Like Sunshine on a Rainy Day"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/like-sunshine-on-a-rainy-day/) - During our fourth poetry workshop for the 6th graders, we talked about space poetry a week after watching the eclipse. We first learned all about the United States Poet Laureate Ada Limón's collaboration with NASA to send a poem to one of Jupiter's moons! Then we learned about odes and read her poem “In Praise
- ["The Poetry Vault" Poetry Books with South Loop Poetry Club!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-poetry-vault-poetry-books-with-south-loop-poetry-club/) - Today at South Loop Poetry Club, our poets got to work on our own handmade poetry books. Some of us paired up, while others worked on themed poetry. Some wrote new poems, and others recycled poetry from our past weeks. We used paper, pencils, markers, and crayons to decorate, and began to fill our pages
- ['Apple.Apple.Apple.Apple.Apple.': Concrete Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/apple-apple-apple-apple-apple-concrete-poems/) - Students created concrete poems, which rely on their visual depiction to express meaning more clearly. Here are some of their beautiful examples of that form! Lesson Note: "Art has a way of bringing to you the things you need to know. It feels to me that art knows what’s going on more than the artist
- [Centomental Education](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/centomental-education/) - Our inevitable last classes occurred this week. I brought in one of my own poems to share, giving students the opportunity to quiz me on its particulars. “Finding Bigfoot,” inspired by the TV show of the same name, features a speaker looking for the mysterious creature in some odd places, such as a closet, cupboard,
- ["Unique in its own way" Poetry Reflection and Centos with South Loop Poetry Club!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/unique-in-its-own-way-poetry-reflection-and-centos-with-south-loop-poetry-club/) - Last week at poetry club, we finished up our unit on poetic forms and took some time to reflect on our work in the past few weeks. Then we used lines from our previous poems to make a cento. Even though we had a small class, we made some beautiful poetry together and were able
- [Ode Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ode-poems-2/) - This week Ms. Murray’s 4th graders explored the ode, a popular poetic form used to celebrate a person, place, thing, or even an idea. We started off by talking a bit about Pablo Neruda, the Chilean poet who wrote 225 odes in his lifetime, mostly about mundane everyday objects. We also chatted about the small
- [Our Auction is Live! + Vote for CPC in Reader's Best of Chicago!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/our-auction-is-live-vote-for-cpc-in-readers-best-of-chicago/) - Our Silent Auction is Live! There are two weeks left in our campaign and we are 75% of the way to our goal! Will you help us finish strong? Our silent auction is now live! We’ve got original artwork by Chicago artists, packs of Chicago poetry collections, writing coach sessions, meditation workshops, theater, sports, and collectibles
- [Imaginative Poetry Video Series for Young People Takes Flight!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/imaginative-poetry-video-series-for-young-people-takes-flight/) - Imaginative Poetry Video Series for Young People Takes Flight! With partnership and support from the Ralla Klepak Foundation for Education in the Performing Arts, the Chicago Poetry Center takes on an exciting expansion of our youth programming, connecting many more Chicago students to the joy and creativity celebrated in CPC’s Residency Program. This summer, the
- [Programs Spotlight: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at CPC's New Video Series](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs-spotlight-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-cpcs-new-video-series/) - Behind the Scenes of Our First Video Series: Queen Zee's Poetic Adventures After months of project planning, script writing, and rehearsals, the Chicago Poetry Center filmed its first ever "poetry on demand" video series this month. Queen Zee's Poetic Adventures, starring CPC Poet in Residence Leslie Reese, is a five-episode series that follows a mystical being and her
- [Queen Zee Launch Party Recap and a New Curriculum for Primary Grades](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/queen-zee-launch-party-recap-and-a-new-curriculum-for-primary-grades/) - Queen Zee's Poetic Adventures: Launch Party Recap It was a rainy, blustery night, but teachers, students, and friends of the Chicago Poetry Center braved the storm to celebrate the launch of Queen Zee's Poetic Adventures, CPC's new education program. We stayed warm and toasty as we took photo booth pictures, and caught up over dinner
- [Programs Spotlight: New Home at Haymarket House, Hiring Call, and Poetry Gathering Recap](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs-spotlight-new-home-at-haymarket-house-hiring-call-and-poetry-gathering-recap/) - CPC's new home for our office and public events The Chicago Poetry Center is thrilled to announce that on August 1, we officially moved our offices and public programming into Haymarket House at 800 W. Buena Ave. We held our Summer Poetry Gathering at Haymarket House in July, and we look forward to hosting our
- [Poetry Center Executive Director serves as Blue Ribbon judge for ICHV youth poetry contest](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-center-executive-director-serves-as-judge-for-poetry-contest/) - Our Executive Director, B Sampson, served as a Blue Ribbon Panel Judge for the Annual Student Voices Contest through the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence! Congratulations to Alejandra Velasco and Morgan Zajac, two poetry winners from Division 2 (5th - 8th grade)! We're thrilled to encourage the creative expression of young people about struggles in the
- [Seeking Teaching Artists for 2015-16](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/seeking-teaching-artists-for-2015-16/) - Seeking Teaching Artists for 2015-16 Poets In Residence with the Hands On Stanzas Program The Poetry Center of Chicago is seeking a new Poet In Residence to teach poetry reading, comprehension, writing, and performance to Chicago Public School students during the 2015-16 academic year. Qualified applicants will have a strong background as a working poet,
- ['Withdraw/ Deposit/Invest': Diamond Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/withdraw-deposit-invest-diamond-poems/) - Students created Diamond Poems using parts of speech and their wonderful imaginations. Lesson Note: A diamante poem is a poem in the shape of a diamond. It can be used to compare and contrast two different subjects or name synonyms at the beginning of the poem and then antonyms for the second half for a
- [Seeking Teaching Artist for 2015-16 Spoken Word Program](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/seeking-teaching-artist-for-2015-16-spoken-word-program/) - The Poetry Center of Chicago is seeking a new Poet In Residence to teach poetry reading, comprehension, writing, and performance to Chicago Public School students at Washington High School during the spring of 2016. Qualified applicants will have a strong background as a working performance poet, and will have experience teaching and creating strong lesson
- [We're Hiring: Teaching Artists](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/were-hiring-teaching-artists/) - HIRING CALL: POET TEACHING ARTISTS Hands On Stanzas Program, Chicago Poetry Center Position: Poet In Residence with the Chicago Poetry Center Deadline: Rolling applications until roster is full, apply soon! Check out: this brief video introduction to the program to learn more, see our students in action, and meet some of the team. Hands on
- [Now Hiring Teaching Artists for 2019-20](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/pir2019/) - Post Update: This call is now closed. We have received an exceptionally high volume of gifted candidates in less than a month, and are no longer accepting applications for 2019-20. Thank you to all who applied, and to those who did not, we hope you'll apply next year! HIRING CALL: POET TEACHING ARTISTS Hands On
- [PCC's B Metzger Sampson named in Newcity's Lit 50 2017](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-center-chicago-new-citys-lit-50/) - Our Executive Director, B Metzger Sampson, was included in this year's Lit 50: Who Really Books In Chicago. We love the write up on B, our programs, and the shout out to our fabulous reading series coordinator, Natasha Mijares! It's a gift to be a part of such a vibrant literary scene. Heartfelt congrats to
- ['Por eso es mi felicidad mirar...': Concrete Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/por-eso-es-mi-felicidad-mirar-concrete-poems/) - Students created concrete poems to showcase shape and style. Below are the first drafts, which were hand-drawn and written! Lesson Note: “I think you should be intuitive and playful in your choices and determined in your application. We are always full of worry until we begin the task, but I have found that, in the
- [Painting Ourselves with Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/painting-ourselves-with-poetry/) - Twain 6th graders came back from a relaxing Spring Break, recharged and ready for poetry! For our 2nd poetry session, we explored ideas about self-portraits. I showed students self-portraits painted by famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. I asked students to notice objects and interesting details that Kahlo included in her paintings, that represented how she
- [Eclipsed By Memories](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/eclipsed-by-memories/) - Twain 6th graders not only traveled back in time for their third week of poetry, they also welcomed the solar eclipse. All the students, teachers, and staff at Twain stood in the playground and used special glasses to view the eclipse this past Monday. Although we only saw the partial eclipse, it was truly memorable,
- [Befriended](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/befriended/) - After a few weeks off, we reunited for our penultimate sessions, reading and discussing “maggie and milly and molly and may” by E. E. Cummings. I suggested that this poem was a kind of 'greatest hits' for many of the stylistic elements we'd examined previously: rhyme, both exact and near; grammar, such as so-called improper
- [Rainbows and Crayons, Part One](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/rainbows-and-crayons-part-one/) - For our 12 sessions each class engaged poetry uniquely. I brought in books of poems and Swift students and teachers took turns reading aloud in both English and Spanish. In one classroom students danced and move interpretively to the poems their classmates read aloud.From there we talked about colors and read Jane Yolen's poem, "Crayons:
- [Poetry at the Movies](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-at-the-movies-2/) - This week the young vikings explored cinematic poetry. We discussed what are the components of a movie: dialogue, setting, sound, actors, etc…We read “Please Refrain from Talking During the Movie” by Robert Polito and Eileen Myles’ “Movie.” I am so proud of these students and the poems they produced this week. “Star Shaped Curtains and
- [Swift Students String Letter Sounds](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/swift-students-string-letter-sounds/) - Last Friday Swift students tried their hands at using alliteration in their poems. It was challenging! Ms Urquiza2nd Grade A Baby Bee and Birdby Breanna V. On one beautiful day it wasWednesday and it was a little windybut I went to the waterI saw a baby bee and a birdit flew awayso I said bye
- ['sometimes stare': Self-Portrait Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sometimes-stare-self-portrait-poems/) - After reading student poet Noor S.'s poem 'Self Portrait with my Loose Hijab, ' students wrote self-portrait poems focusing on one aspect of themselves! Self-Portrait with my loose hijab By Noora S. Trying to fix my hijab. I hear people scream your hair is SHOWING! Even my mother Screams at me but I don’t listen.
- [We are Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made of](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/we-are-such-stuff-as-dreams-are-made-of/) - Spring is in the air! For our session before the spring break students worked on poems about dreams. Dreams for the future, or the wild and strange things that we see on the movie screen of our eyelids when we drift off to sleep at night. Zombies, talking animals, and flying through clouds were just
- ['when there's more in the world?:' Self Portrait Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/when-theres-more-in-the-world-self-portrait-poems/) - After reading student poet Noor S.'s poem 'Self Portrait with my Loose Hijab, ' students wrote self-portrait poems focusing on one aspect of themselves! Self-Portrait with my loose hijab By Noora S. Trying to fix my hijab. I hear people scream your hair is SHOWING! Even my mother Screams at me but I don’t listen.
- ['Quinceañera': Poems of Play](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/quinceanera-poems-of-play/) - Students made the old-school paper game called a ‘Cootie Catcher,’, which is a form of origami used in children's games. Parts of the catcher are labeled with words that serve as options for a player to choose from, and on the inside are eight flaps, each concealing a message. To create these poems, the students
- [Planets, Solar Eclipses, & Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/planets-solar-eclipses-poetry/) - This week all Hamline 6th graders could talk about is the solar eclipse that's happening on Monday, April 8th. During an eclipse the moon will pass between the Sun and Earth, which will block the face of the Sun. I told students about special glasses that can be worn to protect their eyes and that
- [Does a Pencil Go on Spring Break?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/does-a-pencil-go-on-spring-break/) - Our 10th sessions at Swift landed on the last Friday before spring break, and everyone seemed to be counting down the hours before it began. 2nd graders had been on a field trip to the Shedd Aquarium the previous day and many were still thinking about fish and octopuses! After chatting about such things we
- [Poems should...(8th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poems-should-2/) - Last class, we discussed Dada art, and how the Dadaists thought all art was random. Today, we compared that with Jamila Woods "Blk Girl Art." The students had terrific insight on Woods' poem and talked about how she believes that art should be able to make big feelings in people and comfort people and change
- [Poems should... (5th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poems-should/) - Last class, we discussed Dada art, and how the Dadaists thought all art was random. Today, we compared that with Jamila Woods "Blk Girl Art." The students had terrific insight on Woods' poem and talked about how she believes that art should be able to make big feelings in people and comfort people and change
- [What is art? (5th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-is-art-5th/) - We studied dada poetry/collage today in Ms. Shweta's 5th grade class. First, we looked at some pieces of dada art by artists like Tristan Tzara and Marcel Duchamp. Can a bicycle wheel on a stool be art can the repetition of "What a b b what a beauty beauty b b b" be a poem?
- [Revision Party (5th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/revision-party-5th/) - We had a revision party today! We started by looking at Gwendolyn Brooks' "We Real Cool" without line breaks and guessing where Brooks might have put them. We then looked at the actual poem and line breaks. The students were so surprised there was a collective gasp! They had wonderful reflections on why Brooks might
- [Revision Party (8th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/revision-party-8th-2/) - We had a revision party today! We started by looking at Gwendolyn Brooks' "We Real Cool" without line breaks and guessing where Brooks might have put them. We then looked at the actual poem and line breaks. The students had some great reflections on the ways that the line breaks emphasized the "we" making a
- [Dada Poetry (8th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/dada-poetry-8th/) - We studied dada poetry/collage today in Ms. Krasic's 8th grade class. First, we looked at some pieces of dada art by artists like Tristan Tzara and Marcel Duchamp. Can a bicycle wheel on a stool be art? Can the repetition of "What a b b what a beauty beauty b b b" be a poem?
- [We're on a Mission 🚀 Help Support Poetry Programs for over 2,500 students!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/were-on-a-mission-🚀-help-support-poetry-programs-for-over-2500-students/) - We're on a Mission 🚀 Help Support Poetry Programs for over 2,500 students! As we head towards the end of the calendar year, and launch our annual campaign, the Chicago Poetry Center team is excited to share some of the organization's recent accomplishments. Over the past year, CPC has been able to expand its support
- ['now find the/sign': Table Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/now-find-the-sign-table-poems/) - A common household object became the focus of this lesson while studying Joy Harjo’s poem, Perhaps The World Ends Here. The poet James Merrill once commented, ‘we understand history from the family around the table.’ Lesson Note: Harjo’s work is often autobiographical, informed by the natural world, and above all preoccupied with survival and the limitations
- [Blue Hour April 17](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-april-17/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop hosted and facilitated by Marty McConnell. The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets from Chicago and beyond. The open mic includes five readers drawn lottery-style
- [Pantoum Practice Poems with South Loop Poetry Club!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/not-pantoums/) - In our pantoums studies, our poets wrote some free poems based on the structure or about ideas that came up during brainstorming. Please enjoy some extra poetry from South Loop Poetry Club! South Loop Poetry Club Spooky Pizzeria - BEWARE! By Navi R. and Cole C. The suspense builds up Waiting for pizza and soda
- [Pantoums with South Loop Poetry Club](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/pantoums-with-south-loop-poetry-club/) - For the past two weeks at South Loop Poetry Club, our poets have been working hard to write pantoums! I shared an example of a pantoum I wrote, and explained the pattern of repeating lines. Even with such a perplex form, all of our poets were ready to give it a shot. After writing our
- [Spreading The Love](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/spreading-the-love/) - Grissom's 6th and 7th grade students are no strangers to expressing their love, as I was lucky enough to learn last week. Students spent some time watching Rudy Fransisco's "If I Was A Love Poet" before diving into their own poem writing processes. Check out a few love poems below: 6th Grade Sleep by Liliana
- ['I’m a handkerchief holding us through life's storms': Metaphor Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/im-a-handkerchief-holding-us-through-lifes-storms-metaphor-poems/) - Students read the poem, ‘Metaphors’ by Sylvia Plath, and then wrote their own metaphor-based poems. “Metaphors” by Sylvia Plath I’m a riddle in nine syllables,An elephant, a ponderous house,A melon strolling on two tendrils.O red fruit, ivory, fine timbers!This loaf’s big with its yeasty rising.Money’s new-minted in this fat purse.I’m a means, a stage, a
- [Sticky, Icky Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sticky-icky-poems/) - This post is a throwback to some poems Sayre's 8th graders wrote about their pet peeves. After reading "Flexers" by Sabrina Y., students wrote their own poems about icks they have. Check out a few of them below: The Ick by Shamiya B. I get the ick when I hear "Aye check it out" I
- [Emotions in Motion](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/emotions-in-motion/) - For our 4th week of poetry, Hamline 6th graders focused on their emotions. I asked students to pick an emoji that described how they felt that morning. There were six emojis: 😐🙂🥰😠😞😂to choose from. The most popular emojis were the 1st, 3rd, and 4th choices. Students were feeling either tired, sad, or angry because they
- [In Someone Else's Shoes: Persona Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/in-someone-elses-shoes-persona-poems/) - Persona Poems are an exploratory of another person's psyche, and allow us to imagine being someone else for a while. For this session, Waters students read one of my poems (!) titled "Lavender," heavily inspired by the film adaptation of the novel Matilda. Students wrote their own persona poems in response, below. Ms Smallwood's 6th
- [When to Write](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/when-to-write/) - When is the right time to do something? How do you know it's the right time? These are the questions Twain 6th graders thought about for their first poetry session on Monday. Together we read the poem, "When to Write," by Sophia Thakur. In her poem Thakur uses repetition, repeating the word When, to emphasize
- [Looking Back Vividly](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/looking-back-vividly/) - Students studied “Manhunt or Ode to First Kisses” by Elizabeth Acevedo. Asking themselves, how can poetry capture that wishing, yearning, hungering we know from being a little kid? As a class, we focused on sharpening our imagery and constructing a retrospective glance! Poems looked back through the perspective of the younger self, or leapt ahead
- ["Chicago Is Gotham City"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/chicago-is-gotham-city/) - Happy Spring Break, reader! Last week, Sayre's students dove a little deeper into figurative language with metaphors. We spent some time reading Philip B. Williams' "Declaration" and discussing the parts of the city we recognized. Next, students got a chance to write their own poems about the city and use their own metaphor skills. Check
- [6th Grade Concrete Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/6th-grade-concrete-poetry/) - For our third poetry lesson, we focused on concrete (visual) poetry. This form of poetry is where the words on the page form the shape of the thing that the poem is about. After reading a poem in the shape of a tree by Padma Venkatraman and a poem in the shape of a cat
- ['Beautiful like a sea orchid'](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/beautiful-like-a-sea-orchid/) - On the second day of our 6th Grade poetry residency at Sayre Elementary, we compared stories about what we did over the weekend and what we noticed–in particular: the sounds, sights, smells, tastes, and touches. Then we read poems that focused on imagery and sensory details, and we talked about how we can do that
- [Concrete Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/concrete-poetry/) - For our third poetry lesson, we focused on concrete (visual) poetry. This form of poetry is where the words on the page form the shape of the thing that the poem is about. After reading a poem in the shape of a tree by Padma Venkatraman and a poem in the shape of a cat
- ['We were stuck together like tape'](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/we-were-stuck-together-like-tape/) - On the first day of our 6th Grade poetry residency at Sayre Elementary, we went over what poetry is, as well as the poetic terms “line” and stanza.” We then read a poem by Naomi Shihab Nye about a very strange gift. The poem was called “Valentine for Ernest Mann” and featured a man giving
- ['The sweet trophy of MVP'](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-sweet-trophy-of-mvp/) - On the second day of our 5th Grade poetry residency at Sayre Elementary, we compared stories about what we did over the weekend and what we noticed--in particular, the sounds, sights, smells, tastes, and touches. Then we read poems that focused on imagery and sensory details, and we talked about how we can do that
- [Poems as Eyeglasses](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/elementor-21656/) - Hello again! Last week, Grissom's poets got real about what poetry means to them. After watching a video of Jamila Wood's "Blk Girl Art," we discussed feelings we associate with reading poetry. Students were pretty honest that sometimes poetry can feel confusing, but other times poetry feels like a release of emotions. Students then wrote
- [Emotion Machines](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/emotion-machines/) - This week our 7th graders read Ada Limon’s The Quiet Machine. This prose poem by the 2022 U.S. Poet Laureate, describes all of the different kinds of quiet she experiences, based on her state of being, or where she is on any given day. Students then brainstormed on a specific emotion of their own, and
- [On Mondays, I'm lazy!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/on-mondays-im-lazy/) - What animal do you feel like on Mondays? How is a Friday different than a Tuesday and why? This week in Ms. Murray’s 4th grade class we read Francisco Alarcon’s On Monday I Feel Like a Dragon and talked about what animals we feel like on different days of the week. Reading through these poems
- ['Attitude knows her worth and/ she don't play': Emotion Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/attitude-knows-her-worth-and-she-dont-play-emotion-poems/) - Students talked about and then wrote poems about emotions using personification. Lesson Note: “Developing creativity in students is not a luxury.” How Social-Emotional Imagination Facilitates Deep Learning and Creativity in the Classroom Gotlieb, Jahner, Immordino-Yang Scott, Kaufman Romano, 7th Grade Brave Knight by Eddie D. Brave is a serious person Brave wearing armor Brave with
- [Poetry Out Loud 2024 Illinois State Winner!!!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-out-loud-2024-illinois-state-winner/) - Spring definitely made an appearance in Springfield last Monday on March 11th. The sun was shining, the weather was warm and breezy, the ideal day for the Poetry Out Loud 2024 Illinois State Competition. In Illinois this year, 44 high schools were part of Poetry Out Loud, 205 teachers, and over 7,000 students. Sixteen students represented
- ['I'm kayaking up to Sleeping Bear Dunes': Travel Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/im-kayaking-up-to-sleeping-bear-dunes-travel-poems/) - We took a look at Richard Blanco’s prose/mix/hybrid poem about missed destinations, We Are Not Going to Malta. Students were then given travel brochures exhibiting lush locales (decidedly not always depicting reality), and asked to create their own poems about wanting to go somewhere, but being unable to. Some students included actual lines from the brochures
- [What's Cooking?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/whats-cooking/) - Swift students continued with more out-of-the-box thinking, turning to cooking-up recipes for everything but food! Despite being tired from testing and being ready for the weekend to begin, students still managed to read and discuss an example recipe poem. We also acted out the usage of some kitchen items that I brought from home, including
- [Blackout Poems and Centos](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blackout-poems-and-centos/) - This week the young vikings explored blackout poems and centos. They read excerpts from Austin Klein’s Newspaper Blackouts and Chicago poet Simone Muench’s "Wolf Cento." The students were then given back issues of Chicago literary magazines to create their own blackouts and/or centos. I’m really proud of how hard they worked this session! _ _
- [More "Swan of Bees" Part 2](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/more-swan-of-bees-part-2/) - When we worked on thinking out-of-the-box and "Swan of Bees" poems a few weeks ago, I was so impressed by how students worked that it was difficult to choose only a few poems to publish.....so I decide to publish s few more! Enjoy! Ms. Urquiza2nd Grade Someday I hope to seeby Breanna V. Someday I
- [Maybe you will see...fanciful imagery](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/maybe-you-will-see-fanciful-imagery/) - For our most recent sessions, Swift 2nd and 3rd graders generated ideas that inspire us to see fun images with our mind's eye. We talked about out-of-the-box thinking, before students brainstormed lists for "Swan of Bees"-style poems. Enjoy! Ms. Urquiza2nd Grade Xiorro E. A tree that writes poemsA dog making chocolate cakeA house made out
- [Writing You a Letter...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/writing-you-a-letter/) - Hello hello! Last week, Waters students explored the ever-relevant epistolary poem. Epistolary poems are poems in letter form. We read "Another Night at Sea Level" by Meg Day, a poem rich with imagery and beauty and uncertainty. Students wrote epistolary poems to loved ones, friends, and idols. Enjoy the poems below. Ms. Smallwood's 6th
- ['In the lilac field it started': Experimental Forms of Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/in-the-lilac-field-it-started-experimental-forms-of-poetry/) - Students made the old-school paper in-class pass time called a ‘Cootie Catcher,’ which is a form of origami used in children's games. Parts of the catcher are labeled with words that serve as options for a player to choose from, and on the inside are eight flaps, each concealing a message. To create these poems,
- [Here's What I've Got: Love Poems (8th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/heres-what-ive-got-love-poems-8th/) - For our belated Valentine's Day class, we read Matthew Olzmann's "Mountain Dew Commercial Disguised as a Love Poem." We drew pictures of people we love and tried to think about as many specific and strange details about them, just like Olzmann does in his poem. We turned those pictures into list poems about someone we
- [Another World (5th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/another-world-5th/) - Today, we read "Another Planet" by Dunya Mikhail and discussed the personification and similes that she used to help create this new world for the reader. (This lesson was adapted from a lesson by Joy Young). We especially loved the lines "the weapons sleep/beneath the dust." The students had some very interesting interpretations of many
- [Our Wild Seasons (5th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/our-wild-seasons-5th/) - In honor of the fact that we've had every season all at one time in Chicago this week, we talked about our favorite seasons. We read Nikki Giovanni's "Knoxville, TN" and talked about what specific details she chose to describe her childhood summers. We brainstormed details to tell our specific experiences of the seasons. Spring
- [Another Planet (8th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/another-planet-8th/) - Today, we read "Another Planet" by Dunya Mikhail and discussed the personification and similes that she used to help create this new world for the reader. (This lesson was adapted from a lesson by Joy Young). We especially loved the lines "the weapons sleep/beneath the dust." We had some really interesting conversations about the close
- [BINGO Poems (8th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/bingo-poems/) - This week we read Fatimah Asghar's Microaggression Bingo and discussed how each detail built up to a larger and more overwhelming whole. The students discussed how weird it felt for there not to be a particular order to read the poem in, but how it made sense for this topic and these examples. We wrote
- [Painting Self-Portraits](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/painting-self-portraits/) - For our 2nd week of poetry, Hamline 6th graders explored the concept of self-portraits. Students looked at the artwork of famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, who was known for creating unique self-portraits of herself. In one portrait Kahlo painted herself with her pet parrot Bonito, while in another portrait, Frida paints herself sitting in a
- [Wintertime Love](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/wintertime-love/) - Last week, Sayre's 8th graders took a detour from their ick poems to write about people and things that they love. After watching Rudy Fransisco's performance of "If I Was A Love Poet," students talked about the similes they observed. We then moved on to writing our own poems. Check out a few of them
- [O world! O life! O time!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/o-world-o-life-o-time/) - This week we got started on poems using personification as a device in our poems. We read “A Lament” by Percy Bysshe Shelley and talked about how we could give human qualities to things that are larger than life. What would it be like to have a conversation with a tree, a lion, or the
- [A recipe for me...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-recipe-for-me/) - What are the ingredients that makeup who you are? A gallon of sassyness, infinite bowls of Kung-fu kicks, 10 cups of fortnite and snacks. This week in Ms. Murray’s 4th grade class we talked about all the qualities, habits, and feelings that make us unique and then created recipe poems explaining how to put it
- [Senses Matter](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/senses-matter/) - Students found all the constituent elements of similes on their worksheets. The class made tin foil hearts. We read "Papaya Tree" by Thanha Lai, and students looked at how similes are constructed. Students wrote about special to them from the perspective of their own tin foil heart. Meaning how do they feel about this special
- ['be like DJ Khaled...hang out with Tupac': Poems & Thoughts on Community and Fame](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/be-like-dj-khaled-hang-out-with-tupac-poems-thoughts-on-community-and-fame/) - Students read Gwendolyn Brook's poem about superstar singer and activist, 'Paul Robeson' and then wrote about community and fame from their viewpoint. Paul Robeson by Gwendolyn Brooks That timewe all heard it,cool and clear,cutting across the hot grit of the day.The major Voice.The adult Voiceforgoing Rolling River,forgoing tearful tale of bale and bargeand other symptoms
- ["cryptic snatches of wisdom / spotlighting" Blackout Poems from South Loop Poetry Club!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blackout-poems-from-south-loop-poetry-club/) - Last week at South Loop Poetry Club, we read Austin Kleon's "Newspaper Blackout." Some students were already familiar with the form, so we talked about how the source of a blackout poem can affect its subject, but even two poems with the same source can be completely different. For practice, every poet read the first
- ['Coming Home': A Lesson in Metaphor & Values](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/coming-home-a-lesson-in-metaphor/) - Students read Sylvia Plath's poem ‘Metaphors’ and then wrote their own metaphor-based poems. They also did some free writing around the topic of Values that you will see here. Lesson Note: When you communicate an idea with a metaphor, you light up people’s sensory and motor neurons. You also activate emotions, prompt aha moments, and
- [Surprise!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/surprise/) - Cats jumping on us from out of nowhere, dandelions, bottle caps, and more are some of the things that the speaker in Dean Young's “Quiet Grass, Green Stone” describes, confessing, “Me who wants to be surprised by everything.” While surprise is the ostensible focus here, the speaker also talks about waiting “for the part of
- [Wonderland Thoughts](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/wonderland-thoughts/) - It was great meeting Hamline Elementary 6th graders last Wednesday. A few students had some experience writing poetry with their teachers. They already knew various poetry terms and styles such as rhyme, simile, and haiku. The theme for our first session together was all about our thoughts. We discussed how our thoughts can be affected
- [Fun on the Internet: AI Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/fun-on-the-internet-ai-poetry/) - This week the young viking writers had fun exploring using AI and Google to edit, construct, and translate their poems. We played a few text-generating games and I am so excited to publish the poets below. Drummer Wanted By Ruby R. We are looking for hackers. Driving required; experience required. Age: 9-12 years. It has
- [The Art of Revision](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-art-of-revision/) - All the best poets know that the real poetry comes with revision. So it felt fitting that for our halfway point, Waters poets revised old or recently-written poems. First we talked about food, and I posed the following question: if you could only have one meal for the rest of your life, what would it
- [Do you hear what I hear?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/do-you-hear-what-i-hear-2/) - What is a favorite sound you have? Is there a sound you would rather not have to listen to? This week, our after-school poetry club talked about the symphony of sounds we hear every day and how they are different based on where we are or what time of day it is. After taking a
- ['A big scissor staircase and big scissor nails. ': Experimental Forms of Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/21515-2/) - Students created Jorge Enrique Adoum imitations via his poem, ‘Development, ' that ‘sets the stage,’ much like the initial phases of a story or play. The poem uses descriptive language and imagination to create an experiential form of verse. Lesson Note: Jorge Enrique Adoum was an Ecuadorian writer, poet, politician, and diplomat. He was one
- ["Crystal skies, spring comes" Haiku with South Loop Poetry Club](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/crystal-skies-spring-comes-haiku-with-south-loop-poetry-club/) - In honor of our last week of Black History Month with South Loop Poetry Club, we read a selection of haiku from Richard Wright to begin our unit on Poetic Forms, starting with haiku. We talked about the purpose of rules in forms and how haiku in particular make a singular picture, and about traditional
- [Wish Poems: Deseo ir al espacio y descubrir secretos no descubiertos...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/wish-poems-deseo-ir-al-espacio-y-descubrir-secretos-no-descubiertos/) - What is something you wish could be true even though you know it’s not really possible? Walking on clouds, pizza everyday, 900,000 stuffed animals, and infinite wishes from a genie were just a few of the things that came up for Ms. Murray's 4th graders in this weeks poems. After talking about what wishes are
- ['lilac color skies cover my glass roof': Experimental Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/lilac-color-skies-cover-my-glass-roof-experimental-poems/) - Students made the old school paper game, called a ‘Cootie Catcher’ which is a form of origami used in children's games. As you may recall, parts of the 'catcher' are labeled with words that serve as options for a player to choose from, and on the inside are eight flaps, each concealing a message. To
- ['we go in rows/ do as told': Gwendolyn Brooks Imitations](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/we-go-in-rows-do-as-told-gwendolyn-brooks-imitations/) - Students read Gwendolyn Brooks’ classic poem, ‘We Real Cool’ before crafting their own ‘cool’ poems using their own words and ideas for what is cool, rhyme repetition, and the short form. We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks The Pool Players.Seven at the Golden Shovel. We real cool. We
- [Dreaming Rooms](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/dreaming-rooms/) - The students made stanzas as rooms within which to fill their dreaming selves and wishes. Mr. Charmelo, 7th grade, 1st period The Wisher by Alexis V. I wish to the intelligence like Albert Einstein. I wish to have the skills like Ronaldo. I wish to have the defending like Pepe, I wish to have the
- [Poking Around the Family Tree](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poking-around-the-family-tree/) - In “Pokeberries,” Ruth Stone recalls members of her extended family—mostly women—and how they (positively) impacted her life. Her brief yet potent poem is packed with vivid details and initiated many lively and fascinating conversations. Students intuited that since the speaker says, in the first line, “I started out in the Virginia mountains,” the poem's setting
- [Reports from the Poetry Field](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/reports-from-the-poetry-field/) - This week the young Viking writers explored reportage/jounralistic poetry. They read Muriel Rukeyser's "Poem (I lived in the first century of world wars) and Mark Jarman's "Ground Swell." The students were then tasked with looking at historical events that have happened in their lives as well as fun factoids about their birthdays. They were then
- [Illustrated Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/illustrated-poetry/) - During our 6th sessions, Swift students took turns reading - in both Spanish and English - the poem "Same Green Fate" by Francisco X. Alarcón. It begins: "let's listen to/ the green voice of the rainforest..." We talked about the poem's meaning and enjoyed the illustrations by Maya Christina Gonzalez. Then we visited the blog
- [Making Poems out of Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/making-poems-out-of-poems/) - It's hard to believe we're near the halfway point of our Waters residency, but we are! For the ninth week, we talked about erasure poems, also known as blackout poems. I found out that a lot of students are no strangers to blackout poems at all, and everyone brought their unique spin to our source
- ['Someone gave me a solar system'](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/someone-gave-me-a-solar-system/) - On the first day of our 5th Grade poetry residency at Sayre Elementary, we went over what poetry is, as well as the poetic terms "line" and stanza." We then read a poem by Naomi Shihab Nye about a very strange gift. The poem was called "Valentine for Ernest Mann" and featured a man giving
- [Kindergarten Sound Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/kindergarten-sound-poems/) - In Ms. Icho’s Kindergarten, we learned some 4th grade ideas today! We talked about similes, and how we can compare two TOTALLY different things. The kids put on their big kid thinking caps and did an amazing job! We didn’t write individual poems, because they had an exciting career day speaker coming, so instead they
- [The Name Game](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-name-game/) - Each of our names tell a story about us, and last week Sayre's 8th graders dug deep into their origins. Some of us are named after loved ones, and others have names inspired by our mother's favorite TV shows. After reading To All The Little Black Girls with Big Names by Sha'Condria 'iCon' Sibley, we
- [Poems Are Like Burgers](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poems-are-like-burgers/) - Sayre's 8th grade students had a lot to say about poetry. After reading Jamila Woods' "Blk Girl Art," we spent time crafting our own works about what poetry means to us. Check out some of our poems below: Burgers by Khloe C. Poems are like burgers. Without the meat, they are pointless. Burgers are supposed
- ["What leaf / Who I am / My life / my soul / A garden" Sensory Reflection with South Loop Poetry Club!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-leaf-who-i-am-my-life-my-soul-a-garden-sensory-reflection-with-south-loop-poetry-club/) - Last week at South Loop Poetry Club, we looked over the various sensory poems we wrote in class together. Across our poems, we used sights, textures, sounds, tastes, and smells to describe our experiences and stories. We rated our poems and how we felt about them in retrospect. While we spent most of the time
- [Poetry Out Loud 2024 Chicagoland Regional Winners!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-out-loud-2024-chicagoland-regional-winners/) - The Chicago Poetry Center is now in its 7th year as Chicagoland Regional Host Organization for the national youth poetry competition, Poetry Out Loud. Poetry Out Loud is a collaborative project of the Illinois Arts Council Agency and seven arts agencies, each of which hosts a regional contest. The Chicago Poetry Center is grateful for
- [Reality is like a game with big choices...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/reality-is-like-a-game-with-big-choices/) - What do an elephant and a mouse have in common? What dessert do your eyes look like? For this week's session we talked about comparisons and how contrasting different things can help our writing come alive and add a whimsical spin to it. Students worked on a brainstorm where they compared two different things and
- [I hear my voice ringing out loud...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-hear-my-voice-ringing-out-loud/) - This week for poetry club at Clissold we focused on writing poems about ourselves. We read Leslie Reese’s poem I Am and talked about stanzas and lines and how to use them in our poems. We also talked about how important it is to speak kindly to ourselves and others, and how the words that
- [Getting Surprise into the Equation](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/getting-surprise-into-the-equation/) - Students worked on comparisons, capturing resemblances both inside and outside the classroom and drew how they felt about object relationships. Ms. Hernandez, 7th grade 1st Period Randomly? by Enrique P. A Chromebook is great A beverage is too, Erasure erases mistakes, Death erases, well who knows... Untitled by Manuel R. A Playstation is as tall
- [Love Poems -_________-](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/love-poems-_________/) - Ms. Widman High School Creative Writing This week the young Viking writers explored love poems by reading Matthew Olzmann's "Mountain Dew Commercial Disguised as a Love Poem" and Kim Addonizio's "My Heart". The writers were tasked with writing a love poem to a person, place, or themselves. I am so amazed by these students every
- [Wanted](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/wanted/) - Jordan Jace's “I want” was the poem we examined this week. Unlike the prior selection, Jace's effort reads as 'normal,' with its standard grammar and lack of blank space, and incorporates repetition as a literary device, something we've experienced before. Language-wise, there was some vocabulary we had to define, such as revolutionaries and deadbeats, along
- [Poemas de Sueños](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poemas-de-suenos/) - For our 5th sessions at Swift, we got dreamy! Students shared comforting dreams, crazy dreams, nightmares, magical dreams, and dreams of things hoped for. Enjoy these dream poems! Ms. Urquiza2nd Grade Alexa M. yo sueño que el césped es verdeyo sueño que las personas son blanca y otras morenasyo sueño que las puertas de agua
- [Blue Hour March 20 featuring Edgar Kunz, Megan Sungyoon, & Seo Jung Hak](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-march-20-featuring-edgar-kunz-megan-sungyoon-seo-jung-hak/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop hosted and facilitated by Marty McConnell. *** HEALTH & SAFETY NOTE: We are requesting that attendees mask for this event. Thank you for your cooperation! *** The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by two
- [I Am Poems...brillo como el sol](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-poems-3/) - This week Mr. Reinholdt’s 7th grade class wrapped up writing their “I Am” poems inspired by Nikki Giovanni’s Ego Trippin’. We also took some time to look over the poems that have been published so far, and did a mini-workshop discussion. We talked about how looking at other people’s poems can us to become better
- [Blue Hour February 21 featuring S. Yarberry & Dan "Sully" Sullivan](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-february-21-featuring-s-yarberry-dan-sully-sullivan/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop hosted and facilitated by Marty McConnell. *** HEALTH & SAFETY NOTE: We are requesting that attendees mask for this event. Thank you for your cooperation! *** The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by
- [Sound Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sound-poems-4/) - This week Ms. Murray's 4th graders got to work on sound poems. We discussed all the different things that we hear in the various environments we live in. We talked about what we hear in the morning, at night, at home, at school and outside. Students got to work on their pieces and they put
- [People who love to eat are always the best...poets!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/people-who-love-to-eat-are-always-the-best-poets/) - One of my favorite things to write about with students is food! It provides such a great way to engage all of our senses and bring a poem to life. We got started by sharing a little bit about what some of our favorite foods were and after we worked up an appetite, students got
- ['people calm as an empty hospital': Simile Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/21392-2/) - Students talked about similes before reading Mike Taylor's poem filled with the same! Here is some of the writing that resulted from that exercise! Lesson Note: “Writers don’t need tricks or gimmicks or even necessarily need to be the smartest fellows on the block. At the risk of appearing foolish, a writer sometimes needs to
- ['The Brain Game' and 'My thoughts are a sea they wave': Poems About Our Thoughts & Feelings](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-brain-game-and-my-thoughts-are-a-sea-they-wave-poems-about-our-thoughts-feelings/) - Students read the poem, 'Thought Machine' by Laura Mucha from the book Being Me; they then wrote about their thoughts using metaphors and similes. Lesson Note: “I learned that the only way to get a thing done is to start to do it, then keep on doing it, and finally you’ll finish it, even if
- [Blue Hour 2023-2024 Season](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-2023-2024-season/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop. Each event takes place at Haymarket House (800 W. Buena) and features two readers from Chicago and beyond, preceded by a brief open mic and limited-space workshop that includes a guided generative writing practice. 2023-2024 Season: August
- ["Their last scent / was trembling" Smells with South Loop Poetry Club!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/their-last-scent-was-trembling-smells-with-south-loop-poetry-club/) - Last week at South Loop Poetry Club, we finished our Senses chapter by talking about scents. A lot of poetry, and a lot of humanity, does not acknowledge scent except as supplement, especially to our distinct level of taste. So to write some smell-focused poetry took a lot of brain power and creativity! To inspire
- [Story Time](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/story-time-2/) - Ms. Widman High School Creative Writing This week the Viking writers read Marie Howe's "Gretel, From A Sudden Clearing" and "My Mother Believes in My Marriage and this Shows Me Her Heart Can Forgive Even Years Spent Dancing Alone" by Kayleb Rae Candrilli. The young poets were then tasked with writing a poem inspired by
- [Stretch your imagination like...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/stretch-your-imagination-like/) - For our 4th sessions, we looked at comparison poems created by Swift 2nd graders from previous years, and discussed what it means to find similarities between two different things. We had fun comparing things by shape, size, color, texture, and feeling, before I offered a few prompts to get students going. It was fun watching
- [Magic Words : I want to be a cat...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/magic-words-i-want-to-be-a-cat/) - To start off our first week at Clissold’d after school poetry club we talked about some of the different things that poems can do. This is a brief list of what the amazing 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders came up with: Poems can help us to speak up for ourselves. Poems can be about things
- [''I'm such a fool to not see life is cool": Gwendolyn Brooks-Inspired Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/im-such-a-fool-to-not-see-life-is-cool-gwendolyn-brooks-inspired-poems/) - Students read Gwendolyn Brooks’ classic poem, ‘We Real Cool’ before crafting their own ‘cool’ poems using their own words and ideas for what is cool, rhyme, repetition, and the short form. We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks The Pool Players.Seven at the Golden Shovel. We real cool. We
- ['but we unsure whether we're cool or not': Gwendolyn Brooks Imitations](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/but-we-unsure-whether-were-cool-or-not-gwendolyn-brooks-imitations/) - Students read Gwendolyn Brooks’ classic poem, ‘We Real Cool’ before crafting their own ‘cool’ poems using their own words and ideas for what is cool, rhyme repetition, and the short form. We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks The Pool Players.Seven at the Golden Shovel. We real cool. We
- [The Winter Blues](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-winter-blues/) - I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so sunny and warm for today’s session with Mr. Reinholdt’s 7th graders, but decided it was still a great day for a snowball fight! Inspired by a lesson by fellow CPC teaching artist Fullamusu Bangura I decided to have students write poems about winter where they would also
- [Family Celebrities](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/family-celebrities/) - This week in Ms. Murray’s 4th grade class we read My Dad by Ashley Bryan. We talked about how the short lines of the poem helped to give it a rhythm, and while it wasn’t a very long piece, it still packed a punch! Students shared so many stories about their own family members that
- [Undefeatable Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/undefeatable-poems/) - First graders are strong, powerful, and fearless! (Well... most of the time!) We learned about amazing poet Maya Angelou and listened to her read from a poem she wrote "for all children who whistle in the dark and who refuse to admit that they're frightened out of their wits." The poem is called "Life Doesn't
- [Line and Rhyme](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/line-and-rhyme/) - Students read "Josh Bell" By Kwame Alexander and introduced themselves through their passions, focusing on line and rhyme! Voice and perspective! Mr. Charmelo, 7th grade, 1st period No Muhammad Ali by Royal G No Muhammad Ali but I love to fight, I'm better than Kevin Durant AKA, Young Money Snipe. I'm tuff at Basketball don't
- ["Taking a bite is like eating heaven" Taste with South Loop Poetry Club!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/taking-a-bite-is-like-eating-heaven-taste-with-south-loop-poetry-club/) - Last week at South Loop Poetry Club, we continued our study of the senses and read "Fried Chicken" by Kwame Alexander to inspire us to write about how tasty our favorite foods are. Please enjoy these delicious poems by our talented poets! South Loop Poetry Club a cakey wholeBy Oliver G. kids at a campaign
- ['I’m thinking about you, like what I’m having for dinner tonight.': Simile Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/21362-2/) - Students read, 'Thinking About You' by Mike Taylor before writing their own simile-filled poems! Lesson Note: “You don't need permission to make your art. No one needs an artistic license or a permit to begin making stuff. You just need to begin. Don't wait for an invitation to join the club for some validation from
- [When Flowers Have a Nice Future](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/when-flowers-have-a-nice-future/) - Get ready for a rainbow of poetry! First graders have been talking more and more about what makes poetry poetry. In Monday's class, we talked about how poetry can be a way of playing with words. We practiced this idea by connecting colors to emotions, activities, and other inventions of our imaginations! Ms. Cooley1st Grade
- [Noisy Poems... rrf! meooow OMG!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/noisy-poems-rrf-meooow-omg/) - Do you like loud sounds or quiet sounds? We wrote noisy poems today! Students drew and wrote about loud and quiet sounds, and worked on writing out some of the letters that connect to the sounds they imagined hearing. What happens at the end of these noisy poems? Ms. Cooley 1st Grade Different Sounds I
- [I am King but not a Lion](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-king-but-not-a-lion/) - The 8th graders at Sayre Language Academy kicked off their residency with some powerful introductions, see for yourself! We watched I Am Limitless by Lina Abojaradeh and took inspiration from how she defines herself. Ms. LeSane's Class Resilience By Byron I am the honda civic driveryou get in I wont take you what ever people
- [Silent Auction closes tonight! 🚀](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/silent-auction-closes-tonight-🚀/) - Help Support Poetry Programs for over 2,500 students! Big news: it’s the final day of our auction! (Auction closes at 10PM CT!) When you support our residencies you support over 2,500 Chicago students with: Building reading and writing skills: students are engaged through play and curiosity while growing their critical learning competencies Supporting social emotional
- [Love Letters](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/love-letters/) - For our final poem of the residency, the 4th graders at Smyser tackled love poems, but not your ordinary love poem. We read "Love Letter" by Nathalie Handal and analyzed the form she used to build our own. Some students opted to end with her last line, "I'd like to be a poem, " to
- [A Picture is Worth ______ Words](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-picture-is-worth-______-words/) - As the old saying goes, a picture is worth 1,000 words....and writers of ekphrastic poetry would probably agree! Ekphrastic poems are poems written in response to an image, often a work of art. So for this 8th week, 6th graders at Waters wrote ekphrastic poems! First we looked at and discussed a projected Van Gogh's "Starry
- [Home Is What We Eat](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/home-is-what-we-eat/) - Hello, poetry lovers :) I believe it's important to bring what's happening in the greater world into the classroom. In a lesson largely inspired by Stuti Sharma, this week we talked about what students know about the war in Israel-Palestine. Then we watched a clip from a 2012 documentary, My Neighborhood. It follows a young
- [I Am... Who we are](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-who-we-are/) - For our first session with Ms. Tze's 4th grade class we introduced ourselves by writing an I Am Poem inspired by Leslie Reese. We talked about all the different things that make us who we are, what we love, what we wonder, and what we are curious about. Enjoy these amazing pieces! Marc C.
- ['We made it for sick people and the world/ so we can continue living': Potion Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/we-made-it-for-sick-people-and-the-world-so-we-can-continue-living-potion-poems/) - Students read the poem, 'Truth Serum' by Naomi Shihab Nye before writing their own potion-themed poems. Lesson Note: “I respect anyone who’s pulled an idea out of their brain and fully brought it to life. That is spiritual. To know that it started as a thought and you brought it to fruition is crazy. Shout out
- [Revision Party Day! (5th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/revision-party-day-5th/) - We had a fantastic revision party today! We talked about various revision techniques (including talking about if we had kiki or bouba poems!). Each student chose a poem they were interested in continuing to work on and a goal for their revision. A lot of students were interested in doing playful things with form. We
- ['Throw Abraham Lincoln's hat in...': Potion and Recipe Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/potion-poems/) - Students read 'Truth Serum' by Naomi Shihab Nye before penning their own potion and recipe poems. Students discussed TRUTH, LIES and how both can sometimes hurt and often STINK to high heaven! Lesson Note: “I respect anyone who's pulled an idea out of their brain and fully brought it to life. That is spiritual. To
- [Unique Sound Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/unique-sound-poems/) - For our third sessions together, Swift 2nd and 3rd graders explored sound. We talked about the word, explore, and tried to compare being an explorer in nature to being an explorer of poetry. We read a few Sound Poems written by students in previous years, and then I challenged students to try to come up
- ["Silky because you like soft things" Texture with South Loop Poetry Club!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/silky-because-you-like-soft-things-texture-with-south-loop-poetry-club/) - Last week at South Loop Poetry Club, our poets read "The Texture Of Your Soul" by Linda Winchell, using feelings as sensory intrigue to represent our feelings as emotions. We got out the markers and drew some representations of what made up our own souls, and talked about how some textures are hard to see
- [Visual Poems are Worth 1,000 Words](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/visual-poems-are-worth-1000-words/) - This week the 4th graders at Smyer wowed me with their visual poems. See for yourself! Ms. Erzumly's Class: Audrey, Raven, Santiago, Maya, Anonymous Ms. Edward's Class: Samuel, Daniel, Erica, Tara, Grace
- [Revision Party (8th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/revision-party-8th/) - We had a fantastic revision party today! We talked about various revision techniques (including talking about if we had kiki or bouba poems!). Each student chose a poem they were interested in continuing to work on and a goal for their revision. Students played with line length, simile/metaphor, and tone. We had a rousing reading
- [Life—It’s not Scaring Me (Kindergarten)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/life-its-not-scaring-me-kindergarten/) - We had a great time in Kindergarten today! We read an excerpt from Maya Angelou’s poem “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me.” We talked about things were afraid of and and how we can be brave. We learned that Ms. Icho is afraid of snakes and many many of us are afraid of spiders! We also talked
- ['Everyone makes mistakes': Potion Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/everyone-makes-mistakes-potion-poems/) - Students read Truth Serum by Naomi Shihab Nye before penning their own special recipes and serums via poetry! Lesson Note: “When you put something out there onto a piece of paper, what you've actually done is taken something out of your head and enabled you to look at yourself. And that takes you beyond feeling satisfied; it
- [Keeping Quiet](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/keeping-quiet/) - For our second week, we read “On Quiet Feet” by Nikki Grimes. Students noticed how different it looked from last week's selection, being only a single stanza and with much shorter lines. We decided its terseness creates a more dramatic effect, emphasizing words at the end of each line, and forcing readers to slow down
- ["Winter Fun Stuff"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/winter-fun-stuff/) - Our 2nd sessions this year coincided with International Assembly Day at Swift! So many students were participating in cultural performances including dances, songs, and fashion presentations. There was a lot going on, but we still managed to consider wintry things, before reading and discussing Nikki Giovanni's "Winter Poem." We then worked collaboratively to brainstorm ideas
- [Amazing Me...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/amazing-me/) - This week we got started with Ms. Murray’s 4th grade class at Perez Elementary. After some short introductions, we talked a little bit about what poems are, and how they can make us feel. In the middle of our discussion, I realized these students know a whole lot about poetry and I found out many
- [Good things take time, great things take a little longer...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/good-things-take-time-great-things-take-a-little-longer/) - For this week's session with Mr Reinhold't 7th graders we read Nikki Giovanni's classic piece Ego Trippin'. We talked a little bit about the idea of celebrating ourselves and some of the ways that other people celebrate us. Then students got to work on creating their own versions of I Am Poems, comparing themselves to
- ['remember that': Small Kindnesses Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/remember-that-small-kindnesses-poems/) - Students wrote and talked about kindness before reading the poem, ‘Small Kindnesses’ by Denusha Lameris. In crafting their own poems, students focused on one idea, one stanza, and small ways they have been kind or received kindness from others. Lesson Note: Kindness has health benefits. Kindness not only feels good, but it can also boost the giver’s
- [Chicago Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/chicago-poems-2/) - Today's poems are inspired by fellow CPC poet-in-residence Fullamusu Bangura's poem, "Chicago." We talked about how poems are made up of "lines" and noticed that each line in "Chicago" was created using only two words. First graders shared what they love about Chicago and transformed their ideas into two-word lines for our collaborative poem.
- ['You have to put water in it:' Name Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/you-have-to-put-water-in-it-name-poems/) - ‘I celebrate and sing myself…’-Walt Whitman. Students explored names through a series of prompts, which began with reading the poem, 'a girl named jack' by Jaqueline Woodson. What occurs in the naming of someone or something? How does it sound when spoken? Does a name feel like it needs to be announced or announced by
- [Praise You Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/praise-you-poems/) - Ms. Widman High School Creative Writing This week the young Viking writers discussed odes and what they celebrate about themselves. We read the classic "won't you celebrate with me" by Lucille Clifton and Jessica Walsh’s stunning “When My Daughter Says I Was Never Punk” (Here's someone else reading the poem). I am so proud
- [Eating Words](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/eating-words/) - As always, it was a pleasure to be back with the students at Skinner West! Everyone was excited and eager to begin. I introduced myself as well as the program and went over what to expect for the next several weeks. For these first sessions, I like to ask if anyone has written any poetry
- ["The sweet sounds of Morning are..." Sounds and Noises with South Loop Poetry Club!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-sweet-sounds-of-morning-are-sounds-and-noises-with-south-loop-poetry-club/) - Last week at South Loop Poetry Club, we read "Sounds of the City" by Rita A. Simmonds. Even though she was writing about New York, we found that we heard very similar sounds in our daily routines here in Chicago. We received a variety of poems from our creative writers. Please enjoy our very noisy
- [Butterflies Cannot Lie](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/butterflies-cannot-lie/) - This week, Smyser's 4th graders and I wondered how it might feel to step into someone or something else's shoes for a day. We read Advice from a Raindrop by Kim Stafford and then wrote our own Persona Poems. Ms. Erzrumly's Class Advice from a Tree by Nickolas If you ever feel the cold coming
- [Hearing Our Names (5th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/hearing-our-names-5th/) - Today in Ms. Shah’s class, we read Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s poem “On Listening to My Teacher Take Attendance.” The students really read deeply into the poem and the symbolism of the imagery—they noticed some things I hadn’t even considered! We talked about people in our lives who say our names in ways that we love or
- [Hearing Our Names (8th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/hearing-our-names-8th/) - Today in Ms. Krasic’s class, we read Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s poem “On Listening to My Teacher Take Attendance.” The students had incredible insights on the imagery she used and what she was able to express through simple objects like a pencil sharpener. We talked about people in our lives who say our names in ways that
- ['A war in my heart': Name Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-war-in-my-heart-name-poems/) - Students explored names through a series of prompts, which began with a reading of 'a girl named Jack' by Jaqueline Woodson. What occurs in the naming of someone or something? How does it sound when spoken? How does it feel to be announced or announce someone by their name? Who speaks the name like you
- [Yum! Our Food Poems (Kindergarten)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/yum-our-food-poems-kindergarten/) - Mrs. Icho’s kindergarten class was finishing up some yummy looking breakfast as I walked in today. They were all pretty excited to share about their cinnamon donuts and milk, which was a perfect lead in to our theme today….food poems! It turns out we’re all pretty excited about food. We read “Fried Chicken” by Kwame
- [Cold, Snowing, Snowy Chicago](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cold-snowing-snowy-chicago/) - After a long break from poetry, Brennemann's first graders had lots of ideas to share about what happens in winter. These poems are filled with sights, sounds, textures, tastes, and smells from the coldest time of the year! Ms. Cooley 1st Grade Winter makes me happy in my heart. I hear cold wind, snowy wind,
- [Where We Belong (8th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/where-we-belong-8th/) - In Ms. Krasic's 8th grade class, we read Francisco X. Alarcón's "Natural Criminals." The students had incredible and bright insights on this poem. We talked about racism and history and how sometimes people are made to feel that they don't belong in certain spaces. They also had great insights on the form of the poem,
- [Old Photo, Same Story](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/old-photo-same-story/) - Ms. Widman High School Creative Writing This week the young Viking writers read Warsan Shire's "Backwards". We then looked at old photos from the neighborhood to write a poem inspired by the photo. I am so proud to publish the following young poets! “Back into the Picture” by Edwin S. Maybe we
- [The People, Places & Things We Come From](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-people-places-things-we-come-from/) - Greetings! Last week was our sixth session with Waters 6th graders. We explored the nouns and experiences that make us who we are by writing classic "I Am From" poems. This format is inspired by Kentucky poet George Ella Lyons. The example we read was written by then-15 year old Rockelle Rodd. Enjoy students' "I
- ['it feels like a hug from the past'': Odes](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/it-feels-like-a-hug-from-the-past-odes/) - Students read Ode To My Shoes by Francisco X. Alacron before penning their own wonderful odes! Lesson Note: “If it were up to me, everything I love would have a poem in praise of it. I mean everything: homemade chocolate cookies, park benches, sinuous roads beside city rivers — even that clear plastic cap on a newly
- ["I give the thoughts that speak through my heart"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-give-the-thoughts-that-speak-through-my-heart/) - I was pleased to be invited to return to Swift as a poet in residence, again - this is year five! For our first session of this school year's residency, it was all about getting acquainted, and, in the case of the 3rd graders (who were last year's 2nd graders) getting re-acquainted! When I asked
- ["We're at a party" Imagery with South Loop Poetry Club!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/were-at-a-party-imagery-with-south-loop-poetry-club/) - We hope you have been staying warm in this cold Chicago weather. Last week we didn't have Poetry Club, but the week before that we read Natasha Trethewey's "History Lesson" to learn about imagery. Listening closely to the words used, we each drew pictures of our interpretations in markers and pencils to reflect on what
- ['Clapping our hands when their perforation ended': School Memory Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/clapping-our-hands-when-their-perforation-ended-school-memory-poems/) - Students crafted their own school memory poems after reading Connie Wanek's beautiful poem, Rain Changing to Snow Lesson Note: According to findings by the leading researcher on the power of writing and journaling for healing purposes, James Pennebaker, Ph.D., of the University of Texas at Austin, '...expressive writing occurs on multiple levels–cognitive, emotional, social, and
- ['To fight the night become the light. ':  Odes](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/to-fight-the-night-become-the-light-odes/) - Students read 'Ode To My Shoes' by Francisco X. Alacron before penning their own odes. Below are some of their wonderful poems. Lesson Note: “Go into the arts. I'm not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art,
- ['Everybody looks...': Odes](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/everybody-looks-odes/) - Students wrote Odes about something or someone they wanted to exalt after reading 'Ode To My Shoes' by Francisco X. Alacron. Lesson Note: “Rhyme and rhythm have been shown to intensify emotions at a neurological level as poetry activates brain areas…which are linked to…introspection. Our brains process poetry differently than prose.” from Your Brain on
- [Large & Small Joys](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/large-small-joys/) - Hello, poetry lovers! After a bit of a holiday break/poetry hiatus, Waters 6th graders were ready to jump back in. For this session, we read Ross Gay’s “Sorrow Is Not My Name” and explored its beautiful images, and the way joy is found in big and small things. For their original poems, students pulled from
- [If I were an animal (5th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/if-i-were-an-animal-5th/) - We read Ada Limon's "How to Triumph like a Girl" in Ms. Shah's class today. We watched her read it and discussed how the details helped us see that the speaker wanted to view herself and strong and powerful like the racehorses. The students had beautiful insights about the way the poem was a way
- [Animal Poems (Kindergarten)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/animal-poems-kindergarten/) - In Ms. Icho's kindergarten today, we read "On Monday, I am a Dragon" by Francisco X. Alarcón. We talked about our favorite animals and what animals we sometimes feel like. We also talked about streeeeeetching our ideas to add more detail. Today, we practiced that by adding information about when we feel like a particular
- [Get Ready For Poetry Out Loud 2024 Chicagoland Regionals Competition](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/get-ready-for-poetry-out-loud-2024-chicagoland-regionals-competition/) - The Chicago Poetry Center is pleased to serve in its 7th year as the Chicagoland Regional Host Organization for the national Poetry Out Loud Teen Competition. Poetry Out Loud is a collaborative project in partnership with Illinois Arts Council Agency, Poetry Foundation, and seven arts agencies, each of which hosts a regional contest. The Chicagoland regionals two-day
- [Ode to all the little things!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ode-to-all-the-little-things/) - Our first week back after the break, the Smyser 4th graders and I took some time to be grateful for the little things, and practice more descriptive language with our odes! We read Ode to Marbles by Max Mendelsohn and took inspiration from his love of marbles to write about the objects in our lives
- [Like a Simile](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/like-a-simile/) - Ms. Widman High School Creative Writing The poets at Amundsen this week had a blast writing exquisite corpses inspired by the poem "Like a Simile" by Mark Cox. The young poets paired up and created their own surreal metaphors and similes. I’m so pumped to publish the following poets!
- [4th graders create a community of poets!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/4th-graders-create-a-community-of-poets/) - This week Twain 4th graders celebrated not only the New Year but also the final day of our poetry residency. Our theme for our last week was about community. I asked students, "What is a community?" For 4th graders community means people, neighbors, friends, family, and animals who live and work together and help one
- [Running into a New Year (8th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/running-into-a-new-year-3/) - In 8th grade, we read "Running into a New Year" by Lucille Clifton. We discussed how her lack of punctuation and short lines and single stanza gives us a sense of movement and speed. We brainstormed ways that we could use the page to create other feelings. New Year Poem -Faizan I am teleporting
- [Running into a New Year (5th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/running-into-a-new-year-5th/) - In 5th grade, we read "Running into a New Year" by Lucille Clifton. We discussed how her lack of punctuation and short lines and single stanza gives us a sense of movement and speed. We brainstormed ways that we could use the page to create other feelings. Reading -Afnan Read and Read trying not
- [The Whole Rainbow](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-whole-rainbow/) - We had a great time in Kindergarten today! We read the poem “Green” by a 4th grade student named Malik and then went on an adventure through the rainbow. We stopped at different colors to think about how they made us feel and what they made us remember. We worked on streeeeeeetching our ideas today
- [Thinking About Symbols | Sabin 4th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/thinking-about-symbols-sabin-4th-grade/) - We read “La Muralla/The Mural” by Nicolas Guillen, and we are talking and thinking about symbols. In this poem Guillen writes the story of how a mural was made and what the images on the mural symbolize. Guillen writes, “Tun, Tun/Knock, knock” and opens the mural to positive symbols and closes the mural to negative
- [Thinking About Symbols | Sabin 5th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/thinking-about-symbols-sabin-5th-grade/) - We read “La Muralla/The Mural” by Nicolas Guillen, and we are talking and thinking about symbols. In this poem Guillen writes the story of how a mural was made and what the images on the mural symbolize. Guillen writes, “Tun, Tun/Knock, knock” and opens the mural to positive symbols and closes the mural to negative
- [Sabin Winter Showcase Shout Outs!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sabin-winter-showcase-shout-outs/) - This year at Sabin's Winter Showcase some poets will be performing! If you don't have a chance to see them live, or if you'd like to read their poems over, and over again...check them out below! __________________ ¡Este año por el escaparte de invierno algunos poetas performarán! Si no puedes ver los en persona o
- [How Would YOU Write a Poem?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/how-would-you-write-a-poem/) - For our 10th and final session - which took place the week before school let out for the winter holidays - Twain 3rd graders brainstormed what is needed to write a poem. As students shared, I wrote their ideas on the board. After that we read How to Write a Poem, from the book by
- [Begin With a Question](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/begin-with-a-question/) - Do you know the recipe for courage? What about the recipe for how to be a fast runner? Most recently at Swift, 2nd graders in Ms. Urquiza's class worked on their Recipe Poems. Students in Ms. Amato's class wrote poems inspired by lines from How to Write A Poem by Kwame Alexander & Deanna Nikaido,
- [Guess Who?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/guess-who-2/) - Last week, Carver students spent some time playing a very different role: for our poetry assignment, we stepped into new identities through persona poems. Before diving into our own writing process, we watched "Shooter" by Lamar Jorden and discussed how powerful the poem was. Students remarked that it would have been quite a different poem
- [Blue Hour January 17 featuring C. Russell Price & Teresa Dzieglewicz](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-january-17-featuring-c-russell-price-teresa-dzieglewicz/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop hosted and facilitated by Marty McConnell. *** HEALTH & SAFETY NOTE: We are requesting that attendees mask for this event. Thank you for your cooperation! *** The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by
- [Happy Holidays from South Loop Poetry Club!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/happy-holidays-from-south-loop-poetry-club/) - On our last Poetry Club session of 2023, our poets took some time to sit with the poems they've made over the last few months and discuss what they were about, and what they liked about each of them. Then we spent some time writing -- poets had the option of proofreading or writing a
- [Older Generation Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/older-generation-poems/) - For our second-to-last session, Twain 3rd graders thought about their older generation of grandparents, aunts, and uncles. We read "My Grandmother" by Pela Chacon and "Abuelito Who" by Sandra Cisneros - both poems in English and in Spanish. Before writing, we wondered aloud about grandparents and significant uncles and aunts who we never got a
- ["La Vetura" Our Final Class!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/20844-2/) - In our final week at Dulles, we continued to refine and edit our poems to prepare for the Dulles Poetry Reading, with two other poetry classes led by Caroline Stevens and Joy Young from the Poetry Center. You can read more about how the reading went here! Thank you South Loop for a wonderful ending
- ['The Whee-who/ The waves/ The quiet/ The stir/ Wow.': Poems on Age and Reflection](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-whee-who-the-waves-the-quiet-the-stir-wow-poems-on-age-and-reflection/) - Students read and discussed Billy Collin's poem, 'On Turning Ten,' before writing their own poems on the subject of age and nostalgia. Lesson Note: “When you put something out there onto a piece of paper, what you've actually done is taken something out of your head and enabled you to look at yourself. And that takes
- [On Mondays, I feel marvelous!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/on-mondays-i-feel-marvelous/) - Today at Brennemann, our first grade classes were full of animals and emotions! We read Francisco Alarcón's poem, "On Monday I Feel Like a Dragon / El lunes me siento como un dragón". We talked about different ways we feel on Mondays, and compared our emotions to furry, feathered, smooth, and scaly creatures. How do
- [4th Graders and their 5 Senses](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/4th-graders-and-their-5-senses/) - This week at Smyser Elementary the talented 4th graders take you on a journey of the senses! Enjoy their fantastical and realistic places of peace, and all the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds that accompany them! Ms. Erzrumly's Class A Happy Place by Abigail I see Cherry Blossom petals falling from the branches
- [Cotton candy, cookies, tacos, pizza....](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cotton-candy-cookies-tacos-pizza/) - 7th Grade For this week's session, we focused on something everyone loves, food! We talked about how food can engage all five of our senses and for this reason it makes a great subject to write poetry about. We started off playing a few rounds of food charades and then students got started on their
- [On Mondays I Feel Like](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/on-mondays-i-feel-like/) - Ms Tze's 4th Grade For today's session, we read Francisco Alarcon's "On Mondays I Feel Like A Dragon". We talked about how different a Monday can feel compared to a Sunday and then got started on some brainstorms. Quite a few students decided to draw their ideas instead. So enjoy this week's art poems!
- [All Good Things Come to An End...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/all-good-things-come-to-an-end/) - For our final session with Ms. Tze's class at Dulles I decided to bring in a group exercise based on Magnetic Poetry. Each student received two index cards and everyone wrote down one word, (any word of their choosing) on each card. I collected the cards and gathered all the students into a circle where
- [Hopes for the Holidays (Kind-of Concrete Poems)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/hopes-for-the-holidays-kind-of-concrete-poems/) - For my final lesson with Ms. Wilson's 4th graders at Dulles Elementary, we dove right into visual poetry. We read Whenever You See a Tree by Padma Venkatraman and learned that sometimes poetry is literally art class with words! The students wanted to draw trees of their own, and someone asked if they could draw a Christmas
- [Butterfly Doors (Haiku!)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/butterfly-doors-haiku/) - To start my final week with the 4th graders at Dulles, I thought we would try our hand at some Haiku. We read translations of Issa Kobayashi and discussed how Haiku are based on observations that lead us to have a discovery, and that they are short and to the point. I provided some photos
- [Word Searching](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/word-searching/) - Happy Winter Solstice! Carver's students spent last week carving out some time for poetic exploration with books from my personal collection. After spending some time catching, up, students spent time drawing words from different books to create a word bank. From there, I challenged students to use at least four words from their lists to
- [Words are the Clouds](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/words-are-the-clouds/) - Last week at Symyser, the 4th graders and I read Words are Birds by Francisco X Alarcón. In addition to finding the connections Alarcòn makes between words and birds, we identified how the poem is thinking about translation and immigration. We also learned about metaphors and spent some time building our own. Both classes came up
- [Wishes and Sueños](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/wishes-and-suenos/) - Today first graders at Brennemann imagined a world they would want to live in. Would you want to live in these worlds of wishes and dreams? [Note: Each poem is a collaboration between students and teachers, created by collecting a few words from every student in the class. When we read the poem out loud
- [Life is Full of Suprises!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/life-is-full-of-suprises/) - This week at Smyser, just before the break, The 4th-graders looked at a poem that has a surprising ending, which is emphasized by the final line break. I reviewed what we've been learning about lines and stanzas, and also introduced a lesson on similes. Ms. Edwards had a lovely illustrated book that helped with my
- [Fourth Grade's Favorite Furry Friends!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/fourth-grades-favorite-furry-friends/) - For our second session at Smyser, we started the day with a warm-up game where we introduced ourselves with an alliterative adjective to go along with our names. I was "Energetic Em!" The students came up with some really great examples, including, "Infitinite Inas"! Then when we were nice and warmed up we read the
- [Smyser's 4th Graders Face Their Fears!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/smysers-4th-graders-face-their-fears/) - For our first session at Smyser, we closed out the spooky season with a poem that shows bravery in the face of fear: Maya Angelou's Life Doesn't Scare Me at All. We looked at the line that ends each stanza and talked a little bit about repetition as a tool for shaping a poem. So as
- ['...Casper the Ghost playing with me': Poems on Age and Reflection](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/casper-the-ghost-playing-with-me-poems-on-age-and-reflection/) - Students shared childhood stories before writing their own poems reflecting back on their younger selves, as the speaker did in Billy Collin's poem, On Turning Ten. Lesson Note. “I think one of the strengths of nostalgia is that even if they have not had a good childhood, most people have at least one nostalgic memory
- ['and dad/ and mom/and people/ and pool/': Food and Memory Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/and-dad-and-mom-and-poeple-and-pool-food-and-memory-poems/) - Nikki Giovanni is a well-known African-American poet who spent summers with her grandparents in Knoxville, Tennessee, when she was a little girl, doing many of the same things kids like to do during the summer. Her happy memories of those summers inspired her to write a poem called ''Knoxville, Tennessee.'' Students read and talked about
- [4th graders Explore Art in Chicago](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/4th-graders-explore-art-in-chicago/) - As we get closer to the end of our residency, I wanted to have a fun lesson for 4th graders. Since, they love to draw, for their 9th week, we learned about Ekphrastic poetry. Ekphrastic poetry is poetry that is inspired by art, such as drawings, sculptures, paintings, or photographs. Together we read the poem"
- [Revisions & Readings](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/revisions-readings/) - During our fifth and final week together, 6th graders at Dulles spent time revising their poems, then celebrated with a reading joined by the students of 302 and 303. To revise, students looked over all the poems they had written so far. They picked out favorite lines, combined poems, edited, and wrote new lines until
- ["The sounds of friends laughing" Imagery and Memory with South Loop Poetry Club!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-sounds-of-friends-laughing-imagery-and-memory-with-south-loop-poetry-club/) - This week at South Loop Poetry Club, our poets studied imagery and asked ourselves, how can we put someone else in our shoes? Using Nikki Giovanni's Knoxville, Tennessee, we drew inspiration from the different sensory details of one of her favorite memories to write our own poems. We talked about how first and second person
- [Poetic Forms and Cootie Catchers (5th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetic-forms-and-cootie-catchers-5th/) - Today, was our last day before break and the last lesson in our unit on surprise and play. We talked about how varied poetic forms can be and how there are no rules in the ways that a poem can use the page. We looked at a group of poems and talked about how different
- [Poetic Forms and Cootie Catchers (8th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetic-forms-and-cootie-catchers-8th/) - Today, was our last day before break and the last lesson in our unit on surprise and play. We talked about how varied poetic forms can be and how there are no rules in the ways that a poem can use the page. We looked at a group of poems and talked about how different
- [Do you hear what I hear?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/do-you-hear-what-i-hear/) - 4th Grade For today’s session, we talked about sound and all the different things we hear daily. We started off by trying to be as quiet as we could for a whole minute and then shared all the things that we heard. Giggles, shoes and desks squeaking, machines outside were just some of the things
- [6th graders do a Mic Check](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/6th-graders-do-a-mic-check/) - For our 5th and final week of our mini residency, 6th graders read and discussed ideas about Open Mics. Open mics are events open to the public, safe, welcoming places to share your creativity, either by singing, playing an instrument, reciting poetry, or telling comedic jokes. On Tuesday we looked at the poem "Mic Check,"
- [Dear Kobe](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/dearkobe/) - Lesson Note: This week, we learned all about epistolary poems by reading "Dear Basketball: by Kobe Bryant. Then everyone wrote their own letter poems! We also wrote our own myth poems this week. Mrs. Chester, 4th Grade For My Sister by A'rroni E. I love you because you are my sister and you
- ['Family time is the best'](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/family-time-is-the-best/) - Lesson Note: For our last week, we celebrated poetry by writing acrostic poems about our favorite seasons! Congrats on everyone in the class for writing so many incredible poems and getting published over the course of this residency. Mrs. Chester, 4th Grade Summer by Tyrand B. Sun is bright like me Usually I
- [More Instructions](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/more-instructions/) - Some students in Mr. Adenuga's class were still interested in creating poems that give instructions for how to do things....and so we continued. Notice how one student chose a straight forward approach, while others chose to explore the non-traditional recipe form. Enjoy! Mr. Adenuga4th Grade Recipe For How to Try Hardby Coby, Jermaine, and
- [6th graders Travel to Real & Imaginary Places](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/6th-graders-travel-to-real-imaginary-places/) - For our 4th week of poetry, 6th grades explored places in reality and those hidden in our imaginations. On Tuesday we read "candy store," by Nate Marshall, a poet who grew up in Chicago. Marshall used his five senses: sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste to help readers experience his childhood neighborhood candy store. Past-prime
- [Chicago Poems (Kindergarten)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/chicago-poems-kindergarten/) - Today, in Ms. Icho's kindergarten class, we went on an imaginary tour of Chicago! We got into the bus and buckled our seatbelts and went around our neighborhoods and some of the city’s most famous locations! Then we read “Chicago” by the Poetry Center’s own Fullamusu Bangara. Every student wrote and drew their own line
- [Winter poems (K)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/winter-poems-k/) - Today, in Ms. Icho’s kindergarten, we went on a magic adventure through winter! We looked at different winter pictures and talked about what we would see, smell, taste, touch, and hear at the playground, Devon Street, and our houses in winter. We read the poem “The Winter Day” written by the 2nd graders at Swift
- ['Then put red tomatoes in': Food & Memory Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/then-put-red-tomatoes-in-food-memory-poems/) - A discussion of food and memory began our class in preparation to study Gary Soto’s Narrative Style poem, Oranges. Nostalgia and feelings came up a lot in our talks. What emotions are attached to memory and food? Why? Do memories change as time goes by? How? Below are some examples of student’s work. Lesson Note: This
- [Where I'm From...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/where-im-from-5/) - 7th Grade This week we wrote about where we come from and how home shapes us. We talked about how using the five senses is really important because it helps a poem come alive, and they are the tools we use to paint a picture with words. There were so many amazing pieces this week
- [Say It Loud](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/say-it-loud/) - Hello again, dear reader! Last week, Carver students got comfortable getting loud through a number of theater exercises. As we play around with performance styles, we talked a bit about how variety of tone and voice projection are important elements to consider. After warming up our vocal cords, students worked on new or previous poem
- [Wish Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/wish-poems-2/) - 4th Grade What would you wish for if you knew it would come true? Today we made a wish list poem and talked about all the emotions we feel when we make a wish. Pizza, PS 5, pools and rainbow shoes were just a few of the wishes students shared. Enjoy the poems! I
- [One of these things is not like the other...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-other/) - 4th Grade For today’s session, we talked about how we can compare things that are very different but still similar to each other. For example what do a mouse and an elephant have in common, or how are the sun and a lightbulb similar to each other. Then students brainstormed their ideas and wrote their
- [Food Glorious Food](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/food-glorious-food/) - 4th Grade Food glorious food! Today we wrote poems about all the things we love to eat and snack on. We talked about how food is great to talk about because it engages all of our senses. Colors, textures, tastes, smells and even sizzling sounds. Enjoy the poems! Pizza Jeremiah The name of a
- [Family Celebrity Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/family-celebrity-poems-2/) - 4th Grade This week at Dulles we wrote poems inspired by Ashley Bryan’s poem “My Dad”. We started off by sharing some favorite memories of a family member we admire, and what it is that makes them amazing. Students then wrote a poem dedicated to that person and celebrated what they love most about them.
- [3rd Graders Get Colorful](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/3rd-graders-get-colorful/) - Instead of writing new poems for our 6th sessions, Twain 3rd graders had a day of review and sharing. They practiced reading their poems aloud for their classmates, as well as offering and receiving feedback on their work. For our 7th sessions, students took turns reading sections of Mary O'Neill's poem, "What is Brown?" aloud.
- [In a Perfect World](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/in-a-perfect-world/) - For our fourth week together, we looked at the big things that would make up a perfect world and the little things that make up our current world. On Tuesday, we read Joy Harjo's poem "Once the World was Perfect" and talked about how she personifies some big abstractions, like Doubt. Then, we wrote our
- ['When I go to the water ...': Exquisite Corpse-Style Group Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/when-i-go-to-the-water-exquisite-corpse-style-group-poems/) - Working on poetic lines, students crafted visual and then poetic Exquisite Corpses! Afterward, they were challenged to create a clay figure of one of their collective group drawings! Below are some images and some of the group poems created. Students created topics around which to craft their surprising poems, which unfold as you see below,
- [Stirring and Whisking Non-traditonal Recipes](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/stirring-and-whisking-non-traditonal-recipes/) - Last week 4th graders in Mr. Adenuga's class talked about food and cooking traditional and non-traditional recipes. They shared that they knew how to make breakfast, spaghetti, fried chicken, burgers, baked beans, and grilled cheese sandwiches. When it was time to think of non-traditional recipes, I invited students to have fun coming up with recipes
- [Food Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/food-poems-4/) - First graders at Brenneman had an exciting first poetry lesson! We read the poem "Fried Chicken," by Kwame Alexander, who writes that his grandmother's fried chicken is so good it tastes like pieces of heaven! Students talked about foods they like to cook and eat with special people in their lives. We hope you enjoy
- ['I am the frosting to my cake'](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-the-frosting-to-my-cake/) - Lesson Note: This week, we practiced similes and metaphors. We wrote some odes and then some "I Am" poems. All the students blew me away with their imaginations. Take a look at a few of the published poems! Mrs. Chester, 4th Grade Ode to Green by Joshua W. You are green as
- ['I remember how I always somewhow': Food & Memory Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-remember-how-i-always-somewhow-food-memory-poems/) - A discussion of food and memory began our class in preparation for studying Gary Soto’s narrative-style poem, Oranges. Nostalgia and feelings came up a lot in our talks. What emotions are attached to memory and food? Why? Do memories change as time goes by? How? Below are some examples of student’s work. Lesson Note: This
- [Big Ideas](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/big-ideas/) - At the start of the week, we were thinking small; later in the week, we were thinking big! The 4th graders read Before the Rains by Kim Stafford and then wrote poems envisioning the world they want to live in. Ms. Wilson's Class My World By Adore I would change the world I will
- [The Little Things!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-little-things/) - At the start of this week, the 4th graders at Dulles Elementary took some time to appreciate the little things, with Ode to Marbles by Max Mendelsohn. We talked about some examples of small objects with big importance, and then we wrote some odes of our own! Ms. Wilson's Class All about my
- [Happy Places](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/happy-places/) - Later in the week, Ms. Wilson's 4th-graders at Dulles Elementary dove right into figurative language! We read Nikki Giovanni's Knoxville Tennessee and talked about our happy places. I lead them through a short guided meditation to help build the scene, either from memory or a fantasy. They found all of the senses in Giovanni's poem, and
- [How to Triumph, Like a Student](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/20636-2/) - Greetings, friends and poetry lovers! This fourth session for Waters 6th grade was our last one before the holiday break. Since we explored metaphors last week, it only made sense to explore similes this week :). We watched a clip of the Disney classic "I'll Make A Man Out of You" from Mulan, then dug
- [Slow Down, Heaven Can Wait](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/slow-down-heaven-can-wait-2/) - Ms. Widman High School Creative Writing The poets at Amundsen this week had a blast writing from the pov of an animal. We read "The Heaven of Animals" by James Dickey and Frank O'Hara's "Animals." The students brainstormed about the role of the animal in society, their own natural world, and if the animal
- [Five Minutes of Fame](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/five-minutes-of-fame/) - Ms. Widman High School Creative Writing This week the Viking writers read Morgan Parker's "Beyonce on the Line for Gaga." We chatted about persona poems and how voice and tone influence a poem’s impact. We brainstormed about who we would like to write in the voice of and what would they say to us,
- [4th grade Weather Report](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/4th-grade-weather-report/) - For their 8th week Twain 4th graders experienced the changing weather through poetry. Students were asked what their favorite and least favorite seasons are. The majority of students loved Fall because of Halloween, the colorful leaves, and the temperature being not to hot and not too cold. Summer got the least likes due to the
- [A Special Gift (8th Grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-special-gift-8th-grade/) - In Ms. Krasic's class, we read Pablo Neruda's "Ode to My Socks." The students pointed out how wild and surprising his imagery was and how the socks seemed to transform his humble feet. We wrote poems about a special gift we've received. We thought about last week's lesson and wrote about what senses the gift
- [A Special Gift (5th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-special-gift-5th/) - In Ms. Shah's 5th grade class, we read Pablo Neruda's "Ode to My Socks." It was fun to think about the poems we wrote about ordinary objects last week related to his ecstatic sock poem. The students had wonderful insights about the types of imagery he used and how alive he made the socks feel
- ["My cat is the ocean on a sunny day." Metaphors and loved ones with South Loop Poetry Club](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/my-cat-is-the-ocean-on-a-sunny-day-metaphors-and-loved-ones-with-south-loop-poetry-club/) - This week at South Loop Poetry Club, we read Francisco X. Alarcón's "On Monday I Feel Like a Dragon." Our young poets raced to see who could find the most similes and metaphors. Since we used similes to talk about ourselves last week, we decided to write poems with metaphors about our loved ones this
- [Metaphors, two ways](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/metaphors-two-ways/) - During our 3rd poetry session at Waters Elementary, we tackled one of the most omnipresent forces in poetry - the metaphor! First, we listened to "Firework" by Katy Perry to find the metaphor there. Then, we read "Dreams" by Langston Hughes and "Frost" by Valerie Bloom. After talking about what we liked and disliked about
- ['A True Account of Talking to Ballet Shoes in the New York Award Assembly': O'Hara-style Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-true-account-of-talking-to-ballet-shoes-in-the-new-york-award-assembly-ohara-style-poems/) - A lesson on Personification, giving human qualities to something non-human via the poem: A True Account of Talking to the Sun at Fire Island. We took a look at Frank O’ Hara’s touching and somewhat mystifying poem. Among the illuminating things that happen in this text, our speaker engages in a conversation with the Sun. The
- [Who are our people and how do we find them?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/who-are-our-people-and-how-do-we-find-them/) - Hello hello! For our second week at Waters Elementary, we discussed stanzas and we discussed what it means to belong. Our poem for the day was José Olivarez's "I Walk Into Every Room and Yell Where the Mexicans At". We talked about why the speaker might feel lonely, why he looks for his people, and
- [Senses and Synesthesia (8th grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/senses-and-synesthesia-8th-grade/) - In Ms. Krasic's 8th grade, we're still enjoying our opening unit on poetry and playfulness! Today we talked about how poems can make strange connections and how using one of our senses can remind us of another sense or open up a memory in surprising ways. We listened to crackling leaves, felt pine cones, and
- [Poetry and Playfulness (5th)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-and-playfulness-5th/) - Today in Ms. Shah’s 5th grade, we talked about play and surprise. We talked about how poetry can give us tools to express some of our deepest emotions and thoughts, while also giving us a place to play with language and tap into our weird inner small kids. To practice getting in touch with this
- ["A poem that runs out of ideas"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-poem-that-runs-out-of-ideas/) - For our 4th poetry session, students thought about different kinds of dreams and wrote Dream Poems. For our 5th session, we began with a game of rhymes, before talking about coming up with crazy ideas using out-of-the-box-thinking. We read a poem made from out-of-the-box ideas such as "a hat of kisses," and "a person of
- [Making Sense with Sound](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/making-sense-with-sound/) - During our third week together, the students of Ms. Jackson's class wrote poems with rhyme and alliteration in mind. On Tuesday, we read Langston Hughes' poem "Harlem" and looked at the perfect rhyme used. On Thursday, we read Vievee Francis' "Song on the Ridge" and talked about the how music is created in the poem
- [What's In A Name...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/whats-in-a-name-5/) - In our first week at Perez Elementary, we got started with Mr Reinholdt’s 7th graders by introducing ourselves and talking about our names. We read two poems, both written by Foster Elementary students that I had in class last year, to get us inspired and get some creative juices flowing. They also did a little
- ['To my brother/best friend': Night Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/to-my-brother-bestfriend-night-poems/) - Students thought about what occurs at night, the concept of home, and short forms before penning their own very modern poems inspired by Li Bai's, 'Quiet Night Thoughts.' Quiet Night Thought At the foot of my bed, moonlight Yes, I suppose there is frost on the ground. Lifting my head I gaze at the bright
- ["I smelled the smell of Winter Air" Odes and Ekphrastics with Dulles](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-smelled-the-smell-of-winter-air-odes-and-ekphrastics-with-dulles/) - At Dulles, we discussed and learned about two types of poems that represent memory with imagery. We read Nikki Giovanni's 'knoxville, tennessee', which inspired us to reflect on our Thanksgiving dinners and other happy memories. Then we looked at Natasha Trethewey's 'History Lesson' and translated poem to image, and then image to poem. Take a
- [Sound Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sound-poems-3/) - This week at Dulles I brought in some poems and curriculum from the Hands-on-Stanzas archive (Thank you to Beth and Leslie!) and taught a lesson on sound poems. We started by reading examples from other elementary students, who either used the structure of "I hear ____," or wrote about sound in another way. The 4th
- [Until the Fence!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/until-the-fence/) - This week in Ms. Wilson's 4th-grade class we started by asking ourselves about a time we were surprised. We then read the poem, "Skating in the Wind" by Kristine O'Connell George. The poem ends on a pretty surprising line, so we took some time to go over what we've learned about line so far. We
- [Hot Chip as Metaphor](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/hot-chip-as-metaphor/) - Later in the week at Dulles, the 4th graders had some fun with metaphor! We read, "Words are Birds" by Francisco X. Alarcón, and discussed some of the ways in which the speaker feels that words are like birds. We started to make some metaphors together, and I noticed that the students really felt passionately
- [Writing About our Pets](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/writing-about-our-pets/) - When I visited Ms. Tze's 4th-grade class at Dulles, we first spent some time getting to know each other with a name game, then I heard from them what they'd been learning so far about lines and stanzas. I had a lesson prepared around similes for my other 4th-grade class, so we read the poem
- ['When the Ocean Talks-after Frank O'Hara': Lyric Poems by Middle Schoolers](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/when-the-ocean-talks-after-frank-ohara-lyric-poems-by-middle-schoolers/) - A lesson on Personification, giving human qualities to something non-human via the poem: A True Account of Talking to the Sun at Fire Island. We looked at Frank O’ Hara’s touching and somewhat mystifying poem. Among the illuminating things that happen in this text, our speaker engages in a conversation with the Sun. The Sun
- [Outstanding Odes from 6th graders](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/outstanding-odes-from-6th-graders/) - For the third week in our mini-residency Dulles 6th graders explored odes. Odes are poems that praise and celebrate people, places, and things. On Tuesday we read "Ode to Kool-Aid" by Marcus Jackson. In his poem he uses similes and alliteration to celebrate the delicious drink and memories from his youth. "Purplesaurus Rex, Roarin' Rock-A-Dile
- [4th graders get musical with haikus!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/4th-graders-get-musical-with-haiku/) - For their 7th poetry lesson, Twain 4th graders discovered haiku poems. Haiku is a short Japanese poem that only has three lines. The first line has 5 syllables, 7 in the second, and 5 in the third. Usually, haikus are about nature, but our theme for this week was music. The majority of 4th graders
- ["I am as creative as an artist" Figurative Language at Dulles](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-as-creative-as-an-artist-figurative-language-at-dulles/) - In Mr. Bridges' Poetry Specials, we talked about using similes and metaphors to make comparisons in our poems. For examples, we read through translations of Issa and Buson's haiku, and Francisco X. Alarcon's On Monday I Feel Like a Dragon. We wrote poems about ourselves and what we're like, and then wrote poems about our
- ["I am (Umm good cool and stuff)" Self Reflective Poems with South Loop Poetry Club](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-umm-good-cool-and-stuff-self-reflective-poems-with-south-loop-poetry-club/) - This week at South Loop Elementary School, we listened to "Everything at Once" by Lenka to talk about similes and comparisons. The young poets then began to think about their selves and answer the questions: What do I want to be like? What am I like now? Please enjoy the following poems from South Loop's
- ["I am so sad, that I'm not glad!" Emotional Lines in Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-so-sad-that-im-not-glad-emotional-lines-in-poems/) - For our first lesson together at South Loop Elementary, we read "How Poems Are Made" by Alice Walker. We studied lines, line breaks, and how the length of a line can change the emotion of the poem. We practiced by writing emotional run-on sentences, and then separated them into individual lines to make powerful poems.
- ["Step into my house" with South Loop Poetry Club!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/20302-2/) - Last week at South Loop Elementary School, we read Mary Carolyn Davies' "Portrait of a House" to start our thinking about what kind of buildings we go into everyday. We talked about stanzas being paragraphs of a poem, and that the word stanza originally meant "room." Using that as our inspiration, we wrote some fantastic
- ['I've been thinking about the way/you helped': Kindness Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ive-been-thinking-about-the-way-you-helped-kindness-poems/) - Students wrote and talked about kindness before reading the poem, ‘Small Kindnesses’ by Denusha Lameris. In crafting their own poems students focused on one idea, one stanza and small ways they have been kind or received kindness from others. Lesson Note: Kindness has health benefits. Kindness not only feels good, but it can also boost the giver’s
- [Sit Back, Relax, & Write](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sit-back-relax-write/) - Sometimes its hard to be a poet when life is lifing. Earlier this month, our poetry club opted to take it easy and free write instead of our usual themed prompts. Check out a poem from one of our students below: A Walking Deadpan by Sky S. As the wind takes its own route
- [Oh, This Ode Thing?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/oh-this-ode-thing/) - Last week was a journey with my favorite poetic form: odes. Students began the day with check-ins before we watched and read some poetry together. First we read "Ode To People Who Hate Me" and talked about the directness of the poem's tone. Then we watched "Ode to Cardi B" and students enjoyed the poet's
- ['Good Morning / Good Afternoon/  Good Night': Small Kindness Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/good-morning-good-afternoon-good-night-small-kindness-poems/) - Students wrote and talked about kindness before reading the poem, ‘Small Kindnesses’ by Denusha Lameris. Lesson Note: Kindness has health benefits. Kindness not only feels good, but it can also boost the giver’s well-being. Studies show that when people are kind, they have lower levels of stress hormones, and their fight-or-flight response calms down. For instance, when we see the person
- [My smile is like a rainbow](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/my-smile-is-like-a-rainbow/) - Lesson Note: Our second week was all about animals, rhyming, and learning how to compare! Take a look at some of the creative comparisons students wrote, and read a brilliant rhyming poem all about a student's favorite kind of animal. Mrs. Chester, 4th Grade My smile is like a rainbow. by Tianna G.
- [All About Wishes and Sensory Details](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/all-about-wishes-and-sensory-details/) - Lesson Note: For our first week, we wrote poems about our wildest wishes, and then wrote poems about some of the places in our lives where we see, hear, touch, smell, and taste some of our favorite things! Mrs. Chester, 4th Grade Home Sweet Home by Cheri P. Home is the best place
- [Memories & Odes](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/memories-odes/) - During our second week together, Dulles 6th graders wrote memory poems and odes. On Tuesday, we read Aimee Nezhukumatathil's "When I Am Six" and talked about the sensory images she uses to conjure her life at six years old. Then, students wrote their own poems rooted in early childhood memory. On Thursday, we read Sharon
- [The People & Places We Come From](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-people-places-we-come-from/) - For our first week together at Dulles, we talked about the people and places we come from, beginning with the poem "Roots" by Clint Smith. On Tuesday, students thought about what they have in common with their family members and what sets them apart. We then wrote a poem as a class, to which everyone
- ["A World Made For Us"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-world-made-for-us/) - For our 6th sessions, Twain 3rd Graders imagined the kind of world we would live in if they were in charge. I shared my poem, "Life is For Us and It Shines," which is written from the point of view of children. I explained that my poem was inspired by Gwendolyn Brooks' "A Little Girl's
- [The meaning behind 6th graders names @ Dulles](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-meaning-behind-6th-graders-names-dulles/) - This week I was excited to meet my group of 6th graders to begin our mini poetry residency. For the next five weeks I'll be teaching and writing poetry with 6th graders on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The theme for our first week is about names and their meanings. Why do we have names? Do names
- [6th graders Thoughts & Emotions](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/6th-graders-thoughts-emotions/) - For the second week of our mini-residency 6th graders explored their thoughts and emotions. On Tuesday students read and discussed the poem "Thought Machine," by Laura Mucha. In her poem Mucha compares her mind to a machine that generates positive or negative thoughts, Sometimes my thought machine makes thoughts like /THAT WENT WELL or YOUR
- ["I Am Black"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-black/) - After getting off to a rocky start for our 3rd and 4th sessions, 4th graders in Mr. Adenuga's class began to open-up to poetry. This week I shared Kwame Alexander's book, How to Write a Poem. We also looked at my poem, "Life is For Us and It Shines." Later, we talked about comparisons. For
- [A New Challenger Has Entered the Arena](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/a-new-challenger-has-entered-the-arena-2/) - Ms. Widman High School Creative Writing This week the Viking writers read Brigit Pegeen Kelly's "The Leaving." We brainstormed our own accomplishments and goals for the future. The young poets were then tasked with writing an epic poem in their own voice that describes achieving a goal. I am so proud to publish the poets
- [Exploring Our Writing Impulses at Waters](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/exploring-our-writing-impulses-at-waters/) - Greetings, supporters and poetry lovers! This past Wednesday I was thrilled to kick off a yearlong residency with the 6th grade classes at Waters Elementary. After learning more about students' likes and loves, their experiences with poetry, and how they would like to read and write together, we read Safia Elhillo's "Ode to Gossips." Admittedly,
- [Poetry is... | Sabin 4th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-is-sabin-4th-grade/) - This week we built upon our introductory foundation of last week's work with simile, with our this week's work with metaphor. We read Nikki Giovani's poem, "Poetry". Students thought about what poetry is to them through the use of metaphor; both asking and answering the question: What is poetry? A metaphor describes something by saying
- [Poetry is... | Sabin 5th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-is-sabin-5th-grade/) - This week we built upon our introductory foundation of last week's work with simile, with our this week's work with metaphor. We read Nikki Giovani's poem, "Poetry". Students thought about what poetry is to them through the use of metaphor; both asking and answering the question: What is poetry? A metaphor describes something by saying
- [Sounds of Our School and Neighborhood (Kindergarten)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sounds-of-our-school-and-neighborhood-kindergarten/) - Today in Ms. Icho's kindergarten class, we talked about our five senses and then focused on sound. We read a poem by a second grader about sounds and even learned a big word, onomatopoeia. Each student wrote one line of our class poem, and then we put them together. The kids did a great job
- [What's On Your Mind?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/whats-on-your-mind/) - Hello again! Last week's session was a tender look at what's been occupying our minds and hearts lately. After sharing some words of wisdom to our past selves, we watched a performance “Thinking About You” by Mike Taylor. Students talked a bit about how much they enjoyed the poem and the wealth of similes it
- ['...filled with big bloom flowers': Exquisite Corpse Group Poems!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/filled-with-big-bloom-flowers-exquite-corpse-group-poems/) - Students crafted visual and then poetic Exquisite Corpses! Afterward, they were challenged to create a clay figure of one of their collective group drawings! Below are some images and some of the group poems created. Students created topics around which to craft their surprising poems, which unfold as you see below, with the poetic line
- [Lines and Stanzas with Dulles](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/lines-and-stanzas-with-dulles/) - In our first week with Dulles, we learned about lines and stanzas in poetry. We read Alice Walker's "How Poems Are Made" and wrote poetry to express our feelings. Then on Thursday, we read May Carolyn Davis' poem "Portrait of a House." We talked about stanzas being used as rooms for a poem, and put
- [3rd Grade Inventions](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/3rd-grade-inventions/) - It's hard to believe that we are already halfway thru our poetry residency! For our fifth sessions together, Twain 3rd graders discussed thinking "out-of-the-box:" being inventive, using our imaginations, and the pictures that come into our minds when we read or hear certain phrases. In this "Swan of Bees" lesson, students tried to come up
- [4th Grade Sound Collaboration](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/4th-grade-sound-collaboration/) - For our 2nd session, 4th graders in Mr. Adenuga's class reviewed the senses: sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing. We then collaborated on a "Sound Poem." Sound Poem We hear sounds of life and siblings talking too much, a brotherwho sounds like a hyenawe hear sounds of people arguingbabies cryingaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhpeople saying things like"you fuu-nny!" and "Do
- [Poetry Publishing Workshop with Stevie Edwards](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-publishing-workshop-with-stevie-edwards/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents a Poetry Publishing Workshop with Stevie Edwards. *** HEALTH & SAFETY NOTE: We are requesting that attendees mask for this event. Thank you for your cooperation! *** Interested in getting your poetry published in magazines, journals, and the like? Chicago Poetry Center is proud to partner with Stevie Edwards to
- [Poetry and Playfulness (8th grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-and-playfulness/) - Our first poetry unit in Ms. Krasic’s 8th grade class is on play and surprise. We talked about how poetry can give us tools to express some of our deepest emotions and thoughts, while also giving us a place to play with language and tap into our weird inner small kids. To practice this silly
- [Poetry and Playfulness (6th grade)](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-and-playfulness-2/) - Today in Ms. Shah’s 6th grade, we talked about play and surprise. We talked about how poetry can give us tools to express some of our deepest emotions and thoughts, while also giving us a place to play with language and tap into our weird inner small kids. To practice getting in touch with this
- [4th graders celebrate with odes!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/4th-graders-celebrate-with-odes/) - For the fifth week in our residency, Twain 4th grades explored ode poetry. Odes are poems where the poet praises and celebrates significant people, places, and things. Students were asked "what type of things do they love to celebrate?" Students mentioned birthdays, Valentine's Day, winning a trophy, going to a gymnastics tournament, getting a new
- [Where do we find poetry?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/heres-where-we-find-poetry/) - For our first day with Ms. Wilson's 4th-grade class at Dulles Elementary, we asked ourselves, what is poetry? And where is it? and when what and why? These 4th graders had lots of insightful questions sparked by our reading of Elizabeth Alexander's Ars Poetica #100: I Believe. Now, as I reassured the students, ars poetica is simply
- [Sabin Elementary School | 5th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sabin-elementary-school-5th-grade/) - We are reading these poems about personification and questions & answers: Has My Heart Gone to Sleep? Antonio Machado Has my heart gone to sleep? Have the beehives of my dreams stopped working, the waterwheel of the mind run dry, scoops turning empty, only shadow inside? No, my heart is not asleep. It is awake,
- [Sabin Elementary School | 4th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sabin-elementary-school-4th-grade/) - We are reading about personification: Has My Heart Gone to Sleep? Antonio Machado Has my heart gone to sleep? Have the beehives of my dreams stopped working, the waterwheel of the mind run dry, scoops turning empty, only shadow inside? No, my heart is not asleep. It is awake, wide awake. Not asleep, not dreaming—
- [Kindergarten Wishes](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/kindergarten-wishes/) - In Kindergarten today, we talked about wishes and imagining the things we would love to see happen. The kids drew amazing pictures of their wishes and each student wrote a line of our combined class poem. (As it turns out, a lot of us really like cake and ice cream!) Our Wishes I wish for
- [Home for Everyone: Student Poems for Palestinians](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/chicago-is-home-for-everyone-palestine-poetry-workshop/) - With hate crimes targeting the Muslim community on the rise, many people listening to the news about violence affecting Palestinians may feel a sense of helplessness, not knowing how to help or talk about their feelings with friends and family. On November 5th, Build Coffee hosted a poetry workshop for students that featured the works
- [4th Graders Introduce Themselves](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/4th-graders-introduce-themselves/) - When I introduced myself to 4th graders in Mr. Adenuga's class - telling them that I would be joining them for poetry each week - students responded with some skepticism. Some hoped that we would be painting and drawing, and one student rightly guessed that they would have an opportunity to write poems of their
- [3rd Graders Respond to the Question: What Do You Dream?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/3rd-graders-respond-to-the-question-what-do-you-dream/) - For our 4th sessions together, Twain 3rd graders considered the nature of waking and sleeping dreams: dreams as hopes, and scary dreams to file under the heading: nightmares!🙀 We discussed the benefits and downsides of daydreaming. For some students, it was their first time being asked the question what do you dream? Ms. Lee3rd Grade Angelina
- ['...I get praised...': Poems For Around The Table](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-get-praised-poems-for-around-the-table/) - A typical household object became the focus of this lesson while studying Joy Harjo’s poem, Perhaps The World Ends Here. The poet James Merrill once commented that ‘we understand history from the family around the table.’ Lesson Note: Harjo’s work is often autobiographical, informed by the natural world, and preoccupied with survival and the limitations
- [What In The World of A Poem](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-in-the-world-of-a-poem-2/) - Ms. Widman High School Creative Writing This week the Viking writers read "The Quiet World" by Jeffery McDaniel. We explored what restrictions society places on us and what restrictions we place on ourselves. We brainstormed what we could change in the world in a surreal way. They were tasked with writing a poem that explored
- [How to eat a poem with Twain 4th graders](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-eat-a-poem-with-twain-4th-graders/) - I'm excited to return back to Twain Elementary to teach poetry. This time I will be working with the 4th graders on Mondays. I felt welcomed by students who were so friendly and excited to write poems. During our first week of poetry, we read a delicious poem by Eve Merriam, titled "How to Eat
- [Sensing Memories with Twain 4th graders](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/sensing-memories-with-twain-4th-graders/) - Joy Young For their second week of poetry Twain 4th graders went back in time. They explored some of their earliest memories. Students were asked, "What are memories? Which memories are special to you?" The majority of students described memories as events of the past that can make you feel happy, sad, or embarrassed just by remembering
- [We Are Family @ Twain 4th grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/we-are-family-twain-4th-grade/) - Joy Young For their third week of poetry, Twain 4th graders explored the meaning of family. I asked students "Where do you fit in your family?" Students thought about the positive and negative aspects of being the oldest, middle, youngest, or the only child. We even discussed how families can be created through marriage (stepparents/ step siblings)
- ['but as the rain glows...: Exquisite Corpse Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/but-as-the-rain-glows-exquisite-corpse-poetry/) - Students crafted visual and then poetic Exquisite Corpses! Afterward, they were challenged to create a clay figure of one of their collective group drawings! Below are some images and some of the group poems created. Students created topics such as FISH and GLOOMY DAYS to craft their surprising poems, which unfold as you see below,
- [Instructions On...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/instructions-on/) - Last week's session came with a sweet surprise from the poetry club. They greeted me with a warm "Happy Birthday!" and we spent some time celebrating before moving into poem time for the day. Together, we read Ada Limón's "Instructions on Not Giving Up" and looked at how the poet uses various types of imagery
- ["Her brain is like the internet"- Twain 3rd Graders Make Comparisons](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/her-brain-is-like-the-internet-twain-3rd-graders-make-comparisons/) - As an introduction to simile and metaphor, Twain 3rd graders discussed comparisons, or, what it means to note similarities between two things. Color, shape, size, idea, feeling, and sound are some of the ways to compare things. After looking and thinking about how clouds are like mashed potatoes and cacti are like tiny needles or
- [Blue Hour November 15 featuring Jacob Saenz & Jason Bayani](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-november-15-featuring-jacob-saenz-jason-bayani/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop hosted and facilitated by Marty McConnell. *** HEALTH & SAFETY NOTE: We are requesting that attendees mask for this event. Thank you for your cooperation! *** The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by
- [Twain 3rd Grade Ears Hear...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/twain-3rd-grade-ears-hear/) - For our 2nd sessions together, Twain 3rd graders honed-in on the sense of sound. We talked about happy and sad sounds, loud sounds and quiet sounds, favorite sounds, and onomotopeia or, the use of a word like - boing, oink, or whoosh! - that resembles or suggests the sound it describes! We recognized that sounds
- [What Makes a Poem?!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/20012-2/) - Ms. Widman High School Creative Writing For our first lesson together at Amundsen, the students read Rachel Richardson's "Questions". We discussed the parts of a poem and how image can drive the emotional response of the reader. The students were then tasked with asking questions about themselves, poetry, the world then writing their own lyrical
- [Blue Hour October 18 featuring Kenyatta Rogers & Marcy Rae Henry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-october-18-featuring-kenyatta-rogers-marcy-rae-henry/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop hosted and facilitated by Marty McConnell. *** HEALTH & SAFETY NOTE: We are requesting that attendees mask for this event. Thank you for your cooperation! *** The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by
- [Twain 3rd Graders Bring the Joy!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/twain-3rd-graders-bring-the-joy/) - For my first poetry date with Twain Elementary School's 3rd graders, I came prepared to introduce the residency in four classrooms; to talk about "art class with words," and learn something about the students by having them write "I AM' poems. What I wasn't prepared for was how ready the students were to jump right
- [Poetry @ The Green at 320: June](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-the-green-at-320-june/) - Poetry @ The Green at 320 continues for the summer season this June! The Chicago Poetry Center and The Green at 320 S. Canal are proud to reintroduce this free, weekly reading and open mic series co-curated by CPC's Poets in Residence Tarnynon Onumonu and Timothy David Rey. Join us on certain Monday nights
- [Poetry @ The Green at 320: July](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-the-green-at-320-july/) - Poetry @ The Green at 320 continues for the summer season this July! The Chicago Poetry Center and The Green at 320 S. Canal are proud to reintroduce this free, weekly reading and open mic series co-curated by CPC's Poets in Residence Tarnynon Onumonu and Timothy David Rey. Join us on Monday nights in
- [Poetry @ The Green at 320: Summer 2023](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-the-green-at-320-summer-2023/) - Poetry @ The Green at 320 returns for summer 2023! The Chicago Poetry Center and The Green at 320 S. Canal are proud to reintroduce this free, weekly reading and open mic series co-curated by CPC's Poets in Residence Tarnynon Onumonu and Timothy David Rey. Join us on certain Monday nights at 6 p.m.
- [CPC Summer Poetry Party 2023](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cpc-summer-poetry-party-2023/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents SUMMER POETRY PARTY 2023! Celebrate summer with the Chicago Poetry Center! Friday July 14 at Haymarket House, 800 W. Buena Community open mic 5:30-6:30 in the garden Main space doors at 6, poetry performances at 6:30, community hang and dance party at 7:30 FREE (but donations at all levels are
- [Poetry @ The Green at 320: August](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-the-green-at-320-august/) - Poetry @ The Green at 320 continues for the summer season this August! The Chicago Poetry Center and The Green at 320 S. Canal are proud to reintroduce this free, weekly reading and open mic series co-curated by CPC's Poets in Residence Tarnynon Onumonu and Timothy David Rey. Join us on Monday nights in
- [Blue Hour September 20 featuring Courtney LeBlanc & Cynthia Manick](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-september-20/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop hosted and facilitated by Marty McConnell. *** HEALTH & SAFETY NOTE: We are requesting that attendees mask for this event. Thank you for your cooperation! *** The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by
- [Poetry @ The Green at 320: September](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poetry-the-green-at-320-september/) - Poetry @ The Green at 320 continues through the fall this September! The Chicago Poetry Center and The Green at 320 S. Canal are proud to reintroduce this free, weekly reading and open mic series co-curated by CPC's Poets in Residence Tarnynon Onumonu and Timothy David Rey. Join us on Monday nights in September at
- [New Poems from A Teen Poetry State Champion](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/new-poems-from-a-teen-poetry-state-champion/) - Be in the lookout for this up-and-coming teen writer Yohanna Endashaw, who has just released her self-published book of poems, "Maturing In Free Verse." Book description: This is her journey, as a Black teenage girl, high achiever, and a daughter of immigrants. From the age of 10 to the cusp of adulthood at 17, these
- [Aaaaand We're Back!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/aaaaand-were-back/) - Welcome to a new year with Carver Military Academy's poets, dear reader! It was an absolute joy seeing Ms. Litton's familiar face as she welcomed me back into her classroom. This year, we're joined by some returning poets who shared their experiences from last year with our new poets. One student participated in our All
- [Blue Hour August 16 featuring Maggie Queeney & Brittany Rogers](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blue-hour-august-16-featuring-maggie-queeney-brittany-rogers/) - The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop hosted and facilitated by Marty McConnell. The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets from Chicago and beyond. The open mic includes five readers drawn lottery-style from a hat that
- [We're Hiring! Marketing Assistant](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/were-hiring-marketing-assistant/) - Downloadable PDF - Marketing Assistant Posting ** UPDATE: We’re no longer accepting applications. Thank you to all who have applied! We will follow up with all candidates.** ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION Mission & Programs The Chicago Poetry Center’s mission is to connect people and poetry, equitably engage poets with communities, and foster creative literacy in
- [We're Hiring! Poetry Teaching Artists](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/were-hiring-poetry-teaching-artists/) - Downloadable PDF - Poet in Residence Posting ** UPDATE: We’re no longer accepting applications. Thank you to all who have applied! We will follow up with all candidates.** ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION Mission & Programs The Chicago Poetry Center’s mission is to connect people and poetry, equitably engage poets with communities, and foster creative literacy
- [We're Hiring! Lit Life Intern](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/were-hiring-lit-life-intern/) - Downloadable PDF - Lit Life Intern Posting ** UPDATE: We’re no longer accepting applications. Thank you to all who have applied! We will follow up with all candidates.** ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION Mission & Programs The Chicago Poetry Center’s mission is to connect people and poetry, equitably engage poets with communities, and foster creative literacy
- [Origin Stories](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/origin-stories/) - This week, poets at Poe Middle School in Ms. Agboola’s class wrote their origin stories. Anthony's Origin Anthony P. 8th g. My name means "priceless one" Technically true, there's only me. But there's so many Anthonies Like my dad, His middle name is Anthony That's the inspiration for me Original, right? Many people
- [Moving Day](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/moving-day/) - This week, poets at Poe Middle School in Ms. Agboola’s class viewed Norman Rockwell's painting Moving In and we explored what we thought happened in the next scene. Here's what they wrote. Moving Day Ernest B. 7th g. 5 kids are meeting 5 unlikely friends 2 new friends 3 white boys 2 black kids 2
- [Chicago poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/chicago-poems/) - This week, poets at Poe Middle School in Ms. Agboola’s class wrote poems about Chicago. Here's what they created. What Chicago is Like Nathanael B. 6th g. Chicago is chaotic It is mostly sad Popeyes is good chicken and drinks Burger King is trash They have nuts there. Chicago is Like Brayden
- [Nature poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/nature-poems/) - This week, poets at Poe Middle School in Ms. Agboola’s class wrote nature poems. See what they created. Stars Jalen B. 6th g. Stars in the sky Stars with a guy The stars are shy Stars are mine I can go outside with nature. I can play with sticks I can do tricks I
- [Snowy day in Chicago](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/snowy-day-in-chicago/) - This week, poets at Poe Middle School in Ms. Agboola’s class wrote about a snowy day in Chicago. Read what they created. Snow Days Makayla J. 6th g. One snowy day a girl named Pat was getting ready for school when her mom named Cat called and told her it was a snow day for
- [Fruit Ghazal](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/fruit-ghazal/) - This week, poets at Poe Middle School in Ms. Agboola’s class learned about the ghazal. Here's what they created. Blue Savannah R. 6th g. Feast. Fast. Feast fast on your blueberries. Hurry. They're almost gone. Come get the remaining blueberries. So so so many. Too many! These blueberries are suffocating. They
- [Our favorite foods](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/our-favorite-foods/) - This week, poets at Poe Middle School in Ms. Agboola’s class wrote about foods they loved. Here's what they created. How to Eat Chicken Eric S. 7th g. Don't get messy Start eating up Pick it up with your hands and put it in your mouth Crumbs on your shirt Crumbs on the floor
- [My Name Is](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/my-name-is-2/) - This week, poets at Poe Middle School in Ms. Agboola’s class pondered the story of their names after reading an excerpt of Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. Here's what they created. My Name Is Christian P. 6th grade Chris Christian Christian P My friends family and others Call me, Christian Just Christian. But
- [Grissom Elementary School | 6th Grade, What We Know](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/grissom-elementary-school-6th-grade-what-we-know/) - Mrs. Nazimek 6th Cooking Leah S. A woman carefully choosing ingredients from a shelf full of dozens. A woman carefully analyzing each and every spatula eagerly waiting to be chosen to stir the pot. A woman carefully adding in all of the wonderful ingredients chosen wisely, with patience and pride. A woman Carefully placing
- [Grissom Elementary School | 8th Grade: At the End and the Beginning](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/grissom-elementary-school-8th-grade-at-the-end-and-the-beginning/) - Mrs. Nazimek 8th Free Write ¨The Thoughts¨ Joel C. I am the one Who thinks about the beyond As if it were right around the corner The one who thinks about free time The one who stresses about such small things The one who looks forward to the days of heat, sunshine ,and
- [Grissom Elementary School | 7th Grade, Thoughts & Actions](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/grissom-elementary-school-7th-grade-thoughts-actions/) - Mrs. Nazimek 7th | Thoughts & Actions Free Write Alex D. Gardening… growing plants… tilling the dirt breathing in fresh air… in the hot sun… digging and planting the plants… waiting to have them grow getting the harvest smelling the flowers felling successful _______________ To be
- [Haunted Hamline Pt. 2](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/haunted-hamline-pt-2/) - As promised, here are the scary poems from Hamline. Do not read in the dark... The Rose by Sandra I was trying to plant a rose because my mother told me so. And I put the rose in place and watered it. The rose was normal for about 2 seconds but then the rose started
- [Ghosts in the Hallway Pt. 2](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ghosts-in-the-hallway-pt-2/) - As promised, here are the scary poems from Perez. Do not read in the dark... Echo in the Trees By Jewelz and Alice She heard the leaves breaking as she turned around but nothing was there. She looked at the path in front of her. "Hey, Halloween passed you weirdo why are you still dressed
- [Haunted Hamline](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/haunted-hamline/) - Haunted Hamline! Some of the earliest forms of horror stories came in the form of poetry. The young poets at Hamline School read some scary classics in poetry like “The Cremation of Sam McGee” by Robert Service and “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe. We discussed the supernatural phenomenon that scare like vampires, aliens, and
- [Winglike Petals](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/winglike-petals/) - Enjoy some nature vignettes from the park besides Hale Elementary! Nature by Sebastian Z. 7th grade A large tree that looks like it is surrounded by a large green sea. With thousands of large and little wooden fingers. With little blue flowers that have the color of the sky, Each
- [My Modern Days](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/my-modern-days/) - We may be heading into summer but that doesn't mean we can't appreciate work from this year's beautiful poetry residencies. Below is a poem from Hale's own Abe the Ape! My Modern Days by Abraham P. 4th grade I love watching football, but when I play, I'm trash. Besides that, I play with
- [Goodbye and Goodluck!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/goodbye-and-goodluck/) - This was our last week of programming at Clissold Elementary as we closed out the school year. I want to give a huge thank you to Mr. Stalnos for inviting CPC in to facilitate workshops, and to Ms. Tetrev in the front office for making our worksheet copies every week. I want to wish our
- [Break a Leg It's Showtime!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/break-a-leg-its-showtime/) - This week we combined forces and both of our after school Poetry Clubs came together to have one final practice for the Clissold Student Showcase this Wednesday. Students are practicing poems about recipes, about bravery, about standing up to bullying, and about how our rooms can be our sanctuaries. I can't wait to see them
- [Time to get ready!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/time-to-get-ready/) - This week we started to get ready for our Clissold Elementary assembly! All of our after school Poetry Club participants will be reading an original poem in front of their classmates for the Student Showcase the after school arts programs will have a chance to show off their talents. Students picked the poem that they
- [Summer Here We Come!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/summer-here-we-come/) - Today was my last session with all my Foster Park Elementary Students. We had a short session together since the 8th graders were getting ready for graduation and 6th and 7th grade were enjoying some free time for the day. After passing back poems, we had a quick check-in and shared a little bit about
- [Quiet Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/quiet-poems/) - It’s almost the end of the school year and students at Perez are excited for their approaching summer vacation. This week we read The Quiet Machine by Ada Limon and talked about what the best and worst kinds of silences are. We also discussed how the way it’s structured like a prose poem affects the
- [School's Out For Summer!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/schools-out-for-summer/) - Today was our last session at Perez Elementary and we spent the time celebrating! After passing around a huge bowl of candy, (which is great early in the morning) students looked over their poetry portfolios and shared what they had learned about poetry and themselves through the process of writing. Then I led them in
- [All Good Things...](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/19599-2/) - We made it to the end of our time at Simpson Academy! A big thank you to all the amazing teachers and students who put so much time and effort into making this such a great workshop. We'll close it out with this short but "sweet" poem about names one of Simpson's 2023 graduates.
- [The People Who Made Us: The Idea of Ancestry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/the-people-who-made-us-the-idea-of-ancestry/) - Today we read The Idea of Ancestry by Etheridge Knight. We had an amazing discussion about family, both biological and chosen. We talked about the stories that get handed down to us, who we might look like, what traditions, customs and names get passed down through a family. But forty-five minutes is just never time
- [Blackout Poetry: Parting Action Shots](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blackout-poetry-parting-action-shots-part-one/) - For part of our final project days, students created, ‘Blackout Poems’. They used ‘found language’ and images to create new meanings. Here are some 'in action' shots of student hands working away. Blackout Poetry: A blackout poem is created when a poet takes a marker (usually black marker) to already established text–like that from a
- [Blackout Poetry: Parting Action Shots](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blackout-poetry-parting-action-shots-2/) - For a final project, students created, ‘Blackout Poems’. They used ‘found language’ and images to create new meanings. Here are some 'in action' shots of student hands working away. Blackout Poetry: A blackout poem is created when a poet takes a marker (usually black marker) to already established text–like that from a newspaper–and starts redacting
- [" I think about other things during school like Netflix Netflix Netflix": Repetition Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-think-about-other-things-during-school-like-netflix-netflix-netflix-repetition-poems/) - We explored the powerful device of Repetition in Phil Kaye’s poem of the same name. Some poems in our workshop are ‘after’ Kaye’s work. Lesson Note: “Repetition can make magic happen-repeat a word or a phrase enough times and it breathes new life, fresh meaning. Or repetition can strip language until all that’s left are empty
- [Blackout Poetry: Parting Action Shots!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/blackout-poetry-parting-action-shots/) - For a final project, students created, ‘Blackout Poems’. They used ‘found language’ and images to create new meanings. Here are some 'in action' shots of student hands working away. Blackout Poetry: A blackout poem is created when a poet takes a marker (usually black marker) to already established text–like that from a newspaper–and starts redacting
- [Cut Up Poetry: Parting Action Shots Part Two!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cut-up-poetry-parting-action-shots-part-two/) - For a final project, students used magazines and created cut-up poems! They used ‘found language’ and images to create new meanings. Here are some 'in action' shots of student hands working away! Lesson Note: Creative Artist guru, Julia Cameron, says the part of us that creates art is about 7 years old. And so, it
- [Cut Up Poems: Parting Action Shots](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cut-up-poems-parting-action-shots-3/) - For a final project, students used magazines and created cut-up poems! They used ‘found language’ and images to create new meanings. Here are some 'in action' shots of student hands working away! Lesson Note: Creative Artist guru, Julia Cameron, says the part of us that creates art is about 7 years old. And so, it
- [Cut Up Poems: Parting Action Shots!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cut-up-poems-parting-action-shots-2/) - For a final project, students used magazines and created cut-up poems! They used ‘found language’ and images to create new meanings. Here are some 'in action' shots of student hands working away! Lesson Note: Creative Artist guru, Julia Cameron, says the part of us that creates art is about 7 years old. And so, it
- [Cut Up Poems: Parting action shots!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cut-up-poems-parting-action-shots/) - For a final project, students used magazines and created cut-up poems! They used ‘found language’ and images to create new meanings. Here are some 'in action' shots of student hands working away! Teacher: Cavey, 7th Grade Lesson Note: Creative Artist guru, Julia Cameron, says the part of us that creates art is about 7 years
- [Bittersweet Goodbyes](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/bittersweet-goodbyes/) - My last week at Carver was a beautiful reminder that Carver's poets are a talented crew. The session began with an exciting update: most students decided to perform in the school's end-of-year talent show! It was heartwarming to see the group so willing to perform on stage, a vulnerable and courageous act. After we caught
- [Remember Who You Are](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/remember-who-you-are/) - For their 10th and final day of poetry, Twain 6th graders explored ideas about memories. We discussed the importance of remembering. Whether its remembering happy memories such as birthday parties, family vacations, and first crushes or sad memories such as a friend moving away, losing a childhood toy, and the passing of a loved one.
- [I Am Poems: "My life is like the wind..."](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-am-poems-my-life-is-like-the-wind/) - This week we read Nikki Giovanni’s Ego Trippin’ and talked about about how we celebrate ourselves. Then the students had an opportunity to ego trip for a bit and write a poem where they celebrated different aspects of themselves using metaphor, comparison and exaggeration like Ms. Giovanni does in her poem. Enjoy this week’s poets!
- [Grissom Group Poems 7th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/grissom-group-poems-7th-grade/) - Mrs. Nazimek | 7th Grade inspired by: “Bilingual/Bilingüe” , By Rhina P. Espaillat Group Poem recited together Isabella, Dylan, Marisa, Yuria, Platon There are five people at a table Each have their own personalities, Everyone has their enjoyment or their hobbies So listen to each person’s realities. [to be continued]
- [Grissom Group Poems 6th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/grissom-group-poems-6th-grade-2/) - Mrs. Nazimek| 6th Grade (second period) inspired by: “Bilingual/Bilingüe” , By Rhina P. Espaillat Group Poem recited together Eliana C., Nicholas H., Aerson O. Quiet as a mouse, but not at my house, my team work is hard, hard as stone when I see the ball my point postpones, I may not seem athletic,
- [Grissom Group Poems 8th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/grissom-group-poems-8th-grade/) - Mrs. Nazimek | 8th Grade inspired by: "Bilingual/Bilingüe" , By Rhina P. Espaillat Group Poem recited by one person Yariah, Nena, Damian, Miguel, Daniela, Kaylah All 6 of us are different but yet we continue like the 6 senses. Our other halves, shadows don’t like that we get attention, we are all
- [Grissom Group Poems 6th Grade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/grissom-group-poems-6th-grade/) - Mrs. Nazimek | 6th Grade (first period) inspired by: “Bilingual/Bilingüe” , By Rhina P. Espaillat Group Poem recited together Bella E., Gia R., CJ V., Jonathan R. I’m quiet when I’m by myself. Sitting in my room, listening to music. I like when no one bothers me. I’m quiet when I’m by myself, but
- [Bittersweet](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/bittersweet/) - For the last day of this year's poetry residency, we played alliteration and word-association games. We talked about what it means to graduate, and how the end of the school year can feel - to use one student's word - bittersweet. Then, students took turns reading poems aloud from Out of Wonder: Celebrating Poets and
- [Out of School and into Summer Poems!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/out-of-school-and-into-summer-poems/) - Greetings West Park poetry friends and followers! During our final meeting together, students celebrated their work by sharing poems out loud with their peers and teachers. Please help us celebrate students' work by looking back through all of the poems that have been published this spring! These final poems are a sampling of all the
- [Letters delivered to you from Twain 6th graders](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/letters-delivered-to-you-from-twain-6th-graders/) - For their 8th week of poetry Twain 6th graders explored epistolary poetry. Epistolary poems are poems that can be written as letters, notes, or diary entries. We discussed the different ways people communicate with each other in today's world: texts, emails, social media posts, and Face Timing. Handwritten letters may seem outdated, but they can
- [Ending with Blackout Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ending-with-blackout-poems/) - Our short and sweet FORA residency came to a close last week. In our last session we explored blackout poems, which are always popular regardless of age. After viewing some cool examples, we turned to our source text. Students worked with excerpts from Sandra Cisneros' classic, The House on Mango Street. All were encouraged to
- [Writing From Joy](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/writing-from-joy/) - For our 4th FORA session, we talked about writing from a place of joy. To me, there's no better example than the wonderful Ross Gay. We read "Sorrow Is Not My Name" together, digging into the layers of images and small delights among some not-so-delightful images. Then we began to write about the things that
- [Celebration and Slam!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/celebration-and-slam/) - Alas, two weeks ago we closed out a stellar term of poetry with Bronzeville Classical's 3rd and 4th grade students! On our final day, we didn't write poems; instead we watched slam performances from a number of young poets, including Australian slam poet Solli Raphael. We had fun scoring each performance and giving our final
- ["O, Neptune's stars how did you/ become so bright?": Out of this World....Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/o-neptunes-stars-how-did-you-become-so-bright-out-of-this-world-poems/) - Students read a student poem, listened to Robert Frost's star-themed poem, 'Choose Something Like A Star,' that used personification to talk to a star before trying their hands at their own poems addressing something… bigger than themselves while using words from legendary poet/teacher Kim Addonizio's word bank below! Mirror Smoke Angel Sizzle Burn Blanket Fold
- [What Is Freedom?](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/what-is-freedom/) - This past week at Sayre Language Academy we recalled learning Gwendolyn Brook's poem "We Real Cool" and answered why it is so easy to remember--the music. We focused on rhyming and writing poems about what freedom looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Ms. Hernandez 7th Grade I Feel Free Every Day by Ashton A.
- [Last Day of School - Summer Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/last-day-of-school-summer-poems/) - For my last day with the 7th graders at Sayre Language Academy, the students described what they learned about writing and themselves through the process of writing poetry. Then they wrote poems about what they were looking forward to seeing in their neighborhoods this summer. Students also had the opportunity to resubmit a poem they
- [Ars Poetica](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ars-poetica-2/) - For my last day with Homeroom 302 at Waters Elementary, the students described what they learned about writing and themselves through the process of writing poetry. They first completed a brainstorm activity where they described their thoughts on poetry. Below are some of the things they wrote. They then wrote their own Ars Poetica poems,
- [To Wish Upon a Star](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/to-wish-upon-a-star/) - Last week with Mr. Raman's 7th and 8th graders at Waters Elementary we thought about the practice of wishing on a star, and wrote a poem to something much larger than our own lives using personification and questions. We read Percy Shelley's "A Lament" for inspiration. The poem starts, "O world! O life! O time!
- [Summertime](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/summertime/) - For our last weeks at Waters, and to welcome the summer, homerooms 302 and 303 wrote poems about what summertime looks and feelings like in their own neighborhoods. Our example poem was about the opposite, "Frost" by Valerie Bloom, where she describes the snow with vivid imagery and figurative language. 302 Untitled by Kylie B.
- [Revisited Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/revisited-poems/) - Greetings West Park poetry friends and followers! After reviewing all of their poetry from the past six weeks, students selected a favorite poem to revisit, revise and read out loud. Students worked with a partner to identify which elements of their work could be improved or developed further, choosing to focus on line breaks, stanzas,
- [Let's Celebrate with Poetry at Twain!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/lets-celebrate-with-poetry-at-twain/) - There was so much to celebrate for 6th graders during their ninth session of poetry. There was a pop-up poetry event for 5th and 6th graders in the school auditorium, where Chicago Poetry Center poets Luis and Fullamusu. They brought loads of excitement and energy as they performed their poems for students. 6th grader Meghan
- [Reflections](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/reflections/) - For our final sessions at Kozminski for the 2022-23 school year, we talked about being reflective. Students talked about things that they have learned, and how things have changed, or not changed since the school year began. Some students shared that they had started out feeling nervous, or had been a "crybaby," or had been
- [Gwendolyn Brooks - Into Music](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/gwendolyn-brooks-into-music/) - These past weeks students from Waters focused on including rhythm and rhyme in their poetry, gaining inspiration from Gwendolyn Brooks’ iconic poem “We Real Cool.” Our prompt was to write a poem about others’ misconceptions about their generation. 301 To the Tune of "Born in the USA" by Lucy D. I WAS BORN IN THE
- [Riddles of Value](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/riddles-of-value/) - During our last class of April at Waters, homerooms 301 and 302 created riddle poems inspired by Sylvia Plath's poem "Metaphor" which begins, "I'm a riddle in nine syllables." Students guessed at Plath's riddle, then had a hand in creating their own poems for their classmates to figure out! 301 Impure? by Anonymous He is
- [Riddle Our Fears](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/riddle-our-fears/) - This time in poetry class at Waters, homeroom 305 created riddle poems inspired by Sylvia Plath's poem "Metaphor" which begins, "I'm a riddle in nine syllables." Students guessed at Plath's riddle, then had a hand in creating their own riddle poems for their classmates to figure out! The students focused on writing poems about their
- ["I won't get up/ I can't/ I won't get dressed/ I can't": Repetition & Routine Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/i-wont-get-up-i-cant-i-wont-get-dressed-i-cant-repetition-routine-poems/) - We explored the powerful device of Repetition in Phil Kaye’s poem of the same name. Some poems in our workshop are ‘after’ Kaye’s work. Lesson Note: “Repetition can make magic happen-repeat a word or a phrase enough times, and it breathes new life, fresh meaning. Or repetition can strip language until all that’s left are empty
- [Summer Dreaming](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/summer-dreaming/) - Last week was my last session with Swift 2nd graders for the 2022-23 school year. We read I'd Know You Anywhere, My Love by Nancy Tillman, and students visited their poetry folders to review all the poems written this semester. We then had a wonderful time sharing our favorites! Students in Ms. Urquiza's class were
- [Collaborative Creativity](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/collaborative-creativity/) - Last week Shoesmith 4th graders read Kwame Alexander's How to Write a Poem, and then worked collaboratively to create poems inspired by our discussions. Ms. Lehner 4th Grade - Group 1 Roaring into Poetry Let words dance with joy not with fear, be brave for your bravery can fight fear like a lion fighting prey
- [Let's Get Started!](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/lets-get-started/) - For our first session at Foster Park Elementary we spent some time introducing ourselves and talking about what poetry is and what it means to us. I introduced myself, by sharing a poem Ode To the Chancla, a piece dedicated to the overlooked yet mighty flip flop! We had a great conversation about how important
- [8th Grade- Tables and Odes Pt. 2](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/8th-grade-tables-and-odes/) - Last week we got started on poems inspired by Joy Harjo's piece "Perhaps The World Ends Here", while some students chose to write ode poems to things they love or admire. We spent some more time in this session working on those pieces and polishing them up. Enjoy this week's poets! Strawberry Daranae
- [8th Grade- Tables and Odes Pt. 1](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tables-and-odes/) - This week we read Joy Harjo's "Perhaps the World Ends Here" and talked about all of the things that can take place at a table. Whether it's at home, or in the cafeteria. Some students weren't too inspired by the idea of a table so I gave them the option of writing an ode to
- [8th Grade- Personification Pt. 2](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/8th-grade-personification-pt-2/) - Last week we got started on poems using personification as a device to approach larger than life ideas. Sometimes, one session just isn't enough time to create a masterpiece so we continued working on them this week. These poems are about all kinds of mysterious things. From the evolution of the world, to what makes
- [8th Grade- Personification Part 1](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/8th-grade-personification-part-1/) - If you could ask the moon anything you wanted, what would you ask? And what would it say if it could respond? This week we talked about personification after reading Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem The Lament. We talked about big life questions and things we wonder about that are larger than life. The ocean, trees,
- [8th Grade- Food Poems Pt. 2](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/8th-grade-food-poems-pt-2/) - Are you hungry for more poems? Our Foster Park 8th graders finished up their food poems this week and they are sure to leave your stomach growling. Enjoy this weeks poets! Noodles Damian Tyler Hi I’m Damian T noodles is the food yes noodles are very good noodles can be anything it could be
- [8th Grade-Food Poems Pt. 1](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/8th-grade-food-poems-pt-1/) - Food Glorious Food! We started by thinking of a hypothetical situation: If aliens were coming to earth to take you away to their planet, what is the one dish you would absolutely have to eat before leaving? That got a whole conversation about favorite foods started with our 8th grade class. Students then got to
- ["Words coming to life before your very eyes"](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/words-coming-to-life-before-your-very-eyes/) - In our recent sessions, Kozminksi 4th and 5th grade poets took inspiration from Kwame Alexander's book, How to Write a Poem, which starts off with "Begin with a question..." Students first brainstormed lists of questions. From there, they had the following options for writing their poems: (1) ask questions; (2) answer questions; or (3) write

## Pages

- [Homepage](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/) - All My Friends are Poets with Nadia Alexis More Videos Get Involved We can't do it without you! Learn More A Bigger Table For 50 years, CPC has remained rooted in our history of liberatory artistic practice. Our programs have supported tens of thousands of Chicago Public School students in exploring their powerful voices, offered
- [About](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/about/) - Explore the Chicago Poetry Center's mission, vision, and values and the team that carries them out. Learn about our 50+ year history, read CPC's annual reports and news items, and find opportunities to join our team. Mission, Vision & Values Learn about CPC's Mission, Vision, and Values Our Team Meet our Staff, Board, and Poets
- [Poetry at the Green](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/lit-life/poetry-at-the-green/) - Poetry at the Green is an outdoor reading and open mic series. From June through August each year, this partnership with The Green at 320 brings poetry to a beautiful open air setting in downtown Chicago. Join curators and hosts Timothy David Rey and Joy Young each Monday at 6pm for a featured reading and
- [Annual Report](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/about/annualreport/) - Learn about our impact across Chicago and beyond by viewing Chicago Poetry Center annual reports below: Three Year Report: FY22/23/24 Annual Report: FY21
- [Events](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/events/) - Browse CPC's upcoming events, and explore or submit to the city wide poetry events calendar. Check out the archive for 50+ years of CPC readings and more. Blue Hour Browse CPC's upcoming events, and explore or submit to the city wide poetry events calendar. Check out the archive for 50+ years of CPC readings and
- [Upcoming Events](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/events/upcoming-events/)
- [City-Wide Poetry Event Calendar](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/events/calendar/) - Welcome to the Chicago Poetry Center's City-Wide Literary Events Calendar! For new additions, please fill out this form.For corrections to previously submitted events, please fill out this form.If you have any questions or concerns about the calendar, please email curator@poetrycenter.org.Please note that this information is provided as a public service; CPC is not endorsing or formally
- [Events Archive](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/events/archive/) - (this is a dummy page)
- [Work With Us](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/about/work-with-us/) - The Chicago Poetry Center has a variety of paid and volunteer opportunities to support our work and mission. Specific opportunities will be posted here when open. Staff and Interns: These are paid roles at CPC and hiring calls will be posted with pay and employment details when open. These jobs are posted when open, and
- [Queen Zee: Episode 5](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/education-programs/qzpa/qz5/) - Queen Zee’s Poetic Adventures Episode 5: Seasonal Poems Stream The Episode: Closed captions available in this video. Episode Resources Teacher Resource Guide (Color) Teacher Resource Guide (Black + White) Student Workbook (Color) Student Workbook (Black + White) Student Poem Worksheet (Color) Student Poem Worksheet (Black + White) About The Episode We learn about Queen Zee
- [Queen Zee: Episode 4](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/education-programs/qzpa/qz4/) - Queen Zee’s Poetic Adventures Episode 4: Recipe Poems Stream The Episode: Closed captions available in this video. Episode Resources Teacher Resource Guide (Color) Teacher Resource Guide (Black + White) Student Workbook (Color) Student Workbook (Black + White) Student Poem Worksheet (Color) Student Poem Worksheet (Black + White) About The Episode In the fourth episode, Queen
- [Queen Zee: Episode 3](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/education-programs/qzpa/qz3/) - Queen Zee’s Poetic Adventures Episode 3: Monster Poems Stream The Episode: Closed captions available in this video. Episode Resources Teacher Resource Guide (Color) Teacher Resource Guide (Black + White) Student Workbook (Color) Student Workbook (Black + White) Student Poem Worksheet (Color) Student Poem Worksheet (Black + White) About The Episode Queen Zee teaches us that
- [Queen Zee: Episode 2](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/education-programs/qzpa/qz2/) - Queen Zee’s Poetic Adventures Episode 2: Identity Poems Stream The Episode: Closed captions available in this video. Episode Resources Teacher Resource Guide (Color) Teacher Resource Guide (Black + White) Student Workbook (Color) Student Workbook (Black + White) Student Poem Worksheet (Color) Student Poem Worksheet (Black + White) About The Episode In the first episode, we
- [Queen Zee: Episode 1](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/education-programs/qzpa/qz1/) - Queen Zee’s Poetic Adventures Episode 1: Poems About Your World Stream The Episode: Closed captions available in this video.  Episode Resources Teacher Resource Guide (Color) Teacher Resource Guide (Black + White) Student Workbook (Color) Student Workbook (Black + White) Student Poem Worksheet (Color) Student Poem Worksheet (Black + White) About The Episode In the
- [School Residencies](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/education-programs/school-residencies/) - CPC's Poets in Residence bring fun and engaging creative writing lessons for elementary and high school students to your classroom, poetry club, or after-school program. Through Chicago Poetry Center’s residencies, Poets in Residence engage students with weekly in-school or after-school programming. We work with K-12 students in schools across Chicagoland. During each residency session, students
- [Assemblies & Workshops](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/education-programs/assemblies/) - Interactive assemblies and generative writing workshops feature performance poets and powerful themes, including our popular Black History Month assembly and various social justice assemblies. Engage the curiosity of a large group of students with our lively assemblies, or ignite the creativity of a single classroom with a poetry writing workshop. In our assemblies, poets perform
- [Poetry Out Loud](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/education-programs/poetry-out-loud/) - The Chicago Poetry Center hosts the Chicagoland regional competition for Poetry Out Loud. Learn how your high school can participate in this national poetry recitation contest. Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages high school students to learn about poetry through analysis, memorization, performance, and competition. Through Poetry Out Loud, high school
- [Queen Zee's Poetic Adventures](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/education-programs/qzpa/) - Welcome to Queen Zee’s Poetic Adventures! Inspired by classic children’s television, Queen Zee’s Poetic Adventures takes viewers to a magical world of joyful, engaging poetry lessons for kids. Created for students in 2nd-5th grades, this five-episode series is ELA and SEL-focused, aligned with Common Core standards, and, best of all, fun!Queen Zee is the Royal
- [Blue Hour](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/lit-life/blue-hour/) - Blue Hour is a monthly poetry reading series with a generative writing workshop and open mic. I waitin a blue hourand faraway noise of hammering,and on a page a poem begun, somethingabout to be dispersed,something about to come into being. – Li-Young Lee, from “The City in Which I Love You” It takes place the
- [CPC Presents](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/lit-life/cpc-presents/)
- [Custom Programs & Partnerships](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/custom-programs-partnerships/)
- [Critical Conversations](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/critical-conversations/)
- [Lit Life](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/lit-life/)
- [Programs](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/) - Our primary programs include: Literary LifeLiterary Life aims to provide platforms for marginalized voices, integrate poetry into everyday life, and foster creativity among people of all ages. Our flagship program is the free Blue Hour reading series and generative writing workshop which takes place every third Wednesday of the month at Haymarket House. Other Lit Life programs
- [FAQ](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/learn/faq/)
- [Workplaces](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/learn/workplaces/)
- [Writers & Readers](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/learn/writers-readers/)
- [Schools & Educators](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/learn/schools-educators/)
- [Learn](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/learn/)
- [Press](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/about/press/)
- [A Bigger Table: 50 Years](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/about/brief-history/a-bigger-table-50-years-of-the-chicago-poetry-center/) - A Bigger Table: 50 Years of the Chicago Poetry Center Chicago Poetry Center was formed through defiant, organic, community-driven efforts following the threat of literary censorship in the 1950s. A group of Chicago writers and editors organized to create publication and performance spaces that welcomed queer and racially diverse contemporary voices. This created projects such
- [History](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/about/brief-history/) - 50+ Years: A Bigger and Bigger Table Chicago Poetry Center was formed through defiant, organic, community-driven efforts following the threat of literary censorship in the 1950s. A group of Chicago writers and editors organized to create publication and performance spaces that welcomed queer and racially diverse contemporary voices. These efforts were formalized in 1974 to
- [Volunteer](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/support/volunteer/)
- [Partner with CPC](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/support/partner-with-cpc/)
- [Residency Sponsors](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/support/residency-sponsors/)
- [Funders](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/support/funders/)
- [Education Programs](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/programs/education-programs/)
- [Donate](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/support/donate/) - Fill out my LGL Form!
- [Mission + Values](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/about/mission/) - Our Mission The Chicago Poetry Center connects people and poetry, equitably engages poets with communities, and advances creative literacy in the city and beyond. Vision We envision and work to create a fair and verdant world rooted in artistic expression, human connection, and boundless imagination. Core Belief We believe that poetry illuminates our individual and
- [Staff](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/about/team/staff/) - HELENE ACHANZAR | Director of ProgramsHelene Achanzar is the Director of Programs at the Chicago Poetry Center, a senior editor at Poetry Northwest, and the Midwest Chair for Kundiman. She has 15+ years of experience in education and literary arts programming, including roles with Illinois State University and After School Matters. Her poems can be
- [Poets in Residence](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/about/team/poets-in-residence/) - MICHELLE ALEXANDERMichelle Alexander is an American-Trinidadian poet, creative nonfiction writer, mixed media artist, and teaching artist. She is a graduate of NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study with a concentration in “What it Means to be a Poet: Interweaving a Study of the Humanities with the Human Experience.” She has studied under critical thinkers Judith
- [Board Members](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/about/team/board-members/) - The board of the Chicago Poetry Center is comprised primarily of volunteer members who donate their time, talent, and resources to supporting the ongoing success of the organization. In addition to our volunteer members, there are two formal positions for active Poets in Residence teaching in the organization's residency program. Additional volunteers support the work
- [Team](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/about/team/) - Explore the Chicago Poetry Center's mission, vision, and values and the team thatcarries them out. Learn about our 50+ year history, read CPC's annual reports andnews items, and find opportunities to join our team. Staff TK Poets in Residence TK Board TK
- [Archive](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/archive/) - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
- [Contact](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/contact/) - Contact Information:General Inquiries: info@poetrycenter.orgSchool & Educational Programs: programs@poetrycenter.orgThe Reading Series: curator@poetrycenter.orgMailing Address:Chicago Poetry Center1448 E. 52nd St, #256,Chicago, IL 60615Office Address:800 W. Buena AveChicago, IL 60613Chicago Poetry Center Programs:Occur at schools and venues across Chicago and beyond, and virtually.Interested in reading at our Lit Life events?Fill out our inquiry form here.
- [Critical Conversations: Anti-Racism Free Sessions](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cc-free/) - From February through June of 2025, the Chicago Poetry Center is offering free online Critical Conversations: Anti-Racism sessions. Drawing on CPC’s decades of workshop facilitation, Critical Conversations use poetry as a springboard to increase belonging and inclusion in the workplace. By centering the dialogue on lived experiences reflected in poems, the process launches transformative
- [Critical Conversations @ Work: Anti-Racism](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/at-work/) - TRANSFORMATIVE CONVERSATIONS THAT CATALYZE THE "I" IN DEIDrawing on CPC's decades of workshop facilitation, Critical Conversations use poetry as a springboard to increase belonging and inclusion in the workplace. By centering the dialogue on lived experiences reflected in poems, the process launches transformative discussions without requiring those most violently and directly affected by racism to
- [Free Nonprofit Critical Conversations](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/at-work/free-nonprofit-critical-conversations/) - From February through June of 2025, the Chicago Poetry Center is offering free online Critical Conversations: Anti-Racism sessions open to any Illinois nonprofit organization employee or volunteer.Drawing on CPC’s decades of workshop facilitation, Critical Conversations use poetry as a springboard to increase belonging and inclusion in the workplace. By centering the dialogue on lived experiences
- [Ambassadors](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/ambassadors/) - Chicago Poetry Center Ambassadors volunteer their time and expertise in a variety of ways to support CPC's mission. In combination with our staff, teaching artist team, and board, ambassadors help further CPC's work across Chicago, from promoting our literary programs and volunteering monthly at our reading series, to providing outreach and event support with our education
- [Named Residencies SY24-25](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/named-residencies-sy-24-25/) - A person or group of people can sponsor a classroom for a full-year poetry residency! Residency sponsors are invited to name their residencies. Check out CPC's named residencies for School Year 24-25 below! To see the named residencies for SY23-24, click here. If you'd like to become a donor or Residency Sponsor, you can donate here or
- [Named Residencies SY 23-24](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/residencies-sy23-24/) - A person or group of people can sponsor a classroom for a full year poetry residency! Residency sponsors are invited to name their residency. Check out CPC's named residencies for School Year 23-24 below! To see the named residencies for SY22-23, click here. If you'd like to become a donor or Residency Sponsor, you can donate here or
- [50th Anniversary Exhibit Audio](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/bigger-table-audio/) - A Bigger Table: 50 Years of The Chicago Poetry Center Selected Audio From The Exhibited BroadsidesLearn about the exhibit hereExplore original audio from archival CPC readings here. Links to available broadsides and other resources are also included.Helene Achanzar, "Bright Bloom"Purchase the broadside: TBDKristy Bowen, "Hazards"Purchase the broadside: HazardsAna Castillo, "I Ask the Impossible"Purchase the broadside:
- [Internships](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/internships/) - The Chicago Poetry Center has regular, long-term internships that support many areas of the organization's mission-driven work. Chicago Poetry Center interns are enthusiastic about poetry, the literary arts community, arts education, and nonprofit work. CPC interns receive a per-semester stipend and can expect to gain great experience in their time with the Chicago Poetry Center.
- [Donate NLFL](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/donate-nlfl/) - Fill out my LGL form!
- [Named Residencies SY 22-23](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/residencies-sy22-23/) - A person or group of people can sponsor a classroom for a full year poetry residency! Residency sponsors are invited to name their residency. Check out CPC's named residencies for School Year 22-23 below! To see the named residencies for SY21-22, click here. If you'd like to become a donor or Residency Sponsor, you can donate here or
- [Newsletter Sign-Up Form](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/newsletter/)
- [mailing list](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/mailing-list/)
- [Named Residencies SY 21-22](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/residency-sponsors/) - A person or group of people can sponsor a classroom for a full year poetry residency! Residency sponsors are invited to name their residency.Check out CPC’s named residencies for School Year 21-22 below! To see the named residencies for SY22-23, click here. All donors are celebrated on our donor recognition page. If you'd like to become
- [Donors](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/donors/) - Chicago Poetry Center donors make a world of difference! If you'd like to become a Chicago Poetry Center supporter, you can donate here. Donors who sponsor a residency are invited to name their residency. Named residencies are celebrated here. Thank you to all of our generous donors, check out your impact below! Elizabeth & David Blinderman
- [Support](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/support/) - Donate | Internships & Volunteering | Wishlist ___________________________________________________________ Click here to donate and spread the word! At the Chicago Poetry Center our mission is to promote poetry. We do that through hosting free, public readings at venues across Chicago, through employing Poets as teaching artists, and by bringing poetry to Chicago Public Schools through our Hands

## Calendars

- [test](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/calendar/test/) - [title] [when] [location] [description] [link newwindow="yes"]See more details[/link]

## Poets

- [Kevin Young](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/kevin-young/) - Wednesday, February 12, 2003 with Denise Duhamel Kevin Young is the author of sixteen books of poetry and prose, including his most recent, Night Watch. He is the poetry editor of The New Yorker, where he hosts the Poetry Podcast, and the editor of eleven volumes, including A Century of Poetry in the New Yorker, 1925-2025 and the acclaimed anthology African American Poetry:
- [Adam Zagajewski](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/adam-zagajewski/) - "Adam Zagajewski was born in Lvov, Poland, in 1945; as an infant he was relocated with his family to western Poland. He lived in Berlin for a couple of years, moved to France in 1982, and taught at universities in the United States, including the University of Houston and the University of Chicago. Zagajewski
- [Andrew Zawacki](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/zawacki-andrew/) - Thursday, March 6, 2003 American Poets Reading with Traci Dant, Duriel Harris, and Patricia McMillen Watch Andrew Zawacki read his work at the University of Richmond Writers' Series: More info on Andrew Zawacki⇒
- [Fatimah Asghar](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/fatimah-asghar/)
- [Craig Arnold](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/craig-arnold/)
- [Talvikki Ansel](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/talvikki-ansel/)
- [Holly Amos](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/holly-amos/) - Holly Amos, the assistant editor of Poetry, published her first full-length collection Continual Guidance of Air in 2016. Her humor writing and poetry has appeared in a variety of publications, including Little Old Lady; Points in Case; Forklift, Ohio; and Prairie Schooner.
- [Toby Altman](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/toby-altman/) - Toby Altman is the author of Arcadia, Indiana (Plays Inverse, 2017) and six chapbooks, including Every Hospital by Bertrand Goldberg (Except One), winner of the 2018 Ghost Proposal chapbook contest. His poems can be found in Colorado Review, jubilat, Lana Turner, and other journals and anthologies. He earned a PhD in English at Northwestern University.
- [Melissa Castro Almandina](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/melissa-castro-almandina/) - Melissa Castro Almandina writes poetry, makes zines, & dances ballet in their spare time. Find their work online, in zines, & in The Breakbeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNext.
- [Isabel Allende](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/isabel-allende/) - Isabel Allende is one of the most widely-read authors in the world, having sold more than 74 million books. Born in Peru and raised in Chile, her work, both in English and in Spanish, has been translated into more than forty-two languages. She is the recipient of fifteen honorary doctorates, including one from Harvard University,
- [Agha Shahid Ali](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/agha-shahid-ali/) - Agha Shahid Ali was born in New Delhi, India in 1949. He arrived in the United States in 1975 and was the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, and was also a finalist for the National Book Award. His poetry reflects his Hindu, Muslim, and Western heritages, often blending forms and cultures. Ali was also
- [Kemi Alabi](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/kemi-alabi/) - Kemi Alabi is the author of Against Heaven (Graywolf Press, 2022), selected by Claudia Rankine as winner of the Academy of American Poets First Book Award. The collection was a Kate Tufts Discovery Award finalist, Chicago Review of Books Award winner, and one of New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2022, among other honors.
- [Kaveh Akbar](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/kaveh-akbar/) - Kaveh Akbar is an Iranian-American poet who has received honors including a Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation, a Pushcart Prize, the Levis Reading Prize, and a Lucille Medwick Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America. In February 2019, he was named an editor for Poetry Daily. His poems
- [Carris Adams](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/carris-adams/) - Carris Adams is a visual artist whose practice visually investigates markers of domesticated space. The conceptually multi-layered works seek to inform and position viewers to recognize their assumptions, recall an experience and perhaps note how societal markers materialize in the landscape. Adams received her BFA from the University of Texas at Austin (2013) and her
- [Erin Adair-Hodges](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/erin-adair-hodges/) - Erin Adair-Hodges is a poet and essayist born and raised in New Mexico who received her M.F.A. from the University of Arizona. She is the winner of the Allen Tate Award for Poetry, the Agnes Lynch Starrett Prize for her first poetry collection Let's All Die Happy, and various other prizes and awards, and her
- [Diane Ackerman](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/diane-ackerman/) - Poet, essayist, and naturalist, Diane Ackerman is the author of two dozen highly acclaimed works of nonfiction and poetry. She has received a P.E.N. Henry David Thoreau Award for Nature Writing, Orion Book Award, John Burroughs Nature Award, Visionary Artist Award, Guggenheim Fellowship, Lavan Poetry Prize, honorary doctorate from Kenyon College, among others, and has
- [M. Eliza Hamilton Abegunde](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/m-eliza-hamilton-abegunde/) - M. Eliza Hamilton Abegunde is a poet, teacher, birth doula, and an ancestral priest in the Yoruba Orisa tradition. Her poems have been anthologized in Gathering Ground, Beyond the Frontier: African American Poetry for the 21st Century, Knowing Stones: Poems of Exotic Places, and rhino. She is also the author of three poetry chapbooks and
- [Yehuda Amichai](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/yehuda-amichai/) - Called "the most widely translated Hebrew poet since King David," Yehuda Amichai was born in Germany in 1924 to an Orthodox Jewish family. They immigrated to Jerusalem in 1936, where Amichai would eventually study Hebrew literature at the University of Jerusalem. He published his first book of poetry, Now and in Other Days, in 1955.
- [John Ashbery](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/john-ashbery/) - bio
- [Meghann Plunkett](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/meghann-plunkett/) - Meghann Plunkett is a screenwriter and poet. Once an East coaster working at The New Yorker, she now finds herself based in Los Angeles. She was named a Best New Poet of 2018, the winner of the 2017 Missouri Review's Editors’ Prize, the Third Coast Poetry Prize, Narrative Magazine's 30 Below Contest, and the North American
- [Marianne Chan](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/marianne-chan/) - Marianne Chan grew up in Stuttgart, Germany, and Lansing, Michigan. She is the author of "All Heathens" (Sarabande Books, 2020), which was the winner of the 2021 GLCA New Writers Award, and "Leaving Biddle City" (Sarabande Books, 2024). Her poems have appeared in Poetry, Best American Poetry, New England Review, Kenyon Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, and
- [Seo Jung Hak](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/seo-jung-hak/) - bio
- [Edgar Kunz](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/edgar-kunz/) - Edgar Kunz is the author of Tap Out (Mariner, 2019) and Fixer (Ecco, 2023). He is the recipient of fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Maryland State Arts Council, MacDowell, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, Vanderbilt University, and Stanford University, where he was a Wallace Stegner Fellow. His poems appear
- [Rosie Accola](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/rosie-accola/) - Bio goes here
- [Jessica Mascarenhas](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/jessica-mascarenhas/) - [quote]The pain is there. It has already happened. I might as well try to make something out of it.[/quote] – Jessica Mascarenhas, 2020 interview with Lakeshore Dive Bar Continue reading this interview⇒
- [Tara Betts](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poets/tara-betts/) - Tara Betts lives in Chicago and is the author of the manuscript “Refuse to Disappear,” as well as Break the Habit (Trio House Press, 2016) and Arc & Hue (Willow Books, 2009).

## Events

- [Future Event Test](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/event/future-event-test/)
- [American Poets Reading 2003](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/event/american-poets-reading-2003/) - I come from a family that twice names its own. One name for the world. – Traci Dant, “A Twice Named Family” Continue reading this poem⇒ Gilded, the jaw forgets fracture at the pointer’s tip (red jaw, forgotten rings inadvertent discord, picked up, thrown into anger). To say I feel like breaking something – Duriel Harris,
- [CPC Presents Kevin Young with Denise Duhamel February 12, 2003](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/event/cpc-presents-kevin-young-with-denise-duhamel-february-12-2003/)
- [CPC Presents Yehuda Amichai December 2, 1983](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/event/cpc-presents-yehuda-amichai-december-2-1983/)
- [Blue Hour March 20, 2024](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/event/blue-hour-march-20-2024/) - Blue Hour March 20, 2024 Reading with Seo Jung Hak (서정학), translation by Megan Sungyoon, and Edgar Kunz
- [CPC Presents April 15, 1977](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/event/cpc-presents-april-15-1977/)
- [Blue Hour Friday, September 20th 2019](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/event/blue-hour-friday-september-20th-2019/) - Friday, September 20 2019 Blue Hour Reading Series with Rosie Accola and Jessica Mascarenhas Space Oddities in Humboldt Park
- [Blue Hour September 17, 2025](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/event/blue-hour-september-17-2025/) - September 17, 2025 Blue Hour Featuring Marianne Chan & Meghann Plunkett
- [Blue Hour August 29 2019](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/event/blue-hour-august-29-2019/)

## Resident Posts

- [Test post](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/poems/test-post/) - What She Told MeTheofania T. Feel the warm rays on your face hear the birds talk to each other in chirps the sound of cars driving by whoosing sitting in nature’s arms, tight and warm all of a sudden nothing else matters to me I know my problems and responsibilities, but right now I have

## Categories

- [McPherson](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/mcpherson/)
- [Moos](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/moos/)
- [Skinner West](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/skinner-west/)
- [Taft](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/taft/)
- [TEAM Englewood](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/team-englewood/)
- [News & Events](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/news-events/)
- [Manley](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/manley/)
- [Darwin](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/darwin/)
- [Avondale-Logandale](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/avondale-logandale/)
- [Washington](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/washington/)
- [DuBois](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/dubois/)
- [Reading Series](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/reading-series/)
- [Edwards](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/edwards/)
- [Miles Davis](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/miles-davis/)
- [Lane Tech](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/lane-tech/)
- [Shoesmith](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/shoesmith/)
- [Poets with Class](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/pwc/)
- [MLK Academy](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/mlk-academy/)
- [Crane](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/crane/)
- [Peterson](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/peterson/)
- [Latino-Youth-HS](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/latino-youth-hs/)
- [Swift](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/swift/)
- [Poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/)
- [Evening Reporting Center](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/erc/)
- [Haugan](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/haugan/)
- [Hale](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/hale/)
- [Bret Harte](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/bret-harte/)
- [Dever](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/dever/)
- [Haines](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/haines/)
- [Kozminski](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/kozminski/)
- [West Park](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/west-park/)
- [Nixon](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/nixon/)
- [Burbank](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/burbank/)
- [Walters](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/walters/)
- [Waters](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/waters/)
- [G.B. Vico](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/gbvico/)
- [Howe](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/howe/)
- [Amundsen](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/amundsen/)
- [Poe](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/poe/)
- [Perez](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/perez/)
- [Volta](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/volta/)
- [Clissold](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/clissold/)
- [Simpson](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/simpson/)
- [Foster Park](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/foster-park/)
- [Bronzeville Classical](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/bronzevilleclassical/)
- [Carver](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/carver/)
- [Galileo](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/galileo/)
- [Hamline](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/hamline/)
- [Sayre](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/sayre/)
- [Deneen](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/deneen/)
- [FORA](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/fora/)
- [Twain](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/twain/)
- [Grissom](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/grissom/)
- [South Loop](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/south-loop/)
- [Sabin](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/sabin/)
- [Dulles](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/dulles/)
- [Brennemann](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/brennemann/)
- [Clinton](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/clinton/)
- [Smyser](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/smyser/)
- [Jordan](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/jordan/)
- [O-School](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/oschool/)
- [Lawndale](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/lawndale/)
- [Hyde Park](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/hyde-park/)
- [Henry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/henry/)
- [Gary Comer](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/gary-comer/)
- [Social Justice](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/social-justice/)
- [MLA](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/mla/)
- [Nettelhorst](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/category/poems/nettelhorst/)

## Tags

- [Poetry](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/poetry/)
- [Audre Lorde](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/audre-lorde/)
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- [Sounds](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/sounds/)
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- [Pablo Neruda](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/pablo-neruda/)
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- [language](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/language/)
- [Juan Felipe Herrera](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/juan-felipe-herrera/)
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- [colllaboration](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/colllaboration/)
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- [visualpoems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/visualpoems/)
- [pormd](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/pormd/)
- [Acrostic](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/acrostic/)
- [Metephor](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/metephor/)
- [Metáfora](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/metafora/)
- [4thGrade](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/4thgrade-2/)
- [Imagination](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/imagination/)
- [Música](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/musica/)
- [Music](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/music/)
- [Grissom Elementary School](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/grissom-elementary-school/)
- [picture poems](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/picture-poems/)
- [brave](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/brave/)
- [fresh](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/fresh/)
- [unknown](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/unknown/)
- [Hero](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/hero/)
- [Heroes](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/tag/heroes/)

## Event categories

- [Blue Hour](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cpc-event-category/blue-hour/)
- [Poetry at the Green](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cpc-event-category/poetry-at-the-green/)
- [CPC presents](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cpc-event-category/cpc-presents/)

## Event tags

- [Reading](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cpc-event-tag/reading/)
- [Workshop](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cpc-event-tag/workshop/)

## Schools

- [Test School Name](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/residency/school/test-school-name/)

## Poet tags

- [bio needed](https://poetrycent1dev.wpenginepowered.com/cpc-poet-tag/bio-needed/)