Extra! Extra! In this lesson we looked at Headline poems, and discussed mash up vs. cut up poems–finding poetry in the oddest places. We then turned our attention to the headline poem, ‘Rock Singer Dies Onstage After Acrobatic Leap Gone Wrong,’ by lawyer and poet, Christine DeSimone, where she uses an actual headline as her jumping off point to muse on life, myth, death and daring. To create their own headline poems, students could choose from 3 articles: Prince, Chicago Hawks or a Lifestyle piece. Students were asked to pluck out a couple of actual quotes from the article (you will see these in italics), look at the picture from the article and to focus on something not obvious in the news photo that might inspire them. The headline of the article was to be used as their poem’s title, as in DeSimone’ poem. Here is some of their work. Enjoy!
Ms Taylor, 8th Grade
1st Period
Second to Won
Jake S.
Behind the goals at the first intermission
The Hawks Fought.
Harder than ever before
With 1 loss away from golfing for the
rest of the year.
They pushed through tough
It was an amazing sight.
a second period eruption.
Second To Won
Jacob T.
After being down 2-0 after the first
The Hawks woke up and scored 6
Even though the Blues powered through for 1 more
Chicago celebrated after the win.
Game 7 at 7:30pm Monday in St. Louis
During the game, skaters focused on shots
Those shots, getting post #1 in white and #50 in red
And their jobs are to stop those shots
But 9 went through so the job was not quite done
Yet game 7 in St. Louis, only on NBC
Prince’s Towering Legacy-an appreciation
Ariel H.
“…a diminutive androgynous figure who didn’t
fit the mold…”
I look at this and think: what is ‘the mold’
How can we tell what is normal?
The world is ever changing
It never stays the same
Plaster of Paris is this ‘mold’
is more like putty
How can one break the mold
When it stretches to fity any new phenomenon?
It isn’t possible to not fit a mold.
If there’s so much grief
it seems he already left his imprint on it.
Ms. Taylor, 8th Grade
3rd Period
Prince’s Towering Legacy-an appreciation
Andreen I.
He had done what most can not do
He became an independent artist, inspiration, an idol, a legend
While putting on shows for many other great people
‘Prince was doing Prince things on stage,
which mean he was putting on a Show—
with a capital ‘S”
But in the fame and fortune came
hardships, love and regret.
‘She would write him letters as a way
of communicating with Prince.’
But after living life these burdens
became less and less heavier.
Second to Won
Marie K.
The puck is up in the air
so is the game
Patrick Kane and Toews would
have to carry them
It’s a testament again to our
experience and to the guys who
haven’t been here too long
Anyone could win at this
Point.
They choose empty net here
They get power play there.
Everyone is on the edge of their
seats
You see what can happen when we all
buy in, we all play the right way.
Second to Won
Matthew A.
Behind 2 goals at the 1st intermission
The Blackhawks woke up and showed
what they are. At the United Center with
a 6-3 victory But sill got to beat
them in Game 7 if they don’t I’ll cry
because of how amazing they were yesterday.
And what a game it will be. Go Hawks!
Prince’s Towering Legacy-an appreciation
(-Chicago Tribune)
Natasha B.
What you see on stage is not
always the truth. The world is not
your only stage.
Prince no longer seemed like he was
carrying around the burden of living
up to those expectations.
The world is not your only stage.
Ms. Taylor, 8th Grade
6th Period
Pressure: Second to Won
Za’Naya S.
Ba dum, ba dum, ba dum
The hearts beat rapidly
The pressure is on as well as the gear.
The cheering adds pressure.
They’re counting on you.
Been on the ice for years and still my hart–
ba dum, ba dum, ba bum.
The Hawks save the best for last
And the pressure is on
to the guy who hasn’t
been here too long to really buy in a play the right way.
Pressure. The reeling of stress by people, places or events.
Prince’s Towing Legacy-an appreciation
Megann L.
He put on a ‘S’how
A real ‘s’how–
Full of splits and guitar solos
He loved it but
was it meant to last
Did he ‘want’ to put on
that ‘show’ when he had
lost his push for the top
Second to Won
Shannon T.
come out to play some of the finest
hockey–they thought, not to win but to play
The conventional wisdom for the Hawks…was
their big guns…would carry them.
They thought not the whole team, but
few players to go on, to lead on
Always best foot forward even if
that foot is unsteady
Never together, good carry on,
lead the team on your own.
Prince’s Towering Legacy-an appreciation
Amanda T.
Those albums now feel as familiar as
the air we breath
From the sky to the ground.
From the ground to his death bed.
From his death bed back up to the sky
He will be remembered. The swirl of
emotions I felt when he passed are
as twisted as his guitar.
Ms. Taylor, 8th Grade
7th Period
Prince’s Towering Legacy-an appreciation
Patryk K.
Prince’s music is what made him known
Not his hair or flow
But instead his voice and tone
Prince sang, but the suits were unmoved and
chair-bound with arms folded and heads
bobbing steadily
And the crowd follows to the beat
steadily
Till it drops and its now echoing
Now Prince is building up his legacy.
A Towering Legacy
Victoria T.
A lump of clay
molding the star into a perfect cast
Adored, loved and praised
And what about the one, who doesn’t fit the mold
a diminutive and androgynous figure who didn’t
fit the mold of what an artist should wear,
or sing about
To always have the crowd calling you
to ask hey, check me over do you like what you see
To get the ultimate approval of the thousands around
To finally be able to call yourself
A Towering Legacy.
Second to Won
Connor C.
In the game show RACES
time flies by
they get their money cases
hopefully there will be no tie.
The 1st team went into the locker room
with clear choices
To get the mop to the tomb
So they can get the poison.
The second team was their big guns
Who have never lost the game hunt
Now we stop to make some pun
For our commercial, –break, cut!
Second to Won
Sam C.
The Hawks saved their best for nearly last, said by the
writer of an article about the Hawks comeback in
the series.
Its a testament again to our experience, captain
Toews said.
These quotes show that even when the going gets tough,
determination can help.
Even when down by a few goals, hard work
will eventually pay off, sometimes in 6 goals.
Prince’s Towering Legacy-an appreciation
Kashif C.
Flea even put on a shirt for
the occasion.
This muse means that Flea rarely wears shirts.
Since this is such a special occasion, he wears one.
Increases the magnitude of Prince.
Ms. Taylor, 8th Grade
8th Period
Second to Won
Demitri G.
The Hawks scored their best nearly last that was certainly
true when they came back from a 3-1 loss. When it happened
everybody knew that was part of the town It’s a testament to
our captain and to the guys. Patrick Kane
we are glad to see them hang on.
Prince’s Towering Legacy-an appreciation
Paige C.
she was telling me about herself, so I could write songs for
her, but she was helping me, he said during a 2012 interview.
Nobody guessed that it would happen
Almost like an immortal presence in the world
But, cant music make someone immortal mentally-
not physically?
Eventually life will let up on the expectations in the end.
No longer seemed like he was carrying around the burden
of living
its almost funny how in a way death can allow
you to work backwards against the never-ending movement
Highway to Heartache
Jessica W.
She bites and snarls as her guitar spits fire
People proclaim about her songs
Hearts are taken away, away
from the outside world and into her music.
The inspired stand up
for what they love and believe
never taken the easy road
Second to Won
Chloe B.
It’s a testament again to our experience and to the guys
who haven’t been here too long to really buy in
and play the nigh away said team Cap Johnathan Towes.
SHOULDN’T HAVE TRADED SAND-IT’S YOUR
OWN
