Aim: How can we use the poem, “This is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams as inspiration for our own poems?
Do Now: Describe a time when you or someone you know did something that was “technically wrong” and you should have felt sorry for it but you didn’t?
The class was given time to write a response to the question. Many students shared funny stories about shoplifting, messing with siblings, and more. A recurring aspect among the stories is that the person should’ve felt guilty for their poor actions, but didn’t due to various reasons. This activity introduced students to the basic gist of “This is Just to Say” poems.
Notes & Class Discussions:
The class read William Carlos Williams’ “This is Just to Say,” discussed the origin and structure of the poem, and read a few variations of the poem. Williams’ poem is a free verse, because it doesn’t have a regular rhythm, syllabic count, rhyme, nor punctuation. After, students were given 5 minutes to write our own “This is Just to Say” poems. The student who wrote the most was Rory, with a total of 11 poems. The poems discussed dark topics, such as murder and hopelessness. One poem is as follows:
“I lied to you.
I know it was wrong and it
Hurt you more than I wanted.
But the expression on your face,
It’s so exhilarating, that dismay.
I savor every parcel of your despair.”
Next, students learned about the significance of imagery in poetry. Imagery is a literary tool that allows readers to feel the speaker’s emotions and visualize the situation being described. It awakens the reader’s senses.
The class watched a YouTube video from “The Red Room Company” that expands on the concept of imagery and provides a poem that uses an abundance of it.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxASvORGoG4&ab_channel=TheRedRoomCompany)
In the following verse, the imagery describes the tranquility of the atmosphere and captures the speaker’s positive attitude towards her beloved tree:
“I feel different, one with nature,
Up here in the wind, all wild and free,
As if I am connected to the universe,
Me, a small leaf, hanging from my tree.”
Afterwards, the class had to read and annotate “Fast Break” by Edward Hirsch, a poem about teamwork in basketball. Then, students had to complete a “TWIST” chart that discussed the tone, word choice, imagery, style, and theme of the poem. The author establishes an intense tone through the use of captivating word choices with positive/negative connotations and figurative language, especially similes. The author uses detailed imagery to describe the astounding precision of the players and their ability to confuse the opposing team. The style is evocative and the theme is that teamwork is key to success.
Reflection:
Today, I learned about the origin and structure of William Carlos Williams’ popular “This is Just to Say” poem. It taught me that poetry doesn't always need to have a steady rhythm or a proper rhyme. A poem is a form of expression that allows the reader to feel. Furthermore, I learned about the importance of imagery, how it can completely evolve a poem, and how it can stir up emotions within the reader. The reason I learned about such topics is because to be a good reader and writer, I must educate myself on various types of writing, including poetry. By studying the figurative language in poems, I can uncover hidden meaning(s) and understand the theme(s) that the author is trying to convey. I will use what I have learned about poetry and imagery to analyze books, passages, articles, and poems that I read on my own. Moreover, I can use this newfound knowledge to write my own poems.
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