Self Expressive Poetry

My students are great poets, and they didn't even know it!

My class activity went extraordinarily well last week. I had my students write "I Am Poems", which are basically fill in the blank. The first two words of each line are given and they complete the sentences in their own words.

I gave them 20 minutes to write their poems. Afterward, we wrote our poems on construction paper with bold markers. They did not have to put their names on their poems. We then taped each poem to the walls of the classroom to create an art gallery. Once all the poems were hung, we walked around to read the poetry and write comments. While the poets remained anonymous, the critics had to sign their name next to their comment. The commentary had to be positive. We had to tell the poet what we liked about their poem.

Due the anonymity,  the students felt free to share personal thoughts and feelings. Most of the poems were very insightful and revealed a lot about the poet. 

Here are two example poems written by my students:

Poem 1 (written by a female student)

I am creative and optimistic.
I wonder why I want to be a strong man.
I hear the birds singing in the sky.
I see this is a sea of flowers.
I want to travel around the world.
I am creative and optimistic.

I pretend to be your soul mate.
I feel lonely when you leave me alone.
I touch your smiling face to make sure you are real.
I worry that you will disappear someday.
I cry on your shoulder.
I am creative and optimistic.

I understand why I am dreaming all the time.
I say nothing until sunrise.
I dream to fly without being controlled.
I try to open my tender wings.
I hope my dream can come true in the future.
I am creative and optimistic.

Poem 2 (written by a male student)

I am considerate and curious.
I wonder why so many disasters have taken place in China.
I hear the crying of those victims.
I see the houses broken down by the earthquake and the arid land.
I want to help them even though I am not rich.
I am considerate and curious.

I pretend I could fly.
I feel blood boiling in my body.
I touch the hands of them.
I worry that we won't avoid such tragedy.
I cry for those people suffering.
I am considerate and curious.

I understand my work would not help very much.
I say we could make a great difference if we work together.
I dream that one day we live without any disasters.
I try my best to help them.
I hope my dream will come true one day.
I am considerate and curious.

The purpose was twofold. First, to encourage the students to indulge in self-expression, something for which many outlets are not provided in China. Secondly, to help them become more comfortable with sharing their writing with their classmates. After observing peer reviewing, it became evident that they’re uncomfortable marking other’s papers and offering direct feedback. So this activity provided the opportunity to exemplify how peer reviews can be encouraging and helpful. 

Everyone had a great time doing the Gallery Walk! All my classes ran 20 minutes late because students wanted to make sure that they read every poem.  For homework, they had to write 2-3 paragraphs about their experience. The writing prompts that were given were “What did you think about reading your classmates’ poems?” and “How did it feel to read the comments from your classmates?”

The feedback was the highlight of my week. Every single student absolutely loved the Gallery Walk! Many wrote that the comments gave them confidence, that if felt good to be open about their feelings and that they now want to write more poems. The multitude of responses were just incredible! Here are a few examples that made me smile:

"These words [comments] were the best rewards I've ever gained. No words can exactly express my joy when I read them."

"But many of my classmates' poems show that they are confused and have frustrated feelings too. Now I know that I am not alone in the world." 

"Thanks, Ms. Lindsey, I really appreciate it!"

"Someone commented that I had a profound thought. Frankly speaking, I have never realized this before. I never thought myself profound. This comment helped me understand myself better."

"Writing poetry is such a pleasure. It helps us release our emotions. Poems make me think about the world. And I love it!"

"It's an awful thing to be misunderstood. When I see those encouraging words, I feel like crying. They have the same condition with me. They know what I am worrying about. They inspire me to work hard. In my heart, I am now eager to show my feelings to them."

"The comments gave me power and strength."

"Some classmates told me that I am very imaginative. I never thought of myself as creative. However, now I change my mind!"

I really enjoyed reading these homework assignments! It made me feel that I am really making a difference in the classroom!