A Poetic Week!

This week was a lot of fun! We had the project of finding a poem we really like and then analyzing it. This project brought back childhood memories because I chose to do a poem from Shel Silverstein's 'Where The Sidewalk Ends' book. When I was younger, my aunt would read my cousins and I the goofy poems from that book and it has become a beloved memory of mine. Anyways, for the project I chose the poem called 'Sick' by Shel Silverstein. I really liked this poem because it is about a kid who is trying to get out of going to school because she's too 'sick'. It is a really cute and funny poem, but I also found it pretty easy to relate to. 

In my Lit class this week, we have also been looking at poems, but more importantly, how to write them. My teacher showed us a really neat tactic of writing a poem. He had us pick an emotion, then an event you'd experience this emotion, and then write a paragraph about it. Once you had written a paragraph, you cut out unnecessary words and made it into the structure of poem. I chose the emotion 'Excitement' and the situation 'Amusement Park'. 
This is what I had done:

I walk through the gates of the amusement park, taking in the smells of buttery popcorn and tasty snacks. The rays of the sun beat down on my back, warming my body as a move through the crowed space. Entering the line for the roller coaster, I hear distant screams of the riders before me. Anticipation runs through me like a trickling brook, flooding every nerve and thought. I pass the old tired ticket man my crumpled ticket, and step onto the coaster. Making that slow vertical climb to the top, a smile creeps up my face as I enjoy looking down and watching the people down below turn into ants, scurrying around. My stomach flips as we fly down the tracks. A scream of excitement escapes my lips , but is lost in the bellowing 'whoosh' of the wind. 

And then I converted it (as best I could) into a poem:

Walking through the gate,

I take in the smells of buttery popcorn and tasty snacks.

The rays of sun on my back

warming me as I move through the crowed.

In line, I hear distant screams.

Anticipation runs through me like a trickling brook,

flooding my every nerve and thought. 

I pass the ticket taker my crumpled slip.

Making that slow vertical climb to the top,

a smile creeps up my face. 

Looking down, watching the people below turn into ants

scurrying around.

My stomach flips as we fly down. 

A scream of excitement escapes my lips

but is lost in the bellowing whoosh of the wind.

So this was my week! I learnt a lot about poetry and am really excited to learn more!

Until next time! (with hopefully another tasty trial to share!)
Melina