Setting The Stage
In Naming The World (2006), Atwell advises when it comes to leads, begin inside. Poems ride on their immediacy; they do not require throat-clearing preambles that explain what has happened leading up to the instant of the poem. For novice writers, an especially inviting feature of poetry is that poets are allowed to right to the moment and stay there, without having to embed the context required by exposition and narrative.
When it comes to conclusions, end strongly. The deepest meaning of poetry is often found in one of two places. The first is a turn: a point where the poet moves in a new, surprising direction. The other is a poem’s conclusion, which leaves the reader vibrating with a feeling, idea, image, or question.
Response Stance
Atwell (2006) states that if a poem were completely original, we would not be able to read it or understand it. Every poem alludes to previous poems and poets. There may also be times when something you see, hear, taste, even smell provides a sudden flashback into your childhood. What mentor texts have inspired you?
How will you bring your own voice and your own vision to your mentor texts?
Elementary - Response To If
Middle Level - Response To Poetry Of William Blake
