Poetry is Fun

Following a Model by a Master

Model to Follow Poem

Portrait VIIIBuffalo Bill’sdefunct

who used to ride a watersmooth-silver

stallionand break onetwothreefourfive pigeons justlikethat

Jesus

he was a handsome man and what i want to

know ishow do you like your blueeyed boyMr. Death

- e e cummings

The poem at left was written by a master of the free verse form of poetry

e e cummings broke the rules of grammar to make every letter, every word, every space within his poem have meaning

He often played with language, making the images on the page force the reader to experience the poems physically, not just mentally (as in his concrete poem about the grasshopper which you experienced earlier)

Look at the poem and list the parts of it that demonstrate his playfulness with words, and identify WHAT effect his tinkering has on the way we read the poem

Model to Follow

Portrait VIII 1/2 e. e. someoneburied by busy ones

used towish yes aprils with a you

and a meand write onetwothreefourfive poems justlikethat

by dong and by ding

he was a perceptive man and what i want to know

iswhere is he now when we need himMister Death

- Bill Irwin

They say that imitation can be the sincerest form of flattery

Bill Irwin took the pattern of e e cummings poem and paid tribute to the poet by using some of cummings own poetic devices and words in the poem at left

Look at the poem and see if you can identify the techniques Irwin used that are specifically copied from the original poem by cummings

Model to Follow

Portrait VIII 1/2(b)Arnold Schwarzenegger“Guvernor”

but used to make action films

“I lied”and pump up onetwothreefourfive villains justlikethat

Conanhe was steroid man

and what I want to know is

how do you like your women nowPredator

- Richard MorrellJanuary 2007

At left, you see my newest attempt to follow the model of cummings, by employing the borrowed techniques that Irwin chose.

Notice that the layout is the same, and certain passages from the original have been lifted exactly from the original text.

Now, you will write your poem following the model of cummings. You may break writing convention, and can smash words together as cummings did. Some of the structure of the models must be retained. Where that occurs, the lines are typed in and in italics…

You begin by choosing someone famous to write about

Portrait VIII 1/2 (a)Portrait VIII 1/2 (a)

Michael JacksonMichael Jackson

TrappedTrapped

but used tobut used to

make the girls swoonmake the girls swoon

““A B C”A B C”

And spin onetwothreefourfive times justlikethhatAnd spin onetwothreefourfive times justlikethhat

““Thriller”Thriller”

He was a black manHe was a black man

and what I want to know isand what I want to know is

How do you like your mask nowHow do you like your mask now

Elephant ManElephant Man

Richard MorrellRichard Morrell

Fall 2003Fall 2003

Portrait IX by Antonio T

BeyonceDreamgirl Who used to Say my name, say my name B’DayAnd shake onetwothreefourfive times justlikethat IrreplaceableShe was destiny’s child and what I want to know isCan you pay my bills?

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Poem• Einar who works now But used to

work at greasy Mcdonald’s

But then onetwothree quit his job justlikethat DAMNHe was a stressed man

and what I want to know isWhy did you “quit”Mr. Fatman

-Ignacio A

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Poem # 5• Mr. Morrell who works at the school But used to

work for the ARMY

But then onetwothree quit his job justlikethat DAMNHe was a lost man in careers

but what I want to know is

Why did you make us write these poems!!Mr. Funnyman

-Ignacio A, not bad huh?

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PortraitChris BrownSinger

but used to a normally kid that

lived in VAand write onetwothreefourfive songs justlikethat

talented…youngest R&B singer around

and what I want to know isHow do you like being famous and rich?

Portrait IXPortrait IX

T.I.Rapper

Who used to be a bag boy Paper or Plastic

And sack onetwothreefourfive groceries justlikethat“What you know about that”

King Of the Southand what I want to know is

What does he really know about what?-Karissia S, 2006

Portrait by Igor K

BoratThe movie starWho used to make his peers laugh

and meAnd make onetwothreefourfive

jokes justlikethat He was a funny manand what I want to know is How you gonna deal with all the

lawsuitsFunny man

PORTRAIT IXPORTRAIT IX50 cent

Rapper

who used to

say I got shot nine times

“Ja rule”

And got famous onetwothreefourfive times in the U.S just like that

G-Unit

Shot to fame

And whatt I want to know is

how you came about being so rich in a short amount of time?

Hustler

By George N

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Model to Follow FormatPortrait IX_______________________ [name of person]_______________________ [current status/situation of person]

but used to (or) used to (or) who used to (or variation of these)_________________________________

__________________________ onetwothreefourfive ________________ justlikethat

___________ [strong expression/expletive]

____________________________ [a one-time quality of individual]and what i want to know is

_________________________________________ [ask some question]___________________ [create an apostrophe (a reference to the individual that captures a quality about them)]

USE THE HANDOUT TO COMPLETE THIS… IT WILL HELP YOU FORMAT YOUR POEM

YOUR TURN

Create your own Portrait poem (Model to Follow) then add it to

your power point poetry portfolio