Feral Fridays: Poetry Appreciation

This post is written by our special guest, Wanda Vesana, diva of the phenomena known as the Feral Homeschooling movement! Wanda is mom to two little angels, son Silas and daughter Verna. You can read our interview with her here. Wanda graciously shares her wisdom with us here on occasional "Feral Fridays".

Dear Wanda- The Homeschool Police recently stopped by, and asked for proof that I've been teaching my kids poetry appreciation. All they knew how to recite was, "We've got the right to choose and/There ain't no way we'll lose it/This is our life, this is our song/We'll fight the powers that be just/Don't pick our destiny 'cause/ You don't know us, you don't belong!" I thought they were terrific, but apparently Twisted Sister lyrics do not count! But honestly, my kids are bored stiff by poetry. The  Homeschool Police are giving me 30 days to be in compliance, or they will fine me, or film me plucking my nose hairs and put it on youtube, or something. Help! -Hudspeth

It's tricky making poetry engaging. Let's face it, a reader-friendly poem just doesn't have literary merit. It's got to leave you feeling like you totally don't get it, and you hope nobody notices, or you just know the poem's trash. So you've also got to throw in a lesson on poetry analysis so they can discuss poems and sound like geniuses. For example, you want them to be able to come up with stuff like, "I thought that some of the metaphysical imagery was really particularly effective, There were interesting rhythmic devices, which seemed to counterpoint the surrealism of the underlying metaphor of the humanity of the poet's compassionate soul, which contrives through the medium of the verse structure to sublimate this, transcend that, and come to terms with the fundamental dichotomies of the other, and one is left with a profound and vivid insight into whatever it was the poem was about!"*  This should be your first order of business.

Next, the very best way to tackle a poetry unit is to find a poet that has some other claim to fame. Emily Dickinson, for example, didn't really do much except write poems. BOOOORING!!! Evel Kneivel, however, did quite a bit of note besides write poetry, namely jumping over things on a motorcycle,  and while many words have been used to describe the late Mr. Knievel, "boring" is not one of them! He wrote a really mind-blowing poem called "Why?", which he was recorded reading aloud on a special LP. Here's a stanza:

"For you, what i do is not right 

But, for me, it's not wrong

What i have been trying to tell you all along 

is that it's got to be. 

You ask why? 

Well, just like you, i've got to be me."

Here's another great example- Leonard Nimoy. Here's one called "A Silence With You":

"A silence with you

Is not

a silence

But a moment rich 

with peace"

Short and sweet! And the fact that Mr. Nimoy is also a Vulcan can't hurt. He also has released some pretty awesome records of his singing.

Here's a woman who could write poetry with the best of them, and find time to be a legend also- Bonnie Parker. She's better known as the "better half" of Bonnie and Clyde. Certainly she's a must for your unit on everyone's favorite historical era, the Great Depression. Here's a stanza from one of her lovelier efforts, a poem entitled "The End of the Line":

"They don't think they're too smart or too desperate,

They know the law always wins;

They've been shot at before,

But they do not ignore

That death is the wages of sin."

Let's please not forget the great Rod McKuen, who Woody Allen famously prophesied in his movie "Sleeper" would become the most appreciated poet of the 22nd century. He is famous as a songwriter for over 1500 songs including "Season in the Sun" and "Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)". And he has written gobs and gobs of poetry, including this gem, entitled "Thoughts on Capital Punishment":

"There ought to be capital punishment for cars

that run over rabbits and drive into dogs

and commit the unspeakable, unpardonable crime

of killing a kitty cat still in his prime.

Purgatory, at the very least

should await the driver

driving over a beast.

Those hurrying headlights coming out of the dark

that scatter the scampering squirrels in the park

should await the best jury that one might compose

of fatherless chipmunks and husbandless does."

Hands down, that's the best poem I've ever read on the subject of roadkill.  How about you?

Here's one more that's sure to surprise you: Sarah Palin! Many wacky liberals with very poor observational skills routinely criticize her for her supposedly unpolished and awkward way of talking. This does nothing but display their complete ignorance of her astonishing skill. Clearly they wouldn't know poetry if it bit them in the patootie. Journalist Michael Solomon was the first one to have the sense to realize that Sarah Palin is actually a verbal savant of extraordinary skill. She speaks almost entirely in a poetic form! And she will take your breath away. He collected some in a volume entitled "I Hope Like Heck: The Selected Poems of Sarah Palin". Consider this one, entitled "Outside":

"I am a Washington outsider. 

I mean, 

Look at where you are. 

I'm a Washington outsider.

I do not have those allegiances 

To the power brokers, 

To the lobbyists. 

We need someone like that."

Or, "Where There's Smoke",

"One of Lyda's aides stopped me in the hall

To say the building was getting a kick

Out of my 'burnt toast' episode this morning

That caused the fire alarms to go off

For 20 minutes

And caused an evacuation.

She thought it was funny

I was cooking breakfast in the capitol

And burnt it.

I assured her

I was not in the building this morning,

I was not cooking breakfast here at any time,

And I did not burn any toast.

She looked at me warily,

I doubt she believed me."

I hope that's helpful!  Rock on, everyone, and stay feral!

Wanda loves to answer questions from her readers. You too can be touched by her wisdom. Email her at feralwanda1 at gmail dot com.

*Paraphrased from "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams