Wordy Wednesday ----- May 2013

I love poetry.  I am not sure what the plans are for May and June with Mrs. Rollis, but I hope you all will add some creative poetry reading and writing into your spare time.  When you read a poem it explodes with meaning inside you.  If you get it, the message will stay with you forever.  If not, it will just fizzle out and die.  No problem.....thanks for trying.
Poetry is a great way to express your emotions.  At times poetry can say the most in the least amount of words possible.  I am still unpacking but I did find some interesting journals given to me my students and my fellow teachers, as well.  As I look around at all the beauty of nature, I get inspired to write.  I may be filling those journals with poetry soon.  As I plant flowers all around my new home and get ready to put pen to paper myself, I hope you will share some of your favorite poetry here.  If you are so inclined, I would love to read some original poetry from all of you too. 

What Is A Best Friend?

© John Devaney age 16 

A Best Friend is a great thing to have.
They're someone you can always lean or depend on when you're sad.
They're always there when time in need.
They're always there pushing you to succeed.
They help you live a happier life.
They're there to help you find the right man or wife.
They push and push you with all their might.
They're there to tell you they love you every night.
They don't care what other people say.
They know their life is easier to see you each day.
They're there through thick and thin.
They're ones who have no concern about the color of your skin.
They're there to help you see.
They're there because they love you for who you are.
They're there to show you off to the world like a shinning star.
They're there to always give advice or listen.
They're there to make your smile wide and glisten.
They're there to let you know if there's anything you need they have it. No matter what the problem is open up don't hide it because in the long run, you'll not only be hurting yourself but others around you who are important and meaningful in your life. That is what I believe is a best friend.

Check www.bestteenpoems.com  for more teen poetry.


Here are some of my all time favorites.

Japanese Haiku by ISSA (Translated into English)

In this world A kitten
even among insects stamps on falling leaves,
some sing well, some don't. holds them to the ground.

Emily Dickinson

I ’M nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there ’s a pair of us—don’t tell!
They ’d banish us, you know.
How dreary to be somebody!	5
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog! Whispers of Mortality by E. E. Cummings old age sticks up Keep Off signs)& youth yanks them down(old age cries No Tres)&(pas) youth laughs (sing old age scolds Forbid den Stop Must n't Don't &)youth goes right on gr owing old Robert Frost Nature's first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay. Edgar Allan Poe Annabel Lee It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of ANNABEL LEE; And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me. I was a child and she was a child, In this kingdom by the sea; But we loved with a love that was more than love- I and my Annabel Lee; With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven Coveted her and me. And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee; So that her highborn kinsman came And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a sepulchre In this kingdom by the sea. The angels, not half so happy in heaven, Went envying her and me- Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea) That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee. But our love it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than we- Of many far wiser than we- And neither the angels in heaven above, Nor the demons down under the sea, Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee. For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride, In the sepulchre there by the sea, In her tomb by the sounding sea. How to Eat a Poem by Eve Merriam Don't be polite. Bite in. Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice that may run down your chin. It is ready and ripe now, whenecver you are. You do not need a knife or fork or spoon or plate or napkin or tablecloth. For there is no core or stem or rind or pit or seed or skin to throw away. Enjoy!

Wordy Wednesday

The last Wednesday in February.......

I hope you all have been checking the blog even if you have not been contributing.  Science Fiction Friday had to do with The Giver, as I am sure you have figured out by now. Please go back and look at the pictures again to see if you can make a connection to the text yet. Some will still be a mystery until we reach that section in the text. Now that you have more information, though, you can make educated guesses and/or predictions for the novel. Have fun trying to figure them out.

Now, let's get to the task at hand---Vocabulary. There are many interesting vocabulary words that you will encounter as we read The Giver. You have already worked with a few. I am going to post some pictures that may help you define some of the new words on our list. This will be a challenge to get just the right picture to show the meaning, since I don't have the capability of sketching exactly what I want. Let's give it a try.


What vocabulary word from The Giver is shown in the picture below? 




Exuberant or Excruciating














Anguish or Conspicuous

Meticulous or Transgression

Buoyancy or Crescendo

Interdependent or Independent

Easy, right? Let me know what you think of the exercise. Please create a post using some of the words in context too. I'd be interested in seeing how they fit together in a paragraph. Feel free to find some pictures on the Internet for the words that were not represented in illustration above. Print and bring in for extra points. Have fun with words.

Wordy Wednesday

Let's use Wordy Wednesday to talk about POETRY. I am very excited to see so many of you using your time wisely to create your own poetry.  Poetry is often a way to express your feelings which would otherwise go unnoticed.  Soon we will be reading published poems, as well.  When you read a poem, it enters your being and rests inside  you as you think about what it means.  If you "get it" it will explode inside  you and its meaning will stay with you forever.  If it doesn't mean anything to you, then it will just fizzle out and make room for a new poem to enter.  I hope you will find many poems exploding.  It's exciting.

Let's use our blog to "publish" some of your original poetry.  You can post your favorite so far and let others experience your thoughts and feelings.  What a great way for us to really get to know you!  Enjoy the experience. 

I will post a few of my favorite published poems here for you all to enjoy too. 

Japanese Haiku by ISSA (Translated into English)

In this world                                                               A kitten
     even among insects                                                       stamps on falling leaves,
          some sing well, some don't.                                              holds them to the ground.

Emily Dickinson

I ’M nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there ’s a pair of us—don’t tell!
They ’d banish us, you know.
How dreary to be somebody!	5
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog! Whispers of Mortality by E. E. Cummings old age sticks up Keep Off signs)& youth yanks them down(old age cries No Tres)&(pas) youth laughs (sing old age scolds Forbid den Stop Must n't Don't &)youth goes right on gr owing old Robert Frost Nature's first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay. Edgar Allan Poe Annabel Lee  It was many and many a year ago,           In a kingdom by the sea,     That a maiden there lived whom you may know           By the name of ANNABEL LEE;     And this maiden she lived with no other thought           Than to love and be loved by me.     I was a child and she was a child,           In this kingdom by the sea;     But we loved with a love that was more than love-           I and my Annabel Lee;     With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven           Coveted her and me.     And this was the reason that, long ago,           In this kingdom by the sea,     A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling           My beautiful Annabel Lee;     So that her highborn kinsman came           And bore her away from me,     To shut her up in a sepulchre           In this kingdom by the sea.     The angels, not half so happy in heaven,           Went envying her and me-     Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,           In this kingdom by the sea)     That the wind came out of the cloud by night,           Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.     But our love it was stronger by far than the love           Of those who were older than we-           Of many far wiser than we-     And neither the angels in heaven above,           Nor the demons down under the sea,     Can ever dissever my soul from the soul           Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.     For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams           Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;     And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes           Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;     And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side     Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,           In the sepulchre there by the sea,           In her tomb by the sounding sea. How to Eat a Poem by Eve Merriam Don't be polite. Bite in. Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice that may run down your chin. It is ready and ripe now, whenecver you are. You do not need a knife or fork or spoon or plate or napkin or tablecloth. For there is no core or stem or rind or pit or seed or skin to throw away. Enjoy!

Wordy Wednesday

I hope you all have been checking the blog even if you have not been contributing.  The last Fictional Friday had to do with The Giver, as I am sure you have figured out by now.  Please go back and look at the pictures again to see if you can make a connection to the text yet.  Some will still be a mystery until we reach that section in the text.  Now that you have more information, though, you can make educated guesses and/or predictions for the novel. Have fun trying to figure them out.

Now, let's get to the task at hand---Vocabulary. There are many interesting vocabulary words that you will encounter as we read The Giver.  You have already worked with a few.  I am going to post some pictures that may help you define some of the new words on our list.  This will be a challenge to get just the right picture to show the meaning, since I don't have the capability of sketching exactly what I want.  Let's give it a try.

Exuberant or Excruciating









Anguish  or  Conspicuous

Meticulous or Transgression

 Buoyancy or Crescendo

  Interdependent or Independent

Easy, right?  Let me know what you think of the exercise.  Please create a post using some of the words in context too.  I'd be interested in seeing how they fit together in a paragraph.  Feel free to find some pictures on the Internet for the words that were not represented in illustration above.  Print and bring in for extra points.  Have fun with words.