Writing With Music
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From nursery rhymes to playground chants to the head-banging songs of a teenage garage band, everyone respond to music.
A poetic classroom is a musical classroom filled with sounds that capture a young person's attention. You don't have to be a music teacher to help kids experience the music in words. Poetry is the rhythmical creation
of beauty in words." -Edgar Allan Poe |
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Read the following lines aloud and you will hear three important musical techniques: Rhythm, Rhyme, and Alliteration
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Slurp! Slop! Slip!
Words begin to drip!
Let me hear you give it
Some lip -
Poetry is hip.
Words begin to drip!
Let me hear you give it
Some lip -
Poetry is hip.
Rhythm
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Rhythm is created by the repetition of stresses and pauses. It's the hip-hop and the bebop of language. Here the pauses come at the end of each line.
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Rhyme
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Rhyme is created by repeating matching sounds at the end of words: "Slip," "drip," "lip," and "hip" all rhyme.
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Alliteration
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Alliteration occurs when we repeat the same consonant sound at the beginning of successive words. The S's in the first line let you know you're playing the game of poetry.
Ask your students to name some of their favorite songs and play a few in class. Identify any rhythms, rhymes or alliterative patterns that make the tunes especially poetic. Let your kids see the poetry in their own music. |
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Step 1: Make Your Word List
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Now pick a song you're pretty sure your students have never heard. I suggest some instrumental piece, something without words. While the music plays, instruct your kids to begin making a word list - Slop it on!
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Beatnik
Bongo Shades |
Beat
Snap Sax |
Cool
Jazz Hip |
Black
Cafe Smooth |
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A good word list is full and varied. What feelings does the song evoke? What pictures come to mind? What kind of actions are suggested? Any people, places or objects come to mind?
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After you make a good long list, start looking for playful combinations of words and phrases - Slip slide away, daddy-o!
Step 3: Combine Some Lines
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After you've collected some lines, start putting them together. New words and phrases may hip-hop and bebop into your mind as you’re composing. Feel free to add them to the poem.
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Bongo Billy
Bongo Billy beat the beatnik bongo.
Cool dude daddy-o, go man go!
Snap your fingers! Tap your feet!
Black beret, Billy was beat.
Drank haiku from the campfire stew.
Hitchhiked south with the Mexico blues.
Jump up! Jump back!
Went on the road with Jack Kerouac.
Slap him five. Come inside.
The joint is jumpin’!
The crowd is alive!
When Bongo Billy
Beats the beatnik bongos.
Cool dude daddy-o!
Go man go!
Cool dude daddy-o, go man go!
Snap your fingers! Tap your feet!
Black beret, Billy was beat.
Drank haiku from the campfire stew.
Hitchhiked south with the Mexico blues.
Jump up! Jump back!
Went on the road with Jack Kerouac.
Slap him five. Come inside.
The joint is jumpin’!
The crowd is alive!
When Bongo Billy
Beats the beatnik bongos.
Cool dude daddy-o!
Go man go!
Read the next lesson-Writing With Character