Excising nerdy verbs for power words, sifting out a power-packed opening sentence — poet Terry Wooten helped third and fourth grade students at Norris Elementary School find their poetic voice last week.
Guided by Wooten, these students tapped memories and imaginations to create poems during his visit last week. The three-day workshop culminated with a Poetry Café, held Thursday evening at the school, where some students read their work. In addition, the free verse poems written during the workshop will be put together into a book for the students.
The third grade students wrote poems about creatures they might find in the local watershed, Wooten's way of weaving environmental concepts into his lessons. Turtles, frogs, foxes — any indigenous animal was fair game and students researched facts about their chosen animal before starting to write.
"And then they become that animal in their imaginations and write half a page about it," said Wooten, who founded and runs Stone Circle in Kewadin.
The fourth grade students focused on their lives and experiences, turning inward for material. Wooten had them make memory maps and then draw on a significant
personal experience for inspiration.
"The hardest thing about writing a poem is getting an idea," said Wooten. "I get a lot of ideas from listening to people talk, listening to myself talk."
The students drafted their poems and Wooten worked with them to streamline and sharpen the ideas and images. He talked about a poem's shape and feel, describing both poetry and song as intensified language that distills concepts into basic elements.
Maddie White, a fourth-grade student at the school, drew on memories of exploring woods near her home for her poem. Already a journal keeper and writer, White said Wooten's workshop on poetry gave her more ideas to write about.
"With poetry, you can think about things easier," said White, adding that she has gotten to know her classmates better through the workshop.
Along the way, both grades stamped out nerdy verbs — such as put or went — in favor of power words that bring the story to life. Wooten also encouraged students to end a line with a power word to boost the poem's energy.
"I try to get rid of these when I rewrite my own poems," Wooten told the fourth graders, noting he writes and rewrites most of his works many times. "'Very' is a nerd word."
Wooten, who conducts poetry workshops for students of all ages throughout the state, coached the Norris students on the importance of a dramatic, grabbing first sentence. This sentence should capture the essence of the poem, captivating the reader or listener so they want more.
He worked with students one by one in front of the room Wednesday morning on refining their works. Everyone learned from his constructive comments and reworking of ideas with these students.
"This will probably inspire me to write a little better," said Drew Wozny, a fourth-grade student, of Wooten's workshop. "With free writing, you can write more things, not just rhymes."
Librarian Connie Boylan said Wooten's workshops spark student interest in poetry. His recitation of selections from his own storehouse of free verse poems also encourages them to explore beyond standard rhyming works most children are familiar with.
"They're so used to the rhyming and the cutesy, it's good for them to see poetry in a different light," she noted. "He bridges that gap and it's nice to see kids go on and expand their knowledge of poetry."
Boylan has watched over the years during Wooten's visits that even the shyest and most reluctant participants in Wooten's workshops are drawn out by the end.
"It's amazing what he's able to pull out of those children in a very short time," said Boylan.