When I was an English teacher, I had endless creative ideas for engaging children as I helped them to develop their language skills. Occasionally, I would "use" the following poem by the Liverpool performance poet Adrian Henri (1932-2000). Though I have posted it before, it seems quite appropriate to share it with you once more on Valentine's Day:-
❤❤❤
Love is...Love is feeling cold in the back of vans
Love is a fan club with only two fans
Love is walking holding paint-stained hands
Love is.
Love is fish and chips on winter nights
Love is blankets full of strange delights
Love is when you don't put out the light
Love is
Love is the presents in Christmas shops
Love is when you're feeling Top of the Pops
Love is what happens when the music stops
Love is
Love is white panties lying all forlorn
Love is a pink nightdress still slightly warm
Love is when you have to leave at dawn
Love is
Love is you and love is me
Love is a prison and love is free
Love's what's there when you are away from me
Love is...
❤❤❤
One of the things I would do with this poem was to get youngsters following the same simple pattern but with new titles as I helped them to a better understanding of what poetry could do. It didn't need to be high brow stuff drifted down from some faraway ivory tower. It could be here and now and meaningful - a tool for reflecting on real life. Often I would have them writing in pairs as they approached new titles such as "War is...", "Happiness is...", "Youth is...", "Sheffield is...", "Death is..." and so on. Many's the time I observed faces lighting up when effective four line verses had gelled almost magically...
e.g.
War is tears rolling down a face
War is a dream that tyrants chase
War is a curse on the human race
War is...
Nature is a lizard soaking up the sun
Nature is a cobweb newly spun
Nature is a precious gift for everyone
Nature is...
Joy is a light that helps you find your way
Joy is the sound of children at play
Joy is the tune of life's cabaret
Joy is...
If you have an idle moment to spare, why not experiment yourself?
My brain is not nearly awake enough yet to be spinning verses. I'll just say Happy Valentine's and let it go at that for the moment.
ReplyDeleteBritain has always been ahead of The United States... time-wise anyway.
DeleteLove the poem!
ReplyDeleteWhat a different approach you had to teaching English, YP. My English teachers (one for Literature and another for Language) would be turning in their graves if they could read this. They would say this isn't the way to teach any subject - it's not boring.... it's interesting, modern, and more importantly it's enjoyable and involves the pupils!
Some dull stuff was also required but thank you Carol. I never wanted to browbeat children or make them feel inadequate - no matter what their ability.
DeleteLove is offering a warm tummy for my cold feet....
ReplyDeleteLove is Lord Perry singing something sweet
Delete"When I was an English teacher, I had endless creative ideas for engaging children" - WTF is on about now?
ReplyDeleteI am afraid that I do not get your comment. Is it meant to be funny?
DeleteI was imagining what the kids thought. I seem to have missed out "he".
DeleteOkay. I get it now.
DeleteThe more serious point being that some kids would have thought they knew it all already. I know from teaching programming how easy it was to be able to spot misconceptions, but when it came to web design or usability, the ones who were worst at it were the ones who thought it was easy.
DeleteI know nothing about programming but I taught English for forty years.
DeleteHummus is elevating the humble chickpea
ReplyDeleteHummus is preparing something good for me
Hummus is a delicious treat for tea
Hummus is...
Okay, so I'm an American and don't have "tea", but I will have hummus for my supper tonight.
Not much rhymes with "supper"... "cuppa", "scupper", "upper".
DeleteTry hummus pasta as dreamt up by "Bosh!"
I saw that recipe and want to try it! (along with dozens of others they've featured)
DeleteThese are wonderful prompts. Love is a glance caught between two, and a warm hug in the cold rain. :) I'm no poet.
ReplyDeleteLove is a glance caught between two
ReplyDeleteLove is a warm hug in cold rain too
Love is what Margaret might give to you
Love is...
Excellent! Thank you!!
DeleteYou have kindled a memory of a rather passionate English teacher of mine. She was very good at exciting students about poetry. I have some how remembered her favourite piece by name only. Why was Coleridge's Christabel her favourite poem? I've just reread it and a wet fish has just smacked me in the eye. My teacher was a wearer of sensible shoes.
ReplyDeleteSuch giddiness of heart and brain
DeleteComes seldom save from rage and pain...
While Googling your Adrian Henri I was led inexplicably to one Felix Dennis. I couldn't find Henri's poems but Dennis is wonderful. He reminds me somewhat of the late San Francisco poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
ReplyDeleteWell that was a nice sidetrack then Catalyst. Good. I have heard of Felix Dennis but do not know his work.
DeleteI could experiment until the moon blows up, but I wouldn't get four decent lines together. it just isn't in me. Essays are more my thing, I always did well with those.
ReplyDeleteI bet you were also good at naming rivers.
DeleteI love rhymes (especially limericks), but I can not remember we were ever encouraged to make our own at school.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was still with RJ, he wrote a love poem for me, in ink on pretty paper, rolled it up and put a red ribbon around the scroll. It was a lovely gift but that did not stop him from splitting up with me a few years later.
I thought your decision to split up was mutual. Did he break your heart?
DeleteNot really, but he did hurt my pride. I was (and still am) 8 years older than he and never expected our relationship to last "forever". And now, 8 years after we have split up, I find myself very happy, whereas none of the relationships RJ has had in the meantime lasted for more than a few weeks - some even only a few HOURS.
DeleteSounds like RJ didn't really know what he was longing for. You are better off with OK because he is more than okay.
DeleteI may be wrong but I think my English teachers might have blanched at that poem -- "blankets full of strange delights" and mention of panties probably would have caused them to close the book! (Puritanical Americans, you know...) Of course it depends on the age of the "children" you're teaching.
ReplyDeleteIt was more for the pattern of Adrian Henri's poem that I employed it. I didn't linger on the suggestiveness. Normally I "used" it with fourteen/fifteen year olds who tend to appreciate some "adult" content.
Delete