About Hands on Stanzas

Hands on Stanzas, the educational outreach program of the Poetry Center of Chicago places professional, teaching Poets in residence at Chicago Public Schools across the city. Poets teach the reading, discussion, and writing of poetry to 3 classes over the course of 20 classroom visits, typically from October through April. Students improve their reading, writing, and public speaking skills, and participating teachers report improved motivation and academic confidence. You can contact Cassie Sparkman, Director of the Hands on Stanzas program, by phone: 312.629.1665 or by email: csparkman(at)poetrycenter.org for more information.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Getting Colorful

Last week, before their spring break, I brought in two color poems for my student poets (Mars Being Red by Marvin Bell and Blue Cornucopia by Robert Francis). I stole this idea from way back in grad school, when in one of my seminars, everyone had to research a "type" of poem, and someone brought in Color poems. The Bell Poets thought they were pretty weird, but they wrote their own amazing color poems as a result. Please enjoy!

Ms. Chadhuri’s Class

Silver Seas
by Caleb P.

Silver is the sunlight reflecting
off of the seas, silver is a color
that sparkles with ease. Silver is
fast, cunning, and sly. Silver is not
your ordinary guy. However, silver
can be dull or shy. Silver
is metal and tech-nol-ogy,
Silver is happy, not lonely and sad.

Orange
by Genevieve P.

Orange is the color of a sunset
wet people at dusk
an ominous glow in the distance
quickly burning fire
orange is smooth like marble countertops
orange is a fruit and a color
the top of a Gatorade cup
orange is a color of the rainbow

The Life of Green
by Elliana G.

Being green is spring after a long winter, the first sprouts of the year. Being green is a tree frog jumping from branch to branch. It is living life to the fullest, and the strength of those who do. It is as smooth as porcelain and as sticky as honey. It lives its own life and never gives up. It survives all alone and is a habitat for many. It is excited for what’s coming and happy for what’s happened. It is always encouraging and it never fails to make you laugh. Green. Green.

Green Is…
by Alex C.

Pick any green: the brilliant color of a zinnia, the darkness of a Christmas tree, the green vibrant grass, the green suit of Luigi, the stem of a plant, slime in a booby trap, the new spring leaves, the color of peacock, the sickness of an alligator.


Ms. Darnell’s Class

Orange
by Adrian M.

Being orange is like the sun.
Being a meteor falling to the earth.
Painted to the wall. An orange ready
to be eaten. A tiger running fast.

Hot Pink
by Maddy P.

Hot pink is like red
paint being poured on
to pink paint and it’s
also like the letter
X, big and bulgey.
Hot pink is like a
brick wall building.
It’s like the person
you see every day
on the bus or on the
train. It’s like a
pair of pink shoes
in the middle of a
huge pile of
blue shoes. Like
a peach in the middle
of the desert, strange
like a bunch of dogs
and one cat. It’s the
person at the beach
the first one outside
for the summer day.

Scarlet
by Brennan Q.

It’s a red,
a hawk’s tail,
the sunset sky
dried blood on a knife.
A Chinese lantern
the great lion’s mane.
A tomato.
A happy color.
A bonfire.
A brick house.

Color Code Lavender
by Bronte F.

Lavender,
a shimmering fabric,
a glistening stone,
Venus gleaming in the dark.

Six violets making up a crown
a smooth shell lying
in the sea.

A shade of the boldest purples.
A light on a
tree.


Ms. Manuel’s Class

The Super Blast of Orange
by Paul H.

A super blast of orange is like: a pretty leaf in autumn. A bit of flame in a fireplace. An incredible, undiscovered rock. A beautifully orange daffodil. The sunset at the end of the day. Superman’s newest outfit. A beautiful house with a super cool paint job. An orangutan in the sunlight. The sun at midday. The sun reflected off the water. A corndog at a carnival.

White
by Madeline S.

White is a white creamy mouse,
a blank piece of paper, blank,
plain, bright. White is milk, the
fluffiness of the clouds. Only
shows on black or other colors
when you write with it. White
is the snow that falls. White
can be a daisy, clean, shiny
teeth. Your bones in a skeleton.
Angel’s wings in heaven.
White snowballs being thrown.
A pearl still in a clam unopened.
White is a long, beautiful
dress on a woman’s special day.

My Gold
by Loki A.

Gold is the sun that shines.
Gold is the feathers of a bird.
Gold is the color of the lava flowing.
Gold is the fire that is burning down
a house. Gold is the gruesome blood
trickling down a person’s cut.
Gold is the car, driving on the road.
Gold is the light, distances away.
Gold is the clock ticking in the house.
Gold is the Persian cat crossing the
desert. Then once again, gold is gold.

Wonderful Orange
by Magdelene T.

Orange,
the sunset
in the afternoon
the orange or
tangerine, a mix-
ture of red
and yellow, light
orange dark orange
and a goldfish or any living
organism that is orange a tiger
monarch butterfly one
of the colors of the rainbow


Ms. Furgason’s Class

Gray
by Madison E.

Gray like a
moon. Gray like
a dirty zombie.
Gray like
a young boy who
never came out
of the sea.
Gray, the smell
dusty. Gray the
taste of dusty
too. Gray is
the color of
the sky when
it is going to
rain. Gray is
the color of all these.

Red is…
by Angelica C.

Red is the blood
coming from your
skin, the color of
love. Red is soft
but mushy. Red is the
color of bravery, the
color of a sweet,
sweet candy cane.
Red is an adorable
feeling, sometimes it
is strong and has a
good memory. Red is
everything you will
need in life.
Red!
Red!
Red!
Don’t you
just love
RED!

Green
by Zachary L.

Green is the grass. Green is the color of when you have eaten something you don't like. Green feels like icky slime being placed in a cup. green is a giant tornado whirling across the land. Green is celery so bright and tasty. Green is an alligator deep in the water.

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