Plum
Good Poetry
William Carlos Williams
Poetry in the Class
This month’s lessons are adapted from from the Teacher’s and
Writer’s guide to William Carlos Williams edited by Gary Lenhart
. This is a wonderful classroom guide to one of the most accessible
American Poets. I’ve been having fun with this book all spring.
Here are a few of my favorite activities.
K-2 Have you seen??? Finding
Magic in the ordinary
This is a simple lesson that can generate remarkable results.
The point is to young writers to see something, as if for the first
time. Williams poetry makes the everyday extraordinary.
The guidelines are,
No rhyming (Williams didn’t)
No making things up for this activity
Zoom in with specific detail to make the thing you want us to see shine
Examples
Have you seen?
the bright red apple
sitting in the tree
way out of reach
Have you seen?
Dareaux Dyson
Have you seen?
my dead fish at the top
of the pot
floating around in circles
Have you seen?
David Johnson 2nd grade
Have you seen
a dog’s eyes lighting up
like black and green jewels
Have you seen?
John Green 3rd
grade
Have you seen
the paintbrush blooming
splashes of red amongst the rocks
announcer of spring
popping up where water collects
early paintbrush brighter than the rest
Have you seen?
anonymous teacher
Utah
3-8
The Plum Apology Poem
Williams most famous poem is about a false apology.
Read it to your class and ask them if they have ever apologized in an
insincere manner. Try writing your own apology poem.
This is just to say
I have eaten the plums
that were
in the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
William Carlos Williams
Student Examples
This is just to say
that the dog
tore your
shoes in
to little pieces
and I let him
do it. It was quite amusing.
Rafael Camacho
I just want to say
I have seen
the flowers
that were
on your head
Which you
were probably
saving for
A funeral
Please forgive
Me.
I liked to say
You looked great
In a coffin
I’ll bury you
For what I did
Please forgive me.
Rafeal Camacho
This is just to say
I have eaten the plums
that were
in the ice box
then wrote a poem
that was
anthologized
and read
by millions,
You were so
understanding
at Divorce court
so sweet
and
so cold
Barry Lane
9-12 Breughal’s Paintings and Short
poems
Get a print of Brueghal’s famous painting Hunters In the Snow and read
the poem Williams wrote about it. Ask your students to notice how
Williams simply describes the painting, but in his choice of details
creates a mood and interpretation of the work. You can
do the same. Try writing your own poem about the same or different
painting, or photograph.
The Hunters in the Snow
The over all picture is winter
icy mountains
in the background the return
from the hunt it is toward evening
from the left
sturdy hunters lead in.
their pack the inn-sign
hanging from a
broken hinge is a stag a crucifix
between his antlers the cold
inn yard is
deserted but for a huge bonfire
that flares wind-driven tended by
women who cluster
about it to the right beyond
the hill is a pattern of skaters
Brueghal the painter
concerned with it all has chosen
a winter-struck bush for his
foreground to
complete the picture.
William Carlos Williams
Write a poem with a downward motion like Williams Poem
Poem
As the cat
climbed over
the top of
the jamcloset
first the right
forefoot
carefully
then the hind
stepped down
into the pit of
the empty
flowerpot
the
drop
of
rain
down the
window
glass
and merged
into another
drop
to form
a solid
streak
that
at the frame
stopped.
Write an Under Poem like the one beneath which ends up the same
place it starts.
Under
the sky
is the
clouds
Under
the clouds
is the Earth
Under
the earth
is the dark
Under
the dark
is the dust
Under
the dust,
is the
wind
Under
the wind
is the
Sky
Barry Lane |
