I did a writing workshop with 3rd, 4th and 5th graders yesterday morning.
It was at a lovely school with the most enthusiastic principal, teachers and librarians, all of whom seemed to think it was important that kids belive writing can be fun! Isn’t THAT a novel idea?
We had such a good time together, the kids and I did, talking about metaphors and similes and making things vivid. I had them do one of my all-time favorite exercises:
1. On one little slip of paper, each student writes down an emotional state (lonliness, happiness, jealousy, worry…)
All of these get popped in one basket.
2. On another little slip of paper, each student writes down a noun (and I got everything from tennis shoe to mountain, tree to xbox 360). All of these get popped in another basket.
3. Each student picks one slip of paper from each basket and, voila, you’ve got the makings of metaphor.
They have to tease out how lonliness is like a tennis shoe, or jealousy is like a tree.
There are always a few writers who raise their hands and say, “My two words don’t work together.” (And this is even — or especially — true if I do this exercise with adults.) But after we work together to think of everything we know about lonliness and everything we know about tennis shoes, they’re almost always able to find some lovely little meeting spot — the center of a ven diagram. And therein lies the poem. It’s a beautiful thing. And, dare I say, fun.
So today, in honor of all that, here’s Metaphors by Sylvia Plath. I’ve always loved this little ditty:
Metaphors
I’m a riddle in nine syllables,
An elephant, a ponderous house,
A melon strolling on two tendrils.
(Read the rest here…)
Excellent exercise. A good one for me, too. If I can find any writing time.
Don, Devas T.
Thanks, Liz! Great exercise. I do something similar, but not in such a concrete way–love your way of doing it!
TadMack says:
Of COURSE since this is Sylvia Plath, I loved this in high school. I’ve never been able to write a riddle poem that made so much concise sense – but (theoretically) there’s still time!
Karen Edmisten said:
What fun! And I’m thinking I can use a similar idea for a little bit of drama coaching that I’m doing …. 🙂
Love the exercise idea. I may just have to swipe it for use in future seminars!
Hey everyone — Swipe, swipe away! I love thinking that others might use this — and in other genres of art, too! Let me know how it works!!!
“a melon strolling on two tendrils” How perfect is that?
We really need you to do a demo school visit at a conference, Liz, so we can watch you in action.
OK, THAT would terrify me.
Oooo, I really like this exercise. Forces the brain into action. Well done.
-John Mutford
I’m swiping, too! Thanks for a great teaching tip!
Mary Lee
Carry on, John and Mary Lee! Carry on!
cloudscome says:
What a great exercise! I am going to put that one in my basket. Writing and play need to go together. I love that last line in Plath’s poem too. Full of dread, excitement, resignation and celebration. She’s a poet’s poet.
Re: cloudscome says:
I know, right???
metaphors
Hi – can anyone help?
I was brainstorming ‘red’ things with my kindergartens and grade ones. Is it okay to say “red is hearts” or should it be ‘red are hearts’?
Can anyone explain the grammar?
Thanks,
Wendy
Went searching for some great ideas about teaching metaphors in the morning and Google pointed me back here to you. I’m going to try it with my teens tomorrow!
Oh, well, I have to say I’m amazed since I never tag my posts or do anything else to get google pay attention to me. So, hallelujah! We’re connected that way 🙂