At the 2007 CATEC Conference (Central Asian Teachers of English Conference) I attended a workshop in haiku writing by Ludmila Shirmina from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

First Ludmila had us brainstorm in groups. We wrote down anything we wanted on the topic of spring. (See the photo). Then we put together our 3-line haikus following the pattern:

Line 1: 5 syllables

Line 2: 7 syllables

Line 3: 5 syllables

What’s cool about haiku is that they can just be images, or small little thoughts. They don’t have to be complete sentences even.

Here is the poem I wrote with my partner, Natalya Shiripova from Turkmenistan.

Under night’s white stars
such a delicate theme
two crickets kissing

I turned this into a 27-second song. (I added the article “the” in the first line. But, hey, haikus don’t have to be so exact.)

 

 Two Crickets (McCaughey, Shiripova) [0:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (10)

Here is another really short poem by William Carlos Williams, which I have set to music. In this 40-second song, the entire poem is repeated twice.

1. Play the song and ask students to write down all the words. You may want to give them the title “The Red Wheelbarrow” and the word “glazed” ahead of time. Play the song a couple of times.

so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

2. Once students learn the poem, ask them to draw what they see. They don’t have to draw well. But the words of the poem form strong images. Most people see a slightly different image. Look at the picture I drew…

Next they can compare their images. Ask them to create sentences. Things to compare: How many chickens in each picture? Where are? Is anything else in the drawing? etc.

3. Finally, students can write their own words based on this model.

so much depends
upon
[name a thing–an adjective and a noun]

[describe how it looks]

[describe where it is]

And voila, you are done. A simple imagistic poem.

 

 The Red Wheelbarrow: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (73)

Here is a brief little song–only one sentence–featuring the words of the American poet John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892).

Step 1: Play the song and ask learners to write down the 17 words that make up the lyric.

For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been’…

Step 2: Nice use of a modal verb in the past, John. But really, are these the saddest words?

Let’s compare… modally. Put students in pairs or groups and ask them to try out the following words as a replacement for “might.” Offer students these other verbal possibilities:

could, couldn’t, shouldn’t, was supposed to, was not supposed to

“For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It ________ have been …”

Each has a different meaning. The differences are often just nuances. But that’s how you understand the way these modal verbs work.

Finally, re-evaluate. Which of the modal verbs in that sentence is really the saddest in your opinion?

 

 It Might Have Been - the Possibility Songs [0:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (230)

Here’s a short little poem by William Carlos Williams that I set to music. It’s sung by Christy McWilson. Play it and ask students to write down what they hear. They should get the whole poem down in a few listenings.

 

 This is Just to Say [0:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (59)

“Little Lit” category provides short bits of English literature. There are poems set to music, tidbits of famous lit, recited poems, and (in the future), little fictions even. This way you can give students language practice while introducing them to literature.

As always, these audios are short–short enough to be done as dictations.

Here’s a short poem by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) which I’ve rendered into song: a ready-to-use listening, vocabulary, and literature lesson.

No materials necessary except the audio.

Talk and Write (before you listen)
Look at the following 9 words/expressions that have something to do with the poem. Some of them might even appear in the poem.

ache, bird, ease, fainted, help, hurt, in vain, life, robin

The first half of the first line is “If I can stop…”

With a partner discuss what you think the poem is about. What do you think the speaker will try to stop if she can.

Write down your speculation. Share with the class.

Listen and write
Play the song 2 to 4 times–depending on student level–and ask students to write down ALL the words. Listening several times is no big deal because the song is just 0:45 seconds long. 

Hint: “unto” means “into”

Follow up writing
1. Summarize the main point of the poem in one or two sentences.
2. Is the song hopeful and positive or does it hint at sadness? Explain why, okay?
3. What would you need to do in life to have not lived in vain?

Text of Poem
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainted* robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

*Note to literary purists: the original poem has the word “fainting,” not “fainted,” which I mistakenly sung and, after working on the song for many hours, said, “The heck with it, I’m not re-singing.”

 

 Emily Dickinson Poem/Song 1 [0:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (365)