THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY

THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY
April 12, 2016

Friday, May 1, 2009

Poetry Friday -- Young Poets

Answer: Over 650 Question: How many poems were submitted to Word Up! – Howard County Library’s youth poetry competition? Wow! Poetry is alive and well in our central Maryland schools and homes. Last week, I spoke at the Word Up! celebration. About a dozen of the winning poets (grade six through age 21), read their poetry. (I did the math -- over 80 entries per grade level.)
The readers were great, performing their poems about nature, relationships, politics, pizza and coping with a bright red stain on a white blouse.
One of the winning poets is Isaiah Du Pree, a 9th grader at one of our public high schools. (In the photo above, he's the one in the suit seated in the front row. That's me at the podium.)
I met Isaiah when I visited his middle school G/T Writers Guild last year. He’s got great stage presence and his poem, “Declaration,” lends itself to performance. Declaration Maybe if we didn’t send such degradation Our world would not suffer all this humiliation We wouldn’t have blacks in trials and tribulations America would try to handle current situations This is our world it’s not an animation It won’t disappear with some prestidigitation Because in this world there is no sanctification What we need is more renunciation Surrender ourselves would be some configuration American is dying we need emancipation Lift ourselves up and gather determination There would be no more. No more limitations No more examinations and weak investigations No more lies. No more false education You were meant to be you are a creation Anyone who told you different used manipulation If we keep this up there will be extermination We must find a way to prevent annihilation This is what I speak this is my citation This is my demand this is my declaration
For more Poetry Friday posts, visit ... http://mayaganesan.blogspot.com/

4 comments:

Color Online said...

Hi Laura,

I can hear this. Please share my compliments with the poet.

Thank you very much for your support. I appreciate you taking time to read and comment at Color Online.

Please accept my invitation to join us for Little Lov'n Monday. On Monday we commit to reading and commenting to fellow bloggers. When you share a link, you're entered in a drawing to win a free book. Hope you'll join us and bring a few friends with you.

Happy reading,

Author Amok said...

Thanks! Absolutely, Isaiah's poem is great in performance. He has an amazing sense of rhythm.

I'll do my best to visit Color Online Monday, but I'm tending a broken finger (my daughter's). I'm interested in learning more about the work you do, because I lead school poetry workshops in my state. Love to hear what's going on around the country. Thanks for visiting. I appreciate it.

Laura

Irene Latham said...

I too would love to hear this one live... although it works nicely on the page as well (not all performance pieces do!). Thanks for sharing!

Author Amok said...

Isaiah is a talented performer. His poem lends itself to spoken word, but also has a strong message as a written piece.

Thanks for visiting.