Reading

Welcome to April: Canada’s National Poetry month

Award-winning Métis author and poet, Jessie Thistle offered the following poem for the direct purpose of supporting the youth of the Waterloo Region District School Board in their learning during this unique time. His poem ‘Dust’ is being published for the first time here!

Goals

  • read and interpret the meaning of a variety of written forms
  • recognize a variety of text features and stylistic elements and their impact
  • generate, gather and organize words, phrasing and ideas to write a free verse poem for an intended audience

The Learning Task

Jessie Thistle is a contemporary Métis writer and poet. Why is it important to examine work from diverse populations, perspectives and points of view? Name other Indigenous artists you know. If you are not yet aware of other Indigenous artists, conduct a web search to discover and explore Indigenous writers, musicians and artists.

The following poem is an example of a Free Verse Poem. In contrast to a Sonnet or Haiku, Free Verse Poetry is not confined to any rules! There is no expectation that the poem rhyme and no predetermined structures.

Read Jesse Thistle’s poem and consider:

  • What are the possible reasons that the author chose to write this poem?
  • What is the main message of the poem? How do you know? Do you agree or disagree?
  • What does the poem make you wonder?
  • Did the form (Free Verse) of the poem impact your understanding?
  • What did you notice about the chosen spacing? How was it impactful?
  • What did you notice about the chosen spelling of certain words? How was it impactful?

-Dust-

sitting
drinking my coffee
i realize
in 200 years
no one will know
or care
if any of us lived
which means
we have only have today
to dance up clouds of dust

Your turn!

It’s your turn to write a Free Verse Poem. Start by thinking of an idea you would like to express. Then, think about what that idea and word brings to mind and ‘write off the page’, meaning jot down all and everything that comes to your mind. Next, consolidate your thinking and consider how you might put the words down on paper to enhance their meaning. Don’t forget your title that captures your main idea! Have fun.

Here are some Writer’s Notebook entries that intermediate students in the WRDSB have shared over the last few days:

“I don’t know how to feel about this extended break. Happy, sad, worried, relieved? I’m one of those kids who really like school, but I do like a break once in a while. I practically live for summer vacation. But this is different. My sister and I always have to stay in the house. It is so cloudy, and the weather hasn’t improved much…

A few days ago, the weather was really nice, so I got out my mountain bike and decided to go a little off road. There is a trail near my house that is kind of old, but the scenery is amazing. There is also a small pond, and it is really close to the forest. I also went on a steep road that wasn’t open to traffic. On the way down, I saw a bunch of guys on their bikes, doing daredevil tricks. Not the most responsible place though, with slabs of concrete, a few bulldozers, and wearing no helmets on a steep hill…”

“My step dad is the biggest help right now because he is helping me with fractions and converting fractions into decimals. He has done so much for our family because my mom has a weak immune system so he has been having to do all of the grocery shopping and sometimes dad’s are not the greatest at grocery shopping. He has even gone out to get stuff for my grandparents because older people have a higher risk.”

“We have to work together to fight this. People are sacrificing their lives for us, what more can you ask for? When they tell us to stop and stay in our homes they’re not doing it for themselves but for us. So stay home, stay safe! It’ll make their job a little bit easier. “

Daily! Don’t forget to engage with your Writer’s Notebook: Creating a Place for Reflection

Note: please see the information in this lesson for guidance.

If you would like to share your thinking, thoughts and wonderings with other students in the Waterloo Region District School Board as above, please share your journal entry using this form. Your entry may be chosen to share within our system. This is NOT a requirement and it is your personal choice to share.