Breaking the Rules of Grammar & Punctuation
Lesson Nine: Breaking the Rules of Grammar and Punctuation
Curriculum by National Youth Poet Laureate Program, 2020
Table of contents
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To help students further explore the possibilities within poetry, especially in relation to prose and standard English grammar rules and expectations.
Creative expression, taking artistic risks.
Close reading and annotation, discussion, practicing observation, and writing poetry that takes linguistic and literary risks. Students pay attention to how capitalization, punctuation, and other rules of convention change the meanings of written texts.
Reading their poems to their peers open-mic style or in small groups.
Themes
Methods
Outcomes
Evaluation
Introduction
The power of using poetry, rather than prose, to express ourselves is that we can play with language without the expectations of grammar, punctuation, using capital letters, etc. Equally, we can play around with the format—the shape of the poem, the line breaks, the way the poem is physically and visually organized on the page—to also take artistic and creative risks.
Poetry can be and has long been used as a revolutionary tool both in content and in form. Poetic movements throughout the 20th century, especially, have pushed back on the sometimes oppressive and normative expectations of language itself—especially English—in addition to systems of oppression and other forms of societal inequity and inequality. In this way, we can use language itself as a tool to stand up to oppression and speak truth to power. We open with a general discussion of the importance of creative expression. Olivia Gatwood chooses to not use capital letters and not use line breaks to separate the sentences in her poem. Nate Marshall’s poem doesn’t use any punctuation. Marshall also includes informal language that he uses with his friends, specifically “finna” which is how he says people from his community in the South say “I’m fitting to” or “I’m going to.”
Warm up
“I Dwell in Possibility” by Emily Dickinson
I dwell in Possibility –
A fairer House than Prose – More numerous of Windows – Superior – for Doors –
Of Chambers as the Cedars –
Impregnable of eye –
And for an everlasting Roof
Warm up
The Gambrels of the Sky –
Of Visitors – the fairest – For Occupation – This –
The spreading wide my narrow Hands To gather Paradise –
Discussion
What does Dickinson’s poem have to say about the power of possibility in poetry?
Reading
01
Underline phrases that stand out to
you or resonate with you.
Discussion
Let’s get into groups and answer the following questions in a Google Doc that you will share with me.
Each group will answer:
Writing
Think back to Dickinson’s poem about “dwelling in possibility.” Write a poem where you dwell in taking literary and linguistic risks beyond merely taking risks with your content.
You can write a poem about any topic or theme you’d like. Try to do at least one new thing with language, words, punctuation, grammar, and format. Some options:
o Don’t use any punctuation.
o Don’t use any capital letters.
o Give yourself rules where you can only have a certain number of words per line.
o Take a known phrase or song and alter the lyrics/words so it sounds new.
o Write a poem in a shape so that the visual format is part of the poem.
02
01
Let’s think about how writing conventions such as capitalization, punctuation, and grammar affect the meaning of your poetry.
Sharing
Let’s watch Anthony McPherson "Battle" to experience how other poets perform their work.
Sharing
When we share our poem, we can snap our fingers, clap, or wave our hands. When you hear something one of your colleagues wrote, you can provide feedback with “I like,” “I notice,” and “I wonder.”
Closing