Right.
As you all may or may not know, my big thing in high school has been Oral Interpretations. This includes Poetry, Prose, Original Oratory, Humorous Interp, Dramatic Interp, and Duo Interp. The last four that I listed are NFL (National Forensics League) events, not to be confused with this "National Football League" that I keep hearing about. The NFL has different rules and regulations than Poetry and Prose which are UIL (University Interscholastic League) events.
These two events are then broken down into two different categories (A and B) every three years. This year Category A for Poetry is "Excellence in Poetry" This means that The author you use for this category must have at some time won an award that the UIL deems "excellent". These poems are usually depressing and the authors have most likely been druggies or simply have committed hari-kari. Fun. Not only is this the most "blah" category, but it's also really hard to find pieces that haven't been used a thousand times, and that are also worth reading. Believe me, if you can find a great Category A- you're in. Category B is much more open. Basically, if you can prove that the poetry you use is published- you can do whatever you want.
So now that I've bored you with the rules and whatnot, I get to thrill you with my discover for Category A!! Don't jump out of your seats just yet! Actually my poetry buddies and I are totally stoked with my discovery.... Billy Collins! All last year I'd never heard him performed once, but my wonderful English teacher, Mrs. Brody, introduced me to him. She told us he was the Poet Laureate for the USA a few years ago.
...Wait. There's a government position for poetry??? Well I want to be the Poet Laureate! Who knew?
Anyways, I read his poem "The History Teacher" in English and just thought it was fantastic. I looked it up, just in case, but he was qualified for Category A (I mean come one... Poet Laureate). I stopped by Barnes and Noble yesterday to buy one of his books. I bought "The Trouble With Poetry" and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I can't wait to show off my brilliant discovery to my Interp coach, Miss Thomson!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Anybody Who's Anybody Reads Poetry
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Introduction to Poetry
Billy Collins
I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide
or press an ear against its hive.
I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,
or walk inside the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch.
I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.
But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.
They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.
http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/
Robin, What great things you're doing. (I like the Bat Poet, a little book, as an intro to poetry).
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