Introduction:
I know many of you young adults think that short stories and poetry are not very popular subjects and find them to be just “a waste of time and space”, but I think that after you have gone through my Ultimate Guide, you will think otherwise.
The first thing you should know about poetry is that it’s practically everywhere, from music and advertisement to humor and even those really cool quotes you hear in the movies like the famous “There’s no place like home” (from the Wizards of Oz) or the classic “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse” (from The Godfather). Poetry isn’t some complicated writing that a few old people chose to create just to have our high school teachers torture us with, but it is simply the creative use of words to evoke emotion in the reader. Now I know you may be thinking (especially you guys out there) “Ugh, emotion…yuck”, but let’s not forget that emotion can be a good thing especially if it’s in the form of laughter or affection. Most famous celebrities and song writers you know are also poets, since they play with words to stir emotion in their listeners, whether it’s happiness or sorrow, its poetry all the same.
Now that you know that poetry isn’t some loser language that nobody uses anymore, let me tell you exactly how much you can actually benefit from just reading poetry and short stories! I know that reading poetry can sometimes be very frustrating since you can’t understand them as easily as you would with a book or a movie, but that’s because with poetry, you can’t expect to understand the entire poem by simply skimming the surface. You must delve deeper into a poem than you would with a book and read it over and over again until the words form a picture inside your head that you can walk around in and be able to observe it from every angle. This of course, is the beauty of poetry and why it’s so beneficial for you since it makes you think using just your imagination, and like a muscle, the more you use it the more creative you will become.
You’re already probably thinking, “who cares if I’m creative or not”, but I’m pretty sure subconsciously you want to be creative, just as much as you would want to become rich and famous, because notice that everybody famous got to where they are using their creativity. Song writers use creative language to write their lyrics, actors stay original and artistic brining something fresh to the table, and inventors use innovative thinking to come up with awesome new things like the iPod. Now that you know just how much creativity plays a role in our lives I would also like to add just how much poetry can help you to become a better and more interesting person to be around with. Everybody loves to be around the funny and witty kind of people and that is exactly what poetry can help you become. I have already mentioned how poetry has to do with playing with words to create something more meaningful than the average sentence, and by reading poems and getting more accustomed to the language of poetry you can create a little “emotional chaos” yourself. For instance, let’s say that your stuck in math class and the teacher seems to be talking gibberish so you raise your hand for help; but instead of just sticking to the generic line of “I’m confused, can you help me?!”, you could add a simile or two and say, “I’m as confused as a baby in a topless bar and could really use some help right now” and voila! You have humor! You could also use your newly acquired creativity to come up with witty lines like “I'm not single. I'm in a long distance relationship with my girlfriend. She lives in the future. Or perhaps make a conversation interesting with word play, for example, if somebody asks, "surely, you can't be serious", you can comeback with "I am serious, and don't call me Shirley!”. Or even challenge symbolism and say something like, “I am not a vegetarian because I love animals. I am a vegetarian because I hate plants.” I’m sure all of us could use a bit more imagination in our life and reading some poems and short stories is an excellent way to start!
Lastly, I would just like to say that anybody can say they hate poetry, but only the poetically skilled can arrange a few simple words in such a way that can cause the reader to experience deep emotional chaos; and my question for you is, “would you like to be one of those few? If so, read on!
Step 1: Let’s warm up!
The first thing we must do is to tug at that dusty old imagination of yours, and what better way to do that than to read some of my favorite poems! Below are a few poems that I think will help rekindle that appetite for poetry that you had probably once had as a child when your imagination could run wild on pure curiosity; this is of course before you were struck by reality and forced to find an “answer” to everything. The reason why I’m referring to your childhood as the “brink” of your imagination is because that is truly when you were most creative, before your brain was contaminated with people trying to tell you what to do. From grade one, teachers are already eroding that creativity of yours by telling you that you’re supposed to color “in-between” the lines, instead of just allowing you to think for yourself and creating your own unique way that things should be. Why else do you think drop-outs like Einstein and George Washington were so inventive and creative? I would also like to point out that a large majority of the famous poets we read about today were very rebellious as well, yet they became famous because they didn’t allow themselves to be governed by what others thought was right, but would rather use their own unique perspective to see what others could not. Now I’m definitely not saying that you should rebel against your teachers or anything, but rather use that rebellious attitude towards the following poems, approaching them with an open mind and unique perspective. Don’t allow your old school habits of “needing to find an answer” to restrict you from being creative as you interpret each poem.
By Louis Jenkins
I take the snap from the center, fake to the right, fade back...
I've got protection. I've got a receiver open downfield...
What the hell is this? This isn't a football, it's a shoe, a man's
brown leather oxford. A cousin to a football maybe, the same
skin, but not the same, a thing made for the earth, not the air.
I realize that this is a world where anything is possible and I
understand, also, that one often has to make do with what one
has. I have eaten pancakes, for instance, with that clear corn
syrup on them because there was no maple syrup and they
weren't very good. Well, anyway, this is different. (My man
downfield is waving his arms.) One has certain responsibilities,
one has to make choices. This isn't right and I'm not going
to throw it.
I've got protection. I've got a receiver open downfield...
What the hell is this? This isn't a football, it's a shoe, a man's
brown leather oxford. A cousin to a football maybe, the same
skin, but not the same, a thing made for the earth, not the air.
I realize that this is a world where anything is possible and I
understand, also, that one often has to make do with what one
has. I have eaten pancakes, for instance, with that clear corn
syrup on them because there was no maple syrup and they
weren't very good. Well, anyway, this is different. (My man
downfield is waving his arms.) One has certain responsibilities,
one has to make choices. This isn't right and I'm not going
to throw it.
By David Ignatow
I stopped to pick up the bagel
rolling away in the wind,
annoyed with myself
for having dropped it
as if it were a portent.
Faster and faster it rolled,
with me running after it
bent low, gritting my teeth,
and I found myself doubled over
and rolling down the street
head over heels, one complete somersault
after another like a bagel
and strangely happy with myself.
rolling away in the wind,
annoyed with myself
for having dropped it
as if it were a portent.
Faster and faster it rolled,
with me running after it
bent low, gritting my teeth,
and I found myself doubled over
and rolling down the street
head over heels, one complete somersault
after another like a bagel
and strangely happy with myself.
By Marc Petersen
If my wife were to have an affair,
I would walk to my toolbox in the garage,
Take from it my 12" flathead screwdriver
And my hickory-handle hammer,
The one that helped me build three redwood fences,
And I would hammer out the pins
In all the door hinges in the house,
And I would pull off all the doors
And I would stack them in the backyard.
And I would empty all the sheets from the linen closet,
And especially the flannels we have slept between for nineteen winters;
And I would empty all the towels, too,
The big heavy white towels she bought on Saturdays at Target,
And the red bath towels we got for our wedding,
And which we have never used;
And I would unroll the aluminum foil from its box,
And carry all the pots and pans from the cupboards to the backyard,
And lay this one long sheet of aluminum foil over all our pots and pans;
And I would dump all the silverware from the drawer
Onto the driveway; and I would push my motorcycle over
And let all its gas leak out,
And I would leave my Jeep running at the curb
Until its tank was empty or its motor blew up,
And I would turn the TV up full-blast and open all the windows;
And I would turn the stereo up full-blast,
With Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on it,
Schiller's "Ode to Joy," really blasting;
And I would strip our bed;
And I would lie on our stripped bed;
And I would see our maple budding out the window.
I would see our maple budding out our window,
The hummingbird feeder hanging from its lowest bough.
And my cat would jump up to see what was the matter with me.
And I would tell her. Of course, I would tell her.
From her, I hold nothing back.
I would walk to my toolbox in the garage,
Take from it my 12" flathead screwdriver
And my hickory-handle hammer,
The one that helped me build three redwood fences,
And I would hammer out the pins
In all the door hinges in the house,
And I would pull off all the doors
And I would stack them in the backyard.
And I would empty all the sheets from the linen closet,
And especially the flannels we have slept between for nineteen winters;
And I would empty all the towels, too,
The big heavy white towels she bought on Saturdays at Target,
And the red bath towels we got for our wedding,
And which we have never used;
And I would unroll the aluminum foil from its box,
And carry all the pots and pans from the cupboards to the backyard,
And lay this one long sheet of aluminum foil over all our pots and pans;
And I would dump all the silverware from the drawer
Onto the driveway; and I would push my motorcycle over
And let all its gas leak out,
And I would leave my Jeep running at the curb
Until its tank was empty or its motor blew up,
And I would turn the TV up full-blast and open all the windows;
And I would turn the stereo up full-blast,
With Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on it,
Schiller's "Ode to Joy," really blasting;
And I would strip our bed;
And I would lie on our stripped bed;
And I would see our maple budding out the window.
I would see our maple budding out our window,
The hummingbird feeder hanging from its lowest bough.
And my cat would jump up to see what was the matter with me.
And I would tell her. Of course, I would tell her.
From her, I hold nothing back.
Step 2: Find the humor in poetry!
Below is a lesson plan that I would really like teachers to use and would recommend for you to try individually because it introduces poetry in a light and even humorous manner taking place in a situation that we are already too familiar with: school. This lesson plan will encourage students to think without feeling like they’re forced to find some hidden meaning in the poem offering helpful questions like “Is the poem realistic? Does it remind you of school life? Is the poem amusing? Why? What makes it funny?” gently nudging them to look at the poem from different angles and allowing them to freely say what they think without being pressured to find anything specific. The reason why I was most attracted to this lesson was because it is aiming to introduce you to humorous poetry that plays with language in a setting that all teens can relate to making it easier to think more creatively.
Step 3: Learn about your deepest desires!
From the moment you were born, you had already experienced that feeling of “want” or “longing” for something, whether it was for a blanket to keep you warm or a toy that you didn’t have, but the fact is that before you had even made it outside your hospital bed, you had already known the feeling of desire. Now that your all grown up and experiencing that stage we call “young adulthood” I’m sure that your desires have changed and grown and are reaching towards that inevitable subject of “sex”. I know that you’ve thought about it so don’t try to deny it, but instead you should bring it up to the surface, because this is yet another area where short stories and poetry can help. The following book is a collection of short stories that I think all teens should read for it will touch on a subject that is on every teenagers mind giving them something they could enjoy and easily relate to. This book captures the various expressions of desire, from first crushes to first times, providing young adults with well-known scenarios that they can experience through this book and even learn from.
ONE HOT SECOND: STORIES ABOUT DESIRE edited by Cathy Young (Knopf, 2002).
Step 4: Build your Imagination!
Reading short stories is also a great way to get your imagination moving in a simple and entertaining kind of way. Speaking of “imagination” I would highly recommend that the first short story you read be “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber. The main character in this short story has such a vivid imagination that he takes ordinary day-to-day tasks and uses them as an opportunity to escape into his own made up fantasy; for example, as he’s driving in his car, he actually imagines it as if he’s commanding "a Navy hydroplane" through a terrible storm. You will definitely not get bored in this short story and may even find his abstract way of thinking quite humorous!
Another great read that I think you’ll most definitely enjoy is called “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”. This is a rather long read, but it is completely filled with fantasy and vivid imagery which is exactly what you need to build your imagination. It will fill your head with extravagant mental images that open your mind to the impossible incidentally building your creativity all the more. Along with having fantastic imagery this short story will have you racing towards the end with its enticing plotline and jaw-dropping climax.
The last short story that I will leave you with is “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. This story will introduce you to irony which is perfect for building humor, and not to mention very enjoyable to read. Irony is always fun to have especially in short stories like “The Lottery” because it keeps you guessing till the very end which will come with a “Bang!” Of course I won’t spoil the interesting twist at the end for you but I will say this, that this is definitely no ordinary lottery!
Step 5: Hear the music!
Whenever you’re listening to music on your iPod or the radio, I would recommend that you actually pay attention to some of the lyrics, because a song is one of the simplest kinds of poetry. A great song that you can start with is called “Replay” (by Iyaz). I chose this song mainly for its simplicity that I’m sure you should have no trouble interpreting (if you do, please feel free to read my notes at the end of the lyrics).
That I can't keep out
Got me singin' like
Na na na na everyday
It's like my iPod stuck on replay, replay-ay-ay-ay (2x)
Remember the first time we met
You was at the mall wit yo friend
I was scared to approach ya
But then you came closer
Hopin' you would give me a chance
Who would have ever knew
That we would ever be more than friends
We're real worldwide, breakin all the rules
She like a song played again and again
That girl, like somethin off a poster
That girl, is a dime they say
That girl, is a gun to my holster
She's runnin through my mind all day, ay
Shawty's like a melody in my head
That I can't keep out
Got me singin' like
Na na na na everyday
It's like my iPod stuck on replay, replay-ay-ay-ay (2x)
See you been all around the globe
Not once did you leave my mind
We talk on the phone, from night til the morn
Girl you really changed my life
Doin things I never do
I'm in the kitchin cookin things she likes
We're real worldwide, breakin all the rules
Someday I wanna make you my wife
That girl, like somethin off a poster
That girl, is a dime they say
That girl, is the gun to my holster
She's runnin through my mind all day, ay
Shawty's like a melody in my head
That I can't keep out
Got me singin' like
Na na na na everyday
It's like my iPod stuck on replay, replay-ay-ay-ay (2x)
I can be your melody
Oh girl that could write you a symphony
The one that could fill your fantasies
So come baby girl let's sing with me
Ay, I can be your melody
Oh girl that could write you a symphony
The one that could fill your fantasies
So come baby girl let's sing with me
Ay, na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na
Shawty got me singin
Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na
Now she got me singin
Shawty's like a melody in my head
That I can't keep out
Got me singin' like
Na na na na everyday
It's like my iPod stuck on replay, replay-ay-ay-ay (2x)
My notes: I’m sure everyone here has had that experience where you listen to a song and you just cannot get it out of your head so it just keeps repeating itself inside your head almost automatically like an “iPod stuck on replay”. Well that’s what this song is about except Iyaz is using that just as a metaphor to describe how it feels like when you meet that special somebody and you just can’t get them out of your head, because you can’t stop thinking about them. I think this would be a perfect song to teach young adults since it’s new-ish (2010), it’s hip, and it’s about relationships which is something that most hormone infested teenagers tend to experience when they reach that stage of young adulthood so it’s something they could easily relate to and even like.
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