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From Issue #6, Fall 2004

Readers Theatre and Poetry...
"The Intensity of Feeling"
by Lucy Rioux

I remember when I first taught a unit of poetry for my sixth grade creative writing class. I could see the look of complete panic in some of my students’ eyes when I was describing the various components of what they would be learning related to this particular unit: they would read and analyze various examples of poetry, evaluate various forms of poetry from different authors, and finally create their own poems applying the information and various styles they had learned. They would also be expected to read these poems out loud and participate in discussions focusing on their interpretations of the authors’ intent. There were moans and groans, especially at the thought of having to read poetry out loud. To quote one of my students, "I never understand poetry...it just doesn’t make any sense to me."

Readers theatre and poetry go hand-in-hand. During the process of scripting, students are first assigned poems that are easy to understand and to work with. Poetry by Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky are good examples of such literature. Poems to be scripted are first read aloud, then students should decide how many "main" characters there are and how many narrators will be needed. In most cases, the "parts" are mostly two or three (with advance teacher planning!), so students are then placed in their cooperative learning groups accordingly. Students who will be scripting these poems should be familiar with the RT scripting process, but even if they are not, the lesson can easily be incorporated into the actual unit. I personally follow the scripting model advocated by the Readers Theatre Institute, but there are many different styles and techniques available that can be utilized.

Once students begin working on their assigned poems and they are ready for oral reading, the process of interpretation comes into play. In order for the students to give an effective reading of the works, they must "understand" the meaning of the words. Dictionary definitions are certainly helpful, but there are other components that can facilitate and illustrate meaning. These include the following:
The Voice: How words are said can affect their interpretation. Students must experiment with volume, fluency, and pacing.
The Body: If the reader is speaking of a strong emotion such as love or hate, his/her body language should reflect the meaning of such words.
The Mind: In order for the audience to "believe" what a performer is saying, the reader must first truly understand and "believe" what is being said. If the reader is unsure of the author’s intent, this uncertainty will be passed on to the audience.
The Emotions: Emotion is central and essential to poetry, therefore the "message" needs to be sincere and associated with strong emotional delivery. This can sometimes be the most difficult challenge for middle school students, but with practice, it can also be the most enjoyable!
The Senses: The best way to make "words come alive" (according to C. C. Cunningham) is to connect our every day use of senses to the written word. If the poem is about roses, the students need to recall what a rose smells like. If the poem mentions apples and oranges, the students should be able to "sense" the difference in taste and color.
(More information regarding these components of oral interpretation can be found in Chapter Three of the Institute Book of Readers Theatre by William Adams.)

Once students are experienced with these simple examples of poetry, more challenging pieces can then be introduced. The following is an example of poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay that was scripted and performed by two students...

Portrait by a Neighbor

Narrator-- Before she has her floor

Neighbor-- swept

Narrator-- Or her dishes

Neighbor-- done,

Narrator-- Any day you’ll find her

Neighbor-- A-sunning in the sun!

Narrator-- It’s long

Neighbor-- after midnight

Narrator-- Her key’s

Neighbor-- in the lock,

Narrator-- And you never see her chimney smoke

Neighbor-- Till past ten o’clock!

Narrator-- She digs in her

Neighbor-- garden

Narrator-- With a shovel

Neighbor-- and a spoon,

Narrator-- She weeds her lazy lettuce

Neighbor-- By the light of the moon.

Narrator-- She walks

Neighbor-- up the walk

Narrator-- Like a woman

Neighbor-- in a dream,

Narrator-- She forgets she borrowed butter

Neighbor-- And pays you back cream!

Narrator-- Her lawn looks like

Neighbor-- a meadow,

Narrator-- And if she mows

Neighbor-- the place

Narrator-- She leaves the clover standing

Neighbor-- And the Queen Anne’s lace!

A beautiful poem beautifully delivered by two inexperienced but hard working students! This process works, my friends. Try it...you won’t be disappointed!

Next article will focus on readers theatre and civil rights...

lr

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