Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Two Poem Tuesday

The Red Wheelbarrow
by William Carlos Williams

so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

Yeah, I don't get it either.  I'm not sure I want to "get it."  I have never understood why this darn poem shows up in every literature anthology for sophomores that I have ever used.  You can probably imagine how thrilled my students are with this poem.  (And their teacher's lack of enthusiasm doesn't help!) 

This is why students hate poetry.  What depends??  And how would we ever figure out the answer to that one?  More than one student has said, "Who cares?" when they have finished this one.  (Grandma said that was naughty talk!)

We've done the research on the poem.  We've looked at the word arrangement, discussed the imagery, and heard the theories.  I've tried.  Sometimes, I have to side with my students.

Sadly, I prefer the following poem, which by the way, is never in my sophomore literature anthology and probably never will be. 

Going to Extremes
By Richard Armour 

Shake and shake
The catsup bottle.

None'll come—
And then a lot'll.
 
 
I can't get this poem out of my head.  (It ranks up there with "You scream.  I scream.  We all scream for ice cream.") I had both memorized the first time I heard or read them.  And I can totally get a visual of the catsup bottle unloading all over a plate of fries.
 
Great poetry?  Hardly.  Enjoyable and maybe even funny?  Yes! 
 
I know. I know.  My sophomores are rubbing off on me.  Scary stuff. 

4 comments:

Kim said...

Much as I love reading and words, poetry has never been my thing. I do, however, know a poem that I learned in 3rd and 4th grade: "Pop, pop, pop, goes the popcorn in the pan." I will spare you the rest of it. Suffice it to say that it's on par with the catsup poem.

Katie (Can't Get There) said...

Hey, at least none of them are The Emperor of Ice Cream by Wallace Stevens. I cannot pack into one comment box the sheer amount of loathing I have for that poem and that poet.

holybovine said...

It is my educated opinion that "The Red Wheelbarrow" is to be used in the DARE program or the "This is what happens to your brain on drugs" campaign. The catsup poem, I totally get.

Anonymous said...

Here's my favorite:
Fleas
Adam hadem

Cam