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What Does Nature Think About Poetry?

Program Area

This activity can be used in the Grade 9 Language Program, or in Grade 10 English, as well as in English and E.S.L. classes at the senior level. Text substitution may be necessary for general and ESL students. This activity may be most suitable as an introduction to a poetry unit, or as a quick activity when students question the value of poetry in their lives.

Learning Outcomes
Teaching, learning and evaluation will focus on the student’s ability to:

  • Create a classroom context where creativity is not laughed at;
  • Describe a feeling external to one’s experience;
  • Deduce an emotional response in a non-human aspect of nature.

Classroom Development

  • This activity starts as a background discussion centred around the idea of the relation between our species and nature. Instruct students to brainstorm a consensus description of what “Nature” means to them. Advanced classes may wish to extend this to include an analysis of the impact of nature on their lives, on literature and culture, or their impact on nature both an individuals and collectively. The key idea to be addressed is that though we as a species have some understanding of our impact on nature and nature’s impact on us, very little thought has been given to what nature might think of us, and how nature might be seen through its own eyes. Have students present their findings either on the board to the class, or to another group through the Jig-Saw mechanism.
  • Continue this activity with a selection of poetic texts which feature descriptions of aspects of nature which avoid anthropomorphization. I would suggest poets such as Gwendolyn MacEwen or Ted Hughes. The following is a comprehensive selection of Hughes’ work which should fit into this activity: The Thought-Fox, Mountains, The Jaguar, Hawk Roosting, Fern, An Otter, October Dawn, Pike, Thistles, The Howling of Wolves, Wodwo, Owl’s Song, Rock has not learned, Eagle, West Laithe, The Wild Duck, Earth-Numb, The Stone
  • Not all of these poems present animals or inanimate nature completely divorced from human influence. They do, however, provide students with a variety of models for the poetic contemplation of a nature undominated by civilized humanity. Poems which do describe human influence tend to focus, in part, on how our actions deaden the life found in nature rather than glorifying in our anthropomorphic domination of it. An interesting exception is the poem Wodwo which describes a proto-human apparently in tune with his/her context.
  • These poems are sophisticated in their poetics, but they are direct and they should stimulate the most jaded students into some form of response.

Product

Ideally, students would produce a poetic work. Students should be directed to encounter one or more poems in their reading log or response journal. Then they should choose a particular animal, object or theme which strikes them and working, alone or in a small group, they should explore it. Direct them to build a point form outline considering how this aspect of nature functions within its own context. The goal is to describe this aspect of nature without any reference to humans or human modes of existence. Productions should be read to a partner, editorial changes be suggested, and the final products should be read to the class by the partner.

Background Information

Both Hughes and MacEwan seem to be trying to build new mythologies for western society. Their poetry tries to clean away much of the dogmatic social and religious demands made on literature and poetry. The essence of these new mythologies appears to be found in the ideas of a direct physical and spiritual encountering of nature.

Timing

One 40 min period is sufficient for the group work part of the activity. Class time may be provided for composition and journal writing. Some class time should be allotted for the presentation of compositions. Advanced students may be able to complete the entire activity in an 75 min class.

Resources

Hughes, Ted. Selected Poems: 1957-1981. London: Faber, 1982.
MacEwen, Gwendolyn. The Shadow-maker. Toronto: Macmillan, 1969.
MacEwen, Gwendolyn. Magic Animals: selected poetry of Gwendolyn MacEwen. Don Mills: Stoddart, 1984.

Cross-disciplinary links

  • Possible extensions include the submission of completed works to electronic journals or the creation of a class wide yearly creative journal through whatever class in the school studies desktop publishing.
  • An excellent extension would be for the English students to assist the ESL students in developing editing skills with regards to the revision of the poems.

Student Activity Guide

Some people do not like poetry. Other people can’t live without it. These are facts of life. The ability to read, understand, and even write a little poetry, however, is an important part of your being able to understand language, the world you live in, and yourself. If you apply this idea to the music you listen to, you will see that it is true. Lyrics are one part of poetry. This activity will have you looking at poetry about the part of the world that has no humans in it.
• If you thought that poetry was irrelevant, or too confusing, perhaps this activity will give you an ‘in’ to the world of poetry. Try it.
• To be successful in this activity you only need to have an open mind, to be willing to try something weird, to be willing not to laugh at anyone willing to try something weird, and not mind being laughed at by a classmate without an open mind.

How this is Going to Get Done

  • First, you have to have an idea of what “Nature” means to you.
  • If you are a really active class you may want to describe the impact of nature on your lives, on literature and culture, or your impact on nature both an individuals and collectively.
  • When you think that you really know what nature is, have a look at some of the poems that your teacher has collected which feature descriptions of aspects of nature which avoid anthropomorphic descriptions:

The Product

  • The next step in this activity is to read some of these poems, alone or in a group. Then try writing about the poem(s) in your writing folders and Response Journals. Consider how this description agrees or disagrees with your idea of what nature is. Did you think about what nature thinks about you or us?
  • Now try to write a poem or short descriptive fiction. Choose an aspect of nature that strikes your imagination. Discuss your choices in a group. You may all want to write on the same topic.
  • After you have talked and made notes, go off on your own and write. It does not have to be good. It only has to be honest. When you finish, read it to a partner, let him/her suggest changes.
  • The final products should be read to the class by the partner.

Extending the Activity Beyond the Class
Possible extensions include the submission of completed works to electronic journals or the creation of a class wide yearly creative journal through whatever class in the school studies desktop publishing.