Examining Our Truth @ Poetry Foundation

Students in the Poetic Justice course visited the Poetry Foundation to investigate the guiding question, “What story is yours to tell?”. In the first unit of this Humanities Elective course, students have been studying, analyzing, and critiquing political poetry from a range of poets discussing local and global issues. In addition to looking at the poets’ political message, the students have also been examining their utilization of poetic devices to help get their message across.

With a draft of their own political poem in hand, they headed to the Poetry Foundation where Amy Lipman led them through an exercise that challenged them to re-examine their own writing. Amy led the students in an examination of documentary poetry and poetry of witness and they were posed with the question, “Is the story you are telling, yours to tell?”. The students dissected different styles of writing and took some time to re-read and revise their own poems.

Why?

The purpose of this Field Experience is to investigate documentary poetry and poetry of witness and how these forms of poetry allow readers to examine parts of history that are overlooked and or/traditionally written about in a way that is biased or oppressive or incorrect.

How?

The students worked with Amy Lipman, the Education and Youth Services Assistant at the Poetry Foundation to examine their own writing to ensure information is presented correctly and fairly.