The start of the school year is approaching! I have two weeks left of my reading and writing summer vacation! It was great, but I am ready to go back. I went into my classroom today (disaster zone) and found some of my requisitions. I got 23 new books and 30 more of their way for students! WOOOOOOWHOOOO!
Anyway, now that my pre-story is done, I have a question for you readers and writers. I am teaching 8th grade ELA for the first time this year and the Special Education teacher I am working with and myself have decided to make the whole year about "Survival". We have the novels, research projects, and short stories in place. But I am missing one really big element. POETRY!!! It's just not my strong suit. I am having a hard time find poems about survival. So my question to all of you: Do you know any poems about survival? Any type of survival? It could be one you have written. It could be one from when you were in 8th grade.
HELP!
Hi - I don't know if this is close enough to your survival theme, but it's one of my favourites...
ReplyDeleteDon’t Quit
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and its turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When they might have won, had they stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit!
I don't know any poems, but I'm stopping by to say I'm a fellow campaigner and new follower. Just wanted to say hello :)
ReplyDeleteLady Mary Wroth wrote a great poem called In this strange labyrinth how shall I turn? but the language might be a bit advanced for 8th grade since it requires a good many foot notes. I'd look for something by Margaret Atwood, they tend to be very accessible (not sure however if she's done any with the theme of survival).
ReplyDeleteI have two that I know of that you can check out:
ReplyDeleteAbout survival in harsh times - http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15980
and about the survival of spirit - http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16614
The first is more modern and takes place in a Lowe's Hardware Store. The second is about survival of spirit or soul... Though as a high school english teacher, spirit would probably be a more neutral word=)