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Poetry as an oral tradition and manner of storytelling has been around for at least 4000 years. Some well-known early poems include the SUMERIAN Epic of GILGAMESH, Homer’s ODYSSEY (an eventful journey), and FERDOWSI’S Book of Kings, which is the longest epic poem ever published. On the short end of the poetry, SPECTRUM is the famous Japanese style called HAIKU. These are unrhymed poems of 17 SYLLABLES (a unit of pronunciation having one vowel sound.) When written in English, Haiku consists of three lines, with five syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, and 5 in the third. MATSUO BASHO (1644-1694) is considered one of the masters of Haiku in Japan.
Shizukesa ya / Iwa ni shimiiru / Semi no koe
Oh, tranquility!
Penetrating the very rock,
A cicada’s voice.
Spell: HAIKU Spell: UNRHYMED Spell: SPECTRUM
A long, eventful journey is a called an_________ ODYSSEY
Who wrote the Book of Kings? FERDOWSI
The word unit with one vowel sound is called a ________ SYLLABLE
For 4000 years, poetry has been a/an ________ ORAL TRADITION, MANNER OF STORYTELLING
Name one of the topics that are popular in Haiku. NATURE, SEASONS
What is a cicada? BUG, INSECT
How many syllables are in a haiku? 17
How old was Matsuo Basho when he died? 1694-1644= 50
Basho is the master of Haiku. What are you the master of?
VAKT: Count the beats on your leg as the Haiku is read again.
VAKT: Look at the photos of the two poems above and point to the Haiku.
(Left is Book of Kings -Shahnameh, right is Haiku)
Poetry comes in many formats, from humorous, nonsensical LIMERICKS, to MELANCHOLY (sad) ELEGIES (a lament for a dead person), to free verse. Some poets prefer the challenge of writing to a specific form, while others feel their creativity can’t be CONSTRAINED (forced or inhibited) by rhymes or a number of lines. Many elementary-age children learn to write simple ACROSTIC poems using the letters of their names or easy words vertically. Though acrostics can be simple, like the example below, they date back to ancient times and have been used to send ELABORATE secret messages.
Spell: RHYME Spell: ACROSTIC Spell: ELABORATE
Acrostics date back to ________ times. ANCIENT
A synonym for sad is ________ MELANCHOLY
Which style mentioned above is a lament for a dead person? ELEGY
Constrained means_____ FORCED, INHIBITED
I am going to read the Rudyard Kipling poem below, then tell me what category you think this belongs to. LIMERICK
There was a small boy from Quebec,
Who was buried in snow to his neck;
When they said, “Are you friz?”
He replied, “Yes, I am—
But we don’t call this cold in Quebec.”
What humorous topic would you choose for a limerick?
VAKT: Trace your finger vertically over the word MOON in the acrostic above.
Now we’re going to take a closer look at a format that is rather new to the poetry scene, the SIGLEM 575. Conceived in 2011, this format was the BRAINCHILD (idea or invention) of VENEZUELAN author PATRICIA SCHAEFER RÖDER. Born in 1967 to German parents, Patricia grew up BILINGUAL in German and Spanish. In addition to Venezuela, she has also lived in GERMANY and New York and currently resides in PUERTO RICO with her family. The idea of the Siglem 575 came to her while she was studying Haiku, which she felt was beautiful but also restrictive. So, her free-spirited nature took her to find a new way to use the minimalistic metric of the Haiku to produce a condensed lyric about a specific idea.
Spell: VENEZUELA Spell: BILINGUAL Spell: SPANISH
The Siglem 575 is a condensed lyric about a specific____ IDEA.
Where does Patricia currently live? PUERTO RICO
Patricia grew up speaking Spanish and _______ GERMAN
The word brainchild means_____ IDEA, INVENTION
According to the poet, Haiku is_______ BEAUTIFUL, RESTRICTIVE
Name one country where Patricia has lived. UNITED STATES, GERMANY, VENEZUELA
Where is Venezuela? SOUTH AMERICA, LATIN AMERICA
If a bilingual person speaks two languages, how many languages does a trilingual person speak? 3
What other TRI word can you think of? TRICYCLE, TRIGONOMETRY, TRIANGLE, TRIPLET, ETC
How old is Patricia now? 2022-1967=55 YEARS OLD
How many years older than you is she? 55- (Age of speller) =
VAKT: Point to the largest book on Patricia’s shelf.
The Siglem 575 is a cross between two styles we have previously seen, acrostic and Haiku. The first letter of each STANZA (a grouping of lines related to the same topic in a poem) defines the title and topic of the poem. However, unlike a simple acrostic poem, where there is just one line for each letter of the acronym, the Siglem 575 has a 3-line, 5-7-5 metered stanza like a haiku. We have as many chances to express the theme we are writing about as letters are in the title. Patricia bases the Siglem 575 on the PREMISE (basis, principle) of “everything originated from a point, and everything can be reduced to a point. With Siglem 575, we can express everything that surrounds us, every feeling we have, and every action ever taken or to be taken in a way that’s MINIMALISTIC and yet BEAUTIFUL. ”
Spell: SIGLEM Spell: MINIMALISTIC Spell: BEAUTIFUL
The Siglem 575 is a cross between Haiku and ____ ACROSTIC
A verse of a poem can also be called a ______ STANZA or
Define stanza. A GROUPING OF LINES RELATED TO THE SAME TOPIC IN A POEM.
The first letter of the stanzas defines the title and _____ TOPIC
Give me a synonym for the premise. BASIS, PRINCIPLE
Name one thing Patricia says a Siglem 575 can express. EVERYTHING THAT SURROUNDS US, EVERY FEELING, EVERY ACTION TAKEN OR TO BE TAKEN
What is the meter of each 3-line stanza? 5-7-5
Give me a synonym for beautiful. PRETTY, LOVELY, GORGEOUS
One word challenge- what’s the most beautiful thing in your world?
VAKT: listen as I read a short Siglem and then count the lines in the poem.
Yo (Me)
Ya era hora (It was time)
De que me acceptor (That s/he accepted me )
Con todo mi ser (With all of my being)
Obviamente (Obviously)
Perfecta nunca seré (I will never be perfect)
Seguramente (Surely)
VAKT: Watch a Mexican high school student recite the Siglem 575 above (in Spanish) (0.21) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLBoGt1Amkk
Since 2015, Patricia has organized the ANNUAL (yearly) International Siglem 575 Contest, with the best poems of the contest published in an ANTHOLOGY (collection of poems) called “Di lo que quieres decir” (Say What You Mean.) She says that she started the LITERARY contest to encourage the Spanish-speaking public to express themselves LYRICALLY (in an imaginative, beautiful way) about things that are important to them and to foster understanding among different peoples around the globe. While all of the contest and anthology poems are in Spanish, Patricia does have English examples on her blog, too.
Spell: ANNUAL Spell: LITERARY Spell: UNDERSTANDING
What does an adjective mean in an imaginative, beautiful way? LYRICALLY
A book of poems is called an __________________ANTHOLOGY
The majority of Siglem’s 575 poems are in which language? SPANISH
What’s the name of the annual anthology of Siglem 575 poems? DI LO QUE QUIERES DECIR, SAY WHAT YOU MEAN
What’s one of the reasons Patricia started the contest?
TO ENCOURAGE THE SPANISH-SPEAKING PUBLIC TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES LYRICALLY, TO FOSTER UNDERSTANDING AMONG DIFFERENT PEOPLES
Name something that happens annually.
How do you feel about that annual event?
Finally, here’s one by Patricia, written in 2012 as a reaction to the HUMANITARIAN crisis in her BELOVED Venezuela.
HOPE
Help in many forms
our brothers and sisters
need it evermore.
Other people cry
disease and hunger are real
we’ll lend them a hand.
Peace and hope are here
they’ll grow stronger among us
in every heartbeat.
Eternal freedom, souls, and spirits will survive
because we’re all one.
Spell: HOPE Spell: HUMANITARIAN Spell: BELOVED
Our Venezuelan brothers and sisters need what, according to the first stanza? HELP
What’s one thing the poem says is real? DISEASE, HUNGER
When was the poem HOPE written? 2012 or
How long ago was the poem HOPE written? 2022-2012=10 YEARS
Name something that could be considered a humanitarian crisis. (IE, FAMINE, ARMED CONFLICTS, NATURAL DISASTER)
VAKT: Take a look at Patricia’s blog and see if you can find a poem by a Speller! http://siglema575.blogspot.com/search/label/english
Now it’s your turn!
Creative Writing- choose a style of the poem to write- Haiku, Acrostic, or Siglem 575.
Haiku- think of a topic. It can be something from nature, like a traditional Japanese Haiku, or anything else you choose. Once you have your topic, brainstorm a few words that go with that idea. It may help your CRP to write spaces on paper so you can keep track of the syllables.
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ 5
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ 7
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ 5
Acrostic- think of a topic and write your letters vertically. Fill in the blanks with words, phrases, or a combination for each line.
______________
______________
______________
______________
Siglum 575- Think of your topic, taking into consideration the length of your title word or phrase. Remember that each letter will have a three-line stanza. Set up your lines as with the Haiku format and repeat for each letter in the title. Send your Siglem 575 to Patricia when it’s finished! (Contact her through her blog, listed in the sources.)
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ 5
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ 7
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ 5
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ 5
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ 7
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ 5
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ 5
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ 7
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ 5
Extension activity- Neurolyrical Café
Present your new poem at the monthly Neurolyrical Café, where nonspeaking poets and musicians present their work and collaborate with peers to write an original piece. Café is held online on the final Friday of each month at 7 pm Eastern Time (US). Check the website to learn more about it and register for the next one!
https://i-asc.org/neurolyrical-cafe/
Source:
http://siglema575.blogspot.com/
https://letralia.com/entrevistas/2021/02/15/patricia-schaefer-roder-autora-traductora/
https://www.blogger.com/profile/00071886095264466847
