Found Poem Directions

Bad Boy chapters 15-17

What is a Found Poem?

• A found poem is created when words in an existing piece of writing are lifted from that writing and rearranged to create a greater emotional response.

• It is shaped from a collection of words or phrases found in one text.

• We will be taking chapters 15-17 of Bad Boy and making our own Found Poem. You will use your knowledge of the chapters to write a poem about the events of each chapter.

Example

It was as if the impact had knocked every wisp of air from my lungs

Unable to speak.

Someone was gripping my arm,

I started to fall.

Then I see her, the blood drained from her face,

Hands clenched in fists at her sides.

That brings me back to myself.

With one sweep of my arm I push her behind me,

"I volunteer," I gasp.

"I volunteer as tribute!"

By Sofi C.

Found Poem: The Shock

“Primrose Everdeen”

(this would be put together as one stanza for our assignment)

Example

It was as if the impact had knocked every wisp of air from my lungs

Unable to speak.

Someone was gripping my arm,

I started to fall.

Then I see her, the blood drained from her face, (H)

Hands clenched in fists at her sides. (I)

That brings me back to myself. (A)

With one sweep of my arm I push her behind me,

"I volunteer," I gasp.

"I volunteer as tribute!"

By Sofi C.

Found Poem: The Shock

“Primrose Everdeen”

(this would be put together as one stanza for our assignment)

How Do I Write A Found Poem?

• Twelve and going into the ninth grade (90)

• A thrill (91)

• Convinced me that I was bright (91)

• Education had become very important to me (91)

• Lower level of employment (92)

• Hopelessly stuck (92)

• Two very distinct voices (92)

• Divided between playing basketball and reading (93)

• Tobacco incident (94)

• Spitball fight (94)

• SP Students were troublemakers (95)

• I wrote dozens of sonnets (96)

• Behave like the young scholars she imagined us to be (98)

• Soaring language (99)

• How many ways poetry could have meaning (99)

• She was willing to give so much more than we were willing to take (100)

• Clearly negative (100)

• Intellectual gifts to spend as we choose (100)

• My father (100)

• I was disappointed (100)

1) Skim back through chapters 15-17 of Bad Boy

2) Lift and isolate lines from the text and rearrange them

to expose new meanings. Include the page number of

each.

3) Strip out any unnecessary words.

Example from BB

How Do I Write A Found Poem?

• Rearrange syntax, compress phrases, or repeat key words to make if flow, have rhythm, and have some poetic elements.

• DO NOT ADD WORDS. That is the one rule in found poetry!

• Have each chapter arranged in its own stanza

• Each stanza must include at least two examples of either alliteration, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, idiom, personification or imagery. At least three different types must be used for the six examples of figurative language.

• At the bottom of the poem include the explanations, speaker, audience, theme, and POV.

• Once you have the interesting words and sections picked out from the chapters you can decide what direction/tone/voice/message you want to have for your poem

Example from Bad Boy

Divided

Twelve and ninth grade 90

A thrill 91

I was bright 91

Hopelessly stuck 92

Two distinct voices divided 92/93

Basketball, reading, tobacco, spitballs 94

SP students are troublemakers 95

Scholars she imagined us to be 98

Willing to give so much more 100

Than we were willing to take 100

Intellectual gifts spent as we chose 100

My father 100

Who had shot the Albatross 99

But couldn’t read 100

I was disappointed 100

This is an example of what I am looking for from Bad

Boy. This is one stanza even though you must have 3

stanzas.

(you must also have the explanations, speaker,

audience, theme, and POV)

Example from Bad Boy

Divided

Twelve and ninth grade 90

A thrill 91

I was bright 91

H Hopelessly stuck 92

A Two distinct voices divided 92/93

Basketball, reading, tobacco, spitballs 94

A SP students are troublemakers 95

A Scholars she imagined us to be 98

A Willing to give so much more 100

A Than we were willing to take 100

Intellectual gifts spent as we chose 100

My father 100

M Who had shot the Albatross 99

But couldn’t read 100

I was disappointed 100

This is an example of what I am looking for from Bad

Boy. This is one stanza even though you must have 3

stanzas.

(you must also have the explanations, speaker,

audience, theme, and POV)