How can an art work How can an art work (poetry, theater or (poetry, theater or

pottery for example)pottery for example) reflect life?reflect life?

Where DO artists get their ideas?

They say that smart They say that smart people. . people. .

have just a normal have just a normal amount of brain, amount of brain,

But they use it in smart But they use it in smart ways!ways!

They develop They develop thinking habits. thinking habits.

A A Habit of MindHabit of Mind is is knowing how to knowing how to behave behave intelligently when intelligently when you DON’T know you DON’T know the answer.the answer.

EXAMPLE: Some say that EXAMPLE: Some say that artists pay more artists pay more

attentionattention They observe life They observe life

very closely.very closely.

By noticing details that By noticing details that many people miss, they many people miss, they often come up with the often come up with the ideas for their work.ideas for their work.

ObservationObservation is an is an artist’s artist’s Habit of Mind.Habit of Mind.

Reflection: Habit of Mind, Reflection: Habit of Mind, too!too!

Artists think about Artists think about their own creative their own creative work and the work and the creative work of creative work of others. They give others. They give their work careful their work careful thought.thought.

ReflectReflect

They reconsider They reconsider what they or what they or what others did what others did before them. before them. Sometimes art Sometimes art reflects art that reflects art that reflects life.reflects life.

Picasso, Picasso, 19501950

Celadon water Celadon water dropper, Korean, 12th dropper, Korean, 12th centurycentury

So what? So what? Art is a reflection of lifeArt is a reflection of life

You have seen a You have seen a play and read the play and read the book it originated book it originated from. Its author from. Its author says that the ideas says that the ideas for her characters for her characters all came from close all came from close study and study and observation of observation of Korean arts and Korean arts and culture.culture.

Now let’s look at the Now let’s look at the work of another artist--a work of another artist--a

poetpoet

George Ella LyonGeorge Ella Lyon

We’ll use a Reflection We’ll use a Reflection ToolTool

How does the poet get How does the poet get us to SEE what she us to SEE what she MEANS?MEANS?

Brian Carroll

How much can we How much can we notice…notice…

in a piecein a piece she wrote called:she wrote called:

Where I am From Where I am From

by using theby using the----

Critical Response ToolCritical Response Tool

Before we Before we can use the can use the tool, we have tool, we have to really slow to really slow down. down. Getting ready Getting ready involves involves reading the reading the piece several piece several times slowly.times slowly.

Thinking about your Thinking about your thinking:thinking:

How does it help to hear How does it help to hear the poem out loud?the poem out loud?

What’s the effect of hearing What’s the effect of hearing it read by different it read by different voices?voices?

I am from . . .I am from . . .

I am from clothespins,I am from clothespins,from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.I am from the dirt under the back I am from the dirt under the back

porchporch(black, glistening(black, glisteningit tasted like beets).it tasted like beets).I am from the forsythia bush,I am from the forsythia bush,the Dutch elmthe Dutch elmwhose long gone limbs I rememberwhose long gone limbs I rememberas if they were my own.as if they were my own.

I’m from the fudge and eyeglasses,I’m from the fudge and eyeglasses,from Imogene and Alafair.from Imogene and Alafair.I’m from the know-it-allsI’m from the know-it-alls

and the pass-it-ons,and the pass-it-ons,from perk up and pipe down.from perk up and pipe down.I’m from HE restoreth my soulI’m from HE restoreth my soulwith a cotton ball lamb with a cotton ball lamb and ten verses I can say myself.and ten verses I can say myself.

I’m from Artemus and Billie’s Branch,I’m from Artemus and Billie’s Branch,fried corn and strong coffee.fried corn and strong coffee.From the finger my grandfather lostFrom the finger my grandfather lost

to the augerto the augerthe eye my father shut to keep his the eye my father shut to keep his sight.sight.Under my bed was dress boxUnder my bed was dress boxspilling old pictures, spilling old pictures, a sift of lost faces a sift of lost faces to drift beneath my dreams.to drift beneath my dreams.I am from those moments--I am from those moments--snapped before I budded--snapped before I budded--leaf-fall from the family tree.leaf-fall from the family tree.

George Ella Lyon, on Poetry USAGeorge Ella Lyon, on Poetry USA

Describe it without Describe it without judging? judging?

Step OneStep One Thinking about your Thinking about your thinking:thinking:

What happens when we What happens when we put off forming an put off forming an opinion for a while?opinion for a while?

What does it remind you What does it remind you of ? of ?

Step TwoStep TwoThinking about your Thinking about your

thinking:thinking:

Can you connect it to Can you connect it to your own life?your own life?

How does it make you How does it make you feel?feel?

Step ThreeStep Three Thinking about your Thinking about your thinking:thinking:

People remember those People remember those things that give them an things that give them an emotional reaction.emotional reaction.

What questions does it What questions does it raise for you?raise for you?

Step FourStep FourThinking about your Thinking about your

thinking:thinking:

What does it make you What does it make you wonder about?wonder about?

Speculate, what did she Speculate, what did she want you to understand?want you to understand?Step FiveStep Five

Thinking about your Thinking about your thinking:thinking:

Good works of art have Good works of art have lots of possible lots of possible meanings. It’s not like meanings. It’s not like math. There’s more than math. There’s more than one correct answer!one correct answer!

How did it go?How did it go?Let’s reflect on the Critical Response Tool. Let’s reflect on the Critical Response Tool.

Was it helpful? HOW?Was it helpful? HOW?

1.1.Yes or No—did the Critical Response Tool help you to Yes or No—did the Critical Response Tool help you to understand the poem more deeply than you did the understand the poem more deeply than you did the very first time you read it?very first time you read it?

2. 2. Which do you prefer: Trying to figure out the meaning Which do you prefer: Trying to figure out the meaning of something on your own, or working with others?of something on your own, or working with others?

3. What question or questions in the Critical Response 3. What question or questions in the Critical Response

Tool was the most helpful to you in thinking deeply Tool was the most helpful to you in thinking deeply about/understanding this poem? Why?about/understanding this poem? Why?

Curious about the poem?Curious about the poem?

A little background:A little background: George Ella Lyon grew up in

Harlan, Kentucky, a little coal mining town in the Appalachian mountains. She says that as a young girl, she sat listening to the stories of her family and the people around her and memorized songs, Bible verses and poetry. That got her interested in reading and writing. She’s written over a dozen books of poetry, fiction and illustrated children’s fiction. In 2005 she turned 56 years old.

Life is a source for Life is a source for artistsartists

Have you seen this Have you seen this before? A Korean before? A Korean vase with cranes? vase with cranes? Even if you had Even if you had never heard its never heard its story, by looking story, by looking closely and closely and reflecting using the reflecting using the Critical Response Critical Response Tool, you might be Tool, you might be able to “read” it, too.able to “read” it, too.