Tips for Poets
Observation

Accuracy of observation is the equivalent of accuracy of thinking.    
                                                       Wallace Stevens

All of us are watchers — of television, of time clocks, of traffic on the freeway — but few are observers. Everyone is looking, not many are seeing.   
                                                        Peter M. Leschak

     I studied poetry for many years with noted anthologist and poet, Myra Cohn Livingston. At the beginning of each class she didn't lecture — she sent us outside — to observe and to write. She wanted us to learn to look closely at the world around us and to understand that observation is a powerful tool for a writer.

     Has this every happened to you: You walk by something every day and never notice it? Never stop to really look at it? It happens to me all the time and I'm surprised at what I see when I do stop and look closely. It could be anything: a tree, a crack in the sidewalk, a bird under a bush, a pile of snow, something on a roof, or clouds.

     When we went outside to write, Myra had us divide our paper into two columns. One column was labeled "Observation" and the other was labeled "Feelings and Reactions." Try this technique: Choose something to observe at school or home and write about it for ten minutes, using a worksheet like the one below. Ten minutes will seem like a long time, but keep writing. I think you just might be surprised at what you discover.

Let's practice observation skills using a photograph and an observation worksheet:

What can we say about this cracked sidewalk? Use all of your senses: sight, feeling, smell, hearing. (I wouldn't recommend tasting it, however!)

Observation Worksheet

OBSERVATION Part of it looks wet Spotted - mottled? Many shades of gray Looks like a jigsaw puzzle Jagged edges Cracks are almost black Cracks are crooked Cool to touch Feels damp See a strange face Smells like rain

FEELINGS & REACTIONS Broken, sad Freeway for ants Grey feels lonely So many footsteps What made it crack? My front porch looks like this I tripped on broken concrete and skinned my knees An awful fight with my best friend I'm having trouble in math I want to learn to make art

Next, use some of your ideas from your Observation Worksheet to write your first rough draft:   FIRST ROUGH DRAFT Jagged cracks in the sidewalk jigsaw of broken concrete. Thousands of feet hurrying past      no one stopping      no one noticing      cold, gray beauty. Well, that's not a great poem, but it's a start. (That's why we call them "rough drafts.")  What would you write about this cracked sidewalk?

 

Now, practice your observation skills with this squirrel:    What if you  looked out your classroom window and saw this squirrel?  Start with an Observation Worksheet! After you've finished your worksheet, think about the different types of poems you might write about a squirrel. Here are a few ideas: 1. Write a narrative poem in which you describe the squirrel and its world. 2. Write a "mask poem" and pretend that you are the squirrel, using first person such as "I," "me," "mine," etc. What does a squirrel have to say about his world? What does he dream about? 3. Write an "apostrophe poem" in which you speak directly to the squirrel. What will you tell that squirrel? Will you ask him questions?

Have fun! Read your work out loud as you go along. (I know that sounds silly, but it really does help!) Write lots of drafts until your poem is exactly how you want it to be. Here are some books on writing poetry that you might like: Poem-Making: Ways to Begin Writing Poetry by Myra Cohn Livingston - good sections on mask and apostrophe poems Poetry Matters: Writing a Poem from the Inside Out  by Ralph Fletcher You might also take a look at Student Poets for links to different sites that publish student poetry, offer writing advice, or give you an opportunity to read poetry written by other students.