Slice of Life Story Day 22 Let's Hear For Ears!

Ralph Fletcher reminded me of the fact that we write with our ears as much as our eyes and minds. I was unconsciously attending to this in my writing and teaching of writing, however Ralph’s articulation of this important fact made me more consciously skilled. When we write with our ears, we become aware of the sound of language, the rhyme and rhythm of language and the impact of words uttered. We are more likely to connect the words that float our way with prior knowledge.  

When we purposefully attend to this important fact, we add an extra dimension to our lives as writers. Teachers and students aware of this fact may be more prepared to shift the focus from the what (subject/meaning/ content) to the how (language) in their teaching and writing lives.

Armed with this information I launched into my workshops today with School leaders by playing a song. I asked participants to attend to the lyrics. I directed their attention to those words and phrases that stood out for them. Those word threads that commanded their attention –and demanded to be held in the mind of the listener. I asked them to write down the selected words and to think about any possible connections. Why these words? What was their power? What was their significance to you as a listener?

 For the purpose of the exercise, I selected Canadian singer/ songwriter Bruce Cockburn’s song ‘Last Night of the World.’  For me Cockburn’s rich lyrics were perfect for this type of activity. He is a keen observer and his writing possesses a strong poetic thread. – And at the end of the day, I really like the song.

They listened intently, and quietly made notes. At song’s end I invited them to turn and talk about their notations.   The room instantly filled with rich conversations. Many made strong connections, often based on a single word. It was a powerful reminder of the power of active and conscious listening. I wished we had been able to explore this more extensively.  If time had permitted I could have challenged them to each ‘lift a line’ and use it to generate a piece of writing.

Hopefully, they will now understand the significance of writing with the ear. Many indicated they wanted to share these insights with their teaching staff. I hope this message reaches classrooms.

I explained how I gather so many ideas by eavesdropping, gathering snatches of conversation and listening to the wondrous and infinite combinations of spoken words. The structure of language informs each of us as writers; its patterns, its quirks.

My workshop continued. The point had been made. I remain grateful to Ralph Fletcher for his disclosure about ears…

Comments

  1. Tam23 March 2011 at 01:35

    I find myself revising pieces because the rhythm is not there, the number of syllables of a word. Song is a great way to convey this enigma.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Linda B23 March 2011 at 02:42

    I like how you immediately applied the advice, integrating it into your workshop. I use songs in my poetry group, but never have used just 'a' song for pure listening, pulling important parts from it. I will pass this on to my colleagues. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wanda Brown23 March 2011 at 08:11

    Love Ralph Fletcher. Lester Laminack and Georgia Heard also use the senses a lot in their work. Sounds like an interesting workshop.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Letterpress23 March 2011 at 16:17

    Hey--great new look to your blog! And I see your book (I assume it's yours) on the sidebar. Double congrats!

    Okay, back to work. I think one of the challenges is helping students incorporate sensory details into their writing, as well as to be able to glimpse the sensory when they read. The sound of language, the rhythm, the poetics all combine to create a magical place where we reside while reading. Sounds like an excellent day in the classroom. When I have my students talk to each other in teams, I too, love the buzz. Love the energy.

    Elizabeth E.
    http://peninkpaper.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular With Other Visitors

Writing Opposite Poems

Image
 O pp o s ite  P oem s In his book, ' How To Write Poetry,'  Paul Janeczko presents the idea of opposite poems. Paul suggests they could also be referred to as antonym poems. This is wordplay and it's fun to try. Here are some examples Paul provides to help us see very clearly how these short little poems work. I think the opposite of chair Is sitting down with nothing there What is the opposite of kind? A goat that butts you from behind Paul Janeczko You will  notice the poems are written in rhyming couplets. They can be extended so long as you remember to write in couplets. Paul shows us how this is done. What is the opposite of new? Stale gum that's hard to chew A hot-dog roll as hard as rock Or a soiled and smelly forgotten sock You might notice that some of Paul's opposite Poems begin with a question. The remainder of the poem answer the question posed. Opposite poems are a challenge, but it is a challenge worth trying. Not eve...
Read more

Writing About Reading - Reading Reflection Journals:

Image
UPDATED February 2022 Writing in response to literature can be a great way for students to organize their thoughts, explore what they think, and generate ideas. One of the strengths of writing in journals is that it allows students to capture all of those great ideas that generally float off into the air during the discussion.  Journal writing can also become drudgery if students are asked to write too often, given little choice or inspiration in what to write, or if they simply don't have anything to say. While some students eagerly share their impressions about selections they have read in class discussions, others are less comfortable and keep their thoughts to themselves. In an effort to encourage all students to think more about what they read and confidently share their observations and opinions, some teachers are turning to the reading reflection journal and are gaining insights they never anticipated.  The Value of Reflection Journals   Journals assist teachers...
Read more

Learning How to 'Zoom In' When Writing

Image
It is important for young writers to understand that not all parts of a story are equal. There are parts through which a writer moves quickly, and important parts where the writer slows down and lingers a while. This is where the writer might intensify the action or reveal the character’s reactions in greater detail. Young writers need to know that this is a deliberate strategy on the part of the author. The author consciously zooms in. The writer uses a magnifying glass to view a part of the story more closely; to focus on a moment and to slow down time. When an important part of the story is enlarged upon, it   is a signal to the reader, that this part of the story is important. The strategy of ‘zooming in’ goes by many names: ‘exploding a moment’ ‘magnifying a moment’, ‘hotspot’ ‘snapshot’, ‘adding detail’ or ‘slowing the action.’  What ever the name, the idea is the same. The author writes in a way that expands a significant part of the story with the intentio...
Read more

Slice Of Life Story-The Trials Of A Left Handed Writer

Image
Amazingly I learnt to write using my left hand. An achievement against the prevailing beliefs of the day. My very first teacher saw it as her mission in life to ‘fix’ the poor, wretched little boy suffering from what she clearly diagnosed as left handed disease. She must have thought, 'This child must be re formatted! If he remains left handed he will be forever condemned to writing in a scrawl that no one will be able to read. Ugly hand, ugly hand.' ...They tried to say it couldn't be done, it mustn't be done. They took the pencil out of my left hand and placed it in my right hand. It felt unnatural. It felt weird. It was not right. More to the point it was not left. I was not about to conform. At least they didn't try tying my hand behind my back. Watch me I said. I may be an oddball, left handed scribbler but I am a determined oddball. I mean how boring would the world be if everyone wrote with their right hand? So I dug my toes in –and my hands to...
Read more

Answering Questions Posed by Young POETS

Image
UPDATED, May 2020 As a frequent visitor to schools I have the great pleasure of working with groups of young, enthusiastic poets and their teachers. When I arrive in a classroom, young poets are often pre-loaded with questions, and most keen to have them answered.  I try to answer as many as I can, but we frequently run out of time, and the poetry caravan moves on to the next classroom. So I am here to answer some of those questions -right here, right now. So here goes: When you were little did you love writing? The short answer is yes. I have always enjoyed words and language. I can't recall a time when I wasn't doing some kind of writing. When did you write your first poetry book? I have had poems published over the years, but it wasn't until 2014 that I had an entire book of poems (an anthology) published. When I looked back through all my notebooks I realized I had hundreds of poems from which to choose. So, 'Searching For Hen's Teeth-Poetry From The ...
Read more