Some Fine Canadian Poems to Use in the Classroom
Poem Title, Poet, (Full Text if short, link if long) - concepts, ideas, Teaching Entry points
"Death of a Young Son By Drowning" by Margaret Atwood.
Concepts: Patriotism; "death" by assimilation; identity; defining one's self; conceptions of childhood; nationalism vs. personal identity
Poem Link
"Spelling" by Margaret Atwood.
Concepts: speaking out; the power of language; communication; identity
Poem Link
"A Country Without Mythology" by Douglas LePan
Concepts: nationalism; finding our roots; identity (personal, national); creating history - mythology unit and connections to Greek culture; complement to creative writing unit
Poem Link
"Christ Walks in This Infernal District Too" by Malcom Lowry
Concepts: bridging classical meter and rhyme with more contemporary Canadian poets; poverty; constructions of social hierarchy; debate of national duty; socialist ideals; Canada's role on the world stage; perspective
Poem Link
"This is a Photograph of Me" by Margaret Atwood
Concepts: perspective; poetic characters; sparking imagination and debate/discussion; finding out a poem's backstory; free writing response poem; death; life as a still photo; as a complement to the construction of imagery
Poem Link
"The Weather" by Margaret Atwood
Concepts: Natural disasters; cooperation; nature vs. humanity; uncontrollable forces; complement to a unit on humanity or humanitarianism; figurative language concepts: personification, allusion, metaphor; bridging song with poetry
Poem Performance Link
"The Not Quite Great" by Mark Abley
Concepts: social injustice; inferiority; imperfection vs. perfection; social constructions of fulfillment; complement to a unit on the demands of technology; debate topic starter: is the 21st century a better time to be alive than other decades/centuries?
Poem Link
"Anthem" by Leonard Cohen
Concepts: national identity; imperfection; optimism; connections between song + traditional poetry (segway piece); Figurative language: repetition, simile, metaphor; complement to a unit on conformity or freedom
Poem Link
"Young Offender's Facility, Yellowknife NWT" by Anonymous
Concepts: youth; marginalized issues; young offenders; social issues; education; hate crimes; repression; neglect; complement to a unit on stereotypes;
Poem:
My life is like a can
and everybody is stepping on it.
The first time I got here
everybody was telling me what to do.
From there it didn’t change at all.
I was my own life before I got here.
"Application for a Driver's License" by Michael Ondaatje
Concepts: social responsibility; society's laws; what is "Good"?; social values; repercussions
Poem:
Two birds loved
in a flurry of red feathers
like a burst cottonball,
continuing while I drove over them.
I am a good driver, nothing shocks me.
Concepts: Patriotism; "death" by assimilation; identity; defining one's self; conceptions of childhood; nationalism vs. personal identity
Poem Link
"Spelling" by Margaret Atwood.
Concepts: speaking out; the power of language; communication; identity
Poem Link
"A Country Without Mythology" by Douglas LePan
Concepts: nationalism; finding our roots; identity (personal, national); creating history - mythology unit and connections to Greek culture; complement to creative writing unit
Poem Link
"Christ Walks in This Infernal District Too" by Malcom Lowry
Concepts: bridging classical meter and rhyme with more contemporary Canadian poets; poverty; constructions of social hierarchy; debate of national duty; socialist ideals; Canada's role on the world stage; perspective
Poem Link
"This is a Photograph of Me" by Margaret Atwood
Concepts: perspective; poetic characters; sparking imagination and debate/discussion; finding out a poem's backstory; free writing response poem; death; life as a still photo; as a complement to the construction of imagery
Poem Link
"The Weather" by Margaret Atwood
Concepts: Natural disasters; cooperation; nature vs. humanity; uncontrollable forces; complement to a unit on humanity or humanitarianism; figurative language concepts: personification, allusion, metaphor; bridging song with poetry
Poem Performance Link
"The Not Quite Great" by Mark Abley
Concepts: social injustice; inferiority; imperfection vs. perfection; social constructions of fulfillment; complement to a unit on the demands of technology; debate topic starter: is the 21st century a better time to be alive than other decades/centuries?
Poem Link
"Anthem" by Leonard Cohen
Concepts: national identity; imperfection; optimism; connections between song + traditional poetry (segway piece); Figurative language: repetition, simile, metaphor; complement to a unit on conformity or freedom
Poem Link
"Young Offender's Facility, Yellowknife NWT" by Anonymous
Concepts: youth; marginalized issues; young offenders; social issues; education; hate crimes; repression; neglect; complement to a unit on stereotypes;
Poem:
My life is like a can
and everybody is stepping on it.
The first time I got here
everybody was telling me what to do.
From there it didn’t change at all.
I was my own life before I got here.
"Application for a Driver's License" by Michael Ondaatje
Concepts: social responsibility; society's laws; what is "Good"?; social values; repercussions
Poem:
Two birds loved
in a flurry of red feathers
like a burst cottonball,
continuing while I drove over them.
I am a good driver, nothing shocks me.
