Sunday, November 22, 2009

Blended Poetry Based on One Survivor Remembers

Junior students in Ms. Emerson's advisory created blended poems by responding to several excerpts on imagination from the film One Survivor Remembers and from Gerda Weissman Kleins's memoir All But My Life. Gerda Weissmann Klein is a Holocaust survivor who has dedicated her life to fighting the problem of hunger. Klein "shows every day of her life that not even the worst of tragedy can beat the best of the human spirit."
To create their blended poems students highlighted passages from the excerpts that spoke to them. The poems consist of one line by Gerda Weissman Klein, then one line by the student, back and forth. It was incredibly moving to hear the students and their teacher share their poems so I posted a few here to share with our entire community.
Growing Up
by Devan LaBarbera and Gerda Weissman Klein
I remember it was fort of the most incredible thing that reality
of being at grandma's with the whole family for sauce.
It became very important and this is how you passes the hours and forgot the hunger.
Father and mother daughter dances brought me close to them.
I started looking through a photo album
and remembered the surprise trip to Disney.
Comfortingly the past was unwinding before me; my wonderful childhood
the times I'd play video games with by brother and my boy cousins,
remembering the past using these fragments to weave dreams for the future.
I plan to graduate college and become successful.
I lay down on my bed and looked up at the blue ceiling,
these thoughts were a wonderful escape from the present.
In My Life
by Clarisse Concepcion and Gerda Weissman Klein
Weave dreams for the future.
Live a successful life.
Across pictures that have been taken during the summer,
travel to places I've dreamed of.
No present existed.
Be accepted into the college of my choice.
The reality which I had always taken for granted.
Spending time with friends during winter break
now became a distant memory.
Attending my cousin's wedding and eating Belgian waffles with whipped cream and fruit.
You could occupy your mind and hang your thoughts on trivia of that nature;
That is how you pass the hours.
I dreamed of the future
by Raven Fakoya and Gerda Weissman Klein
I dreamed of the future
to become a sports agent.
Playing with the fragments of my dreams
being able to donate fifty thousand dollars a year to a charity.
Using these fragments to weave dreams of the future
of going to Harvard Law
But full of lovely memories from which to draw strength
Like the day I was no longer an only child
I remember it was sort of the most incredible thing that the reality which I had always taken for granted now became the most remote family,
like the very first time I went to Nigeria.
But full of lovely memories from which to draw strength
I dream of the future.
Memories from the Past, Dreams of the Future
by Breanna Pizzolo and Gerda Weissman Klein
I remember it was sort of the most incredible thing
going skiing with my family.
These thoughts were a wonderful escape from the present,
thinking about going on vacations; crusises and Disney.
Idly, I started looking through a photograph album,
seeing the photographs from Italy and Costa Rica,
playing with the fragments of my dreams;
I dream to become successful in life and in my career.
At night I dreamed of the future.
And for the future, I deramed of becoming a speech pathologist.
Using the fragments to weave dreams for the future,
I hope it is as successful and as happy as my past.
Before and After
by Meghan Emerson and Gerda Weissman Klein
I pretended just for a little bit
to live a long, happy, and healthy life with them.
The most remote fantasy,
When Allen proposed marriage in the sky
The past was unwinding before me
All the wonderful birthday parties my mom planned for me.
But full of lovely memories from which to draw strength
like playing board games with my family six months before my mom died.
I spun dreams of our reunion at home
om my wedding day.
It was a wonderful escape
to occupy my mind.

1 comment:

Mrs. Emerson said...

Great Job! I am so proud of us for revealing such important and personal memories.