From PenPal to Poet

Many students fear poetry because they expect it to to be stiff or confusing, not meant for mortal eyes. However, teachers can break down those preconceptions by sharing thought provoking poems that cover culturally relevant topics. Poetry can be puzzling at first, but it can also be personal, purposeful, provocative, anything but pointless.
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This week, we're excited to celebrate eight American students who recently participated in A World of Poetry as PenPals of the Week: Olivia from Missouri, Kate from Ohio, and Taryn, Rianne, Sarah, Genevieve, Kayla, and Claire from Virginia. They read poems from the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. They discussed writing styles, cross-cultural themes, and shared original poems with each other. Check out some original pen pal poems below!

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Many poems celebrated humanity; students wrote about themselves, the “lesser known,” and human potential.

Where am I from? This is where I am from
By Taryn T from Virginia
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"Where am you from?", you ask
You mean states, countries, schools
But does no one know
That you are not the sum of your home and
Your circumstances
I know that
So I will tell you where I am from
I am from a dirt gravel road
I am from a frozen pizza in the oven
I am from books tangled into books
I am from treetops singing in the wind
I am from a broken swing set, well loved
I am from watching sitcoms at as a family
I am from a band room, ringing screams and laughter
I am from a clarinet case
I am from keys of a mellophone
I am from the blasts of a trumpet
I am from my father's eyes
I am from my mother's smile
I am from a blue room with a loft bed
I am from a medium sized house in the woods
I am from the parts I choose to make up me
This is where I am from.


Inspired by The Red Wheelbarrow, by William Carlos Williams, which struck me with a secure feeling.

Ode to the Lesser Known
By Rianne G from Virginia

They walk in
the middle of the
hall.
They draw attention
that we don't want to give
to them.
They act a way
that would be
considered odd
if we did it too.
Who is we?
We, is the lesser known.
Who is they?
They, is the
too well known.
They, are everywhere.
But why do they get
all the focus?
Why not us?
The lesser known.
There's more of us,
then them.
The quiet girl who sits in the corner of the library alone.
The tall boy in the back of the classroom looking out the window.
The group of band kids who walk down the halls together.
The friends who are too shy to say what they want.
What is their story?
Lets hear it.
We can be stronger than they.


Inspired by "Ode to My Socks," by Pablo Neruda.

Blending In
By Kate Q from Ohio

You shouldn’t want to blend in
Sticking out is greater
You should make a difference
But there’s going to be a hater
But you can shake it off,
Who cares what they think
You should paint a picture,
But write in your own ink

PenPals also described the joys and pains of life in their poems. Poetry is a great medium to communicate complex emotions and experiences because it is less structured than prose.

Untitled Poem
By Sarah F from Virginia
​​
I open my window to the breeze
All I smell is freshly fallen leaves
I hear the winds whistle in my ear
Away I see a baby deer
I can taste the morning dew
Why? You may ask, I don't have a clue
I run downstairs and open the door
I see a flock that greatly soar
No matter the morning no matter the day
You can make it to anything

Inspired by "This is my letter to the World," by Emily Dickinson.

Untitled Poem
By Genevieve E from Virginia

I am young.
So many songs yet to be sung.
My life as a guitar yet to play all the tunes.
Yet my timeline is full of wounds.
People help and pick up my pieces.
All mistakes seemed to be signed on leases.
Like a contract no going back.
I wouldn't be surprised if it caused a heart attack.
People judge by the chapter that they walked in on.
Even if that part of my past is all gone.
I sit back and drink my cold icy water.
Observing my mom wondering whats wrong with her daughter.
Life isn't as it seems.
You can tell as you see the creme on top comes without a cherry.
Life can be quite scary.
I turned to those who care.
I know who is truly there for me.
This is my poem I hope you can relate.
We can not go on a date.
I am Genevieve.
I am just living my life.
Good morning, good evening, goodnight.

The “Game of Life”
By Kayla S from Virginia​

A flurry passes by no, a blizzard
All different, in their own way
Relationships form
Just as they melt
Happy together
Sad apart
Pushing each other down
To come out on top
In this game of life
There is no winner
Just snowflakes zooming to the top

This poem was inspired by Emily Dickinson, because she wrote short 1 stanza poems that don't rhyme. Her poems are also more meaningful than they appear.

PenPals wrote poems to mourn and memorialize lost loved ones. Although the stories are unique, they communicate emotions that many people can empathize with.

Gone.
By Claire S from Virginia

You are gone.
You once were here,
But now all that is left is a shell.
Your soul has moved to a better place,
And hopefully all is well.

But it is not well down here.
We grieve and grieve and grieve
We are supposed to celebrate life,
We are supposed to be happy for you,
Yet all we can think about is ourselves.
And the hole that you have left.

We are selfish.
We are cruel.
Cruel to you.
Cruel to ourselves.
We must forget about the pain,
Forget about the loss,
And remember that you are free.

Free of the chains that bound you on Earth
Now you can live among the angels,
Live in paradise with your friends and family.

We will learn.
We will remember.
Remember that we will see you again soon.

Untitled Poem
By Olivia M from Missouri

I passed upon the big yellow house
With its luscious field of grass
The grass was tall and thick and strong
Not been touched in quiet so long
The house was crumpled, falling down
Aged with love and a promise
It used to live, run, contain joy and love
Comfort and calm, excitement and freedom
But one day, the yellow house died
Unexpectedly, Ungracefully
All of those things disappeared
And now pain and loneliness
dwells in that yellow house.
I remember how it looked
Before all the loss
And deep in my heart, I know that
The big yellow house
Will never be the same.


My poem I wrote has a meaning. It is a meaning that no one else quiet knows, but can relate to. It is about how the loss of a person can make a house seem empty and vacant. My Mema and Papa live in a big yellow house, and when my Mema died that house seemed closed. My Papa still lives there, but that house will never be the same. Although this poem talks about a house to me, it can also mean a family. The loss of a person leaves an empty hole in a family. A family is like a house.

There is not any obvious literary theme to this, but there is a rhythm to it. It is coming from the reader's point of view. This isn't exactly a "final" poem. Editing is still necessary, but it is from the heart

PenPals, thank you for writing from the heart! One of the most difficult steps to writing poetry is getting started. Once students get going, they discover their voices and develop writing styles that best reflect their emotions and ideas. Students continue to learn by sharing their work, and they develop empathy by reading work written by their peers. Like the famous poets featured in the project, PenPals have unique backgrounds and writing styles, which only enrich the collaborative learning experience.     

“My favorite part of the PenPal exchange was getting to know other people from all over and being able to see their style of writing. Their own personality comes from each response, and I can see it. For once I wanted to work on the weekends to get on PenPal Schools!” – Olivia M from Missouri

“My favorite part of PenPal schools is that it is a great opportunity to share your poem outside of your usual class. Going to a small school, I've been sharing my writing with the same people since 6th grade. It has been great sharing my writing with new people.” - Kayla S from Virginia

Want your students to fall in love with poetry and their own work? Enroll your class in A World of Poetry.

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