Hey, teachers, it’s National Poetry Month! Starting today–because life–I’m posting a magnipoem each day that I can. That’s a poem inspired by my simply looking at an object under a magnifying glass for 1 minute each day, and then jotting a poem. Feel free to try this with students (you can have them just get up close and personal to something and study it closely for a minute). If you want to share online, tag me (@LauraPSalas) or share here in the comments!
Here’s today’s magnipoem.
And here’s a pic of my process. A frosted cake or a tart, and then a portrait in an art gallery–these were the two main things that came to mind. Needless to say, I went with the sweet treat! And it’s funny how looking closely changes your view. I rarely think about the fact that a quarter is called a quarter because it’s a quarter dollar. Looking at that on the coin itself was a good reminder of how little attention I pay to small, common things.
And if you’re looking for something different, check out the resources on my Poetry Page for some more ideas.
[My Classroom Connections posts share a way to connect one of my books or poems to a classroom topic–often something timely that you might be covering in the next month or so. Please share this post if you have educator friends who might be interested–thanks!]
7 Responses
I finally found time to read your ‘magnipoem’, Laura. It’s certainly a unique connection, would be great to memorize & say this, & others, aloud!
Thanks, Linda–I’m terrible at memorization, but I love the idea :>)
Ah, Life.
Glad to see another magnipoem! Now I’ll think of this poem when I’ve got a bunch of quarters/cakes jangling around in my purse!
Yep–you know how that goes. Thanks for reading!
Laura, thank you for including your process; I love seeing how your mind works. I love how you reached a copper cake / frosted in silver // this metal tart /
will break your teeth. For me in your last two lines, the sounds of the /t/ and /k/ inferred the sound of a person biting a quarter. So cool! Your first two lines gave me an image of a round 9‑inch coppery colored cake dripping with a silver frosting of sparkling stars. Great magnipoem! I will have to play magnipoem, too. Thank you for your inspiration. 🙂
Hi, anonymous was me, Gail Aldous.
Thanks, Gail–yes! I wanted those lines to sound cold and hard, like a quarter. Thank you!