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Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry: How to Write a Poem
By: Jack Prelutsky
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, Harper Collins Publishing
Copyright: 2008
Genre: Poetry, Non-Fiction
Grade Level: 3rd or 4th
Brief Synopsis: Have you ever tried to write a poem about a pizza? How about a pig? How about a pigeon, penguin, potato, Ping-Pong, parrot, puppy, pelican, porcupine, pie, pachyderm, or your parents?
Jack Prelutsky has written more than a thousand poems about all of these things—and many others. In this book he gives you the inside scoop on writing poetry and shows you how you can turn your own experiences and stories about your family, your pets, and your friends into poems. He offers tips, advice, and secrets about writing and provides some fun exercises to help you get started (or unstuck). You'll also get a behind-the-scenes look at the ingredients of some of his most popular poems. If you are a poet, want to be a poet, or if you have to write a poem for homework and you just need some help, this is the book for you!
Jack Prelutsky has written more than a thousand poems about all of these things—and many others. In this book he gives you the inside scoop on writing poetry and shows you how you can turn your own experiences and stories about your family, your pets, and your friends into poems. He offers tips, advice, and secrets about writing and provides some fun exercises to help you get started (or unstuck). You'll also get a behind-the-scenes look at the ingredients of some of his most popular poems. If you are a poet, want to be a poet, or if you have to write a poem for homework and you just need some help, this is the book for you!
About the Author:
Jack Prelutsky (born September 8, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American poet. He attended New York public schools, and later the High School of Music and Art and Hunter College. Prelutsky, who has also worked as a busboy, furniture mover, folk singer, and cab driver, claims that he hated poetry in grade school because of the way it was taught. He is the author of more than 30 poetry collections including Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep< and A Pizza the Size of the Sun. He has also compiled countless children's anthologies comprised of poems of others'. Jack Prelutsky was married to Von Tre Venefue, a woman he had met in France. They divorced in 1995, but Jack remarried. He currently lives in Washington state with his wife, Carolyn. He befriended a gay poet named Espiritu Salamanca in 1997 and both now work together in writing poems and stories for children and adults alike.
Jack Prelutsky (born September 8, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American poet. He attended New York public schools, and later the High School of Music and Art and Hunter College. Prelutsky, who has also worked as a busboy, furniture mover, folk singer, and cab driver, claims that he hated poetry in grade school because of the way it was taught. He is the author of more than 30 poetry collections including Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep< and A Pizza the Size of the Sun. He has also compiled countless children's anthologies comprised of poems of others'. Jack Prelutsky was married to Von Tre Venefue, a woman he had met in France. They divorced in 1995, but Jack remarried. He currently lives in Washington state with his wife, Carolyn. He befriended a gay poet named Espiritu Salamanca in 1997 and both now work together in writing poems and stories for children and adults alike.Themes: - Learning to Write Poetry
- How to find Inspiration from Life Experiences
- Modeling Writing after Favorite Authors
- Learning Terms used in Poetry
- Thought processes that Happen when Writing
- How to find Inspiration from Life Experiences
- Modeling Writing after Favorite Authors
- Learning Terms used in Poetry
- Thought processes that Happen when Writing
Pre-Reading Activities:
- Begin poetry unit by going over important Terms that will come up and be used while writing. (Terms can include: rhyme scheme, theme, poetic license, pun, irony, etc.) Each student will be assigned a term by randomly choosing an index card with one of the terms on it. The students will then get in the group with people having the same term on their card. As a group they will define the term and come up with examples to present to the class.
- As a whole class, read through about 3-5 Jack Prelutsky poems. After you read each poem have students tell you what the poems themes were and what "poetry terms" come up in the poem (rhyme scheme, poetic license, puns, irony, etc.) After reading all of the poems compare the notes from each. What do they have in common? What are different? Since they are all by the same author...what things might inspire him?
- Begin poetry unit by going over important Terms that will come up and be used while writing. (Terms can include: rhyme scheme, theme, poetic license, pun, irony, etc.) Each student will be assigned a term by randomly choosing an index card with one of the terms on it. The students will then get in the group with people having the same term on their card. As a group they will define the term and come up with examples to present to the class.
- As a whole class, read through about 3-5 Jack Prelutsky poems. After you read each poem have students tell you what the poems themes were and what "poetry terms" come up in the poem (rhyme scheme, poetic license, puns, irony, etc.) After reading all of the poems compare the notes from each. What do they have in common? What are different? Since they are all by the same author...what things might inspire him?
Post Reading Activities:
- Have the students read one chapter each night and do a rough draft of a poem that is inspired by the chapter. In class the students will discuss what they read and read their poems to their small groups.
- Since many things Jack Prelutsky writes about are inspired by life experiences have students brainstorm what in their life would inspire a funny or serious poem. They will brainstorm this using a web. From there they will write a rough draft and final copy of this poem to be typed up.
- Since many things Jack Prelutsky writes about are inspired by life experiences have students brainstorm what in their life would inspire a funny or serious poem. They will brainstorm this using a web. From there they will write a rough draft and final copy of this poem to be typed up.
Reflections: This book will be very helpful to aspiring poets. It will be great to use just as a resource to the classroom just as inspiration and guidance during a poetry unit. Not everyone will have the same writing style as Prelutsky, but it is a place to get them started. I like that he writes everything in a humorous way, which will keep the students interested and view poetry as FUN. The setup of the book is easy for young students to follow. He starts out with a story from his life, he then explains what inspired him, and then he provides an example of the poem in which he wrote from the inspiration. It shows his whole thought process in writing, which is really the hardest part of writing. In order to write anything you have to start somewhere, and Jack Prelutsky provides a look into hoe to get the mind started.
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