However, to understand poetry the reader must not go gently, but should attack. As we begin to spend time in Reading Workshop with poetry/word study, students must overcome their fears and dive into the language of poetry. Whether it be as a reader, analyzing the work of others, or when revising their own work, students must go full speed ahead. They need to take the advise given by Eve Merriam.
How to Eat a Poem
Don't be polite.
Bite in.
Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice
that may run down your chin.
It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are.
You do not need a knife or fork or spoon
or plate or napkin or tablecloth.
For there is no core
or stem
or rind
or pit
or seed
or skin
to throw away.
What is Merriam's point? What about the poem makes you think that? What thoughts do you have when tearing into her poem?
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44 comments:
I think Merriam's point in this poem is don't be scared to write/read a poem. Just take a bite into it and just do it. What makes me think this is the title of the poem, the theme, and the context. When I read this poem, it makes me want to get to reading or writing a poem. Not just sit there and stall, WRITE!!!! The part that makes me think that is
For there is no core
or stem
or rind
or pit
or seed
or skin
to throw away
This to me means you don't have to do any extra work not to write a poem, you are just able to write what you want.
Merriam's poem is good but the thing that I like about it is that the poem is wanting to make you feel like you are really eating the poem. The thing that she is talking about words because when she says biting in to it I think that she meaning yo say getting in to it and wanting to read more.
I think Merriam's point about this poem is that, she's just saying don't be afraid to let out your feelings out in the open for the world to see when you're writing something and if you're writing anything you should keep moving forward.
Merriam is just telling you that it does not matter if some one laughs at your poem. The poem makes me thank about setting down with your family and eating. The thoughts that I get when I read this poem is all of my family eating together at A big table.
I think that her poem was hard to understand. But I think she is trying to say in poetry you have to make it nice and juicy for the reader . So that their eyes are all over your poems. That way they will keep reading your poems.
The point I think Merriam is trying to make is that you can not be afraid to give out your feelings so you got to be ready to give them out. The reason you have to do that is because thats what makes a poem good. The part in the poem that makes me think that is the part that reads
Don't be polite.
Bite in.
Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice
that my run down your chin.
It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are.
The thoughts I have when I am riping into this poem is that after you put a poem out there you can not take it back and throw it away. You can not make people forget about what they read.
I think Merriam's point is that you can read the poem and understand it as soon as your done reading it. All you have to do is get to the point. If you get the can point you can get the poem. You can spend five seconds thinking about the poem or you can spend five minutes or hours thinking about the poem, it all depends on if you get the point.I think she has a good point buried in the poem, you just have to dig it out.
I think that this poem is completely fascinating to me. Here's why:
This is the exact opposite of what I would expect from an author. It is fun when Eve is talking about biting in and being un-polite.
It is also very moving. Eve is moving because she is giving pointers to poets, or to anyone. I really like that.
It is really crazy. While she is giving advice about writing, she is also creating interest.
I think what she saying is she wants to dig the juice out of there and then she'll eat the middle part. Its kind of like when eating the orange.You want to eat the middle no matter how messy it is.It doesn't matter how short it is.
When I read How to Eat a Poem I like the way she has it set up. When I read it I think that the point is that you have to really set your mind to the poems that your reading poems so you can get the point of what you reading. If you don't get the point then you won't under stand the poem.
I think that her point is to get to the point in the poem and that you Can't procrastinate and just want to write stuff that you don't need. What in the poem make me think that is that she said Don't be polite. Bite in.
Another thing that she said in the poem is It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are. My thoughts when tearing into her poem is that She gets to the point in her poem about how to read a poem than a lot of other poems would. I think this because her point is in the way that she writes it.
Merriam poem is good it just doesn't make me hungry lol. Her poem makes me put myself out there for people to see. Sometimes I don't like people seeing but after reading this I'm not that afraid any more. People might laugh at this but I don't care because they will laugh but it wont bother me any more.
I think Merraims poem is really good. I think that the point of this poem is to let people know that writing poetry does not have to be perfect. What I mean is when Merriams's writes "Don't be polite. Bite in", I think that means get involved or get into poetry.
When Merriam writes "You do no need a knife or fork or spoon or plate or napkin or tablecloth." I think that means you don't need a computer's or a desks or a projector or anything like that. You just need your brain and something to write on to do poetry.
I think that when Merriam wrote " For there is no core or stem or rind or pit or seed or skin to throw away". I think that this means that there is no core to get to or stem to pull, or rind to get rid of or pit to grab it out of or no seed to spit or no skin to peel. All of these things do not have to be done in poetry.
That's why I love poetry.
Merriam's point is you can't really go into poetry slowly you have to just jump in and tear it up. Merriam has a awesome point there is no seeds, skin,core,stem, pit,or rine nothing standing in the way you just have to put your mind to it and put it out there.
It makes me think about eating and tearing into meat or some type of food. Merriam's poem is about tearing into a poem without any distractions.
Some thoughts that run through when I read this I think of eating food just tearing into the meal.
I think what she is trying too get out to us is just " Dig in" poetry. You don't need a fork or a spoon just "Dive In". She has a great point. Eve Merriam point is when she starts writing poems she can't stop.
Poems are like taking a bite out of a big juicy steak, your poem needs to be tasty and it needs to make sense. You need to get the reader interested. So dig in your poem and get started.
I think Merriam's poem means don't be afraid to share your feelings. That is what she means when she says don't be polite and attack.
I think the point of the poem is that you should read a poem and enjoy it and that is kind of like eating an apple because poems are always nice and ripe when you need them.
And just like an apple you don'`t have to have a knife or fork in other words you don't need a spot to sit and read or anything.
Madison,
Your comment, Merriam's poem is about tearing into a poem without any distractions. Some thoughts that run through when I read this I think of eating food just tearing into the meal. reminds me of my first thoughts when reading the poem.
I knew exactly what kind of picture I wanted to go with the post.
I think the point of Eve Merriam's poem is to not be afraid to put your feelings out in the open. I think that because when she says Don't be polite. Bite in. It makes me picture someone sitting down with a poem and reading over and over again. That no matter what they think they express themselves. I think that's the same with writing a poem. They just need to write down how they feel.
I think that Merriam's point is to not be afraid to try understanding poetry. Don't stand back and wait, for the poem to read and understand itself. Instead think about what you think the poem means. The part of the poem that makes me think that is when she says:
Don't be polite.
Bite in.
The thought that I have when tearing into her poem is that she is trying to encourage writers young and old to let out their feelings,not to be scared, and let their ideas flow onto the paper. I think that her poem is really interesting because she doesn't just come out and tell you what the point is, she makes you think about it.
I think that Merriam's point is that you can't just sit there and try to get the poem you have to read it and read it until you start to understand. Why would you sit there wasting 5 minutes of your life trying to understand the first stanza. You have to read it over and over again so you can understand while you are reading, instead of wasting your time just sitting there.
You have to dig into the poem like you do the turkey on Thanksgiving dinner at your house. Don't be afraid to dig and dig into the turkey until you find the wishbone (the point).
All Merriam is saying is that you have to read the poem to understand it. You can't just sit there trying to figure out what the poem is saying.
Brandon,
Your comment, You have to dig into the poem like you do the turkey on Thanksgiving dinner at your house. made me smile and hungry! :)
I think that the poem means that you should try to read a poem with your soul not your eyes and brain (the poem is almost saying that you should take your time). I think this because of these lines in the poem "How to Eat a Poem" :
Don't be polite.
Bite in.
Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice
that may run down your chin.
It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are.
Now do you get the poem better? I hope that you get the poem better.
I think Merriam's point in this poem is don't be afraid of reading a poem. Merriam is saying just do it. It makes me think that she is saying read the poem no matter if it is long or short. This is my opinion on Merriam's poem.
I think what Merriam means is that you have to keep your mind set to one thing and in this case it would be poetry. You can't hold back. I think Merriam's point is that if you let something stand in front of you like she says in the poem about For there is no core
or stem
or rind
or pit
or seed
or skin
to throw away.
The reason I think this is because the one thing that will hold you back is your own fault.
I think Merriam's point is don't be scared to write a poem. Or don't sit down and flop words on to a piece of paper, put some effort into it. What makes me think this is
Don't be polite.
Bite in.
Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice
that may run down your chin.
It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are.
A thought I got when tearing into her poem is "Wow! I completely understand this poem when it said Don't be polite
Bite in.
"That meant not to be scared to put your feelings into a poem."
What I think Merriam's point is to this poem is that you should not be scared to write or even read a poem. Just Bite in and just do it.
The part in the poem that makes me think that is when she says
Don't be polite.
Bite in.
Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice
that may run down your chin.
It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are.
The thoughts I have when tearing into her poem is just write what you feel!
I think Merriam's point is to not be scared to write a poem. To tear your thoughts out and make them into a poem.
It is ready and ripe now,whenever you are.
I think that means that the poem is ready for you to spill more idea's on the sheet of paper to make a great poem.
The point I think Merriam is trying to make is that if you are afraid to let out your feelings then you won't be ready to give your feelings out to the world.
The reason why I think this is a great poem is because the part that makes me want to read this poem is
Don't be polite.
Bite in.
Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice
that may run down your chin.
It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are.
The thoughts that I have after reading this poem is that if you have a poem you can't be scared to share your feelings to everybody.
I think that Merriam's point is you have to read it carefully and do not leave out any details. I think she is also saying don't be afraid of letting emotions show rather its crying or laughing or even making funny faces. I think these are her points in How to Eat a Poem.
I think Merriam's point in this poem is you don't have to be scared to read a poem, just do it. You just have bite into it and read it.
For there is no core
or stem
or rind
or pit
or seed
or skin
to throw away.
This part in the poem means to me that you don't have extra stuff. When you read a poem it doesn't have to be a fancy one to be liked. You can like a poem even if it's not fancy.
I think Eve Merriam point is that you have to bit into the poem that you are reading to get the main idea of the poem like it said Bite in. If you don't just bite into you will not get main idea. So if you are scared try to just dig in to the poem.
I think she is try to say, reading a poem is not hard if you just go at it and just try your best. If you see a misspelled word just try your best to pronounce it and go on. Otherwise, you will be sitting there all day trying to figure it out.
What I think that the author is trying to get at is that there is no fancy way to read a poem. You need to just dive in there and read the poem. Like if you were eating like she mentioned you do not have to point your little finger when you drink or wipe your mouth every two scenes when you eat you just need to eat.
I think Merriams point in this poem is to not be scared to share a poem that you wrote. Just bite into it and let it go. Share your poem and do not be scared. I think she is also saying do not be afraid to let your emotions show.
What I think the author is trying to make a point of is when you read a poem you just have to get what the point is. There is no certain way you have to read a poem. Just get into it and read it. Poems can be funny,sad,and all kinds of things so you don't have to read each one a certain way. All you have to do is read it
It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are. You do not need a knife or fork or spoon
or plate or napkin or tablecloth. I think what the author is trying to say is that, you don't need to wait to read a poem. It's already written and just waiting to be picked up by your hands and read by you. Poems are fun and easy to read, both kids and adults like to read poetry and they're a great way to spend free time. So go ahead and pick up that poem that's in front of you, it's waiting.
I think the point that Merriam is trying to make in this poem is, don't be afraid to read a poem. Don't feel like you don't want anything to do with poetry just because it seems scary to you.
Even if poetry really is scary to you, don't let it stop you from reading it. Because if you do let fear take over, you might miss out on reading some really great things.
I think that Merriams poem is telling us that we should bite in and try to understand the gist and what the poem is really about. Try to understand the poem and look at the details and the gist. What makes me think this from her poem is
Bite in. Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice that may run down your chin. I think that what she means by lick up the juice that may run down your chin is look for details you may have missed. That is what I think that Merriam meant in her poem.
What I think the author is trying to say is when you are reading a poem dig into it. So not be afraid to read the poem. Get into it enjoy it and get messy. All you have to do is read the poem.
I think Eve Merriam is right. You should not be afraid to read a poem. When Merriam said...
"Don't be polite.
Bite in.
For there is no core
or stem
or rind
or pit
or seed
or skin
to throw away".
I think in her poem she was trying to say... there is no part of the poem that is special. The best part is to read it before doubting poems. Some are better than others, but every one is different and has its own unique style.
I think what Merriam is trying to say is when you are reading/writing a poem just bite into it. Don't sit there and stall that is kind of what this line is trying to sayDon't be polite.
Bite in.
Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice
that may run down your chin.
It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are.
I think Merriam's point is that there are no useless parts in a poem. The part of the part that made me think this is:
For there is no core
or stem
or rind
or pit
or seed
or skin
to throw away.
I think this because a core, stem, rind, pit, seed and skin are usless and you just throw them away.
I want to be famous like a pencil
to a piece of paper,
or a wig to a person
that had chemical.
I want to famous like a person
who makes people laugh
or a smile to an old man
or a laughter to a child
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