Reactions were mixed. But together we figured out a way to play around with words and have fun!
"Writing poetry? No thank you, I am leaving," was the first reaction that came up when the idea of experimenting with writing poetry came up.
Poetry can be scary for some. Perhaps the fact that sometimes verse requires more thinking in abstract terms puts off some readers. Reading and understanding poetry is as it is hard many a time. Writing a poem that has plenty of imagery and metaphors is definitely not a welcome cup of tea.
Collaborating with others to attempt what seems impossible- Would working with someone who appreciates poetry both in terms of reading and writing help change the perspective?
We at the Young Readers' Club decided to find out. We looked at a picture of a chocolate cake on which chocolate sauce is falling from above. Together we put together a set of random descriptive words, then tried to draft sentences/verses that could rhyme. The result was a funny set of lines. We laughed to our heart's content. Momentarily there was silence. One of the readers who had a ear for poetry did not approve for a line that another reader had written. The line went as, "I baked the cake like I shake, like I shake some milkshake!" His line did not sound poetic, didn't fit in, for the reader with the poetic bent of mind. She seemed to mulling it over- "How to say this without hurting him?"
A few minutes later, she asked, "Do you think this fits?"
He responded saying, "That's the only line that is funny in the whole poem so far!"
That made the poet in the group change her mind. She said, "Ok, perhaps we can find a good place for the line to fit in better."
They continued experimenting with words, discover new words with multiple meanings which could rhyme with the existing words, taking the poem to a whole new level.
How about a good title?
A set of titles came up. We could not reach a consensus on the title. The group decided to split the poem into two parts. Rearranged the lines to ensure logic. Wanting to attribute the title to the respective readers, I suggested writing their names along with their titles. They talked about it and arrived at an alternative. They said, "All of us wrote it together and hence you should write it as 'by The Young Readers' Club'."
Adding an original twist to the way poetry is read and appreciated
Having rearranged everyone's contributions in a meaningful order, it was time to read it aloud to see how it sounds. What was unexpected, is that each reader had a unique of reading the poetry that they wrote together. It was a pleasant surprise when one of the young readers decided to read the poem like a rap song! Another chose to read with such good expression especially when talking about the taste of the cake, it almost felt like we were eating the cake. It set me thinking...Poetry can be so much fun when one doesn't have to memorise it perhaps. Or maybe not. Can't wait to find out what the young readers think:)
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Both weekday and weekend batches are available at the Young Readers' Club. While this program is for the 8-11 age group, the Young Writers' Club program for the 12-14 age group offers a weekly platform to read and discuss curated articles from the news, observe writing approaches and practise one's writing skills.
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