A new twist for our poetry units. Sijo is a form of poetry from Korea; similar to haiku, it is dependant on a certain number of stressed syllables, and has an unexpected joke or twist at the end. (Maybe you guys knew about this form, but I'd never seen it)
These poems are neither monumental or side splittingly funny but this book and poetry style are charming. These little poems are playful and light and the illustrations are a little odd but are equally as spirited.
The author gives sufficient but not overwhelming background on the form and includes further reading and some tips on how to write your own.
A fun "something new" and I learned a new word in one of the poems: sesquipedalian - lots of syllables.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
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3 comments:
Second. I agree it's fun to have another form to share in units on poetry writing. I especially like the fact that in this three line form: the first line introduces the topic; the second line adds detail; and the third line provides an unexpected twist. Writing a poem in this form asks our students to do some critical thinking rather than straight description.
I love the illustrations and so will graphic novel readers!
Sijo was new to me - I like the suprise element of the third line.
The illustrations are retro and witty and add to the novelty of the poetry. Nice that Park ends with tips for writing sijo. This is a great title for poetry and / or writing units.
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