Last week, Michelle welcomed Laura Shovan to her blog with a workshop idea around Fractured Fairy Tales.
I have ordered the two books she suggested, Sleeping Ugly by Jane Yolen and Mirror, Mirror by Marilyn Singer.
In the meantime, I was reminded of a book of poetry I have by Ava Leavell Haymon, former poet laureate of Louisiana, Why the House is Made of Gingerbread. This book is really for adult readers, but a few years ago Lemony Snicket published a collection of poems for adults that children would like, available here on the Poetry Foundation. He selected Ava’s The Witch has Told You a Story for this collection.
You are food.
You are here for me
to eat. Fatten up,
and I will like you better.Your brother will be first,
you must wait your turn.
Feed him yourself, you will
learn to do it. You will take himeggs with yellow sauce, muffins
torn apart and leaking butter, fried meats
late in the morning, and always sweets
in a sticky parade from the kitchen.His vigilance, an ice pick of hunger
pricking his insides, will melt
in the unctuous cream fillings.
He will forget. He will thank youfor it. His little finger stuck every day
through cracks in the bars
will grow sleek and round,
his hollow face swelllike the moon. He will stop dreaming
about fear in the woods without food.
He will lean toward the maw
of the oven as it opensevery afternoon, sighing
better and better smells.
—Ava Leavell Haymon
My lesson plan around fractured fairy tale poems will include this poem about Hansel and Gretel.
Jane Yolen challenges us this month to write a septercet, a form she invented. Each line of the 3 lined stanza has 7 syllables. I will ask my students to write a septercet about a favorite fairy tale, fractured or not. So I’m giving it a try myself.
Fairy White
When she wanders in the woods,
soft white reflecting diamonds,
her fair skin glows like snowflakes.Apple laced in evil spells
tastes of beauty golden red
slips her slowly into sleep.Finally she rests from all
her troubles. Let her be free.
Love will find a peaceful soul.–Margaret Simon
This really engaged me. I love the flow of the words both in Haymon’s poem and yours. Well done. I’m inspired to get her book and read on.
Nice, Margaret! “Love will find a peaceful soul.” <—Oooh, love that! When you have a chance, would you cut and paste your poem onto the padlet? https://padlet.com/TodaysLittleDitty/September2016
I'm curious how your students will respond to the Hansel and Gretel poem… bit of a pernicious humdinger, that one. 😉 But what a great idea to combine the septercet with the fractured fairy tale lesson. Can't wait to see what your students come up with!
What a sumptuous, evil, old witch! Makes me shiver. A lovely job with the septercet capturing the beauty, the peace, the sadness.
That first poem, Ava’s, is so evil. Not sure I’d want to read it to kids!
Your septercet has a serene quality…”her fair skin glows like snowflakes” is my favorite!
My students love evil.
I know! They’d love it! I think it’s an excuse not to scare me!
The last line…so beautiful. I hope you’ll share your student’s poems.
I love using fractured fairy tales with kids, they’re such a fun way to get kids taking a closer look at familiar stories, and looking at the familiar in a new, exciting way.
“Fairy White” is a delight of esses!
For me, poetry comes from the sounds of words. Thanks for noticing.
Margaret….you are so daring! I think the kids who long for the dark side of things (like my son) will absolutely love the first poem. It would pull him into poetry much more than the usual lessons. So, even though that first poem is dark…it’s the kind of dark that some kids are drawn to. I know there’s tons of kids caught up in all sorts of fan fiction these days…..I don’t read it. But, I would bet that some dark themes show up.
I wish I could send my son to your class for a visit. But, because I cannot do that I will share Ava’s poem with him and yours. I wonder what will come of it from him.
How old is your son? I’m curious how he will respond. Recently one of my students read the true version of the little mermaid. Talk about creepy!
Well done, Margaret! I found it very intriguing. I think your students will have tons of fun with this!
Ah, Margaret, I have recently finished reading the Chronicles of Narnia. Your poem took me back into the space of those books especially these lines:
“soft white reflecting diamonds,
her fair skin glows like snowflakes.
Apple laced in evil spells
tastes of beauty golden red”
Perhaps in the days ahead you’ll share some of your students’ works? You inspire them to such interesting writing.
Ooooh, evil indeed. The witch’s voice is so matter-of-fact. Your septercet came out very well! I like the first stanza especially–all the familiar details sound brand-new in your lines!
Thanks. It’s fun to play with familiar texts, but it can also lead to same ole, same ole. I really appreciate your comment.
Lovely take on the Ditty Challenge. I love fairy tales and poetry interwoven. Of course. 😉