Rich Novach in this video led us on a trail to writing found poetry. My students and I selected a National Park to research and “find” text that can be placed into a poem.
I visited Glacier National Park a few years ago, and the experience has stayed with me. I found my poem on the park’s website. I wrote it in the form of a nonet, 9 lines with each line using a syllable count of 9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1.
Ya-qawiswitxuki*
A place where there is a lot of ice
of meltwater irrigation
ice flowing under its weight
alpine meadows showcase
adventurous wild
carved paradise
history
melting
ice*Kootenai word for Glacier National Park
Margaret Simon, found on the trail
To view some of my students’ poems and leave comments:
Kailyn: Hot Springs National Park
Carson: Olympic National Park
Avalyn: Yellowstone National Park
John-Robert: Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
Reflections on the Teche 