We explored the powerful device of Repetition in Phil Kaye’s poem of the same name. Some poems in our workshop are ‘after’ Kaye’s work.
Lesson Note: “Repetition can make magic happen- repeat a word or a phrase enough times and it breathes new life, fresh meaning. Or repetition can strip language until all that’s left are empty rhythms and sounds. Words are funny like that.”-New York Times, critic, Maya Phillips
Ms. Wright, 7th Grade
I Need a Break
by Jing Lin Z.C.
Every single day,
I wake up,
Go to school
And work until
My bones are
Sore.
Then I come
Home to relax,
But I can’t,
Piles and heaps
Because of homework.
I which then
I have to
spend my time
Working, Day
After a day.
All it is,
Is wake up
Work, work, work,
Work, and work.
Over and over
Again.
I’ve worked so
Hard and it
Made me so
Tired, until
I can’t do
Anything.
Every day I
search for a
Break but to
to no avail.
Now all I
Do is work.
Over and over
again.
Rest
By Zhe Han G.
In bed in the morning,
shaken from resting by my mother.
Bed is behind me,
and school is ahead.
School is with people,
school is with learning,
school is with work.
School is tiring,
school never ends.
Homework is assigned,
homework waits to be done,
homework becomes missing, and grows.
Homework is everywhere.
Go home and cook dinner,
Thoughts of MPG X870E Carbon WiFi and ROG STRIX X870E-E.
Eat dinner at table with parents and shower after,
In the end, bed again.
Just a normal day
Julian Reyes
Usually I wake up pretty early, like around 5-6 Am
I get ready for school pretty quickly
Or what feels like work
I wait for my slow sister who practically drags me behind when getting ready
Then I get in the car to school to listen to music and get told to wake up because I keep falling asleep.
I get to school feeling tired
I then wait for the doors to open
The constant feeling of walking up the stairs
Putting away my stuff
And listening to that abnormally long pledge of allegiance as i am super tired and trying to wake myself up.
The constant feeling of zoning out during math class and confusion because i was way too tired to deal with it
Then it gets easier with social studies, giving out small amounts of homework.
Then I kind of wake up during lunch and recess, but I am tired after everything.
Finally, I get some form of relief and fall asleep in the car from how tired I am
Then I get told to wake up to open the garage. Then I lay down on my bed to get some form of comfort and enjoy the rest of the day by finishing up homework and playing video games.
6 am….. I’m told to wake up from my mom from school
I get ready pretty quickly and wait for my sister, who is practically dragging me behind
Then I get in the car to school to listen to music and get told to wake up because I keep falling asleep
I get to school feeling tired
I then wait for the doors to open
The constant feeling of walking up the stairs
Putting away my stuff
And listening to that abnormally long pledge as I’m super tired and
Trying to wake myself up
But I really feel tired today
But I continue the day feeling
Extra tired and
Have the feeling that the teachers are giving more work
Then i leave school tired and fall asleep in the car from how tired i am
Then i get old to wake up to open the garage door, then I lay on my bed and usually do what i do and fall asleep
5 am….. I wake up, get ready pretty quickly, and wait for my sister,r who is practically dragging me behind, then I get in the car, listen to music, and stay awake
Then I get to school tired
And do the usual, like listening to that abnormally long pledge, and do my work, but math feels different.
It feels much harder for me.
Which makes me think I’m falling behind, and then I go through the rest of the day.
And fall asleep in my car, and get told to wake up and do the usual.
6 a.m.…. I get ready pretty quickly, and for my sister, who practically drags me behind, but midway, I sort of realize something.
Every day feels similar.
But different things might happen.
It’s like repetition…
My day of school life (three i’s and a pause)
By Eric H.
I wake up, it’s 7:20,
I eat my breakfast,
I climb down my bed
then my little brother wakes up,
he screams “I don’t want to go to school!” over and over.
I am putting on my shoes
I grab my water bottle
I rush to get my backpack and run out the door.
My mom says to look both ways when crossing the road and to be careful.
My little brother is still screaming, “I don’t want to go to school!”
I say bye before leaving,
I cross the street carefully.
I am early, so I can go to the playground and play with my friends.
The school opens, they call a grade.
Seventh grade was then called.
I rush to the door
I run up the stairs
I grab my stuff I need for class
Four hours later
Waiting. Starving.
I get to recess
I eat lunch
I finished school
Today, I have to go to my after-school
Today was boring.
I finish all my homework, so I play with my cards
I go home.
I scream at my little brother.
He takes up 30 minutes trying to do
Math, of all subjects, he needs help with.
I can’t. Take. It. ANYMORE!!!
I snapped.
I was angry
Teachers are always trying to annoy me
Staff are being rude. Do it again!
I didn’t like all the attention being so rude.
I do it again
I wasn’t so angry
Look, staff are trying to be “nice”
Do it again.
I go to school again.
I want to go home
I walk home
The house is cold
Outside is hot
I eat my dinner
I complain with my friends online
I shower and brush my teeth
Flossing in between my teeth!
Waiting for my little brother
I go to bed and sleep
I do it all. Over. Again.
