Music Moves Me! - The Chicago Poetry Center

Music Moves Me!

At day 2 of Twain Poetry Camp with 6th-8th graders, we listened to some of the student’s favorite songs in prep for our poetry exercise for the day. Each table of students received a drawing of a body on butcher paper and some markers and were tasked to draw images, write words, squiggle colors and shapes that reflected how the music made them feel. Does this song make your head bop? Put a word or an image near or on the head to reflect it! Does this song remind you of a memory that is special? Perhaps some words around the heart! Students ended up drawing abstract symbols, cultural representation with food and flags, as well as sharing in moments of laughter and foot tapping! We then read Ross Gay’s “A Poem in which I Try to Express My Glee at the Music My Friend Has Given Me”.

Students learned about alliteration and assonance and reflected on some of their own favorite music and how it feels in their body! Check out today’s poems below.

Mr. Barr 6th-8th Grade Poetry Camp!

"The Brain, The Bones, The Music" Sam M.

Foot tapping and head bouncing
music blasting like fire
same song on repeat
volume over 1,000
ear drums dying
bones shivering

Brain on fire and thinking loudly
hand drawing to the beat
the bass showing more than the voice
the meaningful words showing more than the
sun in the daylight

Easy steady beat on
soft guitar work and
loud drums getting hit with a TAP!
with the soft mellow voice of the singer,
showing the true side of the song

"Good Feelings" Ashley P.

Sad can come at anytime
but sometimes songs help you feel better
You can feel happy, dance and you deserve happiness
You can feel excited find new friends,
fight your fears
Vibe with your song, the song vibes
the mood changes
life goes on better and better becoming
a better person
the song has ended but I’m ready to
listen to the new song
fighting your fears becoming a better
person a better version of yourself.

"Beautiful beats that are used in songs today" Alejandro P.

Beats built brick by brick,
bricks built by bended manmade
material melted and molded by
lovesick lamps looking at lentils
arriving on the shallow shore shyly
shopping at shop and save scavenging
for several seaweeds.