Through the looking glass with 5th & 6th graders

School
Shoesmith Elementary School

Poet in Residence
Joy Young

Date
March 10, 2023

For our 5th week of poetry 5th and 6th graders explored opposite personas. Persona is when a poet takes the voice of a person, place, or object. Together we read Haugan 8th grader Ingrid H. poem “The King and the Peasant.” In her poem, Ingrid takes on two personas, two voices. On one side of the poem the king brags about his wonderful life of riches and laziness, while on the other side the peasant laments on his life of poverty and hard work. I sit around all day without having to move a muscle/ I work all day moving muscles all hours of the day. Each line spoken by the two voices seems similar but with slight differences, as if everything is flipped upside down. But they share a few things in common, such as the yearning to rest and relax in comfort. Wishing nothing more than to sit here for eternity/ Wishing nothing more than to sit here for eternity.

After the poem, we discussed the character of Alice, from the Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland books, which most of the students were familiar with from movie adaptations. In one of her adventures Alice travels through a looking glass, a type of mirror. On the other side of the mirror, she realizes that just like a reflection, everything is reversed, including the people, creatures, and their personalities.

Inspired by Ingrid H., students wrote poems using opposite personas. So, readers travel with us through the looking glass to discover new ideas about people and things from different angles.

School
Shoesmith Elementary School

Poet in Residence
Joy Young

Date
March 10, 2023

Note: These are two-voice poems with parallel columns. Format: Left voice | Right voice

Ms. Yassky's 5th Grade Group 1

Sponge Bob vs. Squidward Khaleah B.

Sponge Bob | Squidward

I love my life | I hate my life
I am a kind person | I am a mean person
I live in Bikini Bottom | I live in Bikini Bottom
I work with Squidward | I work with Sponge Bob
I LOVE my job | I HATE my job
I love Patrick | I hate Sponge Bob and Patrick
I like being outside | I like being at home.

Sun and Moon Natalia C.

Sun | Moon

I have sunlight | I have moonlight
I help with plants | I help with the tide
I’m bright | I’m dimmed
I have daytime | I have nighttime
I’m a star | I’m a moon
I’m light | I’m light
I help the solar system | I help the solar system
I’m in space | I’m in space
I do good deeds for the earth | I do good deeds for the earth
I rotate | I rotate
I orbit | I orbit

Girl vs. Boy Savannah G.

I am a girl | I am a boy
I am expected to be flexible | I am expected to play sports
Expected to wear a dress | Expected to like trucks and cars
Funny when nobody is around | Expected to play rough
I want to be like me, nice and mean. | I want to be like me, mean and nice
For life | For life

Tree vs. Flower Jalen L.

Tree | Flower

I’m really tall | I’m really short
I have leaves | I have petals
I am brown | I am green
I get climbed on | I get stepped on
I’m wide | I’m skinny
I’m a plant | I’m a plant
I grow | I grow
I have roots | I have roots
I have a stem | I have a stem
I’m outside | I’m outside

Love and Hate Jahlil W.

Love | Hate

I love people | I hate people
I am a strong emotion | I am a strong emotion
I make people happy | I make people mad
I make life | I hurt people
I make people love | I make people hurt people
I make friends | I make enemies

Ms. Yassky's 5th Grade Group 2

Madison vs Shariyah Shariyah E.

Madison | Shariyah

I’m tall | I’m short
I like vanilla | I like chocolate
I wear a size 9 1/2 shoe | I wear a size 4 shoe
I run fast | I run fast
I like Takis | I like Takis
I’m a girl | I’m a girl
I like blue | I like blue

Me vs. My Sister Taniya H.

Me | Sister

I’m younger! | I’m older…
I’m a singer | I hate when you song (make my ears hurt)
I’m better at everything | I’m stronger Even me?
Fine whatever, you’re still my blood sister | That’s right On top Cuz we are sisters

Anedith vs. Mason Anedith Y.

Anedith | Mason

I love being older | I hate being younger
I’m too funny | I’m not that funny
I could lift a desk | I can’t even lift a pencil
I like being in 5th grade | I like being in 5th grade

Ms. Henry's 6th grade Group 1

Batman vs. Joker Siyaar C.

Batman | Joker

I save people | I kill people
I am a bat | I am a clown
I want respect | I want respect
I am sneaky | I am loud
I wear black | I wear more colorful clothes
I am good | I am bad
I am sweet | I am salty
I want peace | I want peace

Teacher vs. Student Richard H.

Teacher | Student

I go to school every day | I go to school every day
I teach my students all day | I learn from my teachers all day
I watch all my students every day | I talk to my friends all day
I walk to class every day | I walk to class every day
I stand in front of the board all day | I sit at my desk all day
I teach my 24 students every day | I read my books every day
Every day is just a loop | Every day is just a loop

Sweet and Salty Ameer R.

Sweet | Salty

I have a sweet apple | I have a salty pretzel
I have sweet candy | I have some salty popcorn
I have a sweetheart | I have been in a salty ocean
I have a sweet drink | I have some salty soup
I have a sweet balance | I have a salty fry
I have sweet money | I have some salty chips

Ms. Henry's 6th grade Group 2

Kid vs. Parent Mbaye D.

Kid | Parent

I go to school | I go to work
I don’t have responsibilities | I have responsibilities
I have chores | I don’t have chores
I ride bikes | I drive a car
I receive | I buy stuff
We live together | We live together
We eat together | We eat together
We watch tv together | We watch tv together
We go through good and hard times together | We go through good and hard times together

Teacher vs. Student Goumbala D.

Teacher | Student

I have to pay bills | I don’t have to pay bills
I have a job | I don’t have a job
I grade work | I do work
I have a degree | I’m working on a degree
I get paid | I don’t get paid
I go to school | I go to school
I work 8 hours | I work 8 hours
I go through obstacles | I go through obstacles

Sparkling Water vs. Pop Gian R.

Sparkling Water | Pop

I am clear | I am tasty
I am carbonated | I am carbonated
I have one flavor | I am flavorful
I am confined, trapped in a bottle | I am confined, trapped in a bottle
Eventually forgotten | Eventually Forgotten

Lavine vs. Diggs Dion T.

Lavine | Diggs

I have a 3 star in CBB | I have a 4 star in CFB
Stefan Diggs? | Zach Lavine?
I play in the NBA | I play in the NFL
I was a good kid | I was a bad kid
I lived in a rich family | I lived in a hard-working family
for life | for life