Tree Lined - The Chicago Poetry Center

Tree Lined

We dug right in to examine William Carlos Williams’ minimalist Imagist style poem, The Locust Tree In Flower. This poem is inspired by William’s interest in minimal / abstract art of the day (1930s). Lesson Note: I like using this poem as a starter. As students juggle words and grammar line by line to describe an object, their attention is turned ‘inside the box’ of a simple poetic form. How do we describe something using minimal words/language? What words do we use/make up?

Mrs. Nazimek 8th Grade, Group 2

Tree In Summer McKaylie T.

Bright
Full
neathly
new
stiff
branch

The Outside World Aleksandar S.

Windy
Cold
gloomy
troublesome
winterysounds
stripped

(Extended Version)

Winter is here, trees stripped
of their lucious green
leaves. Cold Icy Sidewalk
as snow crunches beneath
my feet. Gloomy skies
and no shining sun. That is the outside world.

Play in May Eric C.

Blue
Red
Run
Jump
TagNBash

Mrs. Nazimek 8th Grade, Group 3

Indecisive Sent S.

Wall
Solid
surrounding
glass
knock
RESTART

The Lonely Tree Ryan S.

Bare
cold
lonely
hoping
for
color

Earth's Surface (ground) Natalia A.

Blank
Rough
among
the
Earth
Bare

Mrs. Strus 7th Grade

The Star in the Sky Kimberly R.

Bright
but
weakstreak
alone
and
dying

4th of July Sacramento D.

Loud
blue
red
splight
Explosive

Tree in Winter Sabastian D.

white
gloomy
empter
fun
peaceful
unsprouted

Butterfly in Sky Mackenzie G.

Orange
Bright
Wings
Highsky
Alone
AndFlying