Poetry All Around Us

How I found this poem:

I am not a great television “watcher”.  To me, it is generally noise in the background while I cook, read, work on puzzles, etc.  It’s not that I multitask, usually I am hardly paying attention to the television.  However, when the iPad Air commercial came on, I gravitated towards the television.  It was strong, poetic, and had stunning pictures.  It sounded so familiar, but couldn’t place it.  It was one of those ads that wouldn’t leave me be, I found myself thinking about it and why it was familiar.  Finally, it dawned on me, The Dead Poets Society.  Apple was using Robin Williams’ voice from a speech he made to his students in the movie to market the iPad.  Now my teacher brain was off and going!  Not only could I teach students to analyze the media or the commercial, the students could also analyze the poem/speech and then make connections between the two.  Students could evaluate and even create their own from poems that speak to them.  Additionally, the iPad Air commercial is asking them “What’s their verse”?  Perfect!  Students should write their verse.  The idea that your “verse” or your life is “unwritten” connects with Natasha Bedingfield’s song.  She sings about how your life is open, you can write your life.

Full Text: O Me! O Life! by Walt Whitman

iPad Air Commercial

Text and Video

How I found more poems:

Now, I had a vested interest to find more commercials that used poetry to sell their items.  It seems like such a powerful way to teach media and poetry connected.  Here are some that I found:

Nike

Levi’s

Volkswagen

Analyzing the commercials:

Truthfully, you can teach many things through studying advertisements, print and television.  Some points I have my students consider are:

1. Mood and Tone.  What is the general feel of the commercial?  How is the author using emotion to convince you to purchase something? Are their specific words that create a emotional response?

2. Target Audience.  Who is the target audience?  How do you know?

3. Visual and Auditory Analysis.  Discuss how the visuals (colors, editing, people, etc.) and the auditory (voice, sound, music) create the persuasive message.

4.  Evaluate.  Was this commercial effective?  What would you do to make it even more effective?

Analyzing the poetry:

If I am to truly have my students analyze a poem, I like to work with a poem over several days.  It is almost impossible to truly understand a poem on a first read.  On the first read, I have students just naturally respond.  Usually this is a literal interpretation of the poem.  What do you notice right away?  What are you thinking after reading this poem?  I will spend time with them picking out line breaks, stanzas, rhyme scheme, etc.

On a second read, preferably not on the same day, we will look at the poem through a different lens.  This lens depends on the standards and in what way the poem lends itself.  Sometimes we will study figurative language, sometimes a hidden meaning, possibly making inferences or visuals created by the poem.  The choices are endless.  But by using just one lens at a time, it is a manageable chunk for students to begin analysis of poems.

Tying it together:

Once students have analyzed both pieces individually, have them tie the experience together.  Why do you think the director of the commercial chose that poem?  Was it a good choice?  What would be a better choice?

One of my favorite experiences was when I was teaching fifth grade a few years back.  My co-teacher taught a great lesson that had the students analyzing Credence Clearwater Revival’s song “Fortunate Son.”  It took days to analyze the poem.  The students were completely engrossed and learned a lot about the time period.  We listened to the song and discussed all different lenses.  You can only imagine their disgust when a few weeks later Wrangler jeans used a portion of the song to create a feeling a patriotism to sell their jeans.  Most of the students came in horrified.  It was such a powerful teaching moment.  They understood what many advertising executives did not!  It made the list of the worst “Ad songs” ever.  (See the list).

Share with us:

Do you have a favorite commercial or poem you use in the classroom?  Do you know of more commercials that use poetry to market their item?  How might you use this idea in your classroom?