In difficult times, it can be valuable to remember who deserves our praise. Invite your students into a poem that illuminates this a bit more, and then invite them to write their own poetry in response.
Watch Gómez's reading of the poem "Praise" on the Button Poetry YouTube channel.
As you listen, have a pencil out to write down your responses to a couple of questions: What are two things (individual lines, individual images, individual word choices) that really pop for you on the ear? What are two things (body language, hand gesture) that really caught your eye?
As you reread & annotate Gómez’s “Praise”, keep your literary antennae up for some of his poetic choices.
Repetition: This poem is driven by a lengthy list of “Because” clauses. What was it like to wait for the “Because” clauses to resolve, to process each one on its own? Perhaps there was a single “Because” that stood out to you--which one, and why?
Relationships: This is a poem about the fullness of loves--romantic love, parental love, friendship, etc. Do you see any kind of order to the relationships the speaker mentions? If so, what kind of order? If not, what do you make of that lack of order or hierarchy?
Structure: This poem moves in waves. What’s the impact of that shape for you as a reader?
Few of us think of ourselves as poets. But we all have a perspective that is worthwhile—and not just worthwhile to ourselves. We all can make meaning in our lives, even if that meaning is not always joyful or clear. Consider which of these writing prompts is the easiest gateway to knowing yourself & loving yourself, to knowing others & understanding—if not loving—others, and then respond to it.
Repetition & relationships: Who are, say, seven people in your life that deserve praise? Write them down--any order you wish. What’s each one’s “Because” for you? Write it down--no matter how small, how unique to you, how much it mean lean on a language (like Gómez’s Spanish) that some readers might not understand.
As you reread & annotate Gómez’s “Praise”, keep your literary antennae up for some of his poetic choices.
Repetition: This poem is driven by a lengthy list of “Because” clauses. What was it like to wait for the “Because” clauses to resolve, to process each one on its own? Perhaps there was a single “Because” that stood out to you--which one, and why?
Relationships: This is a poem about the fullness of loves--romantic love, parental love, friendship, etc. Do you see any kind of order to the relationships the speaker mentions? If so, what kind of order? If not, what do you make of that lack of order or hierarchy?
Structure: This poem moves in waves. What’s the impact of that shape for you as a reader?
Few of us think of ourselves as poets. But we all have a perspective that is worthwhile—and not just worthwhile to ourselves. We all can make meaning in our lives, even if that meaning is not always joyful or clear. Consider which of these writing prompts is the easiest gateway to knowing yourself & loving yourself, to knowing others & understanding—if not loving—others, and then respond to it.
Repetition & relationships: Who are, say, seven people in your life that deserve praise? Write them down--any order you wish. What’s each one’s “Because” for you? Write it down--no matter how small, how unique to you, how much it mean lean on a language (like Gómez’s Spanish) that some readers might not understand.
Structure: Mindful of these people and the “because” of each, what’s the shape that might best honor them & you are because of them? This poem moves in waves. Maybe you surf those waves in your writing. Or maybe your people are all around the world--consider then a draft that looks like a map with a continent for each person. Or something else entirely!
Further Reading:
The lesson was written by Joel Garza, Upper School English chair at Greenhill School and cofounder of #THEBOOKCHAT.
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