2021 Post #27 -- A Happy Reunion, Rich in Words

 by Brett Vogelsinger

Family reunions have not been the same this past year.  The physical travel and proximity, the largeness that these gatherings entail for some: all of this became suddenly forbidden. It has become an act of love to stay apart, to visit via teleconference.  

We all look forward to those reunions resuming, whether with the family we are born into or the family we make for ourselves.  Rita Dove's beautiful poem, "Family Reunion" is rich in flavor and love, in family history and personal idiosyncrasy. In a way that is subtle and warm, the poem fits this year's theme as a poem of hope and encouragement. 

When I read this poem with my class this year, I said: "Did you notice how many fun words she includes in this poem?  What are some words we don't hear everyday but are just fun to hear in this poem?  What are the words that bring out the joy of this reunion? Listen for this when we read it aloud second time."

My students each made a quick list. Many included the following:

yakking

potluck

hatchety

barbecue

drawl

battalion

quicksand

"demolish" instead of "eat"

We shared our lists, added to them, and talked about why these words stood out to us. Their rarity, their sound, their playfulness appeal to us as readers. 

We were in the midst of writing our own memoirs, so I said to my students, "Don't forget that when you write.  Reach for words you know but don't use everyday.  If it's a fun, joyful moment like this, pick words that reflect that mood.  If it's a somber moment, choose words with a heavier sound to reflect that mood.  And never underestimate the power of a good food image! But for now . . . maybe choose one word from your list that you enjoyed reading and might be able to weave into your writing today. Find a home for it in your work!"

Simply inviting students to borrow language from poets and to transfer some words into their own context enriches the vocabulary in our students' writing. This is a can-do kind of challenge that everyone can succeed at in their revision, learning from the craft of published poets.  

Further Reading

Brett Vogelsinger is a ninth-grade English teacher at Holicong Middle School in Bucks County, PA.  He has been starting class with a poem each day for the past ten years. He is the creator of the Go Poems blog and the author of Poetry Pauses: Teaching With Poems to Elevate Writing in All Genres.   Find him on Twitter @theVogelman.