Self-Portrait Poems
“A poem is someone else’s snapshot in which you see yourself.”
Charles Simic
Surprise
The biggest
Surprise
On the library shelf
Is when you suddenly
Find yourself
Inside a book---
(The hidden you)
You wonder how
The author knew.
by Beverly McLoughland
A self-portrait poem is a poem you choose that expresses some inner feeling that you have. It’s different from finding a poem about cats just because you like cats. This type of poem has more to do with who you are inside. It is a poem you choose to reveal or express something of yourself as a person.......your feelings, personality, passions, interests, and wonderings. Are you a shy person? Or a person who makes other people laugh? What’s your personality like? What’s been on your mind lately? This poem is going to be just the beginning of your self-portrait anthology. Eventually it will be a collection of poems that will show many different parts of you.
For this assignment, let's stay away from Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky poems. Their poems are wonderful---but not for this assignment.
Once you find your self-portrait poem, copy it in your notebook. Be sure you copy it exactly as it appears, respecting the line-breaks and white spaces. Be sure to include the title of the poem, the poet’s name, and the name of the book or the web site URL where you found the poem. Then write the reason you chose it beneath the poem.
You should start to look for your poem today . If you don’t find a poem right away that expresses your feelings, keep looking. Then practice reading your poem aloud. We will share these in class on April 26th and April 27th.
As you read--- and you will need to read a great deal of poetry to find the exact poem for your self portrait--- you should keep a record of all the books you consult. You will be given a page for keeping this information. Pay attention to the information requested.
You must write a well-developed paragraph to be turned in at the time you share the poem with the class. This paragraph should have a topic sentence and detail sentences to support your topic sentence. You should also have a concluding sentence at the end of the paragraph. The paragraph should be
EXAMPLES of self portrait poems:
Mrs. Whitehurst's Self Portrait Poem:
"The Road Not Taken"
by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The following is an example of the paragraph you will write:
The image of two roads in the woods taking the reader down different paths captures my imagination. I chose this as my self portrait poem, because it represents the roads we choose in life. I chose to become a teacher. I worked very hard to get my teaching degree. I really believe that taking this road has "made all the difference" in my life and that of my students.
Self Portrait Poem of a former student:
When We Two Parted
by Lord Byron
When we two parted
In silence and tears
Half broken hearted
To sever for years
Pale grew thy cheek and,
colder they kiss
Truly that hour foretold
Sorrow to this.
The dew of the morning
Sunk chill into my brow--
It felt like the warning
Of what I feel now
Thy vows are all broken,
and light is thy fame
I hear the name spoken,
And share in its shame.
They name thee before me,
A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o'er me--
Why wert though so dear?
They know not I know thee
Who knew thee too well
Long, long shall I rue thee,
Too deeply to tell.
In secret we met
In silence I grieve
That thy heart could forget
Thy spirit deceive
If I should meet thee
After long years,
How should I greet thee?
With silence and tears.
The student who chose this poem said that he was adopted and this poem spoke for him his feelings toward his natural mother.
Your reasons for choosing your poem do not have to be sad or dramatic. Just read poetry until you find the poem that speaks for you. You will probably not find it right away if you are taking this assignment seriously. Don't rush. Just enjoy reading poetry.
Check below for the rubric for grading this assignment!
 NOTE that your grade is based on several things!
1) Choice of your poem
2) Keeping a log or record of your poetry search (including your thoughts on this process) I will give you a form for this part of the assignment.
3) Writing a paragraph about your response to the poem
4) Your presentation to the class
5) Use of your time in class
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