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Voter Instructions:
- The countdown at the bottom of each pairing indicates how much time is left to vote.
- When voting closes, timer will disappear.
- Read both poems as many times as you like.
- Mark the poem you like best by clicking the circle next to its name.
- Press the “Vote” button to record your vote.
- Votes are counted in real time and cannot be changed once entered.
- You can only vote once from a given IP address.
- Classrooms should submit one vote as a class.
- Students can then vote again individually from home.
Things to Consider in Making a Choice:
- How well the poem incorporates the authlete’s assigned word.
- Technical elements: meter, rhyme, form, shape, and other poetic standards.
- Creativity: wordplay, imagery, unusual approach, etc.
- Subtle elements that make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
- Your overall response: emotional reaction such as admiration, tears, laughter, terror, or some indefinable feeling.
Here are the poems:
6-cairn
Equilibrium
by Mary Lee Hahn
Stonehenge is a megalith,
a cairn of monumental heft.
Grave and silent, mystifying,
astronomic, deifying.
Mostly cairns are landmarks now,
though some display artistic prowess.
Stone on stone, unlikely balance,
signpost of life’s rocky challenge.
vs.
11-claque
A Claque, By Any Other Spelling
by Lori Degman
Clickety clack, along the track. This poem will sure be easy!
What – not clack? You spell it claque? Oh, now I’m feeling queasy!
Claque’s a word I’ve never heard. I need to check it out!
To quote Roget: “a group they pay, to clap and cheer and shout”.
I surely can’t have sycophants selecting mine for money.
I’d rather they would smile and say, “I picked it ’cause it’s funny!”
6-cairn vs. 11-claque: Which Poem Did You Prefer?
- 6-cairn (Mary Lee Hahn) (51%, 217 Votes)
- 11-claque (Lori Degman) (49%, 210 Votes)
Total Voters: 427
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