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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.
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- 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:
7-irritation
The Oyster & the Jellyfish
By Marcus Ewert
My heart’s a big aquarium in which two creatures dwell:
A limp and squishy jellyfish; an oyster wrapped in shell.
The first’s so soft and graceful that you can’t believe your eyes –
The lengths it goes, when it’s upset, to sting and paralyze!
My oyster, on the other hand, has no defense for pain,
Though even sand can hurt him – just one microscopic grain!
His one recourse is POETRY, when troubled waters swirl:
With art applied in layers, irritation turns to pearl.
vs.
15-variables
Science Fair Project
By Eric Ode
I thought I’d win a ribbon and my work would be rewarded.
My research, clearly cataloged, my variables, recorded;
I proudly set my project with the other kids’ displays—
the vinegar volcanoes and the cardboard hamster maze.
I waited for my trophy, feeling confident and grand.
And that’s about the time when things got slightly out of hand.
Now my teacher’s looking troubled, and I bet she’s holding grudges.
My project ate my tri-fold and then seven of the judges.
7-irritation vs. 15-variables: Which Poem Did You Prefer?
- 7-irritation (Marcus Ewert) (52%, 177 Votes)
- 15-variables (Eric Ode) (48%, 164 Votes)
Total Voters: 341
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