Responding to Poetry - "My Room"

Here's Your Two-Part Prompt:

Carefully read Joe Powning's poem "My Room"

Response Part 1 - Analysis: Examine the format of Joe Powning's poem and examine the specific language he crafted within each stanza. Answer the following analytical questions in a short constructed response:

• How did Powning craft each stanza in his poem and why do you think the last stanza differs from the rest? What effect do you think Powning was aiming for with the format he selected?

• What does Powning's description of his own room reveal about who he is?

Response Part 2 - Narrative Writing: How would you describe your own bedroom? Write a personal narrative describing your own bedroom. You may decide which format to respond in: a paragraph or a poem.

Finish this story: Sometimes at dusk...

Begin a narrative with the sentences below. Use the picture and your creativity to continue the narrative. Make sure you have some sort of beginning, middle, and end to your story. Transitions will help to add flow from one idea to the next. Make sure you also separate your story into smaller paragraphs rather than keeping your writing in one extended “block” paragraph. A tip for paragraphing: every time you notice a shift in your story, hit enter twice and start a new paragraph.  

Sometimes at dusk we would see him come out from the hidden interior of his island. For years we had no idea who he was or what he did until...