Minds on.

Great poetry is always written by somebody straining to go beyond what he can do.

Stephen Spender

This is the did you know icon. Did You Know?

Reality isn’t always what it seems. Whether a dream that you thought was real or a feeling of deja vu or seeing a mirage, there are times when we cannot entirely be certain what reality is. In his mind blowing TedTalk Do we see reality as it is?, Donald Hoffman will challenge your views on what you think you know!

The Library of Alexandria was famous in the ancient world for being a repository of knowledge and culture. Sadly, it was destroyed and with it, many unique, one-of-a-kind pieces of poetry and prose.

This is an image of a book burning.

It’s important to back up your work...

However, there is debate as to how and when the library was actually destroyed. As noted in Wikipedia, “[a]ncient and modern sources identify four possible occasions for the partial or complete destruction of the Library of Alexandria: Julius Caesar's fire during his civil war in 48 BC; the attack of Aurelian in AD 270–275; the decree of the Coptic Christian pope, Theophilus of Alexandria, in AD 391; and the Muslim conquest of Egypt in (or after) AD 642.” Even something as steadfast as history can be open to interpretation.

Writer’s Notebook

However, texts and tomes are not the only works altered by time. Intended interpretations are also altered in time and translations. As you read Daniel Mendlesohn’s Hearing Sappho below, you’ll learn how small and large changes can alter the state of poetry's perception.

After finishing the article, write a short reflection in your Writer’s Notebook exploring how you believe altering a poem can affect its interpretation.

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Action.

Eye Object

Altered States poetry involves writing about the world from different, often unusual, perspectives. A key concept in writing Altered States Poetry is defamiliarization. One way to do this is through Object Poetry. Similar to Found Poetry, object poetry aims to invite the writer and audience to consider reality in a different way.

This is a close-up image of a pair of sunglasses lying on a wooden table with a blurred beach in the background.

What do you see?

where something mundane or familiar is looked at in a dramatically different way or perspective so as to make it foreign.

a poem about an inanimate object; it may give a fresh look at something ordinary, or it may transform a strange object into something familiar.

Writer’s Notebook

Take a moment to read some Object Poems. You can either search for your own, or access Allpoetry or Hello-Poetry for examples. Copy (with appropriate MLA citations) your five favourite poems into your Writer’s Notebook and answer the following questions.

  • What drew you to these particular poems? 
  • Analyse and assess the effectiveness of at least one way in which writers use elements of form to communicate meaning.
  • Analyse and assess the effectiveness of at least one way in which writers use elements of style to communicate meaning.
  • Are there any commonalities in terms of object, form, style, persona, and/or voice?
  • Did any of the poems encourage you to see an object differently? If so, how? If not, why not?

This is the dropbox icon. Eye Object

After reviewing some Object Poems, it’s time to craft your own. Choose a specific object. Consider it carefully; use all of your senses to explore what that object can say. Then, write a poem about it.

And Now For Something Completely Different...

The beauty of altered states poetry is that there are numerous methods to generate ideas and poems. What follows are some suggestions for you to examine and explore:

  • That’s So Meta: try writing a poem about writing a poem;
  • Door Number Three: write a poem about a door that has not been opened for hundreds of years;
  • Mirror, Mirror: if a mirror could talk, what would it say about all that it has seen?
  • Blast From the Past: write a poem from your fifty year-old self;
This is an image of a poem that has been designed to look like a butterfly. It is perched on a tree.

Words provide a way of looking at ordinary things differently.

The Rolling Randomizer Returns

Another tool for generating ideas for altered states poetry is to use the Rolling Randomizer. Make sure that you save your selections so that you can write your poems. If you're working on a tablet, click here to open the following interactive in its own window instead of using the embedded version below.

A Note on Stream of Consciousness

Stream of consciousness writing is another method for generating ideas. It can be effective in combating writer’s block, as well as providing the writer with fresh, previously unconsidered concepts.

However, while there is oftimes genius hiding in the mundane, be careful not to forget the forms. It can be tempting to rationalize our stream of consciousness writing as being complete, but that is not necessarily the case. For example, it’s rare for a writer using stream of consciousness to construct a proper sonnet, haiku, or ode.

This is an image of a large waterfall pouring into a river while a hiker looks on from the shore.

Remember, the water has to go somewhere...

Altered Presentations

Many poets use today’s technology as a medium for crafting poems: there are Instagram poets, Pinterest poets, Twitter poets and Youtube poets. As technology continues to develop, new media will provide poets with alternate ways to express themselves.

Writer’s Notebook

In your Writer’s Notebook, take a moment to reflect on how you believe technology can alter a poem’s purpose and reception.

This is the discussion icon. Alternate Angles

Now that you’ve had a chance to examine alternate ways to write poems, determine which three methods you intend to use to craft your altered state poems and explain why you feel they would be best suited to your own writer’s craft. 

This is the enrichment icon. Enrichment

Want to alter your views on poetry further? Then why not listen to some poetry podcasts? The 10 Best Poetry Podcasts for Poets provides links to contemporary, popular podcasts all about poetry. Grab your earbuds and give one (or more) a listen.

Consolidation

Poetry is a State of Mind…

Now that you’ve had a chance to review the works of some altered states poets, it’s time to write your own altered states poems. However, before beginning, it is important to understand the following:

It is your decision what you choose to use to craft your altered states poems. However, bear in mind that the purpose of altered states poetry is not simply to rehash the obvious, but also to explore the way that perspective can influence outcomes.

This is the dropbox icon. Altered Poems

To complete this assignment you need to do the following:

  1. Select a topic/material. Make sure you provide appropriate MLA citations.
  2. Choose your forms. You need to chose three different poetic forms. You may want to refer to the poetic forms compilation that you teacher shared earlier.
  3. Write your drafts. Use your topic and form to write your drafts.
  4. Edit and revise your drafts. Make necessary revisions. You may want to refer to past supports, including success criteria in the assessment tool, Assessing Editing Skills,  Assessing Revising Skills or your Writer’s Notebook.

This is the metacognitive icon. Metacognitive Moment

Now that you’ve researched and written altered states poems, take a moment to reflect on your experiences of writing Altered States Poetry. In your Writer’s Notebook, answer the following questions.

  • Did you find generating ideas for Altered States Poetry easy or difficult? Why might that be the case?
  • Which poetic forms worked better with Altered States Poetry? Why do you believe that is the case?
  • Explain how your beliefs, values, and experiences are revealed in your writing, and how they influence your perspectives and biases.
  • After revising your feedback, identify your strengths and areas for improvement.

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