The “Golden Shovel” One must borrow in order to create Purpose Students will continue to add to techniques for using mentor texts in order to follow the philosophy of “something borrowed, something new” Key Term What makes a “striking line?” Read Jane Cooper’s “Hunger Moon” Note any lines that are especially interesting, surprising and original; notice lines that jump out to you or make you think/wonder about their meaning So what’s the “golden shovel?” 1. Find a poem that speaks to you. 2. Borrow a striking line from the poem (preferably a line with unusual word choices or that you can immediately connect to). 3. Lay out the line vertically, so that you may use the words as the beginning, middle or end of your created poem. 4. Theme or topic of your created poem may be borrowed -- or not. You may also play off of any other aspects of the poem (tone, style, organization, etc.) Example... “The Last Full Moon of February” by Nova Venerable My little brother draws on my door every morning with his fists, the words he makes are meshed between his tongue and my last prayer asking God if I am being too selfish, if my hands are too full of psychology books, too laced with Boston air to follow the moon back home. My eyes are as moist as the spit on his lips, thoughts of his funeral come as often as snowfalls in February. I ask God how soon my fingertips will have to stalk his casket, for a sign to tell me if the moon will be the brightest path to follow before he is alone & my fingers lose him in a gravestoned field. From... Jane Cooper’s “Hunger Moon” Based on the lines: “The last full moon in February stalks the fields” Example... Senior Prom 1999 -- by Stroud It was that time of year when a color-coordinated tux and dress were paramount, and the style (a la mode for the green thumbs of love), was based on a weird, misguided mix of YM, Seventeen and Yo MTV Raps. The principle of ridiculousness was lost on most -- what with the daffodil fake tattoos in lieu of roses wrapped in barbed wire, and with puffed sleeves huffing and puffing inflating a false sense of beauty pinned on a profusion of such undeveloped humanity. Frills, frills, frills. They ran (still run) along the seams of the shoulder blades and hemline. that I -- still to this day -- do not regret I never wore. From... Max Garland’s poem “Because You Left Me a Handful of Daffodils” Based on the lines: “She wore a dress based on the principle of the daffodil: puffed sleeves, inflated bodice, profusion of frills along the shoulder blades and hemline.” Your Turn Find a striking line from the poem you chose. Write it vertically (one word per line) And see what develops...