April was National Poetry Month and The ESL School at NYFA (ESN) has been celebrating the simplicity and complexity of its various forms. Students have been demonstrating their creativity with projects such as developing haikus and deconstructing modern song lyrics. Poetry, like all creative art forms, allows the viewers to find themselves as well as lose themselves in the process. The ESL School at NYFA San Jose began an exploration with haiku, which is a traditional form of Japanese poetry. Focusing on syllable count and mood allowed the ESL students to understand the music of the language, appreciate implied meaning, and tell a story with limited words.
Here are a few examples of what our Level 4 students produced, with the writer’s note on their inspiration:
First day of April
We could lie to everyone
To make life more fun
– Thao Phan
April 1 is April Fool’s. People can lie to each other without fear of making people angry.
April wind brings you
Wind brings rain and makes you cold
But I’m at your side
– Wanling Wu
My mother came here (San Jose) last week.
April sun coming
The sunshine brings light and love
Happy and sunny
– Yasir Alzahrani
My wife’s name is Shroq. Shroq means “sunrise.” My love began in April.
These activities promote creative development such as finding their voice and exploring the art of storytelling. They are also examples of ESN’s commitment to integrating the arts into language learning. Poetry is everywhere; April is here to remind us to look at the small things and listen to the world around us.
Celebrate Poetry Month by writing your own haiku. The rules are very simple:
- The poem is three lines.
- Line 1 has five syllables.
- Line 2 has seven syllables.
- Line 3 has five syllables.
- Write a short (1-2 sentence) summary of its meaning.
