What is a reflection Keiny? :) (When you read something and write your thoughts about it)
Some background about the poem...
Love That Dog is the story of Jack, his dog, his teacher, and words. The story develops through Jack's responses to his teacher, Miss Stretchberry, over the course of a school year. At first, his responses about poetry are short and cranky: "I don't want to" and "I tried. Can't do it. Brain's empty." But as his teacher feeds him inspiration, Jack finds that he has a lot to say and he finds ways to say it.
Jack is both stubborn and warm-hearted, and he can be both serious and funny. Although he hates poetry at first, he begins to find poems that
inspire (What does this mean Jacky?) him. All year long, he is trying to find a way to talk about his beloved dog, Sky, and the poems his teacher offers him eventually give him a way to do that.
Jack becomes especially fond of a poem by Walter Dean Myers titled "
LoveThat Boy" and it is this poem that finally gives Jack a way to tell the whole story of his dog, Sky. In gratitude, Jack invites Walter Dean Myers to visit his class.
'Love That Dog'
Jack
Room 105 -- Miss Stretchberry
September 13
"I don't want to Q1: Why does Jack
because boys say that only girls
don't write poetry. write poems?
Girls do."
September 21
"I tried. Q2: What does he
Can't do it. mean, "Brain's
Brain's empty." empty"?
September 27
"I don't understand
the poem about
the red wheelbarrow
and the white chickens
and why so much
depends upon
them.
If that is a poem Q3: Can anything be
about the red wheelbarrow poetry?
and the white chickens
then any words
can be a poem.
You've just got to
make
short
lines."
October 4
"Do you promise Q4: Why might Jack
not to read it not want his teacher
out loud? to read his poem
Do you promise aloud or put
not to put it it on the board?
on the board?
Okay, here it is,
but I don't like it.
'So much depends Q5: What do you
upon think about
a blue car Jack's poem?
splattered with mud
speeding down the road.'"
October 17
"What was up with Q6: Find a poem
the snowy woods poem about snow!
you read today?
Why doesn't the person just
keep going if he's got
so many miles to go
before he sleeps?
And why do I have to tell more
about the blue car
splattered with mud
speeding down the road?
I don't want to
write about that blue car
that had miles to go
before it slept,
so many miles to go
in such a hurry."
October 24
"I am sorry to say
I did not really understand
the tiger tiger burning bright poem
but at least it sounded good
in my ears.
Here is the blue car
with tiger sounds:
Blue car, blue car, shining bright Q7: Does a car
in the darkness of the night: sound like a tiger?
who could see you speeding by Why did Jack add tiger
like a comet in the sky? sounds to his poem?
I could see you in the night,
blue car, blue car, shining bright.
I could see you speeding by
like a comet in the sky.
Some of the tiger sounds
are still in my ears
like drums
beat-beat-beating."
October 31
"Yes
you can put
the two blue-car poems
on the board
but only if
you don't put
my name
on them."
November 6
"They look nice Q8: What feeling does
typed up like that Jack have when
on blue paper he sees his
on a yellow board. poem displayed?
(But still don't tell anyone
who wrote them, okay?)
(And what does anonymous mean? Q9: What does
Is it good?)" anonymous mean?
November 9
"I don't have any pets Q10: Is this true?
so I can't write about one Do we have to have
and especially a pet to be
I can't write able to write a poem
a POEM about one? Why?
about one."
November 15
"Yes, I used to have a pet.
I don't want to write about it.
You're going to ask me
Why not?
Right?"
November 22
"Pretend I still have that pet?
Can't I make up a pet,
a different one?
Like a tiger?
Or a hamster?
A goldfish?
Turtle?
Snail?
Worm?
Flea?"
November 29
I liked those
small poems
we read today.
When they're small
Q11: Do you ever
like that
visualise when you are
you can read
reading poems?
a whole bunch
Do you prefer short
in a short time
or long poems?
and then in your head
Why?
are all the pictures
of all the small things
from all the small poems."
Click here if you'd like to hear this poem.
