My “I Poem”

There are lots of interesting ways for students (or really anybody) to expand on and respond to what they read. An “I Poem” is an example of one type of reading response.

My “I” Poem:

You get a bit stiff when you stand in one place for a long time.

I guess that is what happened to me,

Since I have been standing in . . . well almost . . .

The same place for over 100 years.

Ever since I was put into place,

There have been some dangers-

Erosion, storms, fire

They had to move me in 1999

The waters that I overlook

Tried to overtake me!

They secured me and

I began to move

About 2900 feet

To safety

There are many great things about my job:

I have a spectacular view of the ocean,

I see marvelous sunsets and sunrises

Which refresh my outlook on the world everyday!

Since I am so tall,

The tallest in the nations

208 feet

Nothing blocks my view

When most people think of a black and white striped pole,

It is a Barber Shop Pole that comes to mind.

I am not that kind of pole, but

Those colors in a certain design were given to me in 1873

There is an interesting story behind my design

I knew what design I was to get

And was so excited

Because diamonds are a girl’s best friend

The guy that was supposed to deliver my coat

Got his orders mixed up

Imagine my surprise

Just leave it to a man to mess things up!

The diamonds I was supposed to receive

Went to my friend, Cape Lookout, just down the road

I am the one who warns sailors about the Diamond Shoals

Diamond Shoals equals Diamond Design?

The Diamond Shoals are sand dunes

That create a hazardous maze

Over 14 miles into the Atlantic Ocean

It is my job to protect ships from them!

They are guilty of causing so many shipwrecks over the years,

So they became known as “the graveyard of the Atlantic”

It is my job to reach my fingers of light

Over 20 miles into the sat to guide through the maze

Back to the story about my coat . . .

Instead of diamond,

I ended up receiving a lovely black and white

Spiral coat that has become so well-known

That is how my nickname – “Barber Shop Pole” orginated

I am one of the most famous lighthouses

And one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world,

Even with such a dumb nickname

If you are a swimmer,

A lifeguard is there to warn you of dangers

If you are a ship,

I am there to warn you of danger

There are positives and negatives for any job

One of the few negatives things

About being at the beach every day –

HURRICANES

Those dreadful storms

With all the wind and rain

Do their best to defeat me

But I still remain!

Through the year s

And the storms,

I have developed a few wrinkles in my coat,

But they say wrinkles are a sign of wisdom

In case you have not figured out who I am yet,

I happen to be the

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

On the Outer Banks of North Carolina

Here is what I did:
*I read a book I selected about a chosen topic (person, place, or animal)
*As I read, I took notes on any facts of interest about my topic
*Then I used the facts I noted as well as my imagination to draft an “I” poem

“I poems” should:
-Reveal factual information about the topic
-Include precise and interesting words
-Provide readers with a sense of wonder about the topic, something that might not be noticed or considered with just a list of facts or characteristics

Perhaps this sense of wonder might be conveyed through the use of a surprising comparison. Think about the characters in the books you read. Remember Sally’s eyes that were like Egypt? And Joey Pigza, who whirled in the hallway like a Tasmanian Devil? And Summer, who had been treated like a homework assignment? The authors that write about Sally, Joey, and Summer found ways to let their readers understand their characters through the words they chose to describe them.