Hello Project Write friends, family and fans!
We kicked off our 2020 summer camp today with a virtual visit to the Liberty Bell and a Pantoum Poem activity. A pantoum poem is a type of found poem. In our case, students blended lines they read from images in the Liberty Bell Center with phrases and comments they "overheard" by reading excerpts of digital discourse from the Independence National Park Facebook page. The 'found' lines were then arranged into 4-stanza poems following a specific set of guidelines. Check out our writers' work and I think you'll agree that they created some powerful pieces!
Brian Eng
The Bell rings and I must go among the Grave ones, and talk Politiks.
They fought for the American freedom from the English King.
It is disturbing how American history is being erased from the modern era.
What purpose is there in defacing history…
They fought for the American freedom from the English King.
Ring Loud that Hallowed BELL!... Ring it till the slave be free…
What purpose is there in defacing history...
American soldiers died for our freedom.
Ring Loud that Hallowed BELL!... Ring it till the slave be free…
When people decide that they and only they are the arbiters of what is right and wrong, what is acceptable and not acceptable then there is no order in a society.
American soldiers died for our freedom.
I ask you… to adopt the principles proclaimed by yourselves, by your revolutionary fathers, and by the old bell in Independence Hall.
When people decide that they and only they are the arbiters of what is right and wrong, what is acceptable and not acceptable then there is no order in a society.
It is disturbing how American history is being erased from the modern era.
I ask you… to adopt the principles proclaimed by yourselves, by your revolutionary fathers, and by the old bell in Independence Hall.
The Bell rings and I must go among the Grave ones, and talk Politiks.
Ariana Sanderson
Ring that hallowed bell til the slave be free
We were lucky to get a small fragment of it
Keep it sacred in memory
Fathers, mothers babes in arms, all eager to file past the sacred relic
We were lucky to get a small fragment of it
Calm and grave hangs the old Bell which rings no more
Fathers, mothers babes in arms, all eager to file past the sacred relic
For freedom sleeps on freedom’s shore.
Calm and grave hangs the old Bell which rings no more
History serves to remind us how it can repeat itself is we are not aware.
For Freedom sleeps on Freedom’s shore
Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness.
History serves to remind us how it can repeat itself if we are not aware.
Keep it sacred in memory
Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness
Ring that hallowed bell til the slave be free.
Joanie Quinn
Ring Loud that Hallowed BELL!... Ring it till the slave be free...
The original Liberty Bell announced the creation of democracy; the Women’s Liberty Bell will announce the completion of democracy.
The Liberty Bell is a very significant symbol for the entire democratic world.
I wish people didn’t have to destroy things that aren’t theirs.
The original Liberty Bell announced the creation of democracy; the Women’s Liberty Bell will announce the completion of democracy.
A clear misunderstanding that that unknown soldier from any era is not about race or color but about duty, honor, sacrifice.
I wish people didn’t have to destroy things that aren’t theirs.
Right or wrong….history is history and serves to remind us of how history can’t repeat itself if we are not aware.
A clear misunderstanding that that unknown soldier from any era is not about race or color but about duty, honor, sacrifice.
I’m so upset! -Wild animal behavior. Move to a different country! The lack of respect disgust me.
Right or wrong….history is history and serves to remind us of how history can’t repeat itself if we are not aware.
They’re going to have to put in 24 hour security cameras around these precious and delicate monuments of our Country’s History and Past and Prosecute All that are Involved!!!!!
I’m so upset! -Wild animal behavior. Move to a different country! The lack of respect disgust me.
The Liberty Bell is a very significant symbol for the entire democratic world. They’re going to have to put in 24 hour security cameras around these precious and delicate monuments of our Country’s History and Past and Prosecute All that are Involved!!!!!
Ring Loud that Hallowed BELL!... Ring it till the slave be free….
Anika Jaswal
The Liberty Bell
Hangs the venerable relic
A beautiful piece of history
Which rings no more for freedom
Hangs the venerable relic
A cause for pride and grief
Which rings no more for freedom
Or to protecting
A cause for pride and grief
It's time to take America back
To protecting
And proclaiming liberty throughout all
Time to take America back
And a beautiful piece of history
To proclaiming liberty throughout all
The Liberty Bell
Aniah Bethiah
In Penn’s Fair City, calm and grave Hangs the old Bell which rings no more For Freedom sleeps on Freedom’s Shore.
The Bell embodies one of the cherished cornerstones of national identity: the idea of liberty.
Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof.
Ring it, till the world have heard, And felt, at length, and felt, at length; Till every living soul be stirred, And clothed with strength.
The Bell embodies one of the cherished cornerstones of national identity: the idea of liberty.
We were lucky enough to get a small fragment and shall keep it in sacred memory.
Ring it, till the world have heard, And felt, at length, and felt, at length; Till every living soul be stirred, And clothed with strength.
Ring it, till the young arise. To Freedom’s fight, To Freedom’s fight; Spring gladly toward the kindling skies, All clothed in a light.
We were lucky enough to get a small fragment and shall keep it in sacred memory.
While the Bell traveled the nation as a symbol of liberty, intermittent race riots, lynchings, and Indian Wars presented an alternative picture of freedom denied.
Ring it, till the young arise. To Freedom’s fight, To Freedom’s fight; Spring gladly toward the kindling skies, All clothed in a light.
Right or wrong history is history and serves to remind us of how history can repeat itself if we’re not aware.
While the Bell traveled the nation as a symbol of liberty, intermittent race riots, lynchings, and Indian Wars presented an alternative picture of freedom denied.
Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof
Right or wrong history is history and serves to remind us of how history can repeat itself if we’re not aware.
In Penn’s Fair City, calm and grave Hangs the old Bell which rings no more For Freedom sleeps on Freedom’s Shore.
Ava Szalay
There is nothing united about this country anymore
Right or wrong...history is history
Rings no more for freedom sleeps on freedom’s shore
How do we show that history has evolved?
Right or wrong… history is history
Ring loud that hallowed bell ring it til the slave be free
How do we show that history has evolved?
Karma will bite when it is time
Ring loud that hallowed bell ring it til the slave be free
Like of that liberty itself is an ongoing process
Karma will bite when it's time
Our politicians think its ok and side with the criminals
Like that of liberty itself is an ongoing process
Rings no more freedom sleeps on freedom’s shore
Our politicians think its ok and side with the criminals
There is nothing united about this country anymore.
Caroline Kelly
A sacred relic. A useful symbol
One of the greatest monuments I’ve ever seen, if not the greatest
Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness
This venerable relic of the Revolution, irreparably cracked
One of the greatest monuments I’ve ever seen, if not the greatest
I wish people wouldn’t destroy things that aren’t theirs
This venerable relic of the Revolution, irreparably cracked
Just wrong
I wish people wouldn’t destroy that aren’t theirs
Ring that hallowed bell
Just wrong
I’m sickened by it
Ring that hallowed bell
Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness
I’m sickened by it
A sacred relic. A useful symbol
Gabriel LaRosa
Proclaim liberty throughout
Relic of revolution
Freedom sleeps on freedoms shore
Beautiful piece of history
Relics of Revolution
The tomb of the unknown soldier
Beautiful piece of history
Freedom is a light
The tomb of the unknown soldier
Defacing history
Freedom is a light
Lives for our freedom
Defacing history
Freedom sleeps on freedoms shore
Lives for our freedom
Proclaim liberty throughout
Brady Santoro
The entire democratic world
Is such a disgrace
How do we show the country has evolved
(It’s not)
Such a disgrace
A sacred relic
(It’s not)
History is history
A sacred relic
A useful symbol
History is history
Very sad
A useful symbol
How do we show the country has evolved
Very sad
The entire democratic world
Océane Box
The bell rings
Ring loud
The relic of the revolution
We ask for your patience
Ring loud
Karma will bite when it’s time
We ask for your patience
Duty, honor, sacrifice
Karma will bite when it’s time
We appreciate the offers
Duty, honor, sacrifice
I’m sickened by it
We appreciate the offers
The relic of the revolution
I’m sickened by it
The bell rings
Clay Cauley, Jr.
Proclaim unto all the inhabitants
and repair that crack
I must go upon the grave ones
They’re so upset, these brave men and women that died
and repair that crack
What a disgrace!
They’re so upset, these brave men and women that died
Leave the monuments that cause pride and grief
What a disgrace!
Correct that deficit
Leave the monuments that cause pride and grief
Take back what is wrong and not acceptable and violence
Correct that deficit
I must go upon the grave ones
Take back what is wrong and not acceptable and violence
Proclaim unto all the inhabitants
Jayla Pugh
Proclaim Liberty
Ring loud that hallowed Bell … Ring it till the slave be free
For freedom sleeps on freedoms shores
Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness
Ring loud that hallowed bell, ring it till the slave be free
Sad day for USA
Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness
Time to take back america, enough is enough
Sad day for USA
I wish people didn't have to destroy things
Time to take back america, enough is enough
piece of history
I wish people didn't have to destroy things
For freedom sleeps on freedoms shores
Piece of history
Proclaim Liberty
Cora Moeller
Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness
I’m sickened by it!
Help break the chain
I hope this comes to an end soon
I’m sickened by it!
Everyone exercise your right to free speech
I hope this comes to an end soon
Expand the boundaries of freedom
Everyone exercise your right to free speech
The completion of democracy
Expand the boundaries of freedom
Karma will bite when it’s time
The completion of democracy
Help break the chain
Karma will bite when it’s time
Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness
Anika's poem sounds really cool. It's short and simple but has a clear meaning.
ReplyDeleteBrian E
Powerful stuff, Project Write authors! The Liberty Bell clearly isn't old, dusty history in these poems.
ReplyDeleteHi Clay,
ReplyDeleteI really like the words that you used for your poem. When I read it out loud to myself the poem sound very moving and emotional. Keep up the good work!
-Gabriel LaRosa
Brady, your poem is so brief and yet it packs such a powerful punch. It’s simultaneously blunt and haunting. It’s clear that you put a lot of care into finding and arranging your phrases.
ReplyDeleteCora, the calls of action inserted throughout your poem really stand out. There’s so many emotions that I would expect to feel at odds with each other, but that somehow make complete sense when you put them next to each other—anger (“I’m sickened by it!” and “Karma will bit when it’s time”), hope (“Everyone exercise your right to free speech” and “Help break the chain”), and fear (“I hope this comes to an end soon”). The tension between all of those is very impactful.
Océane, I can’t decide if my favorite moment of your poem is “Karma will bite when it’s time/We ask for your patience” or “Karma will bite when it’s time/We appreciate the offers.”
ReplyDeleteAva, you also use that line in a really clever way. It caught my attention when you used it as a response to the question “How do we show that history has evolved?” and later on, when you imply that karma is a natural continuation of the process of liberty.
In both poems, it’s so interesting the way karma is personified as something patient, biding its time, and as something inevitable. I’m picturing those moments in scary movies where the music is building and the audience knows something is about to happen but the characters in the movies don’t.
Ariana, the line “For freedom sleeps on freedom’s shore” transforms your whole poem into something that feels mournful because freedom is asleep. The image of people filing past makes me think they’re saying goodbye—either to the bell itself or to what it represents. In this poem, the bell seems weary.
ReplyDeleteClay, it’s interesting when the line “They’re so upset, these brave men and women that died” makes it seem like those people are upset that the bell is cracked and that they want it to be fixed. There’s a lot of emotion in “What a disgrace!/Correct the deficit” because it feels like an order to right a wrong. Those lines make the voices of history seem alive and present.
Oceane, I appreciated how you used the line the relic of the revolution to symbolize the bell, i thought that was interesting. I also felt that the what you were trying to say by using that line was ambiguous in the first stanza,which there's nothing wrong with, because I feel like it became more clear in its negative connotations in the last stanza.
ReplyDeleteCora, I really like how the line about karma complimented the underlying themes of acquiring freedom and breaking chains it almost served as an assurance that karma will deal with the arbiter of the chains, democracy, so that you can attain freedom.
Ava, I like how your poem has a message and tone that feels very relevant to today. I think the whole thing is very cohesive as well!
ReplyDeleteAriana, I love the feeling that your poem portrays. It feels emotional and impactful!
Cora,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your poem! The inclusion of the exclamation mark in "I’m sickened by it!" was a great idea.
Clay,
Your poem was so powerful! Great choice of quotes. The ending was also really strong.
-Anna
Anika,
ReplyDeleteI really liked how thoughtful your poem was. The ending was very powerful.
Ava,
Your poem was compelling and inspiring. It tied up very nicely in the end.
-Joanie
Aniah, I really like the quotes you chose. I especially liked the power of your ending.
ReplyDeleteCaroline, I liked the theme of your poem. I specifically really liked you "I'm sickened by it" line
-Anika
Jayla- the way you juxtapose sound and silence in your first stanza is wonderful. The first two lines demand attention "Proclaim Liberty" and "Ring loud..." Then the third and forth lines hush the poem- "For freedom sleeps..." and "...many men have died in darkness."
ReplyDeleteBrian- I was intrigued by the way in which you inserted the line,"American soldiers died for
ReplyDeleteour freedom" alongside of the line ,"It`s disturbing how American History is being erased from the modern era". As well as the line which reads," What purpose is there of defacing History." I appreciate how the Poem expresses not only the concern over who decides what monuments should be removed ,but, also the idea that soldiers fought and lost their lives to protect our freedom to have these debates and protests.
Brian- Your first line lends the impression that a narrator is opening the door to an ongoing meeting "...I must go among the Grave ones and talk Politiks." Grave indeed. As soon as the door is open we're met with a cacophony of voices. Some level accusations of defacing and erasing history. Others implore the adoption of the principles so plainly inscribed on the Bell.
ReplyDeleteYou captured the spirit of the argument.
Gabriel- Your pantoum dances. I read it out loud to really get the syllabic rhythm. First stanza 7, 8, 7, 8. Second 8, 8, 8, 5. Third 8, 6, 5, 5. Forth 6, 7, 5, 7. It keeps time and stays tight.
ReplyDeleteAriana- I found your Pantoum Poem to be very effective in emphasizing the importance of knowing about the Past. especially liked the line which reads" History serves to remind us of how it can repeat itself if we are not aware." As well as the line: "Freedom sleeps on Freedom`s Shores" '
ReplyDeleteJoanie- Your pantoum is a journey. We begin in calm waters in the first two stanzas- "Liberty Bell is a very significant symbol", "A clear misunderstanding," "history is history." By the third and forth stanzas the storm is upon us- "I’m so upset! -Wild animal behavior," "24 hour security cameras," "Prosecute All that are Involved!!!!!"
ReplyDeleteBrady- Your pantoum just punched me in the mouth. Fantastic!
ReplyDelete