‘This is my voice’ by Shane Koyczan

 

This Is My Voice

by Shane Koyczan

 

Shane Koyczan is a highly regarded Canadian slam poet. His work is characterised by very strong messages, varied delivery that ranges from smooth to impassioned, and the extensive use of literary features such as rhyme, imagery and alliteration. This poem is inspirational in its focus on the importance of finding your own voice if you want to make a difference it the world.

 

URL: https://youtu.be/FHczVzGfyqQ

 

The text of this poem can be downloaded here (although the formatting is incorrect): This is my voice text

 

 

Quick Questions:

  1. What was the poet’s MESSAGE?
  2. What did you notice about the STRUCTURE of the poem (e.g. rhyme, rhythm, repetition)?
  3. What did you notice about the CONTENT of the poem (e.g. any figurative language or other poetic devices)?
  4. What did you notice about the DELIVERY of the poem (e.g. voice, hand gesture, pacing, tone)?
  5. What do you remember most about this poem? What had the biggest effect on you?

.

.

.

Task: Word/Phrase/Sentence

Complete a word/phrase/sentence thinking routine for the above poem.

Word: find a SINGLE WORD that stands out for you or carries particular meaning.

Phrase: find a PHRASE (a brief collection of words) that stands out for you or carries particular meaning.

Sentence: find a LINE or SENTENCE in the poem that you feel carries particular meaning.

Once you have identified your word, phrase and sentence you will need to provide a 2 to 3 sentence explanation for each one, explaining why you chose this word, phrase or sentence and what meaning you believe it conveys.

.

.

.

Task: Colour/Symbol/Image

Complete a Colour/Symbol/Image (CSI) chart for the above poem.

A CSI chart needs to include the following information:

You can complete this activity by ruling up a CSI chart in your books, by printing off the below PDF and filling it in by hand, or by opening the PDF in notability and completing it on your iPads:

.

.

.

Task: Hear/Think/Wonder

Complete a word/phrase/sentence thinking routine for the above poem.

Hear: What sentence or section of the poem did you hear that particularly impressed you or prompted thought? Write down any particularly important lines or phrases.

Think: Explain what this poem made you think about. Consider:

  • What ideas did it prompt for you?
  • Did you agree or disagree with what they said?
  • Were you able to relate to what they were discussing?
  • Could you see examples in the world around you?

Wonder: Because slam poetry is designed to engage an audience with a message, it will often open your mind up and prompt further questions. What further questions did this poem prompt for you

Record your answers in your exercise book. You may need to listen to the poem a second time in order to find quotes and to give you an opportunity to reflect on the ideas of the poem.