Have you heard of two-voice poetry? It’s a type of poem where two different parts speak as if they are different people or objects. These parts may have different opinions or thoughts and can talk to each other in the poem. This type of poetry gives the writer or writers the chance to show different perspectives in one poem.
Two Voice Poetry in the Classroom
In the classroom, students can pair up to create a single poem together. Their poem must have two unique voices that come together as one. This activity fosters teamwork and communication and provides a platform for students to share their ideas and perspectives.
Two-voice poetry allows for a lot of flexibility in terms of voice, tone, and subject matter, giving students a wide range of creative options. Working together on these poems encourages a supportive environment for students to experiment with their writing and to receive constructive feedback from their peers.
Writing and performing together can help students build their confidence in their writing and speaking skills since they are not doing it alone. This type of poetry is also perfect for students who may find writing and performing intimidating.
Getting Ready
To set up two-voice poetry in the classroom, follow these steps:
- Choose two people or objects that are connected.
- Brainstorm similarities and differences they may have.
- Divide a piece of paper into three columns. In the first column, you’ll have the first person or object, in the middle is both, and in the third column is the second person or object.
- Write the poem by either writing one point of view first or alternating between statements for both speakers.
- The poem is meant to be read by two voices. Most of the time, only one voice should be speaking at a time, but at key points, both voices should speak as one.
- When you read it aloud, be mindful of pace, pitch, volume, and diction.
Tips for Using Two Voice Poetry
If you want your students to try two-voice poetry, it can be less intimidating if they are taking on the voices of book characters or movie characters, or even imaginary relationships. For example, a grandma and grandchild, a principal and student, a coach and player, or two best friends.
There are also many other ways to use two-voice poetry in the classroom. In literature, you can create a poem between a protagonist and an antagonist. In history, you can write a poem between two historical people with different views on the same event, or two people from different time periods. In science, you can write a poem about two planets or a poem between a tornado and a hurricane. In art, you can create a poem between two impressionist artists. In math, you can write a poem about two quadrilaterals.
The possibilities are endless, and students can and should write more than one poem like this throughout the year so that they can grow as writers. Two-voice poetry is a great way to encourage creativity, teamwork, communication, and confidence in the classroom. Are you ready to give it a try?
