I’m going to give you two versions of the video, but you’re only required to watch one this time. Here’s why I’m giving you two. The one I love is the first, younger video. It feels more raw and immediate. (His voice cracks and quavers.) For that reason, however, some words are harder to make out. I hope you’ll listen to the first one, so we can share the same experience, but I’m offering the second one in case you need it.

 

For this assignment, you’ll be writing a two poems.

 

First, beloved, younger, version: https://youtu.be/ldwvCoUausE

 

Second, slightly clearer version: https://youtu.be/PxQcjH2FPqE

 

You don’t need to get every word to do what we are going to do with the poem. The poem and its message and its sound and everything about it are wonderful and important. However, we’re going to be concentrating on the structure, which is structured like a song (like President Obama’s “Yes We Can” (https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96624326) speech –scroll down about 15 paragraphs to get to the “Yes We Can” refrain).   

 

• Verse. (The part that is not the refrain. In Carey’s poem, the verse is an anecdote or mini-story.)

• Refrain. (In poetry, it’s a refrain. In music, as you know, a refrain, or a chorus.)

• Verse.

• Refrain. (Sometimes slightly modified.)

• Repeat until it’s over. 

 

This structure is probably as old as humans are. It’s certainly as old as writing is; we know because it’s there in the earliest poetry we have.

 

• You can write on a serious subject or a light-hearted one.

• You’ll be using Carey’s refrain, but putting your name in and adjusting it slightly to your poem.

• Then, you’ll write at least three repetitions of the verse/refrain structure (verse/refrain, verse/refrain, verse/refrain).

• It should look like a poem does on the page.

 

Tools

One Version of Carey’s Refrain

Then the streets start to whisper to me:

“Lamont, come back, you ain’t gotta’ live like that.

The streets ain’t change you. Still know this game.

See the streets keep callin’ me by my first name.

 

 

Example Light-Hearted Version (Only one verse/refrain; you’ll be doing three sets of these)

Verse:

The Dunkin’ pumps out that coffee odor, tempting

old ass me to come in and get some heartburn.

Refrain:

DD always shouts out to me:

“Daisy, come back, you don’t have to live

 like that. You ain’t changed. I still know

you take a medium, want a large,

one cream, extra sugar.

 

Note: I would want you to do two more verses and two more refrains to meet the requirements.