This is why I love the leap into non-literal sense making that is Nancy WIlliard’s poem “Questions My Son Asked Me, Answers I Never Gave Him.” Each of the questions are lovely and from a child’s mind of wonder. But, the answers exceed that sense of childhood awe into a kind of riddle-world where wisdom and imagination deliver cryptic answers. Her answers exceed the truth that often occurs in literal explanations.
The work of poetry is to make sense in a way that would not work for our standardized, sense-making neural grooves.
When I teach this, I read this poem to students who typically respond with “I don’t get it.” But, I break them into groups of 2-3 and give them just one of the questions. Then, I ask them to really stretch as they ask themselves, if this was said by the stereotype of the old, wise man on the mountain consulted by the hero on his journey, what do you think the old wise man might be trying to say?
Once you bring them back together and they discuss their answers, I encourage all of their wild ideas as long as they keep bringing it back to what in the text inspired their answer. Then, I ask them, “why wouldn’t the mother give these answers? What answers did she likely give? What do these poem answers reveal that the steady, literal answers the mother likely gave could not?”
This is poetry. When there is something more you want to say. When I love you, that’s amazing, you are beautiful, the world is awesome, I hate you seem inadequate.
Then, I ask them to write their own version. I try to write one called, “Questions My Students Asked Me, Answers I Never Gave them.” But, they can choose any back moment of expression where the words do not fully express what they want to say: What I meant when I said I hate you. What I meant when I said, I’m fine. Questions My Parents Asked Me, Answers I Never Gave Them…
What lessons have helped your students to leap into the figurative? I’d love to connect with you at K. A. Keener, English Teacher, New Directions Secondary School
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