Reflections on "Reflections on a Gift of a Watermelon Pickle" and Our Roles as Literacy Cheerleaders

by Shelbie Witte

One of the first books of poetry I ever read as a child happened to be the first book of poetry I ever taught as a teacher in the classroom.  "Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle", published in the late 1960's, was a ground-breaking compilation of poetry that specifically appealed to the 'modern' adolescent.  Poems by Eve Merriam,  Sy Kahn, Carl Sandburg, Ezra Pound, and dozens of others were representative of the great works of literature that spoke to our hearts as readers.  As teachers, it became a critical reference text for short pieces of literature that would motivate and engage our students to want to read more, write like, and experience literacy through creative voices. My favorite from "Reflections" is by Eve Merriam:

"How to Eat a Poem"
Don't be polite
Bite in.
Pick it up with your
fingers and lick
The juice that may
run down your chin.
It is ready and ripe now,
whenever you are.

As teachers, we often serve in the role of literacy cheerleaders, offering our students multiple avenues and doors into the world of texts.  As our world evolves, so do the texts that motivate and engage.  Indeed, the very meaning of "text" has also changed, making our list of critical reference texts even more diverse.  What texts move your students to devour their words? How do you encourage your students to eat a poem, a novel, a text?