Unit 7
​
An Exploration of Poetry

reading and Writing Workshop

Poetry Guide

Unit Plan

The Future of Poetry

Activities

Teaching with E.L.O.N.  (Enriched Learning Opportunity Nexus) that seamlessly integrates AI 

Unit 7

Week 1: Poetry in the Digital Age
Essential Questions:

• How has digital media transformed how poetry is created, shared, and consumed?
• What does the brevity of digital communication mean for poetic form and expression?
• How do modern poetic movements draw inspiration from minimalist works?

Day 1: Introduction to Digital Poetry

• Lecture/Discussion: Introduction to how poetry lives online—social media (Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok), online journals, poetry bots, and AI-generated poems.
• Reading: Excerpt from contemporary digital poets like Rupi Kaur (not public domain—used for context only).
• Activity: Students explore and share an example of a digital or social media poem that resonated with them.

Day 2–3: Poem Study – “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams
Poem Text:
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens
URL:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45502/the-red-wheelbarrow
Study Focus:

• Brevity and simplicity in poetic form
• Modernist experimentation and its influence on micro-poetry and social media trends
• Visual structure and “white space” as form
• Imagism and its legacy in the digital age

Activities:

• Close Reading Exercise: Line-by-line analysis and annotation
• Creative Response: Students write a digital-age poem using 8–12 words modeled after Williams’s poem.
• Discussion Prompt: What would this poem look like on Instagram? Is it a caption, a visual, or a tweet?

Day 4–5: Workshop – Writing Poetry for a Digital World

• Mini-Lesson: Constraints as inspiration—haiku, micropoems, and blackout poetry
• Writing Workshop: Students compose a poem designed for an online format (optional mediums: visual collage, spoken word video, tweet-length poem)
• Peer Review and Feedback

Week 2: Publishing Your Poetry
Essential Questions:

• How does poetry become part of public memory and national identity?
• What are the steps to publish and share poetry in today’s world?
• How do poets gain audiences, and what tools are available in the digital age?

Day 1: Introduction to Publishing Paths

• Lecture: Traditional vs. Self-Publishing vs. Online Journals, Blogs, Substack, and Social Platforms
• Case Study: How famous poems have entered the public sphere (e.g., “The New Colossus” and its inscription on the Statue of Liberty)

Day 2–3: Poem Study – “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus
​Poem Text (excerpt):
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.”
Full URL:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46550/the-new-colossus
Study Focus:

• Poem as public statement: politics, nationalism, and cultural myth-making
• How poems become monuments or symbols
• The power of placement: from magazine poem to bronze plaque
• The intersection of poetry, advocacy, and legacy

Activities:

• Historical Context Reading: The poem’s connection to immigration, the Statue of Liberty, and American identity
• Literary Analysis: Examine tone, imagery, and rhetorical appeal
• Group Discussion: What types of poems today shape public identity? What would a modern “New Colossus” say?

Day 4–5: Workshop – Publishing Your Own Poetry

• Mini-Lesson: How to format and submit to journals, contests, or post online
• Activity: Create a Poetry Portfolio including:
  • One poem from Week 1
  • One revised poem from the “New Colossus” response
  • One original poem exploring identity or public voice
• Optional Extension: Students submit a poem to an online publication or create a simple poetry zine

Final Project: The Poetry of Tomorrow

• Students curate and present a small “digital poetry chapbook” using online tools like Canva, Google Slides, or a blog platform.
• Chapbooks should include:
  • A short introduction or manifesto about their view of poetry’s future
  • 3–5 original poems from the unit
  • Reflection on the evolution of poetry from page to screen

​The following activities include AI tools that enhance student engagement, provide data-driven insights, and facilitate personalized learning. 
Week 1: Poetry in the Digital Age
Focus: Brevity, digital creativity, poetic experimentation
Group Activity 1: Micro-Poetry Remix with AI
Objective: Experiment with poetic brevity and digital voice using AI-generated variations of The Red Wheelbarrow.
AI Tools:

• ChatGPT or Claude.ai – to generate poetic remixes
• Canva or Adobe Express – to visually present poems for social media

Instructions:

1. In groups of 3–4, input The Red Wheelbarrow into ChatGPT with prompts like:
   • "Rewrite this poem as a tweet"
   • "Remix this poem in the style of a sci-fi writer"
   • "Make this poem sound like a Gen Z meme"
2. Choose your favorite version and create a stylized visual post using Canva or Adobe Express.
3. Present your digital poem and explain your remix choices.

Outcome: Understand how AI can replicate, transform, or distort poetic tone and how brevity works in online formats.

Individual Activity 1: Prompted Poetry with AI
Objective: Use AI to generate inspiration for minimalist, digital-native poetry.
AI Tools:

• ChatGPT – for generating image-based or emotion-based writing prompts
• Notion AI or Google Docs AI Assistant – for drafting and editing poems

Instructions:

1. Ask ChatGPT for prompts like:
   • “Give me 5 short poetic prompts using vivid imagery”
   • “Describe a moment in 10 words that evokes longing”
2. Write a 1–2 stanza poem based on your favorite prompt.
3. Use AI-assisted editing tools (like Notion AI) to revise tone, rhythm, and clarity.

Outcome: Build comfort in co-creating with AI while retaining personal poetic voice.

Week 2: Publishing Your PoetryFocus: Poetry as public discourse and legacy; publication and audience
Group Activity 2: AI-Powered Public Poetry CampaignObjective: Reimagine The New Colossus as a contemporary public campaign using AI tools to adapt poetic form and context.
AI Tools:

• ChatGPT or Gemini – to rewrite poems with modern themes
• Canva or Google Slides – for creating public poetry posters
• Murf.ai or ElevenLabs – for voiceover/narration

Instructions:

1. As a group, discuss what The New Colossus would sound like today.
2. Prompt ChatGPT: “Rewrite this poem for today’s immigration/refugee crisis/global climate migration, preserving its structure but updating its message.”
3. Design a digital poetry poster and (optionally) create a short video with narration using Murf.ai.
4. Present your campaign and explain how poetry can serve as advocacy.

Outcome: Learn how AI can update poetic works for public discourse while engaging with social issues.

Individual Activity 2: AI-Assisted Poetry Submission Simulation
​Objective: Use AI to simulate the experience of preparing a poem for submission to an online publication.
AI Tools:

• ChatGPT – for style suggestions and sample cover letters
• Grammarly or Notion AI – for proofreading and polishing
• Submittable.com or NewPages.com (exploratory) – to find real submission opportunities

Instructions:

1. Choose one of your original poems from the unit.
2. Use ChatGPT to analyze the tone/style and suggest edits for a particular publication (e.g., “Revise this poem for a literary journal that prefers contemporary free verse”).
3. Draft a short cover letter using ChatGPT’s templates.
4. Polish your poem with Grammarly or Notion AI.
5. Research 1–2 potential online poetry magazines and reflect on fit.

Outcome: Develop professional writing and editing skills using AI as a collaborative assistant, with real-world application.

Optional Final Integration: AI Poetry Anthology CurationObjective: Curate and publish a class poetry anthology using AI-assisted tools.
AI Tools:

• Anthology GPT (custom GPT or ChatGPT) – to format submissions into sections/themes
• Canva Booklet Template or Adobe Express – to design the anthology
• ChatGPT or Copy.ai – for writing a foreword, section introductions, and bios

Instructions:

1. Each student submits 1–2 final poems.
2. Use AI to group them by theme or tone.
3. Create a digital anthology and optionally publish as a PDF or webpage.

Outcome: Learn collaborative publishing and digital design while using AI to enhance creative organization and layout.