[...]

You've just got to

make

short

lines.

O: Jack thinks that writing a poem is just creating short lines.

N: Jack has already started experimenting with writing poems (writing short lines). He dramatically breaks up his last sentence into single-word lines.

W: Actually right from the first entry, Jack had already begun writing short phrases on every line. But in this entry, he went one step further to create singe word lines. I wonder if the poem about the red wheelbarrow and white chickens was like that too.

Do you promise

not to read it

out loud?

Do you promise

not to put it

on the board?

Okay, here it is,

but I don't like it.

O: Jack has finally completed his assignment but he does not want to draw a single bit of attention to it.

N: He has little confidence over his first poem as he does not really know what makes a poem and whether he has got it right. Besides, he has little liking for it, partly because he feels that writing poetry is "a girl's thing" as established in his first diary entry.

W: How will his confidence level and love/distaste for poetry writing change as the story progresses? Will Miss Stretchberry read Jack's poem to the class or pin it up?

Pretend I still have that pet?

Can’t I make up a pet -

a different one?

Like a tiger?

Or a hamster?

[…]

O: Jack doesn’t want to write a poem about a pet he used to have. He would rather write about a made up pet.

N: It seems that writing a topic about a pet he used to have is one that he wants to avoid. It could be a memory that he does not want to relive as it might bring up some uncomfortable emotions.

W: How will he overcome this fear / reluctance in writing about his old pet? Will writing about it and sharing it with the class help him to finally have some closure over the unresolved emotions he has developed about his previous pet?

O

Jack writes about the first time he met Sky and adopted him.

N

He relates it in great details like it just happened the day before. I also notice that this is the first time that he writes about his pet when he was so unwilling before that by giving excuses.

W

What makes him decided to write about it?

Has he slowly come to terms with it?

Why has he included the last part that the other dogs would be killed if they didn't get adopted?

Yes

you can put

the two blue-car poems

on the board

but only if

you don’t put my name

on them.

O: Jack managed to write another poem about the blue car and both poems by him were chosen to be put up on the board by the teacher.

N: Jack did not want others to know that the poems were written by him. He did not seem proud of his poems. However, he was generous enough to allow his teacher to use his poems for the class under the condition that he remained anonymous.

W: Why was Jack so reluctant for others to know the poems were his? Was he ashamed of his "talent" because he had this preconceived notion that poetry were for girls? Would putting up the poems boost Jack's confidence of his poetry-writing skills?

I don’t have any pets

so I can’t write about one

and especially

I can’t write

a POEM

about one.

O: This is his first mention about pets in his poems and he used uppercase 'POEM'.

N: Sounds like he is keeping a secret but may want his someone to ask about it. He wants to reveal something.

W: If he really does have a secret to keep, why does he want his classmates to know? Could it be that it is a subtle cry for help to help him deal with his trauma?

And why do I have to tell more

about the blue car

splattered with mud

speeding down the road?

O: Jack's poem had a description of a blue car.

N: Jack seems to find it unnecessary to write more about something very trivial such as this random blue car.

W: I wonder if the blue car actually signifies something that made Jack not want to elaborate on it further, as requested by the teacher.

[...] only if

you don’t put

my name

on them.

O: Jack does not want to reveal his identity as the writer of the two blue-car poems.

N: Jack seems to be comfortable with his teacher displaying his poems on the board for his peers to read. However, he seems to lack the confidence in wanting his peers to know that the poems were written by him.

W: Why does Jack not want his peers to know that he was the one who wrote the poems? Does he worry that his peers will mock his poems? Does he feel that what he has written will not be considered as poems by others?

What do you mean-Why does so much depend upon a blue car?

You didn't say before that I had to tell why.

The wheelbarrow guy didn't tell well.

O: Jack questioning his teacher why he had to be explicit about why so much depend upon 'the blue car' in his poem.

N: He did not think it was necessary for him to have everything explained explicitly in his poem. In fact, I can see that Jack seemed offended or pissed with the words 'What do you mean' directed at Miss Stretchberry.

W: I wonder if he has some feelings or thoughts link to the blue car that he wanted to keep to himself, and not shared with the world.

[...] think about it

until your brain

feels like

a squashed pea.

O: Jack describes how the thoughts keep flooding his mind even though he does not want to think about them.

N: Jack's comparison of his mind to a 'squashed pea' seems to indicate that the thoughts flooding his mind could be related to a painful experience and cause him mental disturbance.

W: What are these thoughts that Jack does not want to think about? Are they related to the poems that he has written? Are they reflections of a traumatic experience that he does not wish to recall?

What do you mean-

Why does so much depend upon a blue car?

You didn't say before that I had to tell why.

The wheelbarrow guy didn't tell why.

O: Jack questioning his teacher why she was asking him about 'why does so much depend on a blue car' in his poem.

N: Jack sounded offended and pissed with 'What do you mean..." and with the use of italics words in this entry. He did not think that he needed to be explicit about the blue car.

W: I wonder if there are some thoughts and feelings linked to the blue car that Jack would like to keep private, and not shared with his teacher and classmates.

I tried.

Can't do it.

Brain's empty.

O: The lines in this entry are very short (2-3 words)

N: He was not explicit about his attempts at writing poems. The short lines in this entry represents a quick dismissal of himself being hopeless at writing poems.

W: I wonder how he had 'tried' writing poems before. Had anyone told him that he couldn't write? What made him come to the conclusion that he could not do it?

_{I don’t have any pets}

_{so I can’t write about one}

_{and especially}

_{I can’t write}

_{a POEM}

_{about one.}

O: Jack states that he does not have any pets and feels unable to write about one. He emphasises this inability by using "especially" and capitalising "POEM," which suggests frustration.

N: The repetition of “I can’t” highlights Jack’s lack of confidence in his ability to write a poem.
The capitalisation of “POEM” makes it stand out, showing that writing a poem feels particularly daunting to Jack.
His tone feels a little defensive.

W: I wonder why Jack emphasised “POEM” as something different or harder than regular writing.

[...]

What do you mean -

Why does so much depend upon a blue car?

O: Jack is questioning his choice of words for the first poem he wrote.

N: Jack said he did not like his first poem. He seems to be trying to make improvements on it by questioning himself on the rationale of why he wrote what he wrote.

W: I wonder if his teacher taught him the structure of poetry writing or the elements it must include?

Do you promise

not to read it

out loud?

Do you promise

not to put it

on the board?

Okay, here it is,

but I don't like it.

O: Despite Jack's reluctance, he submitted his poem / assignment to his teacher.

N: Jack did not want his poem to be read out by his teacher nor to be placed on the board for his classmates to see it. He was 'brave' enough to state his requests to his teacher, sharing his thoughts, but did not seem to be 'brave' enough to showcase his poem to his classmates.

W: Why was Jack so reluctant? Was he lacking the confidence? What was his relationship with his classmates and was he feeling ashamed that poetry were only meant for girls?

They look nice

typed up like that

on blue paper

on a yellow board.

(But still don't tell anyone

who wrote them, okay?)

(And what does anonymous mean?

Is it good?)

O: Jack likes the way his teacher has typed up and displayed the poem.

N: Jack is starting to accept the idea of poetry which he initially seemed very resistant to. The fact that Jack pays so much attention to / cares about the way his poetry is displayed shows how he might be enjoying writing poetry (though he is largely unsure of what makes a good poem). It indicates that he is allowing his teacher to anonymously publish his poems.

W: He makes an innocent comment about the meaning of anonymous and questions whether it is good. Is this showing his curiosity about poetry? Is this also indicative of his determination to submit good work? Is he seeking validation from his teacher that he is on the right track?

They look nice

typed up like that

on blue paper

on a yellow board

(But still don't tell anyone

who wrote them, okay?)

[...]

O: Jack acknowledging his work (poem) and sort of giving his teacher the permission to display it, yet still reminding his teacher not to reveal his name to the class.

N: Jack seemed to appreciate his poems a bit more, admiring his own work typed out nicely on a blue paper, placed on a yellow board. However, he was still reluctant to let his class know that the poem belongs to him.

W: I wonder was his reluctance due to the fact that he did not want anyone to probe further about the blue car? Rather than him not being confident about his poem.

I tried.

Can't do it.

Brain's empty.

O: Jack gives up on his attempt to write a poem.

N: Jack does not want to engage with the lessons his teacher is carrying out on poetry. Since he feels that poetry is only for girls, he does not make an honest attempt to write a poem. Instead, he concedes defeat.

W: Why did he write only 3 lines? Is that his way of protesting against this assignment? Some pronouns seem to have been left out in his work. Has this been done intentionally to signal his attitude towards this topic?

That was so great

those poems you showed us

where the words

make the shape

of the thing

that the poem

is about —

…

Observe: Jack writes about his experience of learning shape poems. It is his first time reading shape poems.

Notice: Jack is curious and amazed that a poem can take the form of the thing that the poem is about. He also said that it’s a funny thing. It could mean that he is starting to enjoy poetry and this form of poetry seems more accessible to him as a child.

Wonder: I wonder if he would be inspired to write his own version of shape poem. I wonder if shape poem will help him to gain more interest in poetry and inspire him to write more or be more confident.

Okay.

I guess.

I’ll put my name on it.

…

Observe: Jack is gaining confidence in poetry writing. He was once reluctant to put his name on the poem but now willing to do so.

Notice: He seemed a little anxious in this entry and has high expectations of himself.

Mr Myers is a poet who he really looks up to and he hoped to be noticed by him.

Wonder: I wonder if Jack’s poem will be well received by Mr Myers. How will Mr Myers’ response impact Jack’s confidence in writing poetry?

Yes, I used to have a pet.

I don’t want to write about it.

You’re going to ask me

Why not?

Right?

O: The writer does not want to write about the pet he used to have. He anticipated that his teacher would probe further.

N: He seems to want to avoid writing about the pet he used to have. He probably has some unhappy memories that he does not want to revisit and relive.

W: What happened to that pet? How is he affected by the loss of that pet? Is he going to end up writing a poem on this pet as he had done what he was reluctant to do in the previous entries?

I think Robert Frost

has a little

too

much

time

on his

hands

0: Jack expresses that poetry writing is frivolous and for the idle.

N: Jack seems disdainful of poetry writing. He has the assumption that poets, like Robert Frost, merely state the obvious and mundane and he is unable to see past the literal words of the poem.

W: It almost appears like Jack refuses to see the beauty of poetry. Is he in denial? Is he unable to interpret poems because he refuses to let his soft-side show? Could he be afraid to draw meaning and emotions from the poetry in his class, because he has locked away his own emotions and feelings after the traumatic experience he went through?

I tried.

Can't do it.

Brain's empty.

O: Jack's reluctance (to do his work or even start on it) shows. He seemed unmotivated.

N: He gave an excuse that one can hardly argue with (brain is empty), probably hoping to get his teacher's sympathy i.e. that this child is not able to do it because he is not able to think about anything (mind is blank, zero knowledge).

W: Did Jack really try? How many times did he try until he was resolved that "(he) can't do it"? Was Jack performing very poorly in reading and in the English language such that he seemed unmotivated and gave up easily?

They look nice

typed up like that

on blue paper

on a yellow board.

(But still don't tell anyone who wrote them, okay?)

O: Jack was beginning to accept what his teacher would do to his writing.

N: He still did not have enough confidence to place his name.

W: What's the connection of the two colours? Why did he feel 'unsafe' putting his names? What was his hesitation?

I tried one of those

poems that looks like

what it's about.

My Yellow Dog (his poem)

O: Jack's interest to start another poem was sparked after reading the apple and house poetry (prev entry). His poem was based on his personal experience as it was about his dog. There is a positive shift in his attitude towards learning poetry from the first time we saw him (5 months before).

N: I consider it must have taken him some effort to arrange the words and letters such that they outline and fill in to be in the shape of a dog. He even included onomatopoeia (sniffs, slobber) for literary effect.

W: Why did Jack chose to write about his dog? What went through his head (and heart) as he processed to write about his old dog? I wonder if Jack wanted his readers to be able to 'see and hear' his dog vividly.

yes you can put the two bue car poems on the board but only if you dont put my name on them

Observe:

Jack is feeling frustrated and resistant to writing poetry.

He expresses his dislike for poetry in a strong and direct manner.

He seems to feel pressure to write poetry, but lacks inspiration.

Notice:

The use of short, choppy sentences conveys a sense of impatience and frustration.

The repetition of "I hate poetry" emphasizes his strong negative feelings.

The use of the word "stupid" highlights his dismissive attitude towards poetry.

Wonder:

What is the root of Jack's dislike for poetry?

How will Miss Stretchberry help Jack overcome his negative feelings?

Will Jack eventually come to appreciate poetry?

I tried

Can't do it

Brain's empty

O: Jack can't seem to do what he is expected to do

N: He says his brain is empty. At least he tries to give a reason. He said previously that boys don't write poetry.. so did he really try?

W: Did he really try hard enough? Alot of times when we/someone says they can't, is it really true? Maybe if we try hard enough, we actually can do something.

...

You're going to ask me

Why not?

Right?

O: Jack seems to be a little rebellious here.

N: He has predicted what would happen next but he still does not want to do anything about it.

W: Why is it that Jack is so against what he has to do? Why does he not want to attempt when he knows that there are consequences? Will he eventually try?

Yes, I used to have a pet.

I don't want to write about it.

You're not going to ask me.

Why not?

Right?

O: Jack is not ready to write about his pet.

N: He seems quite adamant about not wanting to write about it.

W: Were there unresolved emotions about this pet and what transpired?