Persona Poetry Outline for Pirates

Dr. Beth M. Frye

Parts of this poetry unit were implemented by 4th grade teachers Kelley Wilson and Kelly Drum in their respective classrooms.

Context: 4th graders have been researching Pirates of the Golden Age as part of an
interdisciplinary unit in social studies and language arts.

• Students are invited to compose an informational persona poem in response to their research of Famous Pirates of the Golden Age.
• To begin, marinate the students in literary models written in that particular
  poetic form—for example, you may choose to read Atlantic by Brian G. Karas, Dirty
  Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices by Paul Janeczko, or I Am the Mummy Heb-
  Nefert by Eve Bunting.For those engaging in a study of people, Bunting’s I Am the Mummy Heb-Nefert
  would be an ideal mentor text.
• As you read the literary models to students, ask what they notice about the books?
• Students will comment on the first person perspective and the
  evocative language of this lyrical text. Draw their attention to the precise word choice,
  literary devices (specifically simile), and the rhythm and rhyme of the text.

I am the mummy Heb-Nefert,
black as night,
stretched as tight,
as leather on a drum.
My arms are folded
on my hollow chest
where once my live heart beat.

• Formulate your definition of a Persona Poem or I Poem.
• Present I POEM Format to students.
• As a class, you may begin your piratical research specifically with Edward Teach, AKA,
  Blackbeard. The process begins with you and your students gathering information about
  Edward Teach.
• You may choose to use the following Data Retrieval Chart (DRC) to help students organize their information.
• An informational text that most 4th graders will enjoy reading read is Blackbeard:
  Eighteenth-Century Pirate of the Spanish Main and Carolina Coast by Aileen Weintraub.
  Because the book is written on a 3rd grade reading level, it is accessible to most students
  in the classroom. The following web sites were also part of the research:
  • http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pirates/bbeard.html
  • http://www.isd12.org/bhe/Archives/Activities/Pirates/Index.html
  • http://cybersleuth-kids.com/sleuth/History/Pirates/index.htm
  • http://www.blackbeardlives.com/
• Teacher and students charted important words and phrases on their DRCs and Piratical Notebooks.
• Students then reviewed I POEM format and brainstormed additional verbs; because students had engaged in research, they were now prepared to revise the format to include verbs more likely to be used by "Pirates."

• Together, teacher and students composed an informational persona poem on
  Blackbeard.

I Am Blackbeard
By Mrs. Wilson’s 4th grade class

I am vicious and violent.
I wonder who my next victim will be.
I hear Lieutenant Maynard coming for me.
I board the Queen Anne’s Revenge and it becomes mine!
I want to be remembered every year.
I am vicious and violent.

I crashed my ship at Beaufort and took my favorite crew.
I sing horribly.
I touch my 14 wives.
I hear that I received a pardon.
I took over ships, islands, and crew‐members.
I am vicious and violent.

I drank rum and wine all of the time.
I lit my beard on fire to look like the Devil’s Rage.
I dream of Booty and Pieces –of‐Eight.
I have escaped hangings many times.
I swam around the boat looking for my head.
I am the Devil’s Mask. *

*I was shot five times and slashed 20 times before I fell to the ground.

• Then, the teacher shared the Blackbeard poem she had written. Students were amazed!

I Am Blackbeard

by Kelly Drum
I am a vicious pirate who loves to intimidate on the high seas.
I wonder if Governor Eden will keep his end of the deal.
I hear the nagging of my fourteen wives.
I see a sloop full of gold and silver.
I want to plunder merchant ships for mounds of booty.
I am vicious pirate who loves to intimidate on the high seas.

I pretend to be a ruthless scoundrel with no feelings.
I feel the sharp edge of a cutlass on the back of my neck.
I touch the velvety dress coat I stole from a wealthy merchant as I walk
onto shore like a lord among men.
I worry about becoming a stationary target.
I cry for the declining of the Golden Age of Piracy.
I am vicious pirate who loves to intimidate on the high seas.

I understand Lieutenant Robert Maynard is searching for me.
I say, “Aye Matey!”
I dream of being the most feared man alive.
I try to be as frightening as the devil himself.
I hope to sail the Queen Anne’s Revenge forever.
I am vicious pirate who loves to intimidate on the high seas.

Next, the teacher invited her students to research another Famous Pirate of the Golden Age of Piracy and to use the information they gathered to draft an I POEM. 

The teacher encouraged her students to think about the following questions as they began
their research:

• What if a famous pirate could talk now?
• What would he/she say about his/her life as a pirate?
• What would they tell us about the Golden Age of Piracy?

Because the teachers provided appropriate instructional scaffolding, students were able to successfully
compose informational persona poems.

We know that student writing improves when teachers respond using specific criteria for response.
Kelly developed a rubric/checklist for her students so that students would know exactly
what was expected of them. For example, students received a checklist to ensure they
wrote with the following:

One of Kelly’s students, Julie, (pseudonym) researched Anne Bonney and then composed
her persona poem, donning the mask of Anne Bonney.

I am Anne Bonney
I am a ruthless female pirate.
I wonder if I will ever go back to Country Cork, Ireland.
I hear the ocean waves washing against the ship like thunder crashing in a
storm.
I see the sails of my enemies crossing over the ocean.
I want to sail over the high seas.
I am a ruthless female pirate.

I pretend to be a wealthy female pirate.
I feel the gunshots shooting in my arm.
I touch the edge of my sword as I grab it.
I worry I’ll get hung by the government.
I cry that we lost the bloody battle.
I am a ruthless female pirate.

I understand that my husband is trying to steal my father’s plantation.
I say, “Ahoy there Matey!”
I dream about being the best pirate ever.
I try to hold all my secrets in.
I hope I’m the best female pirate.
I am a ruthless female pirate.