This is the Creative Writing Acitivity we did in 3F (Liceo Linguistico) inspired & triggered by the reading of G.Chaucer’s Wife of Bath & Patience Agbabi’s Wife of Bafa present in their textbook Performer Culture & Literature1, Zanichelli. I modified the activity &, in a few words, students had to create a modern version of “the wife” working in groups. First I tried video recording their poems using my iPad but it turned out a failure as some of them were too shy and most kept reading with their eyes on the paper thus making the video pretty plain and useless.
Here’s their texts written during 2 sessions of 50 m’ and finished as homework. I’m very proud of you all 🙂
THE WIFE OF SHAFA
hey!
do you want to know my name?
they call me Johanna
And, you know, I’m a very hard-worker
Please enjoy my company
THE WIFE OF BABA by Michela, Mattia, Virginia
My name is Babalicious
Greece is my home place,
Where everybody’s amazed
By my gorgeous face.
When I was young
I wanted all the boys to come,
Now that I’m old,
My beauty’s gone.
But I still got my skills,
I do paint skies and hills,
Everybody wants me to sell
All my works ‘cause I’m good as hell
Five husbands I was going to marry
There was plenty of cake,
Cream and Strawberry.
All of them I left at the altar
And with another man
I escaped to Gibraltar
But I still appreciate good company
Not talking ‘bout animals,
If you know what I mean.
So boys you’re invited
If ya wanna join,
You know where to find me.
THE WIFE OF NEW YORK by Elena & Giorgia
“Hello guys!!//
I’m Caroline//
And you can see my name on the newspaper’s headline.//
You can read a lot about me//
But for real informations you have to ask me the key//
I’m twenty years old//
Fit, tall, smart and my hair is of the colour of gold.//
I live in the beautiful New York//
Do you want to come to my house? We can have a tea and talk.//
I’m clever, friendly, charming, lovely and trendy.//
If you’ve never heard of Chanel, Dior and D&G,//
You can’t stay with me.//
I love my husband’s position,//
He works for him but especially cause I don’t want to have prohibitions.//
I live in the 5th Avenue,//
Third palace at number two.//
I’ve had to choose a husband between a lot of suitors//
And i’ve chosen the only one who could take care of my future.//
The most difficult thing I’ve had to do?//
Choose between a red and a blue pair of shoes. I bought the red pair and the blue too.”
THE WIFE OF THE STREET by Chiara T, Bruno & Alessandra
Hey baby, do you want to have fun?
with me, you’ll shoot like a gun.
I’m July, July Sleep,
the best and prettiest in this street.
Since we’re at Christmas,
do you want to take advantages of sales?
Keep calm, you won’t go to jail!
With a little purchase,
you can have the best that you can imagine.
You’re not going to regret about this,
’cause since i was 12 i’m in the street.
And look at these tattoos, do you like them?
I have one for every man!
I have to find the place for the next,
but i also don’t know if i want an image or a text.
I don’t want a lot of money,
if you’re sweet, c’mon honey!
I like to make new friends,
especially at week ends.
They call me the black panther,
’cause i remain hidden and suddenly, hit them like a thunder!
I’ve talked about my life,
and surely i won’t say nothing to your wife!
THE WEIRD WIFE by Giada, Anna, Abigail e Martina
The girl from Alaska By Cristiano & Cristian
My name is Rebecca Moller
and I’m a great footballer
sometimes I’m a biter
and every time I say sorry… later
At least I’m very kind
and my way I find
For my trainings every day I take the train
and it’s a real pain!
I’m 20 years old
I come from Alaska, that is very cold
I love to kick the ball
and I love to score a goal
when I’m on the field I hear the acclamation
and I start to do an acceleration
Everyone shouts my name,
and every match is not the same!
I’m gonna scream
if i realize my dream:
I wanna become the best
and humiliate the rest.
My life is not the easiest:
I make a lot of sacrifice
and I use a lot of ice
but for success this is the price
I’m pretty, tall and blond
but don’t judge me for my beauty, guys
or in one minute I make you wound
I go ahead only with my force
I did my best? Yes of course
When I’ll quit to play
I don’t want remorse anyway
I’ll do my best everyday
and this is all I want to say!
Hi!
Stephanie is my name
From Germany I come
Traveler is my job,
and Berlin is my city.
My husband left me…well, that’s a pity!
So that’s the fact
I am divorced since
my husband cheated on me and my sister by me is well-treated.
Now I’m married with a girl
Minou is her name.
We fell in love five months ago
And this is all you know.
We bumped into each other.
At first I slapped her
But then she kissed me
and…we’ve never stopped kissing.
Now I love her
And she loves me.
And my sister and my husband live together under a bridge.
If you want to add your recorded version use Vocaroo ( no registration required) Thanks