3F: The WIFE/GIRL OF…

Hi! After reading and analyzing both G.Chaucer’s Wife of Bath & Patience Agbabi’s Wife of Bafa (from your textbook Performer Culture & Literature, Zanichelli) I’d like you to create a modern version of “the wife” working in groups. As you know today is the INTERNATIONA DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF  VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN . So I thought to integrate your cooperative CREATIVE WRITING activity and give it a social purpose.

First of all, let’s see what a SLAM poem is. It’s a type of poetry expressing a person’s personal STORY OR STRUGGLE usually in an intensely EMOTIONAL style. Very powerful, sincere, and moving.

Step ONE:  in your group choose and agree on the profession, age, cultural background, and nationality of your woman/girl character.

Step TWO: give your “woman/girl” a name & town she’s from. e.g The WIFE OF … or THE GIRL OF Grigo 😉

Step THREE: Identify with her, put yourself in her shoes and WRITE HER SLAM. Use a google doc to share with your group/schoolmates so that you can write in a cooperative way and correct each other. Here’s my short tutorial.

If you need a rhyme you can use the RHYMING DICTIONARY

Step four: Paste the link to your google document or copy the text as a comment. Then you’ll recite it in front of the class. 🙂 Don’t be shy, it’s going to be fun! I know how brilliant you can be.

5 TIPS for your poem:

  1.  Make it original.
  2. Time. You have  3 minutes to perform. While practicing your poem, time yourself to make sure you do not go over the time limit.
  3. Simple & Relatable. Your poem should be able to reach your audience the first time it’s heard. It must be clear and convey a message.
  4. Rhythmic & Passionate. Your poem should have a rhythm that shows through your passionate performance.
  5. You can add multimedia if you like. (images, videos as background)

Here’s an example of a serious & provocative Slam by a girl your age: What Guys Look for in Girls.

This is Patience Agbabi’s slam- ‘The Wife of Bafa’ – July 2013

I cannot help ending this post with the trailer of a movie I watched many years ago in 1998 when we still used videotapes – and found really inspiring:  Slam.

Last but not least, with great pride, I want to share the video made by Giulia B & Chiara T. “THE WIFE OF FAKE LOVE: A STORY OF LOVE AND HATE. For the international day against Violence against women”. It’s really impressive for its text charged with deep meaning and for the choice of images (they had to make it twice because the first version did not comply with (respect, conform to) the copyright regulations, while for the second version they chose free from copyright images).   It shows a great deal of commitment, creativity and also the courage to use their own voices that sound so beautiful! Well done girls!!! here’s link to the text they have written.

 

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