From T.S. Eliot to Chicago

We read T.S. Eliot's first section of the "Preludes" to get a sense of setting in poetry. Eliot gives concrete and vivid details of a particular place at a particular time. We discussed the way he described a winter evening in the city at 6'clock. The students found it to be an interesting assignment to write about their own neighborhoods at an exact time in a specific season. Look at their work:



Ms. Cole 6th grade
Week 6



4 O’Clock
Starcy F.

In the summer time after school
kids get out of school be
loud then when they go home
it is quiet out there when
I go to the store I smell
lots of pizza, steak
Chinese food, shrimp,
burgers, fries when I walk
the streets going to the store
I see the CTA bus going by cars
going by lights change people
going to the gas station to buy
gas I watch them as they
go to church going to
the Laundy-mat.



Setting
Markeesh M.

The summer evening heats up
when kids come home to play
3:00 in the evening
the boring old day ends.
And here comes all the fun.
The playful little children.
People come to get wet.
And water coming down on you.
The water splash.
They get hungry and
smell of chicken and of fries,
everybody rushes to
the restaurants. And the
summer of fun.



Poetry
Rahkeen O.

3 o’clock on a summer day.
Kids out of school run and play.
Racing home to take off bookbags,
but a little tired from the work they had.
Going to union jumping in the pool,
but wait, the next day they still have
school. Racing home before too late.
Get home do homework while they shiver
and shake. Eat dinner and get in bed.
Now they can rest their heads.



Ms. Harris 6th grade
Week 6


Summer
Jasmine P.

The summer evening settles down
I smell BBQ fill the air.
5 o’clock hits and all the kids
come out to play. While roses bloom
all around, the cars on
the corner honking horns, cars
going by all four ways. As
the streetlights come on they
all go away. Hope wakes
up the next day.



6 O’clock
Alexis G.

The summer evening. 6 o’clock.
I hear birds chirping and dogs barking
and cats meow. I smell BBQ chicken,
ribs and lots more stuff. I see
out the window girls jumping Double
Dutch. I see people outside moving
their stuff in a moving truck.
I go outside and look up and the
sun is going down. Then in the
morning the sun shines again.




3 o’clock
Porsha T.

during the summertime
sun rise hot day
kids out playing
running school out
summer school’s
still in kids having
fun swimming staying
up late sleeping late
doing what they
want to do because
school’s out



Ms. Kessinger 6th grade
Week 6


6:00 p.m.
Rae L.

Winter is here and it is
so beautiful. 6 o’clock
on the dot. The tall while
snow formed into a hill.
there is so much snow
you can hardly feel
your fingers and toes.
People get robbed walking
down the street. As you
walk you see your feet
prints. You go in the house
and get a cup of hot cocoa
with 6 marshmallows. Get
under a blanket nice and
cozy. All at 6 o’clock on the
dot.




The Best Night
Jasmine W.

10 o’clock at night on
a winter night I hear people
walking and taking in the
snow, laughing and having
a good time with one
another. I see darkness
sparkle snow on the ground
mixed with hail, street
lights and on cars driving
horns beeping. Next thing
you know it it it . . .quiet.
No sound, just blank. I smell
hotdogs, cheeseburgers, waffles
hot wings, popeyes, perfume,
flowers, mac and cheese, I smell
everything in the book.




The Fun Day
Marissa M.

It is summer time. 1:30.
Kids are running around, kids
play jump rope. People are cooking.
The food smelling good, boys
playing basketball, boys and girls
are running around in the
park. Kids going to the
store. The ice cream truck
driving around. The kids are
fighting. Some kids are going
to the beach. Some kids are
going to the water park. Some
kids are going swimming.



12:00 At Night
Terry C.

12 o’clock at night colder than ice
lightning flashing with the moon
glancing from the night snow
falling from the sky like
the white moon at night
clouds bright as no light
weirder than fright