Shaun Lagdamen

Prof. Warner

English 112B

November 28, 2006

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Humor. Joy. These are captivating traits that have been used in a variety of manners and styles, throughout history, to intrigue the audience and firmly grasp their attention. Aloud: Voices From the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, a collection of poetry compiled by Miguel Algarin and Bob Holman, focuses on urban writing by young and old poets who have different perspectives, different experiences on their own lives, living in the city setting. The poetry is diverse, but many aspects of humor and sarcasm are filled throughout the book. Poems discuss the relationship between putting one's finger in a ketchup bottle and how that leads to breaking up with one's significant other to displaying the versatility of the word "FUCK." By using comedy, satire, sarcasm, blunt jokes, subtle jokes, limericks, and even comically reciting a piece of pure drama engages the audience, and in the case of the classroom, the students.

For young adults, the amount of avid readers, within the past decade, has dropped 7%. The problem in this lies in the lack of knowledge they receive in school about books. Great works of literature are taught throughout their educational life, yet many of these novels do not capture the attention span of the teen population. Many of the stories can prove difficult to read and analyze due to the influence of the era in which is written. The comedy of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Nights Dream" hardly compares to the material that people find interesting today. Alone provides a different perspective on poetry that classrooms leave out, such as the spoken word or the vulgarity of language uncensored. Although people may not find these appropriate in the class, these are examples of poems that take place in the modern era, with familiar topics that relate easily to the lifestyle of teens today. In a poem called "Please Don't Take My Air Jordan," by Reg E. Gaines, the subject deliberates on his fashion aesthetics being sub par in comparison to his friends. Buying Air Jordan's (Basketball hall-of-fame, Michael Jordan's line of clothing) can cost up to $200. It is a price that embodies status and commands respect, but also one that invites theft, especially in the environment the narrator resides. Although, the message is light and pokes fun at the need for "def NIKES" and "fresh gear," it also has a message, showing the extent people will go to have their material possessions and escape the ridicule of their peers. People, especially teens, can make this connection through poetry that speaks to them. (Gaines 65)

It should be a focus for teachers, speakers, and writers to introduce the material in a fashion that promotes interest; otherwise the audience may find the task of staying awake much more challenging than understanding the information given. Humor is an amazing tool that can incorporate relevant information or compliment a driving plot of a story or merely entertaining the crowd for pure enjoyment. Poetry in every aspect can be interesting, but as the saying goes, "laughter is the best medicine," especially to cure adolescent "Short Attention Span" disorder, caused by boring lectures and uninteresting stories.

Poetic Laughter:

Annotated Bibliography

Algarin, Miguel and Bob Holman. eds. Aloud: Voices From the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 1994.

This book is a compilation of contemporary, urban poetry from a variety of poets. Many of these poets are of different ethnicities, different backgrounds, and use different styles in their writing. Included in this repertoire of artistic literature, innovative techniques and modern references mark the usefulness this book could possibly serve in class. These poets tangle many controversial topics as well. �I Want To Be a Woman,� written by Evert Eden, explores man�s desire to become a woman, in hopes of avoiding the pressures of being a man, to Miguel Algarin�s poem, HIV, which talks about just that, HIV, from the time of infection to the time of death (Algarin 60). These are real situations that people may find unsuitable for the classroom, but continue to occur outside the school.

Appelt, Kathi. Poems From Homeroom: A Writer's Place to Start. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 2002.

This book offered ways to incorporate poetry to the class, utilizing modern approaches and aspects of the environment for young adolescents to connect with. The book offers insightful questions for the class. One example is incorporating cyberspace and the Internet into the class. It has become a new medium for people to chat, post their own work over the web, and provide connections worldwide. An assignment that the author offered was to write a script from two different perspectives, in an online chat room format, and using all the terminology and slang that comes with the territory. Alone also include poetry written on topics from tattoos and the grocery store to famous icons, such as Jimi Hendrix or River Phoenix. This book is extremely helpful for bringing in material familiar to the teen audience.

Billington, Ray A. Limericks: Historical and Hysterical. Toronto, Canada. George J.: McLoed Limited, 1981.

Humor is an extremely effective way to reach an audience, young or old. Limericks are old fashioned, typically short, comical poems. Usually the verses follow an �AABBA� rhyme scheme. These poems are great for introducing an easy to follow pattern for teens to create humorous, fun poetry. These minor poems can develop into deeper, more thought out pieces, but everyone who knows how to walk, had to crawl first. The simplicity of its design makes limericks easily followed and entertaining for every age.

Black, Jack. Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny. Los Angeles, CA: Epic Records, 2006.

Jack Black is a comedic actor and musician, well known in popular culture. One of the amazing aspects of his talent is his ability to create song, both musically inventive and equally hilarious. In a classroom, incorporating Black into the curriculum allows teens to familiarize themselves with poetry by taking a look into the lyrical content of his poems. Although, the vocabulary does not hold the same weight in culture and sophistication one would see in the works of notarized poets like Robert Frost or Shakespeare, Black streams onto topics relevant in today's society in the form of rock and role. In a song called "The Government Totally Sucks," Black speaks out against the environmental atrocities that are allowed to happen as a result of the government's actions or lack of action.

Now let me tell you something about the government (uh huh)

They're fucking up the environment (say what?)

They're taking all the fucking beautiful animals (yeah?)

And making them fucking extinct (oh no!)

The government totally sucks (www.sing365.com)

These lyrics, although graphic and vulgar, bring to light genuine sentiments towards issues teens are aware of or would like to become more aware of. Teens are more inclined to speak freely when censorship and editing of materials are kept at a minimum, and having teens realize their focus of poetry does not need to revolve around stereotypical topics such as love or sadness opens up a wide range of style and options for them to pursue.

Egendorf, Laura K., ed. Satire. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2002.

In many courses, learning the history of literature and the authors who wrote them proves to be a valuable tool, in terms of a student's own writing and personal knowledge of the literary geniuses in time. Satire focuses on the distinct qualities of satire and its uses in criticizing religion, stereotypes, and politics. The genre can hold relevance in every era in every place, which is a valid reason for this books inception into the classroom. Satire exposes foolish guises and reforms such acts through the exposure. Many writers have used this form to illustrate their concerns with their society such as seen in the famous �Modest Proposal� by Jonathan Swift. This book gives an in depth look into the use of satire through the ages and its power to criticize what the author finds focus in.

Lynch, Stephen. A Little Bit Special. Brooklyn, NY: Park West, 2000.

Stephen Lynch is a comedic musician who specializes in songs that are severely politically incorrect. The uniqueness of his style stems from the diversity of the music he plays, which revolve around folk songs to child-like melodies to acoustic rock sets. In the classroom, Lynch comments on subjects that are taboo, such as the mentally challenged or taking one's mother to prom. The lyrical content does contain gross amount of adult situations, but the songs include a variety of teen concerns such as racism, the position of the Catholic Church in regards to child molestation, STDs, and even family divorce. Songs are forms of poetry which attempt to display opinions and thoughts of the artist accompanied by musical qualities like rhythm or melody. It is a huge part of life in any culture.

Oyewole, Abiodun, et al. On a Mission: Selected Poems and a History of the Last Poets. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 1996.

Oyewole, Abiodun, and the other authors who contributed to this book, created a piece of literature with a very rugged and urban feel. Although this book is does not assume the role of satiric work or comedic novel, it does present deep issues about growing up in the city and dealing with racism and violence to finding influence through the words of past civil rights leaders. Although humor is not evident, the use of sarcasm, within the poems and in the writings of the authors, provides a variety of examples teens can read for insight into poetry generated by life experiences in a powerful way that keeps in touch with its street origin.

Silverstein, Shel. Falling Up. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 1996

As a child, I've read this book and really enjoyed the cleverness of the poems, as well as the simplicity of the art. Most of the poems are short, rhythmic, and fun to read. Silverstein put together this compilation of poems, which include some interesting and humorous language. One particular poem, the "Poison-Tester," follows the job of a royal poison tester who eats the whole meal, creating excuses to why she must eat the food such as "the poison must be in the middle of the food, save that for me." For the younger ladder of the 7-12 age range, this book can creatively introduce children to poetry, without stepping into typical themes such as "love" or "sadness." Although, some of the poems may include these topics, the variety of themes opens up many possibilities away from the clich�. The art can be creepy due to the inked designs of the characters. Certain characters can have this eerie look to them kids may find uncomfortable to see. The illustrations lack color or depth.

Wong, Janet S. Behind the Wheel: Poems About Driving. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 1999.

Behind the Wheel by Janet Wong introduces unites poems on the related topic of driving. The theme of the book itself calls for attention, as its focus strictly follows the distinct topic of driving and driving related poems. Much of these poems are very comical as poets criticize women�s inability to drive and the man�s willingness to pick up hitchhikers (completely disregarding the fact that it is illegal and dangerous) if they are sexy. This book pokes fun at the way society drives, from the way people hold the wheel to the way we multitask while driving. Driving is a major subject when regarding teen life. The subject in this book is easily relatable and enjoyable for young and old audiences. Teens can identify with many of the poets, such as �Jump Start,� a poem about the frustration of starting a car with a dead battery early in the morning. The car gets a jump-start and the subject in the poem gets a hot cup of coffee.

Yankovic, Alfred M. Running with Scissors. Volcano, 1999.

Alfred Yankovic is an American musician, satirist, and master of parody. Yankovic has had much success due to his parodies of other famous songs. In "It's All About the Pentiums," (a parody of the Sean Combs song "It's All About the Benjamins.") Yankovic mocks the technological advances the society has become so dependent on, like a car, television, and the computer. Another song titled "Jerry Springer" parodies the song "One Week" by the Barenaked Ladies. It expresses his attitude towards the off-the-wall, inane events on the show (www.wikipedia.org). A nice activity teens can participate in is writing a there own parody of a popular song, but remark on a topic of concern, like teen pregnancy or drugs. Introducing Yankovic to the classroom, such as a creative writing course, can inspire adolescents to write in satire, but still cover themes relevant to the class.

Bibliography

Bradshaw, Tom and Bonnie Nichols. Reading At Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in

America. June 2004. New Divisions Communications. November 28, 2006.

<http://www.nea.gov/pub/ReadingAtRisk.pdf>

Sing365. Artist Direct. November 18, 2006. <www.sing365.com>

Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Mediawiki. November 27, 2006. <www.wikipedia.org>