The document provides writing prompts asking the reader to imagine their house is on fire and to list what items they would save and where they would go, then discusses odes as poems that praise ordinary subjects through creative language and serious tone, and prompts writing an ode about an everyday object selected at random.

1. Let's say,
hypothetically,…

2. …that your house
is on fire. 

3. Luckily, your family and
your pets are all safely
outside and out of harm's
way.

4. In your Writer's Notebook, answer the
following questions:
1.Before leaving the house, what
would be the first five things you
would grab?
2.What are the top three places that
you would want to go to escape?
3.What three people would be there to
help you take your mind off the
tragedy?

5. Poetry

6. What is an ode?
A poem in praise of a person,
place, or ordinary object.

7. A Bit of History
• Ancient Greeks and Romans: celebration of
great athletes, memorable events and
magnificent places.
• English scholars: something more meditative
and private.
• Romantic Era poets: combined both
previous forms into an even more unique
exploration of the form.

8. What’s special about odes?

9. “Simple” Subjects/Topics
• They’re about every day objects,
people, and places that we
usually don't inflate with glory

10. Use Creativity to Elevate
• Use imagery, metaphors, and
similes to explore the object's
potential glory
• Use tone to remind readers to stop
and pay attention to the subject of
the ode.
• Hyperbole highlights the object’s
value.

11. More than Just Praise
• They typically make a statement
about their subjects

12. Keep it Serious
• Even if the subject is funny, the
tone is typically serious.

13. What’s in a Name?
• The word “Ode” is almost
always in the title.

14. Examples
See handout for Neruda’s, Creeley’s,
and Alexander’s odes.

15. Your Turn!
Go back to your Writer’s Notebook entry from earlier, and
select a topic for your ode.
•Put the object in the title.
•Try not to name it at all throughout your poem.
When we are done, we are going to have our
classmates try to guess what our poems are about!
Use the things you saw the other authors using: imagery,
creative metaphors, similes, personification, etc!

16. Guess my Object!
Read your ode out loud and without
giving the title away.
Classmates: Try to figure out what the
object is!

17. Everyday Object Odes
• Choose a topic from the bag.
• For homework, write an ode to this object
that elevates it from “everyday” to
“greatness”.
– Title: An Ode to _____________
– Pay attention to word choice; use words that
have positive connotations.
– Use imagery, metaphor, simile, hyperbole, and
tone to praise your subject.