I have had a difficult time finding information validating IM language as a writing genre until today!!! YES!
I came across a website: The Guardian Unlimited, that actually has information on a poetry competition using Instant Message as a genre! I’m so excited! As a writing teacher, if I could actually get away with it, I would love to implement IM as a genre, but how would I begin to know how to grade it if I’m not very familiar with the language myself? There has to be a method to decipher it, or maybe one just has to use the language to become familiar with it beyond the usual ttyl, brb, u, 4, 2 r u there, and so forth. Here is an example of a winning poem:
The winning poem
txtin iz messin,
mi headn’me englis,
try2rite essays,
they all come out txtis.
gran not plsed w/letters shes getn,
swears i wrote better
b4 comin2uni.
&she’s african
Hetty Hughes
If you follow this link, you can read many more examples.
I question: Does everything go? What is acceptable and what is not? How would I begin to grade a poem such as this? In a link to what the judges said, I found some answers. Judge, U A Fanthorpe writes:
Clearly, the text poem has become an established form, and it has a headstart because of its brevity. Many poems fail because they go on too long; some of these got by with hardly any words at all. I found that invigorating. When words, or time, are limited, urgent sentiments come to the surface . . . Congratulations to the Guardian on sowing this new poetic seed.
I don’t know if I would claim the text poem as an established form yet, but I see the potential of it quickly becoming one. I imagine the same qualities of traditional poetry would be expected, such as symbolism, imagery, metaphors, rhythm, etc. How would one grade content? Would text poems revolve around teenage lives just as their text messaging does? What a great way for a teacher to get to know her/his students! I believe content is important for a good poem, and for a teenager reading another teenager’s poetry, it’s important to be able to identify with the voice. I think text poems are a great way to spark creativity, understanding, and community among the teacher and the students. Peter Sansom, another judge writes about Text poems:
Text poems are a new genre, a bit like haiku, only interesting. . . . It’s a way of breaking down the Us and Them of verse, allowing people into the charmed Circle. . . . Text poems are fresh, bang up to date, and the best of them fit [Ezra] Pound’s definition of poetry as news that stays news.
While I wouldn’t allow Text language for all assignments, I am excited about the possibility of allowing students some freedom to use it in some of their work. I believe that, when given the freedom to express themselves in a meaningful way, in a language that is important to them, students will produce some pretty cool work. Another judge of the poetry competition, Peter Florence, writes:
The poems that seemed best-suited to the competition were those that were either beautifully crafted versions of the sort of text messages we receive every day, using the limits of the genre, or those that played with the idea of language and phones.
Awesome find! Talk about writing with a purpose — this would be awesome to give to students to write, since it’s how they write all the time anyway. This would be an awesome piece to include in a multi-genre project or something like it!
I never would have thought of this myself. I’m so glad you posted this!!
I think that the idea of texting as a poem is really cool, to put it simply. That might be because I’m not very familiar with it myself and am alwyas mystified by the way that some people can text so fast when it takes me forever to get one word out. I also think that it’s a good way to give students something to write about that they do a lot, and most likely enjoy (I see no reason that they wouldn’t enjoy it, I’ve just never heard anyone talk about how much they love texting). I think that the example you used was really powerful and it would be interesting to see whay your students would come up with of their own. IM could definitely fit in a multi-genre, that’s it for now I guess, great post.
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Hey Kristie,
I saw a Cingular (I think)commercial the other day that cracked me up. The young girl was talking to her mother in acronyms. There was even closed captions translating across the screen. It’s so funny and a brilliant use of your subject.
Shelby was in the other room and wanted to know what was so funny. When I told her she said that kids at school talk like that all the time. All the time I ask? How can there brain function in single digits like that? I bet it drives the teachers at Mona Shores High School crazy!
I’ve been a member of AA for nine years and sometimes the over use of acronyms there sends me running out the door saying I’m never going to return. It’s a different kind acronym usage, but crazy all the same.
As far as text poems goes, I’m not so sure a far they’ll go in the poetry world. The professor I had for Intermediate poetry was constantly beating me over the head with “more sensory detail”. While these poems have meaning and brevity, but by the time I translate the meaning the detail is lost.
Maybe I’ll give it a try anyway?
Wow, what an awesome idea. I have to admit I’m only 21 and grew up using IM but still, I am a bit uncomfortable with teaching it just because it’s a bit like a foreign language. That being said, what a great opportunity to learn from those that you are teaching since they are are, after all, experts on the subjects. Combining their AIM expertise and your knowledge about poetry the outcome could (and obviously for your IM poem example) is an awesome one!
I really enjoyed your post and am planning on visiting the website to further inform myself on this new genre.
-Cassie
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(Pretend that I wrote this comment instead of the one I wrote before…please…)
Awesome find! Talk about writing with a purpose — this would be awesome to give to students to write, since it’s how they write all the time anyway. This would be an awesome piece to teach and have the students include in a multi-genre project or something like it!
I think that students understand the lingo behind instant messaging better than they understand what most people call “proper English.” I know that I personally understand instant message language a lot better than I understand basic English grammar. And really, instant message language makes linguistic sense. It is dictated by a fairly strict set of linguistic rules, and thus could be considered a true language (or a variant/dialect of “proper English” anyway). Letting kids do what they know seems to be kind of almost like, “Duh…why didn’t I think of that? This is awesome!” But, alas, most people don’t view instant message language as academic. I say, “PISH!” to that. Letting kids write how they want is liberating, and I’m sure it’d produce better work than making them write in some stuffy old language.
I never would have thought of this myself. I am completely fascinated. I’m so glad you posted this!!
Okay, so this whole text as a language thing I am completely new to before clicking on your blog, but I pretty much think it’s BA. That poem is not only creative but definitely a talented form of expression. Not that I’m saying I’d want to read a whole book of poems like that, but I really think it’d be an interesting way to get students thinking about free-verse poetry, ya know? Just thinkin about it…
Dan
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