"To This Day" by Shane Koyzca

1. Create list of the most important lessons you've learned about any of the following: a. Love and relationships b. Sports c. Family d. Writing e. School f. Parents g. Siblings h. Jobs i. Music j. Success f. Traveling l. Other

2. What is interesting and powerful about this poem?

3. What are some of the lines or phrases that Koyzcan repeats? What effects are created through this repetition? Why does he do it?

4. What different emotions does Koyzcan express through his poem? How do his choices about subject, details, imagery, and tone of voice work together to build these emotions?

5. Choose one of the lists you created and use that to generate a poem that offers advice to a specific audience. Write the title for your poem by identifying three specific characteristics of your audience and using the phrase "Unsolicited Advice to . . .." e.g. Unsolicited Advice to Teenage Boys who have been Cut from the Football Team, Unsolicited Advice to Crazy English Teachers who are Forcing Students to Write Poetry, Unsolicited Advice to Bored Students who are Being Forced to Write Poetry by Crazy English Teachers

6. Identify the best or most important piece of advice you wrote down when making your list. This will become a repeated line in your poem.

7. Be sure to include advice for a variety of experiences you expect this person to have.

8. Free-write for 10 minutes without stopping. If you get stuck, re-write  repeated line until you think of a new piece of advice. Or, write for as long as it takes to record at least 20 pieces of advice.