While introducing my students to the Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, I decided to assign them to write cinquains about themselves, then about the pilgrims, to learn about indirect characterization. To demonstrate, I whipped up this little number on the spot:
Miss W
quirky, passionate
reading, teaching, writing
You have no idea.
learner
This is the first (and therefore, only) time I have ever asked students to write me a poem. The end is my favorite. All my students said, “‘You have no idea’? What does that mean?” It explains itself.
