Hypnotic Poetry

Sitomer, Alan Lawrence. (2008). Yo, Hip-Hop's got roots. The ALAN
Review, 35. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/v35n2/sitomer.html

Alan Lawrence Sitomer and Aspiring Poet/Hip-Hop Artists

That’s how you need to look at classic poetry. Some of it just needs a bit of time, a chance, but trust me, once you start to “get it” and see its connections to Hip-Hop and modern life and love, sex, war, loneliness, ecstasy and desperation (I’m telling ya, classic poetry is Deep with a capital D) you’ll start to discover that some of this classic poetry I am yapping to you about is off-the-hook! (Sitomer, 2008).

The author, Alan Lawrence Sitomer, wrote The Hoopster, Hip-Hop High School, Homeboyz, a trilogy of young adult novels published by Hyperton, as well as an English textbook called Hip-Hop Poetry and The Classics. He was also voted the California Teacher of the Year in 2007.

Royal Readers, have you ever read something with a good/great line? Well, the article Yo, Hip-Hop Got Roots grabbed me from the side. No wonder Mr. Sitomer was the teacher of the year!

In the article, Mr. Sitomer describes the similarities between today's hip-hop artists and the bards/poets of yesteryear. Through his tone and language you can almost hear him introducing his students to poetry. Instead of moans and groans, connections were being made as trivial factual details about the background and writing styles of present and past artists were explored (he played a guess who game). Although, Sitomer has a good grasp on his audience, he is also imparting a valuable teaching tool for professionals to motivate young adults to appreciate poetry. Make those connections.

Oftentimes, readers no matter what age do not like certain genres/writing styles because of a lack of meaningful connection. When one can 'get into' and/or go beyond to expand your knowledge of a work, it is thought that you have achieved a higher level of literature appreciation. Poetry is one of those gateways. It is like a canvas waiting for a masterpiece. Everyone takes away from it something different every time. When a poem is set to a beat track, you get hip-hop.

Mr. Sitomer and I have a similar teaching style. I have found it easier to introduce unpopular topics with something relevant to my students' lives or the sign of the times. Music truly does make the world go round. For the past four years, my students have put on the show Hip-Hop Poetry (also a title that Sitomer uses) where they recite classical poets or compose original works of art to recite with an instrumental beat in the background.

Queenie