ass(onance) man

My grade 8's mutinied on me last week. Completely, absolutely, point-blank refused to do any part in the lesson I'd planned, refused to have anything to do with poetry, refused to stop talking over one another, refused to stop making senseless snoopdogg references and random comments about cheese. Refused to stop laughing at nothing, refused to draw pictures (c'mon! i'm tryin' here!), refused to read during silent reading. . .

So we didn't do poetry today. Instead we studied the canon of Eminem, who works assonance in a manner to which poets can only aspire. A concept far more attainable than the deep literary mysteries of limerick and haiku, no? And lo and behold, the bell rang, and the students were still focused and engaged.

Who needs 'poetry?'

Eminem, you are my hero.