Last week I read a School Library Journal article about poetry apps for an iPhone or iPad. The article recommended watching a short video for the Penguin Classics book Poems By Heart. I watched the video, and have posted it below in case you haven't seen it.
Since the app is free, and since I have an iPad, I downloaded it. It comes with two poems; if you wish to learn more, additional ones can be purchased.
First off, the app is very colorful and inviting. However, I wish there had been a short introduction to explain what was expected. It was easy enough to figure out that I had to pick out missing words, but, I didn't realize I was going to be timed and scored. I also didn't realize that an app could be so impatient! Hey, app! Give me a break--I'm slow! Or rather, I like to take my time! [Note: I've always found the Penguin colophon to be delightful, so, I really liked the 2-second animated penguin that appears as the app opens!]
The user is challenged to fill-in-the-blanks with missing words, which are provided within a police line-up of likely words. By doing the exercise over and over again, the poem is almost effortlessly memorized. I could see it working with the poem I tried! The day after, though, I couldn't even remember the first line, oh well.
What I would really like to do is to record poems on my own, which I could add to the app, so that I could learn what I want to learn! I'd love to memorize some of my poems, but, I'm really horrible at memorization and could use some help--like, for instance, a bossy app!
Visit The Poem Farm today where Amy is hosting this week's Round-Up.
Sunday is our annual excursion to The Big E, which is always good for poetic inspiration! An exhibit from a prior year was written about here, and maybe next week, I'll have something new to share.
Interesting app! Thanks for the heads up, Diane,
ReplyDeleteIt definitely has possibilities, Jama!
ReplyDeleteDiane, if you have an IPad, you could set it up on a solid surface and set your camera to "video" and record yourself reading it - the whole poem first, then record several more times, with leaving out certain words. I might try that, actually. I'm terrible at memorizing poems, but I love it once it's done. There must be some way to take what that app does and do it yourself!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion, Julie! That might be doable.
ReplyDeleteThis is really interesting. I think kids would enjoy the game aspect, but I am like you - I want to be able to take poetry slow. Adding our own to the app would be great.
ReplyDeleteKnow anyone who writes apps? For free?
DeleteSounds like fun... wish I had an iPad or an iPhone!
ReplyDeleteTruthfully, I still love my desktop pc.
DeleteSounds like something to explore, especially if one can record. Perhaps there's another one similar out there. Thanks for sharing about this one.
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested to learn about more poetry apps, so please share if you find any good ones.
DeletePoetry apps...this would be a great thing for someone to do something with. Thank you for getting this conversation going - I will check this one out. Memorization changes us in so many good ways - I, too, would like to know more poems by heart. Our children know so many as they recite in school.... Happy Poetry Sunday!
ReplyDeleteMemorization is a skill I never mastered. I'm always in awe of Shakespearean stage actors--how do they do it?
ReplyDelete