Two Sides to Every Story: Poetry for Two Voices
“A poem for two voices is a two-column [or 3-column] format that allows writers to juxtapose two
contrasting ideas, concepts, or perspectives. Alternating lines indicate opposing viewpoints and are read
by an individual voice. Adjacent lines represent agreement or compromise and are therefore read in
unison.” http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/fear/procedure.html
In this activity, you will read a speech and listen or read an account of a WW II veteran, highlighting or
writing meaningful words and phrases. Your final product will be a poem in two voices.
Procedure:
1.
As you have done in the past for found poems, read through President Roosevelt’s “A Day
Which will Live in Infamy” speech, and highlight meaningful words and phrases. REMEMBER:
Do NOT highlight entire sentences.
2. Choose to read or listen to one of the following articles from the Veterans History Project. You
will have to take notes from the audio files to use in this activity.


Warren Michio Tsuneishi: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.02153/
Norman Saburo Ikari: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.10680/
3. Again, highlight those words and phrases that you think will work best for the poem for two
voices.
 Designate one source to be #1, and one to be #2.
 Look over the sample poem for two voices again to make sure that you have an idea of
how to construct one.
 Find words or phrases from each source that are almost exactly the same, and use those
in the middle row.
 Put the differences in the column for each of the speakers. You may want to look for
words or phrases from one source that says the opposite—or disagrees with—the other
source, and find a way to add these to your poem.
 You may have to paraphrase a phrase or two to make this work—but so do HONESTLY.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Aim to fill at least the first page with your phrases.
Read over the poem in your group to fine tune it.
Share with the entire class.
This could be a creative assessment of close reading/understanding informational texts.