Lesson Objectives:
To understand the greater romantic lyric poem form and structure and write one of your own, honoring an „āina that
you are tied through mo„okū„auhau (genealogy) or „ohana or other life experiences.
To use writing and language creatively to express unique personal perspectives and insights.
To understand epiphany and how the writing process creates a space to connect with, and honor, the „āina as a
kumu, both a source and a teacher.
Background on the Greater Romantic Lyric:
The greater romantic lyric does not necessarily have to be “romantic” in how we generally think—with flowers, music
and a candlelit dinner. Rather, the greater romantic lyric comes from the Romantic era in Europe, which began in the
mid-18th century. Poets, like William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge, in that time and place favored natural and
emotional themes in their writing and were responding to the Enlightenment era which promoted the power of reason
and logic and science over emotion. Thus, the greater romantic lyric was somewhat of a rebellious poem, as it was
created to celebrate the insights and wisdom that can come from reflecting on one‟s emotions and connecting with
the land in meaningful, rather than in dominating, industrial ways. The ideas behind the Romantic movement have a
great deal in common with traditional Kanaka Maoli mele and oli that were composed to musically honor and connect
with various ʻāina and to recognize how the ʻāina can be a kumu, both a source and a teacher.
As you may already be able to tell, the lyric is a poem form that has a great deal in common with music and song.
The common usage of the word “lyric” is usually in the plural form, “lyrics,” which refers to the words to a song.
Similarly, the lyric poem is written to be musical in sound because it was traditionally accompanied by a musical
instrument such as the lyre, and like many contemporary songs, expresses personal feelings and emotions. Today,
lyric poems do not have to rhyme, nor do they have to be set to music; they do, however, adhere to a certain
thematic structure and form so that the reader may see what the poet sees and experience what the poet
experiences. The poem generally begins with a description of the ʻāina, then describes how something in the ʻāina
changes and how this change leads the poet to remember something or feel something. The poem reflects on this
memory or emotion as he/she is experiencing the ʻāina. Through the course of this reflection, the poet then has an
epiphany—he/she comes to some greater understanding, gains wisdom or insight or resolves the emotional problem
by connecting with the ʻāina in this way. Often, the poem returns to where it began, but with a different mood or
emotion.
Discussion Questions:
1. What is “Waiting for the Sunrise at Haleakalā” about? What is happening to the speaker of the poem?
2. What can you tell about the speaker of the poem?
3. Through descriptive imagery, a poet is able to help the reader experience what he/she is experiencing.
What images or moments in the poem stand out to you as things you can see, hear, or feel?
4. What is the significance of the ʻāina, Haleakalā, to the speaker based on what you‟ve read in the poem?
5. What is the epiphany of the poem?
6. How does the poem make you feel? How does the poem‟s mood and tone shift from beginning to end?
7. After hearing the poem read out loud, highlight lines or parts that sound musical to you. What do you notice
about the lines of the poem? How many syllables are they? Do they follow a kind of metered rhythmic
pattern? Do you think the poem is intended to be read slowly or quickly? How do you know this? Do you see
a connection between the speed of the rhythm and the message of the poem?
8. How does this poem connect with you and your own experiences in various ʻāina?
Activity:
Using “Waiting for the Sunrise at Haleakalā” as a model, write your own greater romantic lyric poem that is inspired
by and honors an ʻāina to which you are connected through moʻokūʻauhau (genealogy) or through ʻohana and other
life experiences.
Instructions:
1. Go to the ʻāina that is meaningful to you. Turn off your phone so you will not be distracted. You‟ll need to
take notes, so bring a journal and a pen or pencil.
2. Before writing anything, just spend some quiet time enjoying the beauty around you—the sights, the smells,
the sounds, the feel of the ʻāina under your feet. Take as much time as you like just enjoying what‟s around
you and letting any memories, thoughts or emotions come to you.
3. When you‟re ready, start describing the ʻāina around you, using as much imagery as you can. Try to think
about all of the senses. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel on your skin, under your
feet, emotionally? Are there any smells being carried on the wind? Is there a way that the ʻāina is
communicating with you in some way?
4. Write down any emotions, memories or thoughts as they come to you. Has this ʻāina changed since the last
time you were here? Since you were a child? What has changed about it? What are your earlier memories
of the ʻāina? How do you feel about these changes?
5. Tell the ʻāina, with your spoken words or with your written words, how you feel and express your aloha and
mahalo (gratitude) for all it has given you before you leave.
6. How do you feel after going to this ʻāina? Have you noticed any kind of change in yourself? In the way you
think about the ʻāina, your memories or your emotions? Take note of these reflections after you have left the
ʻāina.
Writing the Poem:
Now you should have had some time to think about your experience and also have some great material to write a
greater romantic lyric.
1. To start, look through all of your descriptive images and list the ones that truly bring you back to that visit.
2. Then, list the most significant memory or thought you had while there. This should be a memory or thought
that has kept popping in your mind since your ʻāina visit.
3. Next, look over your notes on how the ʻāina has changed over time. Think about how you would like to write
about this in your poem.
4. Start writing the poem to tell the story of your experience, making sure to include all of the above details and
keeping in mind the thematic structure of the greater romantic lyric.
5. How do you feel about this experience now? Did you learn anything from writing or thinking about the ʻāina?
Share the epiphany, lesson, or greater understanding you had after this experience.
6. Think about how you would like to arrange your poem through lines, stanzas, rhythm and pacing. When a
poet ends a sentence or a line, the reader must pause. When a poet ends a stanza, the reader must take a
little longer of a pause. Think about how you can use this to slow your poem down in areas where you‟d like
the reader to spend time thinking about what you‟re saying. Think about how certain words, when used
together in rhyme, alliteration, etc., can also add to the musicality of your poem.
7. Enjoy the beauty of your poem and return to the ʻāina and read it out loud—the ʻāina will hear you and love
you for it!