Hip-Hop Poetry and The Classics

This book was introduced to me in an English Department meeting held by our county. It was introduced with such enthusiasm, I just had to check it out for myself. The book is WONDERFUL. Lesson plans are included in the book including poetry writing activities and analysis of poetry sorted by literary devices (such as symbolism, imagery, metaphor, etc..)
My students LOVE the selections of poetry in the book -- the "hip hop" selections allow them to see that contemporary song lyrics are indeed poetry and the classic selections allow them to see how "classic" poetry is similar to popular music lyrics today by using the same techniques utilized by the classic poets. I would rate this book an A+ and definitely recommend it for high school English teachers.

It is so hard to educate some children, mainly because of the outside influences of music, television, and video games. There needs to be a way to connect with them in the classroom similar to those things, and now there is. HIP-HOP POETRY AND THE CLASSICS by Alan Sitomer and Michael Cirelli is the perfect teaching tool for English teachers and educators, a resource for teaching poetry. In this well-thought-out book and teaching guide, Alan Sitomer and Michael Cirelli have produced a product which connects the classic curriculum, which may not hold a student's attention, to hip-hop poetry through standards-based language arts instruction.

HIP-HIP POETRY AND THE CLASSICS analyzes the core literary elements of poetry with examples of each term in a chapter-to-chapter format which includes the actual definition of the term, a classic poem utilizing the device, an interpretation guide for teachers, and a student worksheet. It is then followed with a hip-hop example, its interpretation, and a student worksheet and writing exercise. Not only does this set-up allow the student to understand elements such as imagery, metaphors, onomatopoeia, and symbolism, but it clearly shows the correlation between present day and the classics. The book also includes additional resources, learning objectives, and the language arts standards covered for each.

To actually reach and keep the attention of a student is the goal of many educators world-wide and with tools like HIP-HOP POETRY AND THE CLASSICS in place, they will be armed to do so. It allows them to connect to students on their level. The execution of this book is not only flawless, but an innovative and brilliant concept. I'm sure any student interested in hip hop will have no problems at all incorporating what they love about it into a better understanding and appreciation of literature and poetry. I highly recommend this book for students and teachers alike for use in contemporary, multicultural classrooms, in reading and writing programs, and even in home settings.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

WOW, it's about time! Finally, some peeps put on paper what so many of us have know for years -- Hip-Hop is wirtten by folks with mad skillz. This book has got all the artists and is filled with pages upon pages of material that any serious fan needs to know. Off the hook GREAT!!!