[adapted from Notes Plus Vol. 16 #1. August 1998. Pg.7].

Wait a Minute Mr. Postman

Tell students to imagine that the poem of their choice is actually a letter from the author to them. Ask the students to respond with a letter to the author discussing the information in the poem. Students could write with advice from personal experience to help the author. Students could also write to empathize with the author, or to ask for clarification into the situation. In any case, the student would be able to draw on personal experience (or lack of it) to try and respond to a poem they had read.