Permutation / Spare Parts Poems

Permutation, a variation on cut-up poetry, involves taking a set of words and rearranging them to create a new phrase or poem. Making sense is not a requirement of permutation poetry, but it is a challenge to try. As an example, we read and discussed Brion Gysin's "Rub out the Write Word." We then took Emily Dickinson's poem, "They shut me up in Prose," and created brand new permutations from its text. Students were asked to use as many words as possible, without adding or duplicating any, and/or changing verb tenses, agreeing that certain words could be left out of their final poems if necessary – thus the subtitle, Spare Parts Poems.

Ms. Barreda, 8th Grade

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Anthony B.

Shut my Brain lodged a bird in
me. Little girl in the pound. They liked
putting me in the closet. Abolish his
laugh.

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Katherine D.

They could put me in the Closet,
But they liked themself
And wise Brain.
Me up in the pound,
They laugh and go round.
And as a little Star might lodged a Bird.
Abolish for treason
No more himself have seen easy will,
To his captivity
Shut in Prose
Because when a Girl as “still” as I,
They still! have me.

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Jose L.

When they shut me up,
I could laugh no more.
Abolish his brain,
lodged in the closet.
They have peeped,
And seen me in captivity,
“Still” is my will,
As wise as a star,
For they have treason,
The little girl they have liked.

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Rubisol L.

When they Shut me up
I put me in the closet

No more laugh
Still my brain easy as a Star

As they lodged a Bird
They might as wise have go around
A little Girl have peeped

Because they liked himself still
In prose seen themself

Could have for Treason in the Pound

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Jessica M.

The star has seen
a little girl in the
closet.
The bird peeped,
they have lodged
in the pound for
treason.
They laugh no
more because they
shut them up.

Easily put down
Tonya P.

Easy as a star
But the will to laugh
I have no more.
They put me in captivity
as a little girl in a closet.
Still liked me.
Still they have abolish me.

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Marco Q.

They shut a little Girl in the closet.
They lodged a Brain in me.
Still they seen a laugh,
I no more have a Star.
They liked Captivity.
His might and will Abolish.
For my treason.

Full Randomness
Jorge R.

A little Girl liked a
Star. As wise as a bird.
They put me in the closet
because I might shut up.
My Brain laugh himself. Still
it go round.

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Maydali S.

I have a bird
and have a little girl
they will have a star as
easy as a laugh.

Me in the pound
and they put himself
in the closet.

Left-overs
Airam V.

Shut they little Girl
Because as wise my Brain
the Closet – for Treason

I – have liked they Star
A Bird Pound – as Captivity –

laugh – no more
They might have put me in

When seen themself – go round –
As up And easy

Abolish himself
but to will in me “still” –

Mrs. Turk, 7th Grade

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Julissa A.

Laugh in the closet
because a little
bird might pound
for

a star
and my brain will
go
round

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Mayra A.

Shut me up, a little girl
In the closet, still, still
Seen my brain go round

Might as wise lodged a bird
Has but to will
Easy as a star
I have – laugh – no more

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Danielle B.

A little girl wise as a star
my brain might go round.
No more closet
peeped and laugh
Bird in pound. And seen still.
They shut me up. They liked me
easy as treason
themself but no himself.

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Jessica G.

In shut they prose me up.
When little as a girl
in the closet put they me,
me because they “still” liked.

Themself! Could still have peeped
round brain and seen my go.
Might have bird lodged they wise
treason in pound for the

has to will but himself.
Easy and as a star
his captivity – abolish.
No more, I laugh.

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Viridiana H.

Shut me up girl
I will put U in the closet
And laugh as a little Bird
in captivity.

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Emily L.

Girl shut in closet
no laugh – still
I peeped

little bird
no brain
but will himself

abolish has but to will
star – still
captivity!

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Tyler T.

They And me
Me And They
And They Star
in my Brain
And laugh
I A Bird

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Daniel T.

As a little girl
they shut me up
easy as a star.
His captivity
I have no more.
And laugh to himself.
Put me in the closet
for treason.
In the pound.
Still.
They might as have lodged my brain.
They still liked me.
Because could themself have peeped
and seen and abolish in prose.

Ms. Touras, 6th Grade

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Alondra F.

I laugh and have no more,
they seen my little star
go round, they will have a brain
as wise as his themself
might like the bird.

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Joyce J.

The bird liked me.
As they peeped and laugh
I could shut up a little Girl.
A star put in the closet
has a but to have.
As wise as still
they have seen my brain go round

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Desiree R.

laugh as a star
could go easy
wise as still

they have seen a bird
round in a pound

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Neisha R.

They bird to brain,
Girl for might me round.
Pound me wise himself,
Seen Star, no more laugh.
Shut me up, liked still,
Put themself little closet,
When still easy as will.

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Cody T.

Girl up shut
I prose laugh
Bird brain captivity
Abolish himself in Closet
They peeped
But Star pound for treason
Easy no more
His wise has lodged round
Little have they seen
Because they liked me

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Snow V.

Still in the closet
Still a little Girl
Pound themself And laugh, They Shut up
Because they liked the bird, wise
No more Brain, Have I abolish his captivity
As easy as star. Go round prose for
Treason