Poem 5: I'm Staying Home from School Today

Poem


I'm staying home from school today.
I'd rather be in bed
pretending that I have a pain
that's pounding in my head.

I'll say I have a stomach ache.
I'll claim I've got the flu.
I'll shiver like I'm cold
and hold my breath until I'm blue.

I'll fake a cough. I'll fake a sneeze.
I'll say my throat is sore.
If necessary I can throw
a tantrum on the floor.

I'm sure I'll get away with it.
Of that, there's little doubt.
But, even so, I really hope
my students don't find out.

About the Author

Kenn Nesbitt is 45 years old. He was born on February 20, 1962 in Berkley, California. He now lives in a big but old house. Kenn has a wife, a son, and a daughter. His wife named Ann. He also has a son named Max and a daughter named Madison.
      
Kenn Nesbitt children’s first poem was called Scrawny Tawny Skinner written in 1994. After that Kenn Nesbit made two new poems, the names are My Foot Fell Asleep and Binkley. During 1995 and 1996 Kenn Nesbit wrote You Can Never Be Too Careful and A Meloncholy Tales. Although all of these poems appeared in My Foot Fell Asleep.

Kenn Nesbitt poems appeared in magazines, school textbooks, and numerous anthologies of funny poetry, as well as on television, audio CDs and even restaurant placemats.

Kenn has put together this web site to share some of my poems with kids around the world. He post a new poem in his website everyday for kids to read.

Personal Response

The poem “I’m Staying Home from School Today” is generally a poem about a teacher who doesn’t want to go to school or attend her daily job. The poet describes his excuses and reasons into a poem. He gives a brief explanation of what he will do in order to pass or skip a day of his career.

I’m not a teacher but I can relate to this poem. As a high school undergraduate, I struggle everyday with high school. High school it a bit too much for me. I’m still getting use to the tons of work and assignments given to you. I’m still adapting to their expectations. Most teachers expect so much of students. They handout projects and assignments and they expect you to finish it with such little time. Of course, the teachers’ intentions are to motivate and challenge students with their academic skills. I highly support this idea but sometimes, teachers are very strict. They need to be more lenient. Since ‘m in high school, I can understand but my wishes are just lessen the strictness of some teachers. This draws my conclusion. The only reason why I don’t wish to go to school is by the work but I know I’ll have to eventually have to do it.

I’ve tried being absent just to miss schools due to the numerous assignments. Who hasn’t! It was such a wrong thing to do. I knew I wouldn’t benefit out of that doing. Being absent, even for just day meant more work. From then on, I’ve decided to come to school so that I can receive all my work and accomplish them on time.

“I’ll say I have a stomach ache, I’ll claim I’ve got the flu,” is my favorite lines in the poem simply because this was my all-time favorite excuse. I was such an expert actor when it comes to this type of situations back in the days. I would press down on my stomach, curl into a ball, and roll back and forth just to make my acting more realistic. To my astonishment, my parents, especially my mother, believed me. She will automatically put me into my comfort zone. I had the special treatment – food, air conditioner, and television. I knew it was bad to take advantage of people especially your parents. This is also why I stopped doing such horrible things.

TP-Cast/Rhetorical Triangle Analysis

Title: The title itself is very obvious. "I'm staying home from school today" only gives you one idea only, and that person (student, staff, or principal) does not want to go to school.

Paraphrase:
I'm staying home from school today.
I'd rather be in bed
pretending that I'm in agonizing pain
that pounding in my head

I'll say I have a bad stomach ache.
I'll claim I've got the common cold.
I'll shiver like I'm freezing
and grasp my breath until I'm blue.

I'll impersonate a cough. I'll fake a sneeze.
I'll say my throat is sore.
If needed I can throw
a tantrum on the floor.

I'm sure I'll get away with it.
Of that, there's little doubt.
But even so, I truly hope
my students don't find out.

Connotation:
1. Structure - 4 stanza and quatrains. Rhyme Scheme -- ABCB ABCB ABCB ABCB Meter -- Iambic Tetrameter Punctuation -- periods and apostrophe 
2. Speaker - a teacher, Audience -- his students.
3. Figurative Language - Hyperbole (pretending that I have a pain that's pounding in my head... and hold my breath until I'm blue.)

4. Imagery - Touch (I'll shiver like I'm cold) Sight (and hold my breath until I'm blue.)
5. Repetition - NONE

Attitude:
Lazy, irresponsible, inconsiderate, deceiving, cunning, dishonest, selfish, cynical.

Shifts:
1st quatrain - He will pretend that he has a massive headache or possibly a migraine.
2nd quatrain - The poet further continues to give more excuses such as having the flu, stomach ache, cold, and so forth.
3rd quatrain - He still continues his selfish intentions. He also states that he will go to an extent by throwing a tantrum if necessary.
4th quatrain - The poet knows for a certain that he'll get away with his wrong doing but even so, he still hopes his students don't find out.

Title: I was correct with my first answer and predictions. This teacher must really loath his students if he goes to this extent. Another conspiracy is that the teacher is just a lazy bum. He gives details about the excuses he'll say if he does not want to go to school. While most of these excuses are accurate, students will be affected by the outcome. Most students will have trouble regarding their education. The students will probably be behind from all the lessons that are expected there to be taught. I believe people, especially teachers, shouldn't even think of making such ridiculous excuses just to skip school whatsoever. Students will be the most affected.

Theme: Every lie has its consequences.

References (APA-6)

Nesbitt, K. (2001). Giggle Poetry. I'm Staying form School Today. Website. Retrieved from
http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poem.aspx?PoemID=529&CategoryID=44