It was a frosty cold day outside, but inside our cozy treehouse classroom, the students were deeply immersed in a new Ancient Chinese poetry lesson with our poet in residence, Steven Ratiner.
Steven began the lesson with a discussion about the cult of friendship. In Ancient China, as in China today, friendships are valued. Back then, if a friend moved away, it was difficult to maintain regular communication. A lot of Chinese poems from that era are about saying goodbye. The students then saw pictures of a scroll depicting the Orchid Pavilion. Built during the Han Dynasty at the foot of the Lanzhu Mountain, it is well known for its poetry. Upon closer examination, the scroll shows people writing poems and drinking tea.
The style of poetry introduced today is known as duets. Steven created this style which is inspired by poetry from China and Japan. After pairing the students, each pair was given a paper window showing either an artwork or photograph. The students created what Steven called “One poem from two imaginations,” which is like having a soul conversation.
While the children wrote, Jasmine tea and cookies were served, just like in ancient times at the Orchid Pavilion. Thanks to Bamboo in Westford, real teacups and tiny plates were used. Once finished, Steven talked with the children about performance skills and the poems were read as duets by each pair. The results are stunning. Click the tab at the top of the page “Tea Party at the Orchid Pavilion” to read their poems.
