Students Write Poetry

Poems About Happiness Machines

Writing essays all of the time can be a little boring. That’s why I ask my students to write poetry. It’s a nice break from paragraphs and sentences. Most students enjoy the creativity that comes with poetry.

In this lesson, I gave my students a theme to start their imagination.

Photo by manduhsaurus

Poetry Theme: Happiness Machines

This is a phrase I learned while watching a documentary called “Century of the Self.” The basic idea presented in this BBC show is that humans are manipulated by public relations and  advertising to make us believe that we can achieve happiness by buying things.

The more we buy, the happier we will feel.

In this world, people are no longer thinkers. Advertisers see people as happiness machines.

I explained the theme to my students. I asked them to wrote a poem about that subject. Here are some writing samples. This student work was edited one time in the class. No other changes have been made.

Student Writing Samples

Happy Machine

Don’t lie
Don’t buy
Don’t try to find happiness outside I

Ask why
Why buy
Happiness is nearby
Just like you and I

I’m a Visible Person

I’m a visible person to all.
I see the invisible person
A girl with shy faces
Who thinks she is invisible.
But she can’t see
That everyone sees people.
The girl might think
Nobody cares.
But invisible means
I’m visible to everyone but me.

I’m a Happiness Machine

I’m a happiness machine
I buy things to be happy
I use things to feel happy
I destroy things and become happy
I know after destroying my happiness
I move to other things
I buy another thing
I waste money to keep feeling happy