illustration of a woman with flowing hair holding two young girls in the palm of her hand
Illustration by R. Gregory Christie

Truth

By Nikki Grimes
From the April 2021 Issue

Learning Objective: to analyze a poem in the golden shovel form and then write an original poem using that form

Truth

The truth is, every day we rise is like thunder

 a clap of surprise. Could be echoes of trouble, or

blossoms

of blessing. You never know what garish or gorgeously

disguised memories-to-be might rain down from

above.

So, look up! Claim that cloud with the silver lining. Our

job, if you ask me, is to follow it. See where it heads.

Writing Contest

You might have noticed that some words in the poem appear in bold. Those words form a line from another poem: “Storm Ending” by Jean Toomer. Here’s your task: Choose a line from a poem or work of fiction that you love, and incorporate it into your own poem, using Nikki Grimes’s “Truth” as a model. Send your poem to My Poem Contest. Three winners will each get One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes. 

Entries must be submitted by a legal resident of the U.S. age 18 and older who is the teacher, parent, or guardian of the student. See our Contest page for details.


This poem was originally published in the April 2021 issue.

video (1)
Activities (4)
Answer Key (1)
video (1)
Activities (4)
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

1. PREPARING TO READ (10 MINUTES)

2. READING AND DISCUSSING THE POEM (30 MINUTES)

3. STUDYING AND DISCUSSING THE ILLUSTRATION (20 MINUTES)

4. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING (20 MINUTES)

Text-to-Speech