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Get Lit Rising: Words Ignite. Claim Your Poem. Claim Your Life.
Get to know the Get Lit Players—a group of teens who use poetry to take on the world—with this standards-based book that sheds light on teen issues through their own poetry and slam poetry performances.
Get Lit Rising brings to life the true story of nineteen teen poets (the Get Lit Players) who are inspiring thousands of teens across the country through their award-winning performances of classic and spoken word poems. This book takes readers inside the private lives of these teen poets as they try to transform the lives of inner city teens in some of the toughest life circumstances. The Get Lit Players include teens who struggle with homelessness, autism, incarceration, body image, depression, and more. But they use the power of poetry to reclaim their lives and influence their friends, families, and communities.
This uplifting book also offers the classic poems that have most inspired the Get Lit Players, along with their own personal response poems, and each chapter offers questions, writing prompts, and how-tos for readers to set their own inner poet free. Ending with a section for parents and educators featuring the curriculum that’s already in schools throughout California, this slam-dunk shows how to get teens excited about poetry and how to create poetry groups and slams in their own communities.
Get Lit Rising brings to life the true story of nineteen teen poets (the Get Lit Players) who are inspiring thousands of teens across the country through their award-winning performances of classic and spoken word poems. This book takes readers inside the private lives of these teen poets as they try to transform the lives of inner city teens in some of the toughest life circumstances. The Get Lit Players include teens who struggle with homelessness, autism, incarceration, body image, depression, and more. But they use the power of poetry to reclaim their lives and influence their friends, families, and communities.
This uplifting book also offers the classic poems that have most inspired the Get Lit Players, along with their own personal response poems, and each chapter offers questions, writing prompts, and how-tos for readers to set their own inner poet free. Ending with a section for parents and educators featuring the curriculum that’s already in schools throughout California, this slam-dunk shows how to get teens excited about poetry and how to create poetry groups and slams in their own communities.
- GenresPoetryYoung AdultWriting
272 pages, Paperback
Published October 18, 2016
17 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
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October 7, 2017I don't feel like a rating can really be justified on a collection of poetry by teenagers but there were definitely some great poems and prompts. I don't know how I feel about Get Lit as an organisation but I think their mission is great. It was great to see how the arts could help students.
April 26, 2021
This motivated me into writing again, who would‘ve thought?
—
Diese Gedichtsammlung wird ab jetzt denke ich immer in meinem Hinterkopf sein. Ich bin kein Gedichtsliebhaber (werde ich das jemals sein?) aber junge Menschen, die auf diese Art ihren Gefühlen und Lebensgeschichten Ausdruck verleihen? Sign me up. Ein weiteres Mal wird im Verlauf des Buches klar wie wichtig Ausdruckmöglichkeiten für Menschen sind und ich habe mich mehrmals in einem Tagtraum erwischt, bei dem ich Jugendlichen im Unterricht dieses Buch als Analysegrundlage gebe. Und ich will nichtmal Lehrer werden.
Nicht alle Gedichte haben mir gefallen, manche waren auch überhaupt nicht mein Geschmack aber jeder Geschichte konnte ich etwas abgewinnen und die Prompts bringen mich zum eigenen reflektieren. Ich habe Gedichte kennengelernt, die mich Dinge fühlen lassen haben und weiß jetzt, was ich nicht so gerne mag, was super ist. Darüberhinaus habe ich die Motivation endlich wieder was Kreatives in meinem Leben anzugehen. Ob das die Winterdepression ist, die sich langsam lüftet, oder das Buch das Wunder vollbringt: Wer weiß das schon so genau?
—
Diese Gedichtsammlung wird ab jetzt denke ich immer in meinem Hinterkopf sein. Ich bin kein Gedichtsliebhaber (werde ich das jemals sein?) aber junge Menschen, die auf diese Art ihren Gefühlen und Lebensgeschichten Ausdruck verleihen? Sign me up. Ein weiteres Mal wird im Verlauf des Buches klar wie wichtig Ausdruckmöglichkeiten für Menschen sind und ich habe mich mehrmals in einem Tagtraum erwischt, bei dem ich Jugendlichen im Unterricht dieses Buch als Analysegrundlage gebe. Und ich will nichtmal Lehrer werden.
Nicht alle Gedichte haben mir gefallen, manche waren auch überhaupt nicht mein Geschmack aber jeder Geschichte konnte ich etwas abgewinnen und die Prompts bringen mich zum eigenen reflektieren. Ich habe Gedichte kennengelernt, die mich Dinge fühlen lassen haben und weiß jetzt, was ich nicht so gerne mag, was super ist. Darüberhinaus habe ich die Motivation endlich wieder was Kreatives in meinem Leben anzugehen. Ob das die Winterdepression ist, die sich langsam lüftet, oder das Buch das Wunder vollbringt: Wer weiß das schon so genau?
June 24, 2017
A poetry collection for all high school libraries.
I started this book earlier in the year, read most of it, assigned it as a book club option in one of my classes, and finally finished it a couple of days ago. The college students who read it this spring loved it. I didn't love it as much -- I didn't always care for the poets' personal essays and all of their poems, but the book has soul and passion and grapples with so many of the struggles (identity, poverty, race, sexuality, homelessness, violence, etc.) teens confront daily.
What I loved best about the book (from a teacher standpoint) was imagining how Get Lit's engagement with poetry could be replicated, both in terms of the writing and the performing. Since each of the spoken word poems are written in response or as an homage to another poem, there are many, many opportunities for inter-textual analysis and mentor text exploration.
And the performances...wow. I searched for videos of a number of them online as I was reading. This one was my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7HDO...
I started this book earlier in the year, read most of it, assigned it as a book club option in one of my classes, and finally finished it a couple of days ago. The college students who read it this spring loved it. I didn't love it as much -- I didn't always care for the poets' personal essays and all of their poems, but the book has soul and passion and grapples with so many of the struggles (identity, poverty, race, sexuality, homelessness, violence, etc.) teens confront daily.
What I loved best about the book (from a teacher standpoint) was imagining how Get Lit's engagement with poetry could be replicated, both in terms of the writing and the performing. Since each of the spoken word poems are written in response or as an homage to another poem, there are many, many opportunities for inter-textual analysis and mentor text exploration.
And the performances...wow. I searched for videos of a number of them online as I was reading. This one was my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7HDO...
December 10, 2016
This book, the poets in it, and the movement they represent, has the potential to change the world for teenagers everywhere. It has inspired me to passionately champion the power of the written and spoken word all over again. It is a must-read for high schoolers and high school English teachers.
September 6, 2017
Loved this book, inspiring and altogether a wonderful book to give to students!
December 6, 2016
I received this book through Beyond Words Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I actually don't have a lot to say for this review! I think the people involved in it, writing their biographies and their poetry, were all very great (and, even if they weren't, I understand that, at their ages, it's just important to want to write poetry- you'll get better over time). I think this would be a fantastic learning tool in high school- the activities and poetry recommendations would serve as a good lesson plan for high schoolers.
Some of my favorite lines of poetry from this collection:
* "Stop committing yourself to songs and stories and spoken slam bullshit in a world where degrees and PhDs impede the need for poetry."
* "A white person gets encouragement, praise, for weak attempts at a second language. 'Maybe he wants to be brown like us.' and that is good. My earnest attempts make me look bad, dumb."
* "Por lo que no tenga miedo de recordar / So don't be afraid to remember / Recuerde su cultura / Remember your culture. Before it forgets you. Can I speak about my culture? Can I ... I ... I speak."
* "And if you keep walking around telling sad girls to smile, / No one will want to be. / And if you come any closer, I'll bite you. / And smile Red."
* "like a wine glass, like an oven you can't even stick your head in, it won't work right, can't love right"
* "Virtue and crime weigh the same I've seen it: in a man who was both criminal and virtuous."
* "My mom always taught me / That it's easier just to say sorry / To say please and thank you / Occasionally, no thank you. / I was force-fed table manners [...] "And remember to say 'Sorry,' even when it's not your fault." / I carried each of my mother's syllables with the loose change in my pockets, Held them under my tongue and between clenched jaws."
* "So I said I would pray and wish that I were made of lead / So I could erase and start over like you said. / But I'm not / So instead I tried being dead. You were the reason for my third suicide attempt / To come back different. / But I'm already different / So to come back from being different would mean to come back the same."
* "do towns suffer like people heart attacks"
I actually don't have a lot to say for this review! I think the people involved in it, writing their biographies and their poetry, were all very great (and, even if they weren't, I understand that, at their ages, it's just important to want to write poetry- you'll get better over time). I think this would be a fantastic learning tool in high school- the activities and poetry recommendations would serve as a good lesson plan for high schoolers.
Some of my favorite lines of poetry from this collection:
* "Stop committing yourself to songs and stories and spoken slam bullshit in a world where degrees and PhDs impede the need for poetry."
* "A white person gets encouragement, praise, for weak attempts at a second language. 'Maybe he wants to be brown like us.' and that is good. My earnest attempts make me look bad, dumb."
* "Por lo que no tenga miedo de recordar / So don't be afraid to remember / Recuerde su cultura / Remember your culture. Before it forgets you. Can I speak about my culture? Can I ... I ... I speak."
* "And if you keep walking around telling sad girls to smile, / No one will want to be. / And if you come any closer, I'll bite you. / And smile Red."
* "like a wine glass, like an oven you can't even stick your head in, it won't work right, can't love right"
* "Virtue and crime weigh the same I've seen it: in a man who was both criminal and virtuous."
* "My mom always taught me / That it's easier just to say sorry / To say please and thank you / Occasionally, no thank you. / I was force-fed table manners [...] "And remember to say 'Sorry,' even when it's not your fault." / I carried each of my mother's syllables with the loose change in my pockets, Held them under my tongue and between clenched jaws."
* "So I said I would pray and wish that I were made of lead / So I could erase and start over like you said. / But I'm not / So instead I tried being dead. You were the reason for my third suicide attempt / To come back different. / But I'm already different / So to come back from being different would mean to come back the same."
* "do towns suffer like people heart attacks"
January 9, 2017
If you have a teen or know one that loves poetry or even just needs/wants to express themselves but isn't sure how, this could be the book for them. It tells the story of 19 teens who are part of a poetry slam group in southern California called, "Get Lit." These kids are inspiring and talented and many of the poems they have written are fantastic. The book also includes poems by writers like Maya Angelou, Longfellow, Marge Piercy and others, and then lists great poems to look into later.
The book just warmed those pieces of my heart that belong to poetry.
The book just warmed those pieces of my heart that belong to poetry.
December 29, 2016
This book does so many things -- introduces readers to teen poets and how poetry has become part of their lives, shows how you can use classic poetry to inspire your own, offers insightful questions and prompts to help you write your own poetry, and gives information on starting your own poetry group -- and does them so well!
An awesome resource for the classroom, library, or stack of books in your home (not that I have those . . . .)
An awesome resource for the classroom, library, or stack of books in your home (not that I have those . . . .)
November 26, 2016
This compilation of poetry from the Get Lit - Words Ignite organization unites a classic poem with an original response poem from a member of the Get Lit spoken word troupe. Each performer shares a bit about their life, how society has labeled them and how they react to that label through their poetry.
Reviewer 19
Reviewer 19
July 25, 2019
Ordinary, Poser, Numb, Spectrum; these are just a few of the ways that the 20 students in Get Lit Rising describe themselves. Get Lit Rising is comprised of 20, mostly teenagers, telling their personal stories through prose and poetry. The poetry portion is composed of a classic poem and a response poem that they compose themselves. There is also a section explaining what Get Lit is and how to start a chapter at your school. The index contains several poems to use as a foundation for your classic poems as a starting point.
May 9, 2022
This is a collection of Get Lit poets who give their story, a poem that influenced them, and a response poem that they wrote. It also gives you prompts for trying to write poems and lots of references to poets and their poems.
August 24, 2017
This is a great resource for teaching and engaging enough for students!
September 1, 2017
Amazing inspirational poems and backstories! In my opinion, poems written by younguns are the best. Raw and Real. Definitely one I'd read over and over.
July 2, 2023
This book was awesome!!
February 2, 2025
A beautiful collection of poetry, featuring some of my personal favorite poets from slam poetry on YouTube.
January 22, 2019
this book was filled with many different kinds of poetry. The book not only included a lot of poetry but also the poets personal essay. However, I would get bored once in a while because their were more of poets essays than the actual poem. The book had some very interesting and good poems with very different topics and styles. Some poems would be incredibly deep and sad while some could be humorous and light.
Overall I think that I would recommend this book for people who really want to study or is very passionate for poetry because, most of the poetry was excellent but the poets backstory and their essays could be somewhat tiring.
Overall I think that I would recommend this book for people who really want to study or is very passionate for poetry because, most of the poetry was excellent but the poets backstory and their essays could be somewhat tiring.
June 2, 2017
DNF. I like the format and theme of the book but it got tiring to read towards the end.
*Edit
Read again and loved it. Timing is everything!!
*Edit
Read again and loved it. Timing is everything!!
February 6, 2017
A collection of poetry written by teens in the LA area. A great testament to the power of arts programs to inspire and save lives. The poetry is arranged with one classic poem and then one response poem by the teen author. I like the poetry but especially liked each introduction to the teen author.
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August 13, 2017Great way to introduce poetry to reluctant writers. I was moved by so many of the teens who used this process to work through their own adversaries.
December 21, 2018
Read poems on PoemHunter.com
*The childrens's hour by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
*The childrens's hour by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews