Tapestry of Faith: Exploring Our Values Through Poetry: A Program for High School Youth

Faith In Action: Beauty Is As Beauty Does

Materials for Activity

  • Pens or pencils and paper

Description of Activity

Participants explore how art can be used not only to imitate life, but to hold up higher aspirations to people.

Invite participants to think about the common saying "beauty is as beauty does." What does it mean? Can participants think of someone who has acted in a beautiful way? The person can be someone famous or not. Perhaps participants read a news story about a pet saving a person's life. Perhaps they have an elderly neighbor who invites the neighborhood children to play in his/her yard.

Have participants write poems about the beautiful actions taken by such individuals. Instruct them to use a form of the word "beauty" in their poem or in a short introduction to the poem. By doing so, they will help spread an alternative idea about beauty by encouraging others to focus more on how we treat each other and less on how we look.

Consider submitting poems to Potato Hill Poetry, which publishes children's poetry online; or to the Louisville Review Children's Corner; or to your local literary magazine; or to your district youth and adult committee newsletter.