Poetry Unit

Literary TermsExamples

ExplicationsProject

"I Am" Poem Outline

 First Stanza

I am (three characteristics that you have) I wonder (something you are curious about) I hear (imaginary sound) I see (imaginary sight) I want (a goal in your life-present or future) I am (the first line of the poem repeated)

Second Stanza

I pretend (something you pretend to do) I feel (an emotion you are currently experiencing) I stress (something that you are concerned about) I worry (something that really bothers you) I cry (something that makes you sad) I am (the first line of the poem repeated)

Third Stanza

I understand (something you know is true) I say (something you believe in) I dream (something you actually dream about) I try (something you really make an effort about) I hope (something you actually hope for) I am (the first line of the poem repeated)

Literary Terms: Poetry

Poetry: The definition of poetry (from the Greek poiemalis) is a type of literature that is written in meter

Meter: specific form of syllables and/or rhyme in a line of poetry that creates a pattern or rhythm

Form: the general organizing principle of a poem

Stanzas:

TYPES OF POETRY*Ode:

*Free Verse:

*Sonnet:

*Narrative:

*Imagery:

*Satire:

SOUND DEVICES OF POETRY*Alliteration:

*Assonance:

*Consonance:

*Rhyme:

*Onomatopoeia:

*Rhythm:

*Euphony:

*Cacophony:FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE OF POETRY*Imagery:

*Hyperbole:

*Simile:

*Metaphor:

*Personification:

*Allusion:

*Oxymoron:

*Tone:

*Inversion:

*Symbolism:

Common Symbols in Poetry: nature, colors, aspects of dark and light, religion

*Theme:

Common Themes in Poetry: self discovery, love gain and love loss, oppression, recovery, quests

How to Read and Analyze a Poem

Use the guidelines below to learn how to read a poem and understand it.

Read with a pencil/pen Examine the basic subject of the poem Consider the context of the poem Study the form of the poem Finishing Up

Read with a pencil/pen-Mark it up; write in the margins;-Circle important, or striking, or repeated words. Draw lines to connect related ideas. Mark difficult or confusing words, lines, and passages.

Examine the basic subject of the poem Consider the title of the poem carefully. What does it tell you about the poem's subject,

tone, and genre? After having read the poem, does the meaning of the title change?

What is the poem's subject?

Ask yourself questions and answer them by pointing to specific parts in the poem.-What is going on? -Who is talking? To whom? Under what circumstances? Where? About what? -Is a story being told? -Is something being described?

What is the author's attitude? 

Consider the context (time, setting, era, society) of the poem Are there any allusions to other literary or historical figures or events?

What do you know about this author or the time that they live in?top

Study the form of the poem List the literary devices you notice.

Is there rhythm or rhyme?

Finishing Up

Ask, finally, about the poem, "So what?" What does it do? What does it say? What is its purpose (message/theme)?

“Sympathy”

by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)

I KNOW what the caged bird feels, alas! When the sun is bright on the upland slopes; When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass, And the river flows like a stream of glass; When the first bird sings and the first bud opes, And the faint perfume from its chalice steals —

I know what the caged bird feels! I know why the caged bird beats his wing Till its blood is red on the cruel bars; For he must fly back to his perch and cling When he fain would be on the bough a-swing; And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars And they pulse again with a keener sting — I know why he beats his wing!

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me, When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,— When he beats his bars and he would be free; It is not a carol of joy or glee, But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core, But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings —

I know why the caged bird sings

“Sympathy” (with explication)

I know what the caged bird feels, alas! A

When the sun is bright on the upland slopes; B

Alliteration When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass, A

Simile And the river flows like a stream of glass; A

Metaphors, diction When the first bird sings and the first bud opes, B

Metaphor And the faint perfume from its chalice steals C

I know what the caged bird feels! C

I know why the caged bird beats his wing D

Imagery Till its blood is red on the cruel bars E

For he must fly back to his perch and cling F

Diction When he fain would be on the bough a-swing F

And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars E

Personification And they pulse again with a keener sting F

I know why he beats his wing! F

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me, G

Alliteration When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore, H

When he beats his bars and he would be free; G

Metaphor It is not a carol of joy or glee H

But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core H

Imagery But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings F

Repetition I know why the caged bird sings! F

Overall Message/Theme:

The bird realizes the unnatural cruelty of it captivity and rages against it. The repetition suggests the beating of the bird’s wings. It’s regular rhyme scheme and periodic alliteration reinforces the image of a cage with regularly spaced bars. People in captivity or those who are oppressed feel trapped by society yet shouldn’t lost hope.

Facing Itby Yusef KomunyakaaMy black face fades,hiding inside the black granite.I said I wouldn't,dammit: No tears.I'm stone. I'm flesh.My clouded reflection eyes melike a bird of prey, the profile of night

slanted against morning. I turnthis way--the stone lets me go.I turn that way--I'm insidethe Vietnam Veterans Memorialagain, depending on the lightto make a difference.I go down the 58,022 names,half-expecting to findmy own in letters like smoke.I touch the name Andrew Johnson;I see the booby trap's white flash.Names shimmer on a woman's blousebut when she walks awaythe names stay on the wall.Brushstrokes flash, a red bird'swings cutting across my stare.The sky. A plane in the sky.A white vet's image floatscloser to me, then his pale eyeslook through mine. I'm a window.He's lost his right arminside the stone. In the black mirrora woman's trying to erase names:No, she's brushing a boy's hair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRFs8facs5c#t=83

Hall of FameBy The Script

Yeah, you can be the greatestYou can be the bestYou can be the King Kong banging on your chest

You can beat the worldYou can beat the warYou can talk to God, go banging on his door

Yeah, do it for your peopleDo it for your prideHow are you ever gonna know if you never even try?

Do it for your countryDo it for your name'Cause there's gonna be a day...

When you're standing in the hall of fame (yeah)And the world's gonna know your name (yeah)

You can throw your hands upYou can beat the clock (yeah)You can move a mountainYou can break rocksYou can be a masterDon't wait for luckDedicate yourself and you gon' find yourself

Standing in the hall of fame (yeah)And the world's gonna know your name (yeah)'Cause you burn with the brightest flame (yeah)And the world's gonna know your name (yeah)And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame

You can go the distanceYou can run the mileYou can walk straight through hell with a smile

You can be the heroYou can get the goldBreaking all the records they thought never could be broke

'Cause you burn with the brightest flame (yeah)And the world's gonna know your name (yeah)And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame

Be a champion, be a champion, be a champion, be a championOn the walls of the hall of fame

Be studentsBe teachersBe politiciansBe preachers(Yeah)

Standing in the hall of fame

SongwritersO'DONOGHUE, DANIEL JOHN / SHEEHAN, MARK ANTHONY / BARRY, JAMES

O Me! O Life!BY WALT WHITMAN

Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish,Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I,

and who more faithless?)

Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d,

Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,

Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,

The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

                                       Answer.That you are here—that life exists and identity,That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.

PROJECT: What will your verse be?http://business.time.com/2014/01/13/apples-latest-ad-is-probably-going-to-give-you-chills/

Create a declarative sentence that you would want to be said about you after your time has passed on a certain era of your life. Then, use visual rhetoric to display the intended message or theme of your sentence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw2xSdp4bOchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjBmnfI4Tn4

Poetry Island

Who Will Be the Ultimate Survivor?Your challenge in this project is to choose and research a particular poet and, by presenting his/her works in four different styles, attempt to “stay on the island” while others are voted off. This will be a weeklong activity, in which your prior knowledge of active reading, interpretation, explication and speaking skills will be

utilized. Tribes will present daily, and votes will be tallied at the end of each day to determine who remains on Poetry Island.

Directions1. Your tribe (3-5 students) will choose a poet to research. You then will make

a “tribal flag” which represents your group and poet. The flag must have five symbols of the poet’s life on it as well as all of your tribe members’ names. This flag will be lowered if your tribe is voted off the island.

2. After choosing a poet, the tribe will choose four different poems from his/her writings. As a tribe, you will try to convince your classmates that your poet is most worthy to stay on the island by presenting the poetry in the following formats:

DAY ONE: Mood MusicDAY TWO: Artistic InterpretationDAY THREE: Student-Teacher LessonDAY FOUR: Drama

3. Each day, every student will vote (individually) with a “ballot” that gives one specific piece of evidence as to why a specific tribe should stay. The tribes with the most ballots will remain on the island. One tribe will leave the island each day.

Presentation Expectations

Read through the following directions for each presentation. Choose four poems that are particularly appropriate for each day. You should have a copy of the day’s poem for Mrs. Brewer every day you present. Tribes will present every day in front of the class. Keep in mind that even though you may be “voted off”, you still must perform to earn a grade.

DAY ONE: MOOD MUSICThe goal is to create an atmosphere in the classroom that matches the mood (emotional feeling emitted by the writing) of the poem. Relay the mood of the poem through music and lighting. Appeal to the senses (sight, sound, smell) by using sound effects, songs, instruments, and backgrounds. Some effective examples are the following: sad mood-dark lighting, candles; suspenseful mood-strobe light, sounds of thunder; joyful mood-different colored balloons, etc. The more “atmosphere” you provide for the classroom while reading your poem, the more effective your presentation will be. Every student must be active in the presentation, and each student must read one part of the poem.

DAY TWO: ARTISTIC INTERPRETATIONThe goal is to relay the theme (meaning) of the poem through an artistic medium. Each member of the tribe must choose a different type of art to create that represents elements of the poem (such as symbolism, metaphors, similes, etc.) The poem must be recited as a tribe first, and then each member will explain how their art relates to the poem. Speaking elements, such as inflection, volume, and pace MUST be used for an effective presentation, so make sure you practice as a group before you present. No two art mediums can be alike within one tribe. Some examples are poster, diorama, collage, sculpture, painting, etc.

DAY THREE: STUDENT-TEACHER LESSONThe goal is to take over Mrs. Brewer’s job (for 5-7 minutes, that is). You are the instructor, and your job is to teach your class poetry elements (such as imagery, simile, metaphor, tone, mood, alliteration, rhyme scheme, etc) as well as get the students to correctly interpret the meaning of the poem. The challenge here is to make the lesson effective as well as exciting. What kind of activities can you create to make learning fun?

DAY FOUR: DRAMA!The goal is to act out the poem using props, costumes, and lots of dramatic actions and speeches. Bring the writing to life by overemphasizing the emotions in the poem. Every member should take a role in this presentation. Some possible roles are: director, narrator, and actor/actress. You may record this presentation in advance.

Student-Teacher Lesson Plan

The goal is to present a short, yet effective lesson on your poem to your class. The challenge is to make learning fun. Choose ONE aspect of poetry to teach and create

an activity and assessment for your poem. The MAXIMUM time for this lesson is eight minutes, and every tribe member must participate in the lesson. Mrs. Brewer will end your lesson at eight minutes (no matter where you are), so make sure you practice and time these during your work days. Your “class aide”, Mrs. Brewer, will take care of discipline issues, so focus on the development and delivery of your lesson.

Lesson Format

I. Objective: State the goal of your lesson (“By the end of class, you should be able to identify metaphors-OR- interpret the author’s meaning,-OR- interpret symbols-OR- identify alliteration”, etc.)

II. Activity (which should accomplish objective)1. Present the poem (with copies for each student)2. Review prior knowledge (what we have/should already

know)3. Explain and conduct activity with class4. Review main points

III. Assessmenti. Create a short (3 questions) assessment that determines whether or

not the lesson was effective (did the students meet the goal of the objective?)

ii. Assessment can be verbal or written.IV. Closing (Review the obtained objective-“Today you learned…”)

Due Dates and Rules

DUE DATES

Monday, April 6: packets handed out; poetry terms and notesTuesday, April 7: poem analysis practiceWednesday, April 8: poem analysis practice; groups and poets assignedThursday, April 10: Lab-print out poems Friday, April 11: work day-make flags

Monday, April 13: review for testTuesday, April 14: Poetry TestWednesday, April 15: work day for for mood musicThursday, April 16: work day for artistic interpretationFriday, April 17: MOOD MUSIC PRESENTATIONS

Monday, April 20: English lab-rough drafts dueTuesday, April 21: work day for student-teacher lessonWednesday, April 22: ARTISTIC INTERPRETATION PRESENTATIONSThursday, April 23: STUDENT-TEACHER PRESENTATIONSFriday, April 24: English lab-work on editing rough drafts for final research paper

Monday, April 27: work day for drama presentationsTuesday, April 28: DRAMA PRESENTATIONSWednesday, April 29: make-up dayThursday, April 30: “What Will Your Verse Be?” projectsFriday, May 1: Share projects

Rules and Regulations1. All group work must be distributed and performed equally.2. For each presentation day, your group must provide Mrs. Brewer with a copy of your poem.3. At the end of the performances, every student will write a “ballot” citing which one tribe should stay on the island. 4. Each tribe performs every day, regardless of the votes.