1. Topic-
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| Introduction to Poetry Analysis |
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2. Objectives-
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| SWBAT to connect poetic techniques to meaning. |
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3. Materials and Aids-
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-6 sets of the poem "The Watch" by Frances Cornford -- each line
printed on a sentence strip and packaged out of order.
-Projector
-White board and markers
-Online access to the poem |
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4. Procedures/Methods-
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A. Introduction-
1.Have students get into small groups.
2.Hand each group a set and ask them to work together to return the
poem to its original arrangement.
3.Have a prize ready for the group that finishes first. |
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B. Development-
1.Once all groups have been successful, project the poem onto the
whiteboard.
2.As a whole group, ask students to explain their process. How did
they make decisions? What clues did they use. They will mention things
like punctuation, capital letters, syntax, rhyme, content. Lead them
to these discoveries if necessary.
3.Now ask students to look for other notable aspects of the poem.
You can give them specific things to look for (onomatopoeia, alliteration,
assonance, repetition, personification, etc.), or you can see what
they come up with on their own. This is a great opportunity to go
over some literary term definitions. |
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C. Practice-
| By now, some kids will have noticed a variation in form. One line
in the poem has 9 syllables, while the rest have 8. Ask them to think
about why that may be. What is the content of that line? Is it possibly
connected? Point out that there are no accidents. Form informs meaning.
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D. Independent Practice-
1.Continue to discuss the link between poetic devices and meaning.
Be sure to read the poem aloud several times throughout discussion.
2.Note the importance of diction as well.
3.Finally, guide class to a discussion of theme. Try to demonstrate
that all the devices and elements discussed point to the theme. |
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G. Closure-
| The poem is very accessible and should help build confidence around
analysis and overall meaning. |
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