Lesson: We began the class period with a brief discussion of the students' experiences writing literary analyses about The Giver. After collecting their essays, we launched into our next unit of study, poetry.
Poetry differs from prose in several ways, including:
rich use of literary devices --- figures of speech such as similes and metaphors
reliance on sound devices --- rhythm, rhyme, assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia, etc.
economy of expression --- worlds of thought and emotion packed in few words of carefully structured language
Poetry uses language not just for its obvious literal meaning, but also for its sound and shape, for the visual and auditory imagery it evokes, and for the tone and mood it creates.
We discussed poetry terms from a list I distributed.
We also learned how to determine and mark rhyme scheme (if any --- not all poetry rhymes, though most will). Mark the end of the first line and all lines that rhyme with it as a. The next non-a line and all lines that rhyme with it will be b, then the next new end rhyme will be c, and so on.
English (or Shakespearean) sonnets, for example, have a rhyme scheme of ababcdcdefefgg.
Finally, we discussed the process of scansion used to identify the rhythm and meter of a poem. We first "pound out" the meter (clap 'strong' or 'weak' while reciting the poem) to find the rhythm of stressed and unstressed syllables which allows us to identify the metrical foot used.
Metrical feet include:
Iamb */ The most common metrical foot in English, iamb consists of two syllable sounds, unstressed followed by stressed, as in "reTURN"
Trochee /* Often used in children's verse as it creates a 'rocking horse' rhythm, trochee consists of two syllable sounds, stressed followed by unstressed, as in "TOPsy".
Anapest **/ Anapest consists of three syllable sounds with the accented stress on the third syllable, as in "interVENE".
Dactyl /** Dactl consists of three syllable sounds with the accented stress on the first syllable, as in "MERrily".
These are the primary feet in which entire lines or entire poems might be written. However, it is common for a poet to include an occasional exception, whether for deliberate effect or just because it turns out to be unavoidable.
Such occasional feet include:
Spondee //: two stressed syllables, as in "FOOT BALL"
Pyrrhic **: two unstressed syllables, as in "in the"
Other metric feet exist, but these are the primary patterns.
Having noted the type of metrical foot, we then count the number of feet per line to determine line length.
1 foot per line: monometer
2 feet per line: dimeter
3 feet per line: trimeter
4 feet per line: tetrameter
5 feet per line: pentameter
6 feet per line: hexameter
7 feet per line: heptameter
Type of foot + line length = meter.
Thus, iambic pentameter (the most common in English poetry) consist of five iambs (*/) per line of poetry: */ */ */ */ */
Nevertheless, poetry is art, not science. Even the best poets do not adhere perfectly to rhyme or meter, and some do not even try. The essence of poetry is richness of expression and emotion, not meter.
Assignment:
Each student was given a packet of poems to be read and marked with notes. Students are to read each poem through multiple times, including at least one or two readings aloud, since poetry is meant to be heard as well as seen. (In fact, someone has described poetry as a composed and compact wave of energy which moves from eye to ear to inner ear to inner eye.)
Read each poem at least once or twice for meaning. What is the poem saying? What is its mood and tone? Note observations, ideas and questions.
Then read though for rhyme scheme and mark that.
Then scan for meter. Pound out and/or mark to determine the type of metric foot (iamb, trochee, etc.) and number of feet per line. What meter is that?
Continue to reread and make notes for individual poetic elements such as simile, metaphor, alliteration, etc. Work through the list of terms; observe all you can.
Bring the notated poems back to class on March 20. We will discuss how to write poetry explication from there.
Showing posts with label Metaphor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Metaphor. Show all posts
Monday, March 16, 2009
Saturday, October 18, 2008
4th - 6th Writing, October 17
Lesson:
I am thrilled with how well this class is learning! They are so enthusiastic about their writing, and their interest and effort are producing wonderful results. Their compositions show marked improvement every week as they apply their new lesson.
We opened class with a brief review of basics we have covered so far:
Clear communication
expressed in a lively way (vivid word choice, use of senses and emotion)
in correct paragraph form
with sensible organization
and sentence variety. (We will work more on this.)
We then spent some time explaining what we are seeking in the next assignment, which is a place description. I provided large color landscape pictures taken from calendars, from which students could choose their favorite. I asked the students to think about how many photos a photographer might take to get one great shot, and why he or she might have chosen that particular photo instead of another one. In other words, what is interesting, unusual, or special about this photo? Where is its drama? That is what we want to capture.
Like description in general, students will need first to observe the place in question, using as many of the five senses as apply. The difference, for most students, is that they must do this in their imaginations. I asked them to pretend they were in the location of their photo:
What do they see? Shapes, sizes, colors, textures? What colors? (Choose color names like those in the 64-crayon box, not the 8-crayon box.)
What might they feel around them? Soft, warm breezes? Hot, heavy stillness? Cool frosty chill? Piercing bitter cold?
What might they hear? Spring leaves rustling gently, autumn leaves crunching crisply? Songbirds lilting, seabirds cawing? Bees buzzing, crickets chirping, toads thrumming? Thunder clashing, waterfalls crashing, mountain streams splashing? Surf pounding? Silent stillness resounding?
What might they smell? Fresh air after a rain? Fragrant flowers in full bloom? Dry, windblown dust? Damp sea air?
What might they taste? Any notable taste in the air? (Though unlikely in most landscape settings, taste might factor in scenes full of dust, sand, or salt water.)
What movement might take place? Ripe grain heads bobbing and bowing in the wind? Water cascading downstream? Lightning flashing across the sky? (Motion helps to add life, so include it if appropriate.)
What overall mood prevails? Calm and peaceful? Stormy and foreboding? Lonely? Awestruck? Joyous? Powerful? Majestic? Welcoming? Comforting? Hostile? (Choose descriptive words that fit the mood.)
In selecting descriptive phrases, students should make the effort to include at least one, preferably two, instances of the following figures of speech:
Simile --- a comparison using the words "like" or "as"
"My love is like a red, red rose . . ." Robert Burns
Metaphor --- a comparison without using the words "like" or as"
"Love is a rose . . ." Neil Young
Personification --- ascribing aspects of personhood or personality to inanimate objects
"Love is blind . . ." William Shakespeare
As they 'observe' their setting, students might jot down their ideas and comments as we have done for previous paragraphs. From those notes, students can filter, edit, combine, and eliminate details to choose what they wish to include. They will then need to organize their select observations in a physical order that makes sense for the scene they are framing: top to bottom, bottom to top, left to right, right to left, panorama to zoomed-in close-up, focused detail to wide-pan vista. Their words will guide the reader's eye.
With those details in order, students will proceed with the normal writing process. They will compose a catchy topic sentence, an effective conclusion, and an intriguing title. They will join sentences together using transition expressions, creating sentence variety with opening phrases and clauses. [We will continue to cover this more.] After a "breather" period, students will go back to edit and polish their work to their satisfaction, then prepare a smooth final version.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After explaining that lesson, we rounded out the class session by reading aloud some of the object descriptions the students had written the previous week. Many students brought to class the object under examination, so their classmates enjoyed matching the description to the actual item.
Assignment:
Each student will compose a paragraph describing a natural landscape, as described above. Most students will use the calendar pictures I provided, which they will return when they hand in their homework. A few will choose another familiar landscape, but should bring in a photo for the class to view. As we read the paragraphs aloud during our next session, the class will try to match up the photos with their descriptions.
These papers are to be pure description, not narratives. Students are not to make up stories to superimpose upon the settings.
This assignment will be due October 31. Class will not meet next week,October 24.
With an extra week available, some students may choose to write a longer paper this time, or even to write two papers. That is an extra-credit option, but is not required.
I am thrilled with how well this class is learning! They are so enthusiastic about their writing, and their interest and effort are producing wonderful results. Their compositions show marked improvement every week as they apply their new lesson.
We opened class with a brief review of basics we have covered so far:
Clear communication
expressed in a lively way (vivid word choice, use of senses and emotion)
in correct paragraph form
with sensible organization
and sentence variety. (We will work more on this.)
We then spent some time explaining what we are seeking in the next assignment, which is a place description. I provided large color landscape pictures taken from calendars, from which students could choose their favorite. I asked the students to think about how many photos a photographer might take to get one great shot, and why he or she might have chosen that particular photo instead of another one. In other words, what is interesting, unusual, or special about this photo? Where is its drama? That is what we want to capture.
Like description in general, students will need first to observe the place in question, using as many of the five senses as apply. The difference, for most students, is that they must do this in their imaginations. I asked them to pretend they were in the location of their photo:
What do they see? Shapes, sizes, colors, textures? What colors? (Choose color names like those in the 64-crayon box, not the 8-crayon box.)
What might they feel around them? Soft, warm breezes? Hot, heavy stillness? Cool frosty chill? Piercing bitter cold?
What might they hear? Spring leaves rustling gently, autumn leaves crunching crisply? Songbirds lilting, seabirds cawing? Bees buzzing, crickets chirping, toads thrumming? Thunder clashing, waterfalls crashing, mountain streams splashing? Surf pounding? Silent stillness resounding?
What might they smell? Fresh air after a rain? Fragrant flowers in full bloom? Dry, windblown dust? Damp sea air?
What might they taste? Any notable taste in the air? (Though unlikely in most landscape settings, taste might factor in scenes full of dust, sand, or salt water.)
What movement might take place? Ripe grain heads bobbing and bowing in the wind? Water cascading downstream? Lightning flashing across the sky? (Motion helps to add life, so include it if appropriate.)
What overall mood prevails? Calm and peaceful? Stormy and foreboding? Lonely? Awestruck? Joyous? Powerful? Majestic? Welcoming? Comforting? Hostile? (Choose descriptive words that fit the mood.)
In selecting descriptive phrases, students should make the effort to include at least one, preferably two, instances of the following figures of speech:
Simile --- a comparison using the words "like" or "as"
"My love is like a red, red rose . . ." Robert Burns
Metaphor --- a comparison without using the words "like" or as"
"Love is a rose . . ." Neil Young
Personification --- ascribing aspects of personhood or personality to inanimate objects
"Love is blind . . ." William Shakespeare
As they 'observe' their setting, students might jot down their ideas and comments as we have done for previous paragraphs. From those notes, students can filter, edit, combine, and eliminate details to choose what they wish to include. They will then need to organize their select observations in a physical order that makes sense for the scene they are framing: top to bottom, bottom to top, left to right, right to left, panorama to zoomed-in close-up, focused detail to wide-pan vista. Their words will guide the reader's eye.
With those details in order, students will proceed with the normal writing process. They will compose a catchy topic sentence, an effective conclusion, and an intriguing title. They will join sentences together using transition expressions, creating sentence variety with opening phrases and clauses. [We will continue to cover this more.] After a "breather" period, students will go back to edit and polish their work to their satisfaction, then prepare a smooth final version.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After explaining that lesson, we rounded out the class session by reading aloud some of the object descriptions the students had written the previous week. Many students brought to class the object under examination, so their classmates enjoyed matching the description to the actual item.
Assignment:
Each student will compose a paragraph describing a natural landscape, as described above. Most students will use the calendar pictures I provided, which they will return when they hand in their homework. A few will choose another familiar landscape, but should bring in a photo for the class to view. As we read the paragraphs aloud during our next session, the class will try to match up the photos with their descriptions.
These papers are to be pure description, not narratives. Students are not to make up stories to superimpose upon the settings.
This assignment will be due October 31. Class will not meet next week,October 24.
With an extra week available, some students may choose to write a longer paper this time, or even to write two papers. That is an extra-credit option, but is not required.
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