We spent most of the class period discussing the poems the students had been assigned. We looked at the meaning of each poem, as well as some background information on the poets themselves, and then the various poetic devices employed.
Assignment:
Student are to write a poetry explication of any of the poems distributed so far. Explication means explanation; poetry explication is essentially literary analysis for poetry.
We will learn two formats for poetry explication. Both are correct, so choose whichever format better suits your chosen poem.
Standard five-paragraph essay format
Intro paragraph, ending in thesis statement (Intro is a good place to discuss form of poem, number of stanzas, narrative elements, poet info, etc.)
1st body paragraph: Sound Devices (meter, rhyme scheme, assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia, etc.)
2nd body paragraph: Figures of Speech (simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, etc.)
3rd body paragraph: Imagery/Themes (tone, mood, meaning, etc.)
Concluding paragraph: (Restate thesis, summarize points, opinion/comment on poem)
Stanza-by-stanza, line-by-line poetry explication
Intro paragraph, ending in thesis statement (as above, plus include meter and rhyme scheme. This format does not require standard thesis of statement plus three-part comment; a statement alone is sufficient.)
1st body paragraph: 1st stanza, explained line by line
2nd body paragraph: 2nd stanza, explained line by line
3rd body paragraph: 3rd stanza, explained line by line
and so on, as many body paragraphs as stanzas
Concluding paragraph: as above
Stanzas in poetry are similar to paragraphs in prose. In many poems, stanza breaks are easy to see by the way the poems are laid out visually. In other poems, stanzas may be identified by ideas or rhyme scheme. Stanzas are named by how many lines they contain:
2 lines: couplet
3 lines: tercet
4 lines: quatrain
6 lines: sestet
8 lines: octave
Shakespearean (or English) sonnets, which always have four stanzas of three quatrains and a couplet, work well with the second type. In that case, the explication will have four body paragraphs plus an intro and conclusion.
With the extra week, any student who wishes to do so may submit an original poem or short story for extra credit.
Showing posts with label Poetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poetry. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
7th - 8th Writing, March 27
Lesson:
I collected their literary analysis essays, then discussed with the class the timeline for our remaining lessons. We will take a brief look at poetry in the next couple of weeks, then begin our final unit, an MLA -style research report.
To review information about poetry, read previous posts from the high school lessons. We will not study poetry as deeply as the upper classes, but the information and the assignment for this week is the same:
POETRY REVIEW from Winning Writing: 9th - 12th Writing, March 13
I collected their literary analysis essays, then discussed with the class the timeline for our remaining lessons. We will take a brief look at poetry in the next couple of weeks, then begin our final unit, an MLA -style research report.
To review information about poetry, read previous posts from the high school lessons. We will not study poetry as deeply as the upper classes, but the information and the assignment for this week is the same:
POETRY REVIEW from Winning Writing: 9th - 12th Writing, March 13
9th - 12th Writing, March 27
Lesson:
We discussed the students' choices of poems and styles of explication, as well as any difficulties.
Then we talked our way through some select poems, looking at background, meaning, and poetic devices.
Assignment:
Each student is to choose another poem and write another explication in either of the styles we have discussed. (See last week's blog post to review the two possible approaches.)
We discussed the students' choices of poems and styles of explication, as well as any difficulties.
Then we talked our way through some select poems, looking at background, meaning, and poetic devices.
Assignment:
Each student is to choose another poem and write another explication in either of the styles we have discussed. (See last week's blog post to review the two possible approaches.)
Saturday, March 21, 2009
9th - 12th Writing, March 20
Lesson:
We spent most of the class period discussing the poems the students had been assigned. We looked at the meaning of each poem, as well as some background information on the poets themselves, and then the various poetic devices employed.
This was unfamiliar to most of the class, so we went more slowly and less deeply than I might have liked. We will continue to develop these concepts next week. In the meantime, I distributed a sample poetry explication, along with a few more poems.
Assignment:
Student are to prepare at least a rough draft of a poetry explication of any of the poems distributed so far. I would prefer finished essays, if possible. Explication means explanation; poetry explication is essentially literary analysis for poetry.
We will learn two formats for poetry explication. Both are correct, so choose whichever format better suits your chosen poem.
Standard five-paragraph essay format
Intro paragraph, ending in thesis statement (Intro is a good place to discuss form of poem, number of stanzas, narrative elements, poet info, etc.)
1st body paragraph: Sound Devices (meter, rhyme scheme, assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia, etc.)
2nd body paragraph: Figures of Speech (simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, etc.)
3rd body paragraph: Imagery/Themes (tone, mood, meaning, etc.)
Concluding paragraph: (Restate thesis, summarize points, opinion/comment on poem)
Stanza-by-stanza, line-by-line poetry explication
Intro paragraph, ending in thesis statement (as above, plus include meter and rhyme scheme. This format does not require standard thesis of statement plus three-part comment; a statement alone is sufficient.)
1st body paragraph: 1st stanza, explained line by line
2nd body paragraph: 2nd stanza, explained line by line
3rd body paragraph: 3rd stanza, explained line by line
and so on, as many body paragraphs as stanzas
Concluding paragraph: as above
Stanzas in poetry are similar to paragraphs in prose. In many poems, stanza breaks are easy to see by the way the poems are laid out visually. In other poems, stanzas may be identified by ideas or rhyme scheme. Stanzas are named by how many lines they contain:
2 lines: couplet
3 lines: tercet
4 lines: quatrain
6 lines: sestet
8 lines: octave
The example essay distributed in class follows the stanza by stanza format. Since it explicates a Shakespearean sonnet, which always have four stanzas of three quatrains and a couplet, the example has four body paragraphs plus an intro and conclusion.
We spent most of the class period discussing the poems the students had been assigned. We looked at the meaning of each poem, as well as some background information on the poets themselves, and then the various poetic devices employed.
This was unfamiliar to most of the class, so we went more slowly and less deeply than I might have liked. We will continue to develop these concepts next week. In the meantime, I distributed a sample poetry explication, along with a few more poems.
Assignment:
Student are to prepare at least a rough draft of a poetry explication of any of the poems distributed so far. I would prefer finished essays, if possible. Explication means explanation; poetry explication is essentially literary analysis for poetry.
We will learn two formats for poetry explication. Both are correct, so choose whichever format better suits your chosen poem.
Standard five-paragraph essay format
Intro paragraph, ending in thesis statement (Intro is a good place to discuss form of poem, number of stanzas, narrative elements, poet info, etc.)
1st body paragraph: Sound Devices (meter, rhyme scheme, assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia, etc.)
2nd body paragraph: Figures of Speech (simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, etc.)
3rd body paragraph: Imagery/Themes (tone, mood, meaning, etc.)
Concluding paragraph: (Restate thesis, summarize points, opinion/comment on poem)
Stanza-by-stanza, line-by-line poetry explication
Intro paragraph, ending in thesis statement (as above, plus include meter and rhyme scheme. This format does not require standard thesis of statement plus three-part comment; a statement alone is sufficient.)
1st body paragraph: 1st stanza, explained line by line
2nd body paragraph: 2nd stanza, explained line by line
3rd body paragraph: 3rd stanza, explained line by line
and so on, as many body paragraphs as stanzas
Concluding paragraph: as above
Stanzas in poetry are similar to paragraphs in prose. In many poems, stanza breaks are easy to see by the way the poems are laid out visually. In other poems, stanzas may be identified by ideas or rhyme scheme. Stanzas are named by how many lines they contain:
2 lines: couplet
3 lines: tercet
4 lines: quatrain
6 lines: sestet
8 lines: octave
The example essay distributed in class follows the stanza by stanza format. Since it explicates a Shakespearean sonnet, which always have four stanzas of three quatrains and a couplet, the example has four body paragraphs plus an intro and conclusion.
Monday, March 16, 2009
9th - 12th Writing, March 13
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.
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.
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