Poetry and Self

Due: Friday, January 16

Overview:

The essential question for this unit is How does our sense of self, or who we are, influence how we see the world?   You will consider this question with your partners as you read and evaluate a poem form the text.  Then, you will present, or teach, the poem to the rest of the class. 

 

Poetry? Why Poetry?
Why read poetry? Entertainment. Poems can make you laugh, cry, smile, think, brood -- the same kinds of things movies, songs, or paintings can do. But poetry is an art form that we're not as familiar with today. So we have to learn to appreciate it, just the way that Anne Bradstreet, were she suddenly transported to our world, would have to learn how to watch a movie. And just as some movies are more difficult than others, some poems are easy to read and follow, while others require more attention.

A successful presentation will:

  1. Be five-seven minutes long with every member of the group participating
  2. Include a rehearsed, smooth, nuanced reading of the poem
  3. Provide some explication of the poem, included a discussion of:

-       what you believe to be the central meaning of the poem

-       The tone of the poem

-       Significant images or imagery in the poem and how those images contribute to the tone and meaning of the poem

  1. Some discussion of how the sense of self of the poet is evident in the poem.
  2. Address the question(s) about the poem that are in your book.

Poems

1.      539 - “The Colonel”  Based on the time the poet spent in El Salvador, Forché refers to this poem as a “documentary poem”.  Consider how the poet’s experience in this case contributes to her view and the tone of the poem.  In addition to the reading, address questions 1-3 at the end of the selection.

 

2.      p. 395 “The Faithful Wife”  In addition to the reading, address questions 1 and 2 on page 396

 

3.      p. 398 “Ragazza”  In addition to the reading, address question 2 on page 403

 

4.      p. 653 - “Indian Boarding School: The Runaways”  In addition to the reading, address questions 2-3 on page 655

 

5.      p. 654 “Public School No. 18: Paterson, New Jersey” In addition to the reading, address questions 5 and 6 on page 655

 

6.      p. 659 “Telephone Conversation” In addition to the reading, address questions 1 and 2 on page 661

 

7.      p. 660 “On the Subway”  In addition to the reading, address question 3 and 4 on page 661

Analyzing and “Reading” Poetry: A Primer

Most people think poems are written with some "deep hidden meaning." They're not. Some poems may be riddles, but that's not the same as a deep hidden meaning.   The "deep hidden meaning" people get from poems comes from literary analysis. And we can subject any piece of writing to that. We can analyze a political speech, an advertisement, history book, or a letter from your girlfriend or boyfriend. Literary poetry, though, is condensed. Good poetry is rich and suggestive. So ideally, a line of poetry says a lot more than the same amount of prose, and analyzing a poem should give you a lot more than analyzing an advertisement. But that doesn't mean the poet hid the meaning in the poem.

 

The 11 basic steps to reading a poem

Step 1: Read through the poem to get a sense of it.

Step 2: Identify the sentences and independent clauses (circle the periods, exclamation points, question marks, and semicolons). For some reason, people always forget that poetry is made up of complete sentences.

Step 3: Read a few lines to figure out if there is meter/rhythm (figure out how many stresses there are in a typical line).

Step 4: Determine if there is a rhyme scheme (look for a pattern)

Step 5: Read the poem out loud. Try to follow the rhythm. If you do this you'll hear where the poet plays with the rhythm. And you'll hear the rhyme scheme.

Step 6: Look up any words you don't understand.

Step 7: Re-read the poem out loud.

Step 8: Mark off any sections in the poem. These sections may be speeches given by a character, discussions of a particular topic, changes in mood, or a new stage of an argument.

Step 9: Re-read the poem.

Step 10: Figure out the tone -- the emotion -- of the poem.

Step 11: Re-read the poem.

So far you haven't done any analysis. But you've got a rich understanding of the poem. You know how it works as verse, and you've probably read the poem the way the poet meant it to be read.

Now you can start on the analysis -- if you like. If you do choose to analyze the poem (or if you are forced into it by your power-mad teachers) you will do a better job because you are alert to what the poem says, and where it changes meaning, tone, sound, or rhythm. This will help you zero in on the important moments in the poem.

 

Source:

Higgins, Andrew.  “How to Read Poetry When Your Teacher Assigns It for Homework.”  On-Line Writing Lab.  English Department, Louisiana Technical Institute. 22 Feb 2006 < http://garts.latech.edu/owl/literature/poetryguide.htm#hidden>.