Lesson Plan for Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

1.        Hand in:

“Dialogue” (worth 10 points)

2.       Lesson:

What makes a poem a poem?

                Read today’s poem: “Absolutes” by Gustave Keyser

Have students take notes on the techniques poets use under the following categories:

Structure (how the poem looks on the page as compared to prose)

Sound (the various techniques usually involving some sort of repetition—e.g. rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, assonance, consonance, whole words or phrases, onomatopoeia etc.)

Sense (how the poem makes meaning—specific, concrete, sensory images; figurative language, newness of expression, newness of idea)

3.       Assignment:

“Poet’s Toolkit” Poem

Think of a word or topic that your poem will be about.  Pick a person, scene, event, object of concept that you have strong feelings about (you can love it or hate it, but you should have strong feelings). Jot down ideas during the prewriting exercise in class.  From your notes try to develop a central idea of concept and using words, phrases and ideas from your prewriting, make a poem.  I recommend that you avoid rhyme.  Feel no particular obligation to use everything in your prewriting nor to stick to just the words and ideas in your prewriting.

Rough draft is due tomorrow.

Typed, edited final copy is due Thursday.