Introduction to Poetry

Approaches to Poetry

Do Now: Read “Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins to yourself. Underline and star details and lines you like.

1. Read several times: to yourself, aloud, in groups, as a class.

2. Observe:

• What do you see - details, literary devices?
• What lines and details you like and notice?
• What is unclear and/or puzzling?

3. Infer/analyze:

• What do you think it means? Why does the author include these details and literary devices?
• What does it make you think, feel, or know?
• What can you infer about the speaker/narrator, character, setting, theme, etc.?

4. Interpret/synthesize:

• What connections can you make?
• What does the overall text mean or represent?
• What is the author's purpose?

5. Extend: Create a performance or creative interpretation of the poem:

• Dramatic reading (ex. Don't take my air Jordan's)
• Visual work/illustration (ex. Life doesn't frighten me)
• Video (ex. Sonnet)
• Song/music (L. Hughes)
• Dance
• Fictional story or skit based on the poem

In-class Activity:

• Read aloud in your groups. In your notebook, answer the questions for the section assigned to you.
• Share your ideas with the class.
• Independent Activity: Read through poetry packet. Mark poems you like. Choose 1 that you like best and would like to read more closely.

Group Activity (1-2 periods):

• Get into assigned groups based on the poems you chose.
• Create a group synthesis page with these 3 approaches + other features such as favorite quotations, drawings, questions,etc.
• Prepare a performance or creative interpretation of the poem.

• Present to the class.