Lesson Plans
1. Ralph Waldo Emerson's "I Am an Exile from my Home; Heavily"
The surface meaning of Emerson's poem is quite clear. The first three lines express the narrator's discontent at being far from home. The poem then gives concrete though fanciful details, "The trees the bushes talk to me," and "the small fly that whispers in my ear," for example. Students can begin their analysis by listing the many objects in the poem and discussing, either in groups or by adding notes to their lists, how each object relates to or conveys the author's emotions. They can also list the adjectives and adverbs in the poem, for example "heavily" and "cheerless," that directly express emotion. ESOL students might then brainstorm together a list of objects from the American environment that make them feel alien, and another of objects they miss from home. Students should save these lists as raw material for the writing assignments at the end of the section.
In terms of craft, Emerson's poem offers a rich playground for learning. Students can once again look at end rhyme, and note that the rhyme jumps around without an obvious pattern. The contrast of the triplet "look," "forsook," and "book," with the doublet "shore" and "ear" can lead to a natural discovery of perfect rhyme and slant or near rhyme. Examining the end rhyme can also lead to a discussion of why the poet might have chosen to rhyme the lines he chose, which leads to an inquiry into the purpose of rhyme. "It sounds good" is a perfectly reasonable answer. An equally reasonable follow-up question is, "Why does it sound good?" With luck and a couple of thoughtful students, you may be able to elicit the comforting memory of childhood songs and stories, and even the utility of rhyme as a memory tool.
You may also want to lead students to see that the poet can give emphasis to a certain concept through rhyme. For example in this poem linking "shore" and "ear" even two lines apart may subtly make the reader remember the sounds of the sea. In the same way, linking "foreign men" with "cheerless fen" shows the narrator's discomfort with everything in the foreign land, both the human and the natural environment. Another avenue for learning in the poem is personification, in the talking trees and fly. A third productive path is multiple word meanings, exemplified in "the look / of foreign men" [underlining mine]. What exactly makes the narrator uncomfortable? Is it the way the men look at him, the way the men actually look (as in a photograph), or some other meaning? How would the poem change if the word were "looks"? Were all of these meanings current in Emerson's day? Emerson probably wants the reader to think about several possible meanings at the same time. Remind students of the emphasis Emerson gives the word by putting it at the end of the line, and as part of an insistent rhyme (the formal term for in-your-face). I might even risk a pontificating sentence or two about the powerful economy of poetry.
2. Judith Ortiz Cofer's "El Olvido (Según las Madres)"
Cofer's poem is ripe with images of a left-behind homeland which will resonate with many ESOL students. Rather than mourning the loss of home, however, the poet instead warns of the dangers of forgetting. Students can make a list (again!) of the specific warnings in the poem. They can also brainstorm as a group and compile the fears and warnings of their own parents and grandparents. The poem begins and ends with the words "dangerous thing," and students can discuss why forgetting might be seen as dangerous. Another activity could be to discuss the phrase "die of exposure," looking at the denotative meaning and then speculating on how a person could figuratively "die of exposure" in a room in a city. A final exercise would be to discuss or debate the positive and negative aspects of assimilation. This activity could be expanded into a full-blown lesson if desired.
Stylistically, Cofer's poem is our first example of free verse. Ask students to find the rhyme scheme, which of course isn't there. Then ask students if they can find any sound devices the poet uses to tie the poem together in the absence of rhyme. Some may notice the repetition four times of the word "dangerous" at the beginning and end of the poem, and at the end of two lines. The theme of the poem is certainly danger, and Cofer focuses our attention by repeating the word in prominent places. Another interesting aspect of the poem is the enjambment of the lines. Students could count the number of lines that end in the middle of an idea. Let groups of students pick a given enjambed line and see if they can figure out a reason the poet might have ended the line where she did. For example, in line 11 perhaps she wants us to think of both the meanings of "before," that is 'in front of' as well as 'ahead of in time." Ending line three with "out" makes the reader wonder for a second what violent thing will be "choke[d]." Sometimes the reason relates to rhythm, for example in line four, where leaving the word "when" hanging at the end adds an extra unexpected beat to the line, jarring the reader into closer attention. Another interesting line break comes in line six, where the line itself reads "your secret name; dangerous…." Though each half goes with another meaning, the reader may subconsciously think that the "secret name" really is "Dangerous!" These speculations are fun, but they also point to the many decisions and opportunities in line endings. Students may choose to play with the line breaks in their own poem at the end of this section.
3. Assemble a Book
The contents of the student book have been detailed at the end of the final section of the unit. These instructions will help you guide students in assembling and binding their volumes. Students in my class have about six hours to put their book together. They need to pace themselves so that they get all the work done. Having a concrete product is a good motivator. Having access to a computer lab obviously makes this section of the unit much easier.
First, students assemble all the pages of their publication in order. If it is possible to get all the pages into a single computer file, students can format the pages to the same style, and can add footers with page numbers. I suggest that students not try to print their book double-sided. I encourage students to go all out on design. If your school has page layout software, such as Microsoft Publisher, and anyone in the class knows how to use it, get that student to teach the rest how to design a book cover. Students can look at book layouts from the library and make a copyright page for themselves. They may also want to do a dedication and acknowledgements page. They may want title pages for each section. Encourage them to do whatever they can to make a volume they will be proud to keep. I suggest a spiral binding as that lasts a bit better than coil. Your school or district or a parent may have a binding machine. If not, a couple of dollars a book will get them spiral bound at Office Depot, Staples, or Office Max. Try to talk your principal into paying. The pride students feel from a truly professional product is worth the money.
Finally, arrange a party for the students, kind of like a magazine or book launch if you've ever been to one. Each student reads a small portion from his own book. Family come; school officials stand around looking proud; you may even be able to get a photo into the local paper, which the principal will love. If the local university will host you, hurrah! Invite the professors in the English department. A launch party is a great opportunity for the campus to recruit motivated future students. Somebody needs to provide refreshments, another chance to beg for a few dollars. Students are generally willing to provide food and drinks, but this party should celebrate their accomplishment, and somebody else catering is one more way to honor them.
In summary, I hope you like teaching the unit. I hope your students learn even more than you anticipate. And I hope everybody has a great time at the party. Enjoy!
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