The Sound of Words: An Introduction to Poetry

Classroom Activities

All activities in these lessons will be using the text The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature by Michael Meyer.

Lesson 1 - Accentual-Syllabic Meter/Rhyme

Designed as a follow-up lesson to the basics of Accentual-Syllabic Meter, this lesson expects that students already have the basic understanding of accentual-syllabic breakdown. Additionally, for purposes of this assignment students will be provided with the following poems by Langston Hughes: "Negro," "Mother to Son," "I, Too," "The Weary Blues," "Ballad of the Landlord.".

Step 1: Students will be placed into groups of three and given an overhead of one of the above Hughes' poems. As a group they will break the accentual-syllabic meter down of their poem. They will also answer the following questions:

• Can you identify a pattern or rhyme scheme in the text as a whole?
• Can you identify a pattern or rhyme scheme in certain sections of the text?
• Can you identify any lines that repeat in meter?
• Does the poem follow a definite accentual-syllabic meter pattern?
• What is the overall tone of the poem?
• How do the tools of accentual-syllabic meter and rhyme scheme enhance the poem's overall tone?

Step 2: Students will report out their findings using an overhead projector. It is assumed that the students in the audience will peer review the presenting group's breakdown of the accentual-syllabic meter.

Step 3: Teacher will facilitate the discussion of the texts as a whole with the following questions:

• Do you see similarities between any of the poems?
• What kind of patterns are present?
• Can you make any generalizations about the rhyme schemes?
• Do you find any kinds of schemes that are typical of this author?
• Is there anything you feel is missing or surprising?
• Can you group any of the poems together by poetic devices?

Lesson 2 - Alliteration Mad Libs

For purposes of this assignment I have used Galway Kinnell's poem "Blackberry Eating" as a foundation for this lesson

Step 1: Introduction of the key term alliteration, "the repetition of the same consonant sound in a sequence of words, usually at the beginning of a word or stressed syllable," and provide examples: "descending dew drops," "luscious lemons." It is important to advise students that alliteration is based on the sounds of letters, rather than the spelling of words and that alliteration is also used to intensify ideas by emphasizing key words.

Step 2: Students will identify examples of alliteration in authentic literature. Many poems can be used for this example, but for the purpose of this lesson I would use William Blake's "The Tyger." Students will recognize the alliteration throughout the poem on their own. This can be assessed in a variety of ways based on the modifications you deem are necessary per student. Some ideas would be to have students make their own annotations on the text by underlining or highlighting sounds that repeat and/or practice reciting a poem aloud with emphasis on the sound that is repeated.

Step 3a: Students should be able to apply alliteration with some guidance through a Mad-Lib-like activity. I would suggest taking a poem from authentic literature that highlights alliteration and take out major words/parts of speech that either create meaning in the poem or feature alliteration. Students should work in groups filling out the premade list of words that describe either missing words or parts of speech. For instance, sometimes you might have them provide a feeling versus providing an adjective. It is imperative that you choose a poem that has alliteration and that you notify on your premade list which words need to contain the same alliteration:

Students should provide a word for each of the situations given.

Step 3b: Following the Mad-Libs format students will be given the poem with the necessary missing words forming their own poem based on their changes and report out.

"I love to go out in late ___#1____

among the __#2__, __#3__, __#4__, __#5__

____#6____"

Student Example:

I love to go out in late July

Among the stinky, hairy, dumb, smart

strawberries"

Step 4: Reveal the original poem to the students and have them identify the alliteration in the poem. Students should then compare the difference in tone that the alliteration creates between the original piece and their poem.

Step 5: Using the same Mad-Libs format and their examples provide students with a tone that they should write with and have them rewrite their poems using alliteration in combination with tone.

Student Example:

I love to go out in late October

Among the creaky, dark, flowing, pale

prunes"

Step 6: Have the students reflect independently on their work by completing an exit slip: what kind tone is conveyed by alliteration in Galway Kinnel's poem "Blackberry Eating"?

Lesson Plan 3 - Socratic Seminar: Rap vs. Poetry

Step 1: Place the students into a Socratic circle with nameplates visible to all students involved.

Step 2: Give the students a question that they can only answer with a "yes" or "no." All students must answer the question in order to participate in this activity. The guiding question for this activity is - should rap music be valued as poetry?

Step 3: As the teacher you will act as facilitator and provide a safe environment for students engaged in the seminar. Students can be given credit in a variety of ways: listening with both their eyes and ears, referencing a text or another student's comment, professional etiquette, etc.

Step 4: To make sure that the students are on track I have provided a list of guiding questions for this seminar. Possible guiding questions:

• Can someone define poetry?
• Are all songs poems?
• What are the conventions of rap music?
• Do the conventions of rap music align with those of poetry?
• Are all rap songs poetry?
• Does an artist have a responsibility in the tone of their message or tone?
• Is rap just bad poetry?
• If rap does not fit the metrical scheme of poetry is it still considered to be poetry?
• Does the manipulation of language through code switching make rap any less poetic? An example of this would be when an artist chooses to use ‘lil instead of the word little. Or, it could also be when an artist chooses to create a new word in order to make the rhyme scheme happen. An example of this would be similar to rhyming the word rocking with the invented word Reboking.
• What does it mean to be poetic?
• Is rap poetic or is it poetry?
• Can rap be poetry and not poetic?
• Why might or might not someone think of rap as poetry?

Step 5: Give students time to digest the discussion and have them respond to the leading question again, but in a journal form.