Lesson Plan on Discovering Meaning in Poetic Form and Language
(Hollie Harder, Romance Studies)
In this exercise, you will use the knowledge you have gained from class discussions
about poetic language and poetic structure to move beyond our classwork and interpret
poems you have not seen before. Your goal is to make sense of these poems by relying
on an analysis of their
--poetic form (rhyme, meter, versification, sound, genre, organization, etc.);
--vocabulary (word connotations and associations, and tone); and
--style (image, metaphors, comparisons, allusions, word play, personification, repetition,
etc.)
Poem to be analyzed:
Pierre Ronsard, “À sa maîtresse”
1. First step (first day)
“À sa maîtresse”
As a class, we will read the poem outloud, and as a group, we will examine the form,
vocubulary, and imagery of the first stanza.
1) Form
--How many syllables does each verse contain? What is the name of this kind of verse?
--What is the rhyme scheme? (masculine / feminine? embrassée, croisée, plate?)
--How are the stanzas organized on the page?
--What kind of poem is this? (ode, ballad, rondeau, sonnet, etc.) Why would a poet
choose to write this kind of poem? What structure is imposed by this poetic form?
2) Vocabulary and tone
--Which terms are to be understood literally and which ones are figurative or
metaphorical?
--What area (lexical field) did the poet choose for his imagery and comparisons? What do
the images contribute to the concrete ideas so that we understand better the point of view
that the poet is trying to explain to us?
--What connotations does this imagery suggest? Do you see any contrasting ideas in
these comparisons?
3) Style
--How does each of the poetic elements listed below contribute to the ideas the poet is
expressing?
a) rhyme and meter
b) sounds of the words used
b) genre of the poem
IA. In groups of three, students are assigned either stanza two or three of “À sa maîtress,”
and they conduct the same examination of the verses, focusing on the same questions for
form, vocabulary and tone, and style.
Each student in the group is “responsible” for one of these components and takes notes
on it. Outside of class, each student writes a paragraph on the meaning that his or her
component (form, vocubulary and tone, or style) contributes to the stanza.
II. Second step (second day)
In class, the groups reconvene and each student presents his or her ideas about the poetic
elements and their contribution to meaning.
Groups that have worked on the same stanza get together and discuss differences or
similarities in their findings and determine their interpretation of the stanza.
As a class, we come together and the groups present their readings of these stanzas in
order to flesh out the meaning of the poem and to show in particular how these poetic
devices enable the poet to express meaning effectively in the poem. Students take notes
and outside of class, they write three paragraphs (one for each stanza) that explains how
the poetic elements build meaning in the poem.
III. Third step (third day)
In pairs, students exchange their paragraphs with a peer, who reads the student’s work for
meaning and for expression (grammar, ease of expression, etc.).
As a class, we discuss general difficulties that students had in writing this draft.
In groups of three, students brainstorm ideas for a conclusion to this analysis of “À sa
maîtresse” and focus on not providing a summary of the poem but on answering the
question: “So what? What will the reader know about this poem after reading my
interpretation that he did not know before he read it?”
Outside of class, students revise their analysis paragraphs and write a draft of a
conclusion.
IV. Fourth day (fourth step)
Students exchange their drafts of a conclusion with a partner, who reads it for content and
language.
As a class, we discuss any difficulties students encountered and examine one conclusion
in depth together (if a student is willing) or a conclusion from an anonymous student.
Outside of class, students revise their concluding paragraphs and write a draft of an
introduction.
V. Fifth day (fifth step)
In class, students exchange their introductions with a peer who reads for content and
language and makes suggestions.
As a class, we discuss the best introductions in the class.
Outside of class, students revise their introduction, body, and conclusion to be turned in.
VI. Sixth step (Final work)
Working with a new poem (with different images, themes, etc.), students go through
these steps themselves to write an explication de texte.
Pierre Ronsard, “Quand je suis vingt ou trente mois sans retourner en Vendômois”
Joachim Du Bellay, “Heureux qui, comme Ulysse”