A Critical Approach to Poetry
Unit Plan
Focus: Understanding and appreciation of all literary discourse results from the formation of a “poetics”
in the Aristotelian sense. An understanding of poetic discourse is an understanding of the “prime
matter” out of which all literary expression evolves. This unit consists of: a systematic presentation of
the theoretical basis of poetic discourse; the various “parts” of a poem; the varieties of patterns in
poetry; and selective reading of literary criticism.
Essential Questions:
What is poetry? What similarities and differences exist between poetic discourse and other modes?
What does the poem itself tell us about the process which produced it? What does the poet tell us
about the poetic process? What function does the poem serve?
Order of Events
Monday, April 4: describe conventions and characteristics of confessional poetry; explain the role of the
speaker in poetic discourse; Lesson 3: The Voice That Is Great Within Us (confessional poetry, speaker,
subjectivity); Poem-a-Night list; TP-CASTT method
Homework: Poem-a-Night blog 1
Tuesday, April 5: review linguistic techniques in poetry; examine the contribution of linguistic technique
to the development of poetic discourse; Lesson 5: The Poem Itself/The Structure of Meaning
(terminology review)
Homework: Poem-a-Night blog 2; Lesson 27 critical reading
Wednesday, April 6: review techniques which enable the poet to structure sound patterns; examine the
contribution of sound techniques to the development of poetic discourse; Lesson 6: The Poem
Itself/The Structure of Sound (terminology review)
Homework: Poem-a-Night blog 3
Thursday, April 7: integrate my understanding of a poem into an analysis and evaluation of its total
structure; Lesson 8: The World of the Poem—Guidelines for Analysis; assign poems
Homework: Poem-a-Night blog 4; begin analysis of selected poem
Friday, April 8: demonstrate understanding and application of poetic theory; Lesson 9: Only the
Shadow Knows/Efforts at Evaluation
Homework: Poem-a-Night blog 5; complete handout 17 for selected poem
Monday, April 18: demonstrate how allusion enriches a poem’s structure of meaning; Lesson 11: In the
Land of Allusion; conferences on poems in preparation for class presentation (juniors first)
Homework: Poem-a-Night blog 6; develop topic sentences for analysis paper
Tuesday, April 19: (Junior testing) examine the quality of word choice which is characteristic of poetic
discourse; contrast different levels of reader expectation in the experience of various poetic styles;
identify the implications and consequences of poetic diction; Lesson 12: Mild and Gracious
Words/Dealing with Diction; conferences on poems in preparation for class presentation (finish)
Homework: Poem-a-Night blog 7
Wednesday, April 20: (Junior testing) explore the ways in which the imagination expands on
experience; demonstrate how the metaphorical mind can manipulate meaning for greater effect; Lesson
14 and 15: The Metaphorical Mind/The Ways of the Metaphor (metaphor)
Homework: Poem-a-Night blog 8
Thursday, April 21: (Junior testing) demonstrate understanding and application of poetic theory; Lesson
18: Evaluation (practice AP exam questions)
Homework: Poem-a-Night blog 9
Friday, April 22: (Junior testing) examine, analyze, and interpret allegory; Lesson 17: Wayfarers Working
in the World/Allegory (allegory); poem presentations 1, 2, 3
Homework: Poem-a-Night blog 10
Monday, April 25: (Junior testing) examine the impact of syntax on the effect produced by a poem;
Lesson 20: Order in Disorder (syntax); poem presentations 4, 5,6
Homework: Poem-a-Night blog 11
Tuesday, April 26: (Junior testing) categorize, define, and examine various structural and formal
conventions of poetry; Lesson 21: The Shape of a Poem(terminology); poem presentations 7,8,9
Homework: Poem-a-Night blog 12
Wednesday, April 27: identify and explore the impact of tonal structure; Lesson 22: Withered Sledge on
the Fields of Eden/Tonal Structure (tone); poem presentations 10, 11, 12
Homework: Poem-a-Night blog 13
Thursday, April 28: demonstrate mastery of concepts through practice AP test; Lesson 26: Evaluation
Homework: Poem-a Night blog 14
Friday, April 29: identify tragic and comic patterns in poetry; Lesson 24 and 25: The Tragic
Pattern/Comedic Resolution; poem presentations 13, 14, 15, 16
Homework: Poem-a-Night blog 15
Monday, May 2: determine the role of paradox in poetry; Lesson 28: Paradox and Poetry
Homework: critical reading
Tuesday, May 3: to identify the problems with poetry summaries; Lesson 33: The Heresy of Paraphrase
Homework: critical reading