Cara Neri
12/4/08
Genre Study Final Draft
ENG 504
A Genre Study in Lyric Poetry
What is the “new” definition of genre and why is it important for teachers?
How are genres learned in your classroom? How do you navigate between mere
immersion in a genre and explicit, systematic instruction? How do you give students
perspective on genres that may seem to them to exclude, constrain, or alienate them? A
whole-class genre study is your answer! It is unique because it allows students to
discover and learn the beauty of what many traditional studies often do not have time to
explore. Contemporary genre theory focuses on “what texts and utterances of a particular
genre do- and only secondarily on what they say” (Nelson 2). We learn genres socially,
by reading and hearing them (Bomer 117). Bomer states: “What we learn, what stays
with us, from all of the texts we encounter- stories, jokes, newscasts, shopping lists, testsis not what’s in them, not their content, but their type, that sense of the way the particular
kind of thing goes” (117).
Often, students and teachers alike equate “genre” with a single type or category of text
that will be studied during the year, such as poetry, drama, or prose. New research
describes “genres as types of writing produced every day in our culture, types of writing
that make possible certain kinds of learning and social interaction” (Cooper 25). Genres
don’t restrict writers, but allow them to internalize genre as essential to thinking,
learning, communication, and social cohesion.
The genre study is a structure you can create in order to scaffold and support readingwriting connections. According to Lucy McCormick Calkins, author of The Art of
Teaching Writing, “In a genre study, our students read and evaluate, muse over and
analyze, learn from and model themselves after the texts that are like those they will
write” (365). The core concept of published authors Coe and Freedman, as well as
Charles R. Cooper, Calkins, and Bomer is that genre studies are necessary to the teaching
and evaluation processes. During this process, students will acquire knowledge of the
genre’s special strategies and features through analyzing and discussing published and
student work, making this knowledge explicit in criteria lists, drafting and revising their
own products, and then repeating the cycle again. Essentially, students will be writing
the genre that they have come to understand through touchstone texts. “At the conclusion
of a genre study we need to stand back and talk together about what we’ve discovered.
We’ll also want to talk in general about what we’ve learned about taking on a new genre”
(Calkins 364). You can use the unique characteristics of the genre you wish to teach, and
then you can give more productive assignments and evaluate students’ writing more
insightfully within a genre study.
1
Coe and Freedman focus on the new work on genre as something that “empitomize[s]
the significance of approaching reading and writing as social processes in which
individuals participate” (2). Genres are present in all facets of society, from marriage
announcements to obituaries. Students come to the classroom with knowledge of many
different types of genre and it is our job to show that genres are “life-giving,” as Calkins
puts it best. It opens doors and leaves a lot of room for variety and choice, while also
allowing the classroom community to inquire deeply into something together. Rather
than isolate a genre, we want to show students how it is possible to read and live within a
genre. Genre studies can be general, focusing on literature such as short stories and
poetry, or very specific- such as, cooking recipes, movie scripts, and lyric poetry.
Why do a genre study on lyric poetry?
Why is there a need to do a genre study on lyric poetry, in particular? Nancy Atwell, an
esteemed educational researcher, points out: “Poetry expresses our feelings, dreams, and
needs: no other genre does it so well” (427). As humans, we have a unique ability to
express ourselves and to share our sensitivity and creativity with others. In reading
poetry from others, we can see that we are not alone in our experiences and learn from
the experiences of others. Poetry not only gives writers a medium to express feelings
from inside themselves, but also a way to heal and grow from past experiences.
Similar genres that accomplish this may be personal journals and memoirs, but there is no
other genre that has the power to reveal emotion like lyric poetry. Poetry allows readers
to focus on shorter word constructions; it emphasizes the power of words.
From another point of view, students need to understand various literary devices for the
English Language Arts Regents exam in eleventh grade. Reading and writing poetry help
students develop an understanding of concepts such as similes, metaphors, imagery
personification, allusions, connotations, mood, and tone. The more students read and
write poetry, the more they will understand these concepts.
The Genre Study: Step by Step
How does one begin a genre study? The format of a genre study has been established by
several published educational experts and researchers, including Lucy McCormick
Calkins and Charles R. Cooper, who describe the process of conducting a genre study in
a very similar way. The following genre study integrates Charles R. Cooper’s 8 part plan
as a foundation for a genre study in lyric poetry. The steps are classified into reading
models of the genre, listing basic features of the genre, having students gather texts,
choosing and inventing topics using a writer’s notebook, planning to write, revising
within a writer’s workshop, collecting a portfolio, publishing, and reflecting on the genre
study.
2
1. Introducing the Genre with Reading Models
Begin with the big picture. Ask students what lyrics/ a lyric is. Ask them to give you
examples. Determine where students stand in terms of what they know about poetry.
What do they know about poetry? What do they know about lyrical poetry? An option
to determine their pre-existing knowledge is to give a small “quiz” that will not be
graded, but will serve as an indicator of what students know. This will allow you to
begin your study at a point where you and your students are comfortable.
Give your students a history of lyric poetry. Since ancient times, people have sung
“poems” or “songs.” In ancient Greece, this was done with an instrument called a “lyre,”
thus influencing the name of the genre. The lyric was originally written to be sung and
one of its characteristics is its melody, or its singing quality. Since there is no longer a
musical instrument to accompany poetry, the sounds and rhythms of language now
accomplish this musical quality. Today, some of the poems are put to song; other poems
are spoken. Let students know you will be reading some of the lyric poems to them to
demonstrate how they work.
The next thing you will need to do in conducting a genre study is gathering reading
models, or “accessible published examples,” as Cooper defines them. Other authors call
these models “touchstone texts.” For the purposes of your genre study, you should
choose three to five touchstone texts. These texts will show students the features of the
genre you want to emphasize in the study. A list of poems that work well in a lyric
poetry genre study is in Appendix A.
When teaching poetry, Georgia Heard, published author of Awakening the Heart, offers
the idea that there are different types of “toolboxes” students need to understand and craft
poetry. She keeps in mind two simple guidelines when teaching poetic craft to students.
The first one is not simply introducing the tools of poetic craft to students with
definitions, but as vehicles that serve a more fundamental, deep, and emotional purpose.
It is how you present these words to your students that will make the difference. For
example, instead of focusing on the definition of metaphor and simile, focus on the
feeling one gets when reading a surprising metaphor or simile. How is the reader able to
conjure the image of the poem clearly in his or her mind?
Heard stresses the idea that introducing the poetic craft should be done through the
metaphor of a toolbox. Just as a carpenter will reach for and use a screwdriver and a
chisel, the poet may choose a metaphor and line-break. The purpose of the toolbox is to
help students understand how things that are deeply inside can be expressed. There are
two types of toolboxes, according to Heard. One is a meaning toolbox, which consists of
expressing feelings and experiences through visual and sensory tools and revision
techniques. In this toolbox, there is image, metaphor, simile, personification, words, line
breaks, beginnings/endings, titles, and observation. The second toolbox focuses on
music; expressing feelings and experiences through auditory, musical, and rhythmic
tools- such as, rhyme, repetition/patterns, rhythm, alliteration, words, line-breaks,
onomatopoeia, assonance, and consonance.
3
Clearly, you will not be able to focus on all aspects of the lyric poetry genre Heard
suggests with your students. You must decide on a minimal number of genre features
and teach only those. You can always teach others at a later date. For the purposes of
this genre study on lyric poetry, lessons on how to read a poem, imagery, similes/
metaphors, and line breaks/stanzas work well. Mini-lessons will become your key tool
throughout the genre study. You will give mini-lessons on poetic devices of your choice
to show students how to craft a poem utilizing each of the features you choose. The
models you choose should exemplify the concepts you want to reinforce to your students.
The Importance of Modeling
At this point, you will need to model how to read a lyric poem for your students. Many
students may have studied poetry before, but only very briefly and not in the context of a
genre study. “Modeling is an essential part of instruction when we introduce a new type
of thinking or a new context for established thinking” (Burke 229). It is important for
you to show students how you make sense of a short passage of a poem, or how you think
through a particular scene in a film to arrive at your conclusion that the character has just
undergone some important change. This is classified as a “think aloud.” Why is this
necessary? If asking students to analyze a poem, you must first model how it is done.
You will do this by “using your knowledge and capacities to show [students] how to do it
so they can then complete the task themselves” (Burke 229). Such instruction, often
referred to as scaffolding, “allows students to develop a sense of ownership in their work
because they are able to develop their own meaning rather than simply following the
dictates of the teacher or text” (Burke 229).
Reading a Poem- Focusing on Feel and Form
When teaching how to read a poem, you must first do a think-aloud with students and
emphasize that a poem should be read completely through to the end first. The reader
must get a sense of how the poem feels before worrying about the form. After the poem
is read once, have students write initial responses and reactions to the poem as you model
your own on an overhead or whiteboard.
Take the following example of “My Father’s Song” by Simon J. Ortiz.
Wanting to say things,
I miss my father tonight.
His voice, the slight catch,
the depth from his thin chest,
the tremble of emotion
in something he has just said
to his son, his song:
We planted corn one Spring at Acuwe planted several times
4
but this one particular time
I remember the soft damp sand
in my hand.
My father had stopped at one point
to show me an overturned furrow:
the plowshare had unearthed
the burrow nest of a mouse
in the soft moist sand.
Very gently, he scooped tiny pink
animals
into the palm of his hand
and told me to touch them.
We took them to the edge
of the field and put them in the shade
of a sand moist clod.
I remember the very softness
of cool and warm sand and tiny alive
mice
and my father saying things.
Poems can be read many ways. The following steps describe one approach from the
Oxford English Dictionary’s Poetry Companion. Of course, not all poems require this
close a study, and the steps can be condensed depending on the particular assignment.
The responses you and your students can discuss are located within the parenthesis. In a
think-aloud, it is important to model how you come to your conclusions, so your students
will be able to do the same.
• Look at the poem’s title: What might this poem be about? (It says “My Father’s Song.”
Could this be about a father son relationship or the beauty of music?)
• Read the poem straight through without stopping to analyze it (aloud, if possible).
This will help you get a sense of how it sounds, how it works, what it
might be about.
• Start with what you know. If the poem is difficult, distinguish between what
you do and do not understand. If permissible, underline the parts you do not
immediately understand. (In stanza four, I clearly see how gentle the father is and how
special this one event in the field was to both father and son. I am confused by stanza
one because the speaker says he misses his father. Might this imply that his father is no
longer living?)
• Check for understanding: Write a quick “first-impression” of the poem by answering
the questions, “What do you notice about this poem so far?” and
5
“What is this poem about?” (This poem is about a son’s memory of his father in a field
with mice. This poem is about how ordinary words from a father are a type of important
song for the speaker.)
• Look for patterns. Watch for repeated, interesting, or even unfamiliar use of language,
imagery, sound, color, or arrangement. Ask, “What is the poet trying to show through this
pattern?” (The poet repeats certain words, like animals, hand, and sand. I think the poet
is trying to get the reader to focus on the words because they are important in the memory
of his father. They are things that allow me to vividly picture what is going on in the
scene the poet is describing.)
• Look for changes in tone, focus, narrator, structure, voice, patterns. Ask: “What
has changed and what does the change mean?” (There is a change in stanza three to
stanza four when the father goes from doing hard labor to gently scooping of a mouse.
This shows another side of the father.)
• Identify the narrator. Ask: Who is speaking in the poem? Remember, the author and the
speaker are not the same person. What do you know about them? (The speaker in
unidentified, but I assume it is a “he” who worked with his father in a field. He is not
young nor very old, but has life experience.)
• Check for new understanding. Re-read the poem (aloud, if you can) from start to finish,
underlining (again) those portions you do not yet understand. Explain the poem to
yourself or someone else.
• Find the crucial moments. The pivotal moment might be as small as the word but or yet.
Such words often act like hinges within a poem to swing the poem in a whole new
direction. Also pay attention to breaks between stanzas or between lines. (I think this
comes in stanza three, when “father had stopped at one point/ to show me an overturned
furrow.”)
• Consider form and function. Now is a good time to look at some of the poet’s
more critical choices. Did the poet use a specific form, such as the sonnet?
How did this particular form---e.g., a sonnet---allow the poet to express his or her
ideas? Did the poet use other specific poetic devices which you should learn so
you can better understand the poem? Examples might include: symbols, metaphors, line
breaks, or images. Other examples might include unusual use of capitalization,
punctuation (or lack of any), or typography. Ask. “How is the poet using punctuation in
the poem?” (There is not much punctuation, which allows the poem to flow on its own,
except when there are commas. Certain lines are enjambed and continue on through the
next line. The images that I can clearly see are the father’s hands holding a small
mouse.)
• Check for improved understanding. Read the poem through again, aloud if
possible. Return to the title and ask yourself what the poem is about and how
the poem relates to the title. (Now I see that this a recollection of a very special time the
speaker spent with his father. His father’s words were like a song he wants to
remember.)
6
2. Listing Basic Features of the Genre
Read each touchstone poem out loud for your students, and then have students read them
individually. Each group should be assigned one touchstone poem that exemplifies and
illustrates the craft element(s) that you want to emphasize in your genre study. Again, for
the purposes of this study, I found that imagery, similes/metaphors, and line
breaks/stanzas worked well. However, it is certainly up to your discretion if you want to
focus on different aspects of the genre. For a complete list of mini-lesson ideas, please
see Appendix B.
Now you will allow students to read independently and inquire into poems through a
group activity, so students will be able to expand their understanding and definition of
lyric poetry. Students may be divided into smaller groups of three to four in order to list
the characteristics of the genre. A handout may be distributed that focuses on the
elements of a poet’s “toolbox” you are going to emphasize, depending on the poem, to
guide discussion.
Each group may then read a lyric poem and report their analysis for the class. You will
summarize their findings on the whiteboard or overhead. When discussing the poems,
you and students can also take the time to share images, metaphors, similes, and other
poetic devices that add to the over-all effect of the poem. The essential vocabulary for
poetry should have been distributed and discussed as the study of model poems
progresses.
Imagery
“Daddy,” by Sylvia Plath, can be used as a model poem for this group focusing on
imagery. These students will focus on the pictures the poet paints with words. Have
your students underline or highlight places in the poem where the words give a clear
image. Identify parts of the poem where there are no images, and the poem is abstract.
Illustrate an image or images and identify exactly which words help paint a clear picture.
In “My Father’s Song,” one image comes in stanza four: very gently, the father scoops up
a tiny pink mouse. The reader can see a man’s big hands gently taking a mouse to the
other end of the field. “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath contains very strong imagery when the
speaker is describing the physical appearance of her father. The image of a harsh, strong
man with a black mustache is very vivid. The similes and metaphors help to create this
imagery, especially in the stanza about the speaker’s tongue getting caught in her jaw
which is compared to a barb wire snare.
“Daddy” by Sylvia Plath
You do not do, you do not do
Any more, black shoe
In which I have lived like a foot
For thirty years, poor and white,
Barely daring to breathe or Achoo.
7
Daddy, I have had to kill you.
You died before I had time-Marble-heavy, a bag full of God,
Ghastly statue with one gray toe
Big as a Frisco seal
And a head in the freakish Atlantic
Where it pours bean green over blue
In the waters off beautiful Nauset.
I used to pray to recover you.
Ach, du.
In the German tongue, in the Polish town
Scraped flat by the roller
Of wars, wars, wars.
But the name of the town is common.
My Polack friend
Says there are a dozen or two.
So I never could tell where you
Put your foot, your root,
I never could talk to you.
The tongue stuck in my jaw.
It stuck in a barb wire snare.
Ich, ich, ich, ich,
I could hardly speak.
I thought every German was you.
And the language obscene
An engine, an engine
Chuffing me off like a Jew.
A Jew to Dachau, Auschwitz, Belsen.
I began to talk like a Jew.
I think I may well be a Jew.
The snows of the Tyrol, the clear beer of Vienna
Are not very pure or true.
With my gipsy ancestress and my weird luck
And my Taroc pack and my Taroc pack
I may be a bit of a Jew.
I have always been scared of you,
With your Luftwaffe, your gobbledygoo.
And your neat mustache
8
And your Aryan eye, bright blue.
Panzer-man, panzer-man, O You-Not God but a swastika
So black no sky could squeak through.
Every woman adores a Fascist,
The boot in the face, the brute
Brute heart of a brute like you.
You stand at the blackboard, daddy,
In the picture I have of you,
A cleft in your chin instead of your foot
But no less a devil for that, no not
Any less the black man who
Bit my pretty red heart in two.
I was ten when they buried you.
At twenty I tried to die
And get back, back, back to you.
I thought even the bones would do.
But they pulled me out of the sack,
And they stuck me together with glue.
And then I knew what to do.
I made a model of you,
A man in black with a Meinkampf look
And a love of the rack and the screw.
And I said I do, I do.
So daddy, I'm finally through.
The black telephone's off at the root,
The voices just can't worm through.
Metaphor and Simile
Another group will work with metaphor and simile in a touchstone text, underline words,
lines, or phrases that surprise- that make the reader of the poem look at something in a
new way. Ask the students which metaphors and similes are the most surprising. Why?
You can also ask students to illustrate the two things which are being compared in the
metaphor and simile. Take, for example, Gordon Parks’ “The Funeral”:
After many snows I was home again.
Time had whittled down to mere hills
The great mountains of my childhood.
Raging rivers I once swam
trickled now like gentle streams.
And the wide road curving on to China or Kansas City or perhaps Calcutta,
9
Had withered to a crooked path of dust
Ending abruptly at the county burying ground.
Only the giant who was my father remained the same.
A hundred strong men strained beneath his coffin
When they bore him to his grave.
In Gordon Parks’ poem “The Funeral,” there is a focus on metaphor as the speaker talks
about how “Time had whittled down to mere hills/ The great mountains of my
childhood… Only the giant who was my father remained the same.” What once appeared
to the speaker as mountains in his childhood are now simply hills in his older eyes.
However, his father continues to remain a giant. The metaphor is powerful because it
shows how big a figure his father was- either in greatness or in stature.
Line Break and Stanzas
Ask another group of students to discuss where and why the poet broke the lines of the
poem. How does it enhance or contribute to the meaning of the poem? What rhythms do
the line-breaks give the poem? Do the line breaks help emphasize certain words? Stanza
means “room” in Italian- is there more than one room in the poem? Why?
Use “The Death of Santa Claus” by Charles Webb as the model for this group:
He’s had the chest pains for weeks,
but doctor’s don’t make house
calls to the North Pole,
he’s let his Blue Cross lapse,
blood tests make him faint,
hospital gowns always flap
open, waiting rooms upset
his stomach, and it’s only
indigestion anyway, he thinks,
until, feeding the reindeer,
he feels as if a monster fist
has grabbed his heart and won’t
stop squeezing. He can’t
breathe, and the beautiful white
world he loves goes black,
and he drops on his jelly belly
in the snow and Mrs. Claus
tears out of the toy factory
wailing, and the elves wring
their little hands, and Rudolph’s
nose blinks like a sad ambulance
light, and in a tract house
in Houston, Texas, I’m 8,
telling my mom that stupid
10
kids at school say Santa’s a big
fake, and she sits with me
on our purple-flowered couch,
and takes my hand, tears
in her throat, the terrible
news rising in her eyes.
The lines are shorter in this poem, but many of them are not punctuated and simply go on
through the next line. This allows the poem to have a continuous flow. Certain sounds
are repeated: “tears” “throat” “terrible” that stop the reader and draw focus on those
words to create a type of rhythmic pattern. The stanza break comes near the middle of
the poem, and forces the reader to pause and stop on the word “wailing.” The break stops
the poem suddenly, just like the little boy’s belief in Santa. Santa’s death is figurative,
yet vivid- he no longer exists for this little boy in Houston.
A mini-lesson concerning the effective use of stanzas can be presented at this stage or
while students are revising their first drafts. The purpose of this lesson is to teach students
that a poet does not arbitrarily decide where to begin a new stanza. Rather, stanza breaks
are used intentionally to lend meaning to the poem.
The length of stanzas depends on what the poet wants to say and also helps determine
how it will be said. In lyric poetry, stanzas tend to be the same length, although they can
certainly vary. The end of a stanza represents a pause or break in the lyric poem. It often
indicates the end of one thought or feeling. Begin by reading two to three touchstone
texts aloud. With students, analyze how each poet makes use of stanza breaks and how
the arrangement of stanzas affects the conveying of the emotion.
Step 1. Read one of the touchstone texts aloud as students follow along.
Step 2. Consider the following questions:
• How many lines are in each stanza?
• Are the stanzas all the same length or do they vary?
• Why do you think the poet chose to break up the stanzas this way?
• What effect do the stanza breaks have on the action?
Step 3. Break students into groups and read one or two additional poems aloud as
students follow along.
Step 4. Students silently reread poem(s) and answer the prompts above.
11
Step 5. Groups present their findings. Students construct a definition of stanzas based on
this activity.
Step 6. Using the prompts above as a guide, students revise their poems, considering how
to make effective use of stanzas in their lyrics.
Tone
One way to approach this topic is to read two or three touchstone texts aloud and ask
students to analyze how tone is used in these poems. Choose poems that are written about
the same subject, but have different tones so that students can analyze how these tones
affect the telling of the story. First model a point of view analysis using one of the
touchstone texts. Next, have students work in groups to analyze the use of tone to create
atmosphere and theme in one or two additional texts. Ask them to discuss how they might
use tone in their own lyric poems. Also include in the lesson an overview of how tone
contributes to atmosphere and theme. A lesson can be created using “Sea Fever” by John
Masefield.
“Sea Fever” by John Masefield
I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.
I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I miss you, my dearest, my love, my wifeI must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.
There is a clear pattern of end rhyme that runs through the poem, giving it a pattern and a
beat. It is being spoken to the speaker’s wife, who cannot hear him. This type of raw
emotion and feeling is the essence of lyric poetry. The tone of the speaker is somber
because of the word choices the poet uses, such as “lonely sea.” Sea-gulls are “crying”
and white sails are “shaking.” The stanzas all begin with similar phrasing and are
separated by the speaker mourning the fact that he must go back to sea.
12
Students should understand how tone functions in a lyric poem before they begin their
first drafts. An important characteristic in lyric poetry is tone. Students may have studied
tone in relation to short stories and novels, but perhaps not in relation to poetry. If
students are unfamiliar with tone, a lesson in how diction builds tone is a good idea
before they begin their drafts.
Diction in Lyric Poetry
Step 1. Read one of the touchstone texts aloud as students follow along. William
Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” serves as a good example:
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
10 Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood, 20
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Step 2. Analyze the tone in the poem with students. Consider the following:
• Who is the speaker in the poem?
• What clues are there in the poem that show you what the speaker’s tone is?
• How does this tone contribute to the atmosphere and theme of the poem?
13
Step 3. Break students into groups and read one or two additional poems aloud as
students follow along. Choosing two poems that focus on the same topic, but express two
very different tones is a great idea because it will show students how word choice
contributes to tone and theme. Although writing about the same topic, the poets’ word
choices create different atmospheres which, in turn, dictate the different themes in each
poem. Use Edna St. Millay’s poem entitled “Spring,” found below:
To what purpose, April, do you return again?
Beauty is not enough.
You can no longer quiet me with the redness
Of little leaves opening stickily.
I know what I know.
The sun is hot on my neck as I observe
The spikes of the crocus.
The smell of the earth is good.
It is apparent that there is no death.
But what does that signify?
Not only under ground are the brains of men
Eaten by maggots.
Life in itself
Is nothing,
An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.
It is not enough that yearly, down this hill,
April
Comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.
Emily Dickinson’s “The Sky is Low” will serve as another great example to help students
understand the importance of word choices on the tone and theme of a poem.
"The Sky is Low" by Emily Dickinson
The Sky is low-the Clouds are mean
A Traveleling Flake of Snow
Across a Barn or through a Rut
Debates if it will goA Narrow Wind complains all Day
How some one treated him.
Nature, like Us is sometimes caught
Without her Diadem.
Diadem: n. crown
Step 4. Students silently reread the poem(s) and answer the following prompts:
• Who is the speaker in each poem?
14
• What clues are there in each poem that show you who the speaker is? Document lines
or passages.
• How does the speaker’s tone affect the telling of the story?
• Based on these examples, how does the word choice determine the tone, atmosphere,
and theme of the poems? Document lines or passages.
Step 5. Groups present their findings. Record these findings on the board.
Step 6. Present a brief overview of how diction determines tone in lyric poetry- to fill in
any gaps in the students' answers. Although all of the poems discuss nature, they are
unique in their word choices and themes. It is specifically the speaker’s tone that guides
how the poem is read, the overall atmosphere of the poem, and what the poem’s theme
regarding nature is. The tone is established through the poet’s diction, or word choice.
Some words have a negative connotation while others have a very positive connotation.
This influences the mood. The poets have chosen these words very deliberately in order
to describe the atmosphere and convey the theme of their respective poems. For example,
Wordsworth’s tone regarding nature is happy and bright as he describes the beauty of
daffodils as they are “fluttering and dancing.” Millay, on the other hand, depicts the
Spring season as an “idiot, babbling and strewing flowers” (li.18). This diction has a
negative connotation and contributes to the theme Millay wishes to convey.
Step 7. Students discuss how they might use tone in their own poems and begin their first
drafts in class. You may have students brainstorm and list words with negative
connotations as opposed to words with positive connotations. For example, the phrase
“caged bird” implies something very different from a phrase like “pet parakeet.” The
diction of “caged” sets a somber tone of an imprisoned bird that cannot escape.
However, a “pet” has a positive connotation and implies happiness and love between
animal and owner.
During class discussions, ask your students to take notes. “The teacher may need to
classify a scattered list generated from student discussion or to fill in gaps,” after the
group brainstorming activity takes place, according to Charles R. Cooper (47). When the
definition has been fleshed out, you can then create a handout to distribute with the
definition and list of genre characteristics. Accordingly, you need to know the
characteristics of what lyric poetry is and what lyric poetry is not, so they are listed below
for you to form into your handout.
What Lyric Poetry Is
A lyric poem is the most direct statement of a poet’s deepest feeling; it grows out of his
or her willingness to express an experience that was amazing or sorrowful. The lyric was
originally written to be sung and one of its characteristics is its melody, or its singing
quality. Since there is no longer a musical instrument to accompany poetry, the sounds
and rhythms of language now accomplish this musical quality.
15
Plenty of strong and beautiful poems are made from everyday language. You sometimes
hear this language in conversation, when people are talking their best. Poems hide in
things you and others say and write.
Lyric poetry can be any one of the following four types:
 A poetic personal statement made from the poet (or persona) to another person.
(Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy”)
 A poetic personal statement made from the poet to no one in particular. Written in
the first person. (Simon J. Ortiz’s: “My Father’s Song)
 A poetic personal statement made from the poet to someone who cannot hear him
(an apostrophe). (An example would be “Sea-Fever” by John Masefield.)
 A poetic personal observation made to no one in particular, lacking a first-person
voice. (“The Death of Santa Claus” by Charles Webb, “Dreams” by Langston
Hughes and “Winter” by William Shakespeare)
1. The word lyric is derived from the Greek word “lyre.” A lyre is an instrument
which looks like a hand-held harp. The Greek lyric was meant to be sung aloud,
not read. With the Romans, the lyric evolved to oral with no music.
2. May have conflict and a sense of resolution, but lack plot
3. Spontaneous, conversational, real words
4. Quite simple, yet very moving
5. Emotional response, description of a passionate moment, reflection
6. It may have a pattern (such a rhyme, blank verse) or it may not
7. Any number of stanzas can be present, or just one
8. Lines can continue with or without punctuation and do not have to end at a certain
point
9. Imagery is present through similes, metaphors, or both
Lyric Poetry is NOT:
1. Narrative poetry, which tells a story with characters, exposition, plot, conflict, and
resolution (example: The Odyssey)
2. Complex constructions with elaborate, intellectual conceits (elaborate
comparisons, such as equating a loved one with the graces and beauties of the
world) For example: your eyes are as lovely as twilight’s first star
3. Hollow words written simply to be “poetic” (For example, “the whimsical
watering in my soul”)
4. Full of trite language- clichés like: “I am dead inside,” “I still carry you in my
heart,” “the only and only,” etc.
5. Rhymed at any cost: good poets don’t sacrifice real insight or graceful phrasing to
come up with rhymes- this may make serious feelings sound foolish and
inauthentic
6. Filled with archaic words and poetic inversions- don’t try to sound overly poetical
because it makes the poem end up sounding silly
7. Filled with allusions and mythology- exotic words and Greek gods are not
dragged into poems as decorative elements
8. Intended to impress with extensive vocabulary
16
3. Have Students Gather Texts
As a homework assignment, you should have students gather their own lyric poems or
songs that they find meaningful for them. This allows the students to become involved in
poetry through personal choice. I suggest giving your students websites to browse, such
as poets.org or poetryfoundation.org. I also have an incredible librarian who stock piled
books of poetry for my students to sort through in the classroom. I asked students to
recopy poems they liked, or at least book mark them. Students should present their songs
or poems, explaining why they are lyrical. One idea is to put the students in pairs and
have them exchange the poems they brought. Students can then analyze each other’s
poem, citing the reasons why it is or is not a lyric. They can even compare the two
poems during this activity. Through this assignment, students will discover their own
touchstone texts, which will help them experience lyric poetry by making it real and
meaningful for them. As Randy Bomer points out, in having students gather their own
touchstone texts, they learn that the genre exists beyond the classroom (124). The
students will step into the roles of readers and teachers. Teachers can encourage students
to continue to look for, read, and share poetry with the class. The class may together
discuss the poems: what makes them lyrics?
4. Inventing
Once the students have read models of lyric poetry and responded to them in writing,
they will be ready to begin writing, and their writer’s notebooks will be their guides.
These notebooks are important because they will be their places to look back on old
ideas, old thoughts, old phrases, and recurrent themes. Natalie Goldberg’s research
focuses on the idea that writers need time to process new sensations and heightened
emotions before they can write about them (14-15). The writer's sketchbook will be a
place for the students to let their feelings develop, and they should, as Calkins suggests,
return to their notebooks often for ideas and topics and insight about their own emotions.
Essentially, the writer’s notebook, or sketchbook, will be a launch pad for writing poems.
I will use sketchbook prompts, such as:
- What do you think is the most important word, phrase, passage, or paragraph in this
work? Copy it and explain why it is important.
- Do you think the title is important? Why or why not? Explain.
- Do any incidents, ideas, or actions in the work remind you of something that happened
to you? Explain.
- Answer the following critical questions:
- I can connect with the text because…
- I feel. . .
- I wonder. . .
- I am confused by. . .
- The text reminds me of. . .
- I would like to ask the author. . .
-I . . .
- Write an imaginary conversation you have with the speaker of this poem.
17
Please see my Journal Rubric in Appendix C.
5. Planning
The First Lesson: The Found Poem or “Cut-Up”
At this point, I would do a “found poem” mini-lesson with the students to show them
how language can work on many different levels and in many different ways. Many
students may still think they must use complex diction and fancy images to create lyric
poetry. The idea of the found poem would be to show students they can create poetry
using ordinary language and make incredible poems. Instructors have many different
ways of teaching a found poem. Some suggest students use the text of stories and novels
they read (Burke 193). Another suggestion may be for students to keep a collection of
words they like or find interesting (based on sound, meaning, etc.) The teacher can then
give the students 2 pages from a newspaper or magazine. The students will then cut out
words or phrases they find interesting. The next step is for the students to create a poem
based on the words and phrases they have in front of them. They should change the tense
of verbs and add in words to make the poem make sense, but mainly use their found
words to construct a poem. These poems are also mainly fun for students to write. After
completing them, the students can begin creating lyric poetry of their own for a formal
lyric poetry assignment.
The Second Lesson: Creating an Image with a Six-Room Poem Model
Georgia Heard provides an excellent model for helping students to begin drafting poems.
She uses a six-room-poem model and compares writing poetry to “venturing into six
unexplained rooms” (67). First, you must have students divide their papers into six
boxes. In the first room (box), ask your students to think of something that they’ve seen
outside that is incredible, interesting, beautiful, or that stuck in their memories. Then ask
students to close their eyes and try and see it as clearly as a photograph- noticing all
details about it and describing it as accurately as they can in box 1, which they should
label as “image.” Emphasize that they are not writing a poem, but are describing
something in the first box.
In the second room, Heard suggests asking students to focus on just the quality of light.
So, in the second box, they should write “light” and describe colors, shadows, or sunlight
they see when they think of the image they described in box 1. In the third box, ask the
students to think of the same image they described, but focus only on sounds. Are there
any voices or is it silent? Are there any sounds of rain or wind? In the fourth box, have
students write questions they have about their image. In the fifth box, have students write
down any feelings they have about the image. Lastly, in the sixth box, select one word,
or a few words, that feel(s) important and repeat it (them) three times.
After this exercise, tell your students to close their eyes and see what images appear in
their mind. Then, instruct them to repaint the sentences using their own images and
18
words. This exercise is not meant to produce a finished poem, but to expand their vision
of images for the poems they will be writing.
At this point, students are ready to begin drafting poems. Soven points out that students
“do not need a great deal of instruction about form to write poems, short stories, and
plays, though they will need some guidance. But teachers must inspire students to use
their imagination by giving them a great deal of freedom” (173). After dedicating a few
classes to the reading of poems and presentation of found poems by the students, with
little instruction on stanza, imagery, metaphor, and simile, the students will be ready to
begin drafting. Skeptical students will now realize that not all poems are about flowers
and love. There are poems about McDonalds (Ronald Wallace's “You Can't Write a
Poem about McDonalds”) and poems about Spider-man (Jim Hall's “Maybe Dats Yowr
Pwoblem Too”). There are poems about almost every subject. To get students writing
poetry, Georgia Heard offers these three guidelines:
• It helps for a teacher to ask the whole class to set aside other projects for a while and
focus on poetry.
• The use of the image, the picture in the mind, is one useful way to help students begin
to write poems.
• Poems come from something deeply felt; it's essential for student poets to be able to
choose their own topics according to what's important to them (14).
Students should use their sketchbooks to look for ideas to get them started: what topics
are they writing about? Do they have any entries that are particularly meaningful to
them? They already have, in a way, many rough drafts of poems.
In order to explain to students what you expect for the assignment, an assignment should
be given to them at the beginning of the writing process. Understanding this assignment
enables students to write with the guidelines in mind. According to Soven, a writing
assignment needs to include the following variables: a context so students understand the
reason for writing a poem; clear directions that spell out the audience, the purpose, the
time limit, the word count, the number of drafts expected, and criteria that will be used
for grading (137). Once students have been given the assignment, allow the students to
write for the majority of the class. The beginning of the class would be dedicated to the
reading of a lyric poem and a mini-lesson. For the rest of the class period, the students
would write. Please see examples of writing assignments in Appendix D and E.
The Importance of the Writing Assignment and Rubric
A clear writing assignment makes life much easier for both the student and the teacher.
The student knows exactly what is required, and the teacher can use the very
requirements given to create a rubric to evaluate the poem. The rubric should be
distributed with the assignment. When the teacher designs and distributes a writing
assignment and rubric that clearly state the expectations before the students even begin to
write, there is no room for confusion. Using “genre-specific criteria” for evaluating
writing helps teachers clarify expectations to students (Cooper 31).
19
When finished with the explanation of the assignment, the students should then be
allowed to become a community of writers. Conduct a poetry writer’s workshop, during
which the students will be writing. The workshop is important because it helps students
to look at their drafts with a critical eye. Students will meet with peers and you, and
share their poems, making suggestions for revisions. It is key to remind students that all
good poets revise. Sylvia Plath is an author said to have constructed multiple drafts of
each poem until she was satisfied with what the poem gave her.
The Writer’s Workshop
The students need to understand and believe that they are, during the workshop, a
community of poets. They need to respect each other and encourage each other. After
compiling a first draft, students will be required to give and get a minimum of three peer
review responses. Through peer review, students recognize what they lack in their own
poems. Please refer to Appendix F for a possible peer review question handout.
The writer’s workshop is necessary because poetry, like all writing, is a process. Atwell
points out that “there's a myth about writing poetry, that it's an exquisite experience that
comes on the wings of a dove and requires a kid-gloves response from the teacher. Good
poetry is hard to write...Eventually, over days and months of reading poetry, they carry
inside them a wealth of experience with poems and a wealth of connections between
poetry and their lives” (454). Steve Kowitt notes that “it is much more common for a
serious and accomplished poet to work for days, weeks or years before feeling that a
particular poem is finished. If there is any ‘secret’ to writing, it is rewriting- a process
that can be every bit as exciting as getting that first draft down on paper” (48).
Many students believe that a poem comes quickly and that it’s in final form during a
single inspired sitting. Teachers can help students understand that this is not the case by
modeling their own works in progress, even revising on an overhead in front of the
students and asking them for responses and suggestions for your poems. Soven points out
that “this opportunity will help them to understand the problems you face when you try to
offer helpful comments to them” (125). By turning the students into evaluators, they can
look at their own work with a more critical eye.
Share your works in progress with students, and have them answer peer review questions
on your poems. I brought in two copies of a poem I had previously written, called “On
Mark.” One copy was my first draft of the poem and the second copy was the final draft,
after I made all of my revisions. I asked students to respond to my first draft with
comments and suggestions. On the overhead, I showed them my revision process. At
times I would change lines that I did not like the sound of, or words that seemed to get in
the way. I focused on the things I changed, specifically addressing figurative language,
imagery, and line breaks.
Students have a hard time going back to something they believe is finished with a critical
eye. If the teacher models this step with her own writing, students will see how the
process works. Students need to be taught how to revise, and if they see the teacher
20
playing with her own poetry, cutting stanzas, cutting lines, writing new ones, moving
images around, and experimenting, students will have a better idea of how this works.
Students should also conference with the teacher so that the teacher can make sure the
student is going in the right direction and track students' progress and revisions.
6. Revising
After constructing the first draft and completing the peer reviews, have students turn in
the first draft to you. Go through the drafts and plan to address what most of the class
had a problem with or left out of their drafts. Begin focusing mini-lessons on revision
tactics. Use mini-lessons to instruct on the characteristics of the lyric genre you want
your students to focus on, such as line breaks and adding detail to create imagery. See
Appendix G for a mini-lesson on adding metaphors, similes, and figurative language to
poetry to move poems from the ordinary to the poetic.
A Guided Rewriting Mini-Lesson
Students may not be in the habit of doing extensive rewriting and revising, even after
doing it in the classroom. Students should be encouraged to read over their poem as
objectively as they can. They should then underline one passage, line, or phrase that
seems very good to them. Now, they should circle a line, phrase, or section that seems
unsuccessful. Perhaps it is too commonplace, or it’s awkwardly stated, or the word
choices seem dull or inaccurate. Perhaps there is simply no voice behind the passage, or
a voice that is not consistent with the tone you had been trying for. Maybe it seems a bit
muddled or overly complex and you sense that readers would probably not understand
what you’re talking about. “It’s not always necessary to analyze the reason why a piece
of writing doesn’t work: just recognizing that it’s not effective is all you need to get you
started” (Kowit 53).
Now that students have broken the ice, have them try finding other passages that could be
improved. Once they begin to get critical, they are likely to uncover the other weak spots
they didn’t notice when they first started the process. They should circle them, too.
Sometimes poets find that their real poem starts somewhere other than where their most
recent draft began and the material in the first few lines is either unnecessary or better
used elsewhere in the poem. Sometimes the most effective ending is several lines- or
stanzas- earlier than the poem’s ending.
At this point, the teacher can have students experiment with poetry. It is not important if
they keep the additions they make, but you should tell them to look at their poems and do
the following:
-insert 1 example of simile and 1 example of metaphor
- create a new, strong, evocative image in the middle of the poem
- if the poem is written with longer lines, add a line break in a place that would work well
- if there are too many line breaks, combine lines to see if the poem flows more
effectively
21
The teacher can then have students write a new revised version of the poem after these
additions. Some revised poems may be funny, others may be severely improved!
Students can also take some of the additions out and leave others in. The point of the
mini-lesson is to get students to experiment with language they may not be comfortable
writing in their poetry, and most of all: be creative.
7. The Portfolio
In order to keep the students organized, I suggest that students put their model texts in
their reading/writing journal (a separate section of their binders). The students have two
folders that I require to be in their binders, as well. One is a folder for writing that will
eventually go in their portfolio. This folder will hold all rough drafts on one side and
final drafts will be on the other side. Each final piece will be accompanied by a oneparagraph written explanation that defends the work as a finished piece.
8. Publishing
The teacher should encourage and require students to submit their work to poetry
contests, student writing publishers, and local school publications (such as the newspaper
or literary magazine). You can submit your own as well, or provide a mini-lesson on
submitting a poem for publication. The New Yorker usually advertises contests for writers
to enter. Show your students how you gathered all of the instructions for submission and
the process of submitting a poem to these contests (gathering the information, submitting
the fee, filling in the forms correctly, etc.).
Students may want to consider submitting their poems for publication to
www.poetryforge.org, www.scholastic.com, www.gigglepoetry.com/poetrycontest/
contests/html. The books Poet’s Market and The Directory of Poetry Publishers also
have the names and addresses of hundreds of magazines that publish poetry. Poetry
readings are another way to publish one’s work. Giving public poetry readings allows
students to present the poems before a live audience, gaining valuable experience.
9. Reflecting on the Genre Study
After completing the lyric poetry assignment, students will be asked to reflect on the
process of writing poetry. In a 1 page response, students will be required to answer the
following questions:
How did you begin writing your first original poem?
What was the hardest part about writing poetry?
Do you think poetry is easier or harder to write in comparison to prose?
What are you most pleased with in your final portfolio?
What would you continue to work on if you had more time?
10. Additional Sources for Educators
22
Atwell, Nancy. In the Middle: New Understanding about Reading, Writing, and
Learning. Maine: Hinemann, 1998.
Somers, Albert. Teaching Poetry in High School. Urbana, Illinois : National Council of
Teachers of English, 1999.
Additionally, webenglishteacher.com is a great site for adolescent-friendly poetry.
11. Lesson Preparing Students for New York State Regents Exam
A writing exercise to prepare students for the New York State Regents Examination in
English would be a great thing to include preparing your students. The exam, which
students take in their junior year, helps determine whether students receive a high school
diploma. It is worth spending class time, then, to familiarize students with the types of
essays they will have to write as well as the format of the test.
One of the essays that students are required to complete on the exam asks them to provide
an interpretation of a “critical lens,” which establishes the criteria for analysis. In order
for students to perform well on the exam, they must not only comprehend the meaning of
the critical lens, but also be capable of citing two literary works to support their answers.
To help students prepare for the exam, have them write a critical lens essay. Use the same
vocabulary included on the exam so that students become familiar with these terms.
Reinforce what students have learned in the genre study by requiring one of the texts to
be a lyric poem. A sample lesson for preparing students for the critical lens essay appears
below.
Preparing for the Regents “Critical Lens” Essay
Give students the following handout and read it aloud:
The Regents exam includes an essay task in which you are given a “critical lens” and
must interpret that critical lens using two literary works. This critical lens is a short
statement that serves as the focus of your essay. Here is an example of a critical lens
essay as it would appear on the Regents:
Your Task:
Write a critical essay in which you discuss two works of literature you have read from the
particular perspective of the statement that is provided for you in the Critical Lens . In
your essay, provide a valid interpretation of the statement, agree or disagree with the
statement as you have interpreted it, and support your opinion using specific references to
appropriate literary elements from the two works.
23
Critical Lens: “All literature shows us the power of emotion. It is emotion, not reason,
that motivates characters in literature.” – paraphrased from an interview with Duff
Brenna
Guidelines:
Be sure to:
• Provide a valid interpretation of the critical lens that clearly establishes the criteria for
analysis
• Indicate whether you agree or disagree with the statement as you have interpreted it
• Choose two works you have read that you believe best support your opinion
• Use the criteria suggested by the critical lens to analyze the works you have chosen
• Avoid plot summary. Instead, use specific references to appropriate literary elements
(for example, theme, characterization, setting, point of view, etc) to develop your analysis
• Organize your ideas in a unified and coherent manner
• Specify the titles and authors of the literature you choose
• Follow the conventions of standard written English
You must choose one of the lyric poems we read in class as one of your literary
works.
24
Works Cited
Atwell, Nancy. In the Middle: New Understanding about Reading, Writing, and
Learning. Maine: Hinemann, 1998.
Burke, Jim. The English Teacher's Companion. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2003.
Cooper, Charles R., and Lee Odell. Evaluating Writing. Washington, D.C.: National
Council of Teachers of English, 1999.
Dixon, Chris Jennings, and Kathleen Blake Yancey. Lesson Plans for Teaching Writing.
Urbana, Illinois : National Council of Teachers of English, 2007.
Dunning, Stephen , and William Stafford. Getting the Knack: Poetry Writing Exercises.
Urbana, Illinois : National Council of Teachers of English, 1992.
Estess, Sybil , and Janet Mccann. In A Field of Words. Upper Saddle River: Prentice
Hall, 2003.
Flynn, Nick. A Collection of Poems. New York: Random House Publishing, 2006.
Hamilton, Ian, ed. The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Poetry in English.
New York :Oxford University Press,1994
Heard, Georgia. Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School.
Kowit, Steve. In The Palm of Your Hand. Gardiner, Maine: Tilbury House, Publishers,
1995.
O'Connor, John. Word Playgrounds. urbana: national council of teachers of english,
1999.
Peterson, R. Stanley. The Craft of Poetry. Philadelphia: The Macmillan Company, 1970.
Somers, Albert. Teaching Poetry in High School. Urbana, Illinois : National Council of
Teachers of English, 1999.
Soven, Margot Iris. Teaching Writing in Middle and Seconday Schools. Boston: Allyn &
Bacon, 1999.
Tsujimoto, Joseph. Teaching Poetry Writing to Adolescents. ERIC Clearinghouse:
National Council of Teachers of English, 1998.
25
Appendix A
Auden, W.H. “Stop the clocks, cut off the telephone”
Brooks, Gwendolyn “a song in the front yard”
Bishop, Elizabeth “The Fish”
Booth, Philip “First Lesson”
Bukowski, Charles “me against the world”
Dickinson, Emily “Could I but ride indefinite” “The Sky is Low”
Espada, Marin “Niggerlips”
Flynn, Nick “Cartoon Physics, part 1”
Frost, Robert “The Road Not Taken”, “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening”
Hall, Jim “Maybe Dats Yowr Pwoblem Too”
Hamod, H.S. “After the Funeral of Assam Hamady”
Heaney, Seamus “Digging”
Hughes, Langston “Dream Variations”, “I, Too”, “Harlem” “Po' Boy Blues”
Joyce, James “I Hear an Army”
Kenyon, Jane “Otherwise”
Kunitz, Stanley “The Portrait”
Mazziotti, Maria “Arturo”
Millay, Edna St. Vincent “Spring”
Neruda, Pablo “The Drowned Woman of the Sky”, “Waltz”
Oliver, Mary “The Kitten”
Ortiz, Simon J. “My Father’s Song”
Parks, Gordon “The Funeral”
Plath, Sylvia “Ariel”, “Cut”, “Daddy,” “Wintering”
Pound, Ezra “Salutation”
Riche, Adrienne “Poetry”
Robinson, Edwin Arlington “The Dark Hills”
Rossetti, Christina “Uphill”
Rilke, Rainer Maria “Solitude,” “You who never arrived”
Sexton, Anne “The Bells,” “Cinderella”
Shakespeare, William “Sonnet 130”
Snodgrass, W.D. “Snow Songs”
Wallace, Ronald “You Can't Write a Poem about McDonalds”
Walker, Margaret “Memory”
Wilbur, Richard “The Writer”
Yeats, W.B. “Those Images”
26
Appendix B
Mini-lesson Ideas for a Lyric Poetry Unit
 Connecting with Poetry outside the Classroom
Many students do not know that poets are alive and writing poetry on a daily basis.
For some students, it may be beneficial to read them what poets say about poetry, the
process of writing poems, and living life as a poet. You could show them
photographs of poets so they know what poets look like, and they can compare their
poems to the poems of professionals. You can even show them videos of poets
reading their poetry or being interviewed. This type of connection lets students feel
that they’re part of a larger community of real poets who are respected in the world.
 A Language Center, developed by Georgia Heard
You might have students who would be interested in setting up a language center on a
bulletin board in your classroom. Instead of waiting until they write poems, you can
have students collect words they like from the beginning of your study and arrange
them on a bulletin board. The words can be beautiful, interesting, amazing, or simply
vivid. The words can inspire students to picture images in their mind, express
something in a surprising way, or even evoke a memory.
 Cracking Open Words
An important, but sometimes difficult, part of writing poetry is being able to “crackopen” overused and abstract phrases, and sentences to find more accurate and vivid
images inside. This could be an important part of the drafting or revision stagedepending on when your students need it. On a large piece of paper or overhead
projector, write generic sentences and places an equal sign next to each one. Writing
with images takes practice! Make sure the sentences you write do not give any
picture, but say things like: It was a nice day. Have students describe and write what
they see in their own minds on the same piece of paper next to the equal sign. An
example of a good descriptive phrase would be something like: “Sunlight shining on
the back of my neck as I swim in the ocean like a dolphin.”
27
Appendix C
Name:___________
Journal Rubric
Date:_________
Ms. Neri
9-10
Entries contain predictions, comparisons, contrasts, reactions, questions, opinions,
response. Summary is limited to explanations necessary for the reader to make sense of
the entry. Evidence from the text is used to support opinions. Entries are in paragraph
form. Journal is complete and legible.
7-8
Entries contain predictions, comparisons, contrasts, reactions, questions, opinions,
response. Summaries are is not limited to explanation of original thoughts. Little
evidence, other than the student generated required answer, from the text is used to
support opinions. Some paragraph structure is evident. Journal is complete and legible.
5-6
Entries contain predictions, comparisons, contrasts, reactions, questions, opinions,
response. Summaries are more prevalent than original thoughts. Entry lacks textual
evidence. Entries consist of several sentences. Journal is complete and legible.
3-4
Journal consists of summary. Few entries contain original thoughts extended from the
text. Incomplete journal. Frequent grammar and spelling errors. Entries are brief
sentences.
1-2
Entries are too brief to contain complete summaries or extensions. No evidence from the
text(s) is used. Incomplete journal. Mechanical problems are severe enough to cause
comprehension problems for the reader. No new vocabulary is included.
0
Incomplete journal. Incomprehensible because of language structure, spelling, and/or
penmanship.
28
Appendix D
Name:__________
Lyric Poetry Writing Assignment #1
Date:_______
Ms. Neri
Task: We have read quite a few lyric poems together, and now it's your turn to create one
of your own! As you know, great poems use figurative language in order to capture
attention and get a response from readers.
Objectives: These poems will give you the opportunity to be creative and selfexpressive. They should reflect your understanding of lyric poetry and figurative
language.
Audience: Anyone who likes lyric poetry, but specifically, your classmates. See below.
Publication: Your poems will be published in a class anthology. We will decide the title
of this anthology as a class, and students will be allowed to submit artwork. We will also,
at the end of the unit, be having a “Poetry Slam.” You will have the choice of reciting a
lyric poem we have not read in class (but approved by me) or reading one of your own
poems. We will also be submitting our poems for publication, and you will be able to
choose where your poem should be submitted.
Guidelines: Your poem must include the following:
__At least two metaphors and similes.
__A strong usage of images: they are present and work to aid the reader is visualizing the
poem through the use of sensory details.
__An effective use of line break.
__An effective use of stanza breaks.
__At least 200 words. (You can, if you like, write several short poems that equal 200
words)
__Meet the class definition of lyric poetry. Lyric poetry explores emotions, personal
experiences, or ideas. It lacks a fully developed plot. The voice in the poem can be the
poet's or can be the voice of someone else.
___It is written as a first-person to someone else (I-You), a first-person reflection, an
apostrophe, or as a meditation lacking first-person pronouns.
___A self-evaluation and explanation of your final draft.
__Correct spelling and punctuation where appropriate.
Poems must be typed, single space, using Times New Roman 12 pt. font.
Deadlines:
Draft 1 is due________________.
Draft 2 is due________________.
Final draft is due______________.
29
Appendix E
Rubric for Poetry Assignment #1
Categories/ 6 point scale:
6 – Excellent
Content
Fully describes and develops emotion, experience, or image
Establishes and maintains a point of view
Meets the criteria of a lyric poem as discussed in class
Form
Makes effective use of stanzas and line breaks
Poem meets word requirement
Language
Makes use of required amount of similes/metaphors, and imagery
Contains vivid sensory details
Conventions
Virtually free of mechanical errors
5 – Good
Content
Describes and develops an emotion, experience, or image
Establishes and maintains a point of view
Meets the basic criteria of lyric poem as discussed in class
Form
Makes logical use of stanzas and line breaks
Poem meets word requirement
Language
Makes use of required amount of similes, metaphors, and imagery
Contains sensory details
Conventions
Exhibits few mechanical errors
4 – Satisfactory
Content
Describes an emotion, experience, or image, but lacks development
Establishes and maintains a point of view
Meets most of the basic criteria of a lyric poem as discussed in class
Form
Makes logical use of stanzas and line breaks
Poem meets word requirement
Language
Makes use of similes, metaphors, and imagery
Contains a few sensory details
Conventions
Exhibits occasional mechanical errors that do not interfere with comprehension
30
3 – Promising Work in Need of Revision
Content
Describes an emotion, experience, or image, but lacks development
Establishes a point of view but fails to maintain this point of view throughout the poem
Meets some of the basic criteria of a lyric poem as discussed in class
Form
There is no logical pattern to stanza or line breaks
Poem meets word requirement
Language
Makes little use of similes, metaphors, and/or imagery
Contains very few sensory details
Conventions
Exhibits occasional mechanical errors that interfere with comprehension
2 – Needs Major Revision
Content
Poem does describe or develop an emotion, experience, or image
Fails to establish a point of view
Meets few of the basic criteria of a lyric poem as discussed in class
Form
There is no logical pattern to stanza breaks or line breaks
Poem is less than required amount of words
Language
Does not make use of similes, metaphors, and/or imagery
Contains no sensory details
Conventions
Exhibits frequent mechanical errors, making comprehension difficult
1 – Unsatisfactory
Is not written in the form of a poem, fails to meet the minimum requirements of the
assignment
31
Appendix F
Peer Review Questions
Name_________________________________________
Poet's Name_____________________________________
Consider the following questions. Offer encouraging and helpful answers. Be positive!
1. Does the poem include at least one metaphor and one simile? Does the metaphor and
simile fit with the rest of the poem?
2. Does the poem make strong use of imagery?
3. Does the poem make an effective use of line breaks and stanzas? Which line breaks
are effective and why? Are there any sections which can be divided into separate
stanzas?
4. Does the poem meet the class definition of lyric? Which of the four types of lyric is
this poem (from our class definition of lyric)?
5. What suggestions for revision would you make?
6. Are there any spelling or mechanical errors?
7. What is your favorite aspect of this poem?
32
Appendix G
Mini Lesson in Using Figurative Language
A. Create effective similes- striking and apt comparisons- by filling in the blanks in the
following sentences. Your solution might be a single word or a short phrase, or it might
be a lengthier, more complex description:
1. In his rage my father would bang on the wall like a __________________.
2. Among her new in-laws, the young wife was as nervous as ______________.
3. I paced the room as restless as a ____________________________________.
4. Like a _____________________, his smile suddenly collapsed.
5. It was the old sycamore in the front yard, swaying like a _________________.
B. Now create evocative images- strong descriptive language- to complete these
sentences.
1. I loved the _____________ of the wash on the line in the summer morning.
2. I was afraid of his ______________, his drunken, ungainly walk.
3. I will not forget the ____________ of your lips, your skin’s ____________, or
the ____________ of your eyes.
4. She wished to draw me deeper into the _______________ of her life.
C. In three or four sentences that sparkle with linguistic invention, describe:
1. a rundown house
2. an old table, desk bicycle, car, or truck
3. a particular potted plant
4. someone working in a kitchen or garden
5. a small incident seen in the street or in a store
Make your descriptions come alive using precise charged language. The goal, of course,
is to describe each item accurately, vividly and engagingly.
33