Patrick Connolly
ENG 611: Mueller
Unit Plan
8/22/2012
Introduction to Writing Poetry
Rationale:
The unit will be an introduction to writing poetry. Since I am entering a masters of fine arts
program in poetry in the fall at Boston University, I plan to teach a course in creative writing at the
high school level at Boston Arts Academy. Although this is not a traditional literature course, I plan to
use literature as complimentary to the writing process. Also, some of the writing assignments will be
modeled after poems in various literature texts.
The unit will be based on three texts, The Triggering Town by Richard Hugo; Writing Poems by
Michelle Boisseau; and The Norton Introduction to Literature edited by Alison Booth and Kelly J.
Mays. I am basing my theme on the seven elements of poetry found in Norton : theme and tone,
speaker, situation and setting, language, sounds, internal structure, and external form. Each lesson is
not conclusive of the topic. It is merely a taste of each poetic element. Some lessons may be subdivided
depending on the skill level of the students or their prior knowledge of the subject. Also, I plan to use
the other texts to compliment and flesh out these elements. The Triggering Town is a text specifically
written for a creative writing class. It does not do much explaining in regards to poetic elements.
However, it stresses the importance of writing as a way of learning in itself. The author, poet Richard
Hugo, tells stories and gives advice in regards to mistakes that he has made, as well as common
mistakes young writers make. He also gives advice to teachers struggling to teach writing. “Every
moment, I am, without wanting or trying to, telling you to write like me. But I hope you learn to write
like you. In a sense, I hope I don't teach you how to write but how to teach yourself how to write. At all
times keep the crap detector on” (Hugo 3). This is an effective way of teaching how to write. It is
common in workshops, at least in my experience, for teachers and classmates to tell you what they
would have done with a piece of writing. And that is fine -- for them. But, as a teacher, it is more
helpful show students what techniques they are employing and what the poem evokes and how it makes
others feel. I cannot say I will not try to influence my students because it is inevitable. But at least
Hugo is there with a warning.
Writing Poems is the opposite of The Triggering Town. It explains in detail, as does Norton, the
intricacies of poetic elements and explains that through reading and learning about technique and form
better writing will come. One interesting piece of advice they make is to explain the course as a
“experimental writing” course rather than creative writing. This takes the pressure off the student to
feel obligated to create, and it frees the student to try new forms and structures, as well as make
mistakes!
Each class, I plan to start with a free write. In The Literature Workshop, Sheridan Blau writes
that this exercise should be presented as 7 to 7.5 minutes, but actually be for 10 to 12 minutes. He
mentions how longer works often come from ideas born in 10 to 12 minute bursts of writing. There
would be a new prompt each class. This could be very flexible, and it may or may not be related to the
topic during the day. The point of this exercise is to generate writing. My final project of this class is to
have students complete a portfolio of ten poems. These free write exercises would hopefully also get
students into the habit of writing a few times a week.
The class would also deal with the workshop process. The students will be required to comment
on each others writing as part of participation. I find myself constantly going to Blau's ideas of
discussing a piece of literature. Some of the primary questions are really wonderful – how did this
make you feel? What were some things that stood out? As a former news reporter, I understand the
importance in asking a few soft questions before getting to the point. People are sensitive and not
always eager to speak up, but when a question is asked in this way, they are generally more
comfortable and less intimidated. Also, even though it is not Blau's, the idea of pointing will work well
in this classroom, in the workshops, too, to discuss how a poem works. Also, the class will use the
technique of popcorn reading to get a fluid exchange of voices in the classroom.
Also, a concept from Blau I will emphasize is his tolerance for failing. It is important for these
creative students to not be put down by their failures but to learn from them. I will emphasize not to be
afraid to try something new because that is what poetry is about, too.
Many times through the unit, the class will read a poem multiple times at once during class.
Also, the poem will be read aloud at least once. This is to get a deeper understanding of the sounds of
the language as they are spoken. I think this will help students to understand what poetry is. Hugo
mentions in The Triggering Town that Theodore Roethke, his professor at the University of
Washington, helped students to fall in love with the sounds of words. “To Roethke, that was the heart
and soul of poetry. And that was his strength as a teacher: he gave students a love of the sound of
language. His classes were clinics. He performed therapy on the ear” (Hugo 28).
The two main objectives of this unit are to get students to realize poetry is a vital and effective
way of expressing oneself and to expose them to a diverse collection of writers, both dead and alive.
Also, this class meets multiple times per week. Some time must be reserved to workshop poems.
However, I have not figured out if it will be one day dedicated to instruction and the next to the
workshop, or simply part of the period. In this unit plan, I decided to strictly put the instructional
models.
Artifacts:
1. POEMJAZZ CD
2. Favorite Poem Project videos
3. Poets.org audio clips
4. PennSound audio clips
5. Food (For “Green Chile” prompt)
6. Objects (For “The Word Plum” prompt)
Handouts:
1. William Carlos Williams interview
2. “What Is Poetry?”
3. Venn Diagram comparing Williams and Auden
Homework assignments:
1. Williams' “This Is Just To Say” line-breaks
Lesson Topic 1: What Is Poetry?
Rationale: This would be an introduction to the class. The point of this would be to get to know where
students stood in regards to their familiarity with poetry, as well as their opinions. If there is a lot of
negativity about what poetry is or confusion, I hope this lesson would refresh students and possibly
change their minds.
The chapter “What Is Poetry” gives an often humorous take on poetry. It tries to explain what
poetry is in the introduction. “One modern poet, perhaps a little vexed by this question, replied that
poetry, unlike prose, is a form of writing in which few lines run to the edge of a page” (Pickering 645).
This is a difficult question to answer, but this chapter helps. Also, it would be important to come up
with a definition as a class, so that students could feel like they understand what they are writing.
Reading the “things poetry is not” section in a popcorn style will help students get comfortable with
one another as well as keep the section, which is funny and informative, fluid.
The discussion about liking or disliking poetry would be an informal way to gauge where
students stood in terms of comprehension, as well as attitude. This will also be an opportunity to see if
there are any weaknesses that need to be worked on writing-wise, as well.
Showing the videos from the Favorite Poem Project would be a way of exposing students to a
variety of poems in an informal, yet informative and entertaining way. There are a slew of videos on
the Favorite Poem Project website, and the poems are read by all ages, races and genders. There is a
poem for everybody on there. I would do my best to pick out diverse poems to show to the class.
Since this is a creative writing class, it is important to talk about expectations in the workshop
setting. I will try to have students follow similar roles as in ENG 611, where they first asked questions,
then gave warm feedback and then suggestions. This seems to be a good procedure, and the pattern
would allow students to know what was expected in terms of a response. Since this is high school, I
would have to reinforce the fact that everyone needs to respect each other.
Materials:
“What Is Poetry?” worksheet
Computer with internet access
Favorite Poem Project videos
Writing Poems
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will:
 Have an overview about the main elements of poetry.
 Unearth any questions or concerns they have regarding poetry and the workshop process.
 Learn what is expected in the workshop.
Procedure:
1. Upon entering the class, students would be asked, “If this was your last day on earth, and you
only had 7 minutes to say something what would you say?” They will write for 10 to 12
minutes about this topic.
a) Volunteers who wish to share may do so.
2. I will ask students what they think poetry is.
a) We will work together to get a definition, and I will write their ideas on the board.
3. We will read in class the chapter “What Is Poetry?” from Literature.
a) Go over “things poetry is not” section in a popcorn style.
4. We will have a discussion about what they like or dislike about poetry.
a) How does poetry make you feel?
b) What hesitations do you have about writing poetry or talking about it?
5. I will pick out at least five videos that exhibit diversity of style on the Favorite Poem Project
website and show them.
a) What stood out to you in those videos?
b) How did they make you feel?
c) Which did you like the best? Least? Why?
d) Have you heard any of these poems before?
6. We will go over expectations in a workshop environment.
a) I will explain warm and cool feedback.
b) Constructive suggestions.
c) How to behave.
 Respect.
7. I will go over the homework assignment:
a) Read chapter one in Writing Poems “Starting Out” on pages 1 to 20.
 Underline or highlight any questions or items that puzzled you.
Assessment:
 Would be based on participation.
Lesson Topic 2: Sounds
Rationale: This lesson would be an introduction to the sounds of poetry. It would be an introduction
because, in Norton, the “sounds” section also includes meter, which would come later and may be
challenging to some students. This introduction would hopefully be a lighter gateway into the more
challenging metrical work.
The class would start with 10 to 12 minutes of uninterrupted free writing about the word
sounds. Some questions that may go with this prompt are: What is your favorite sound? What is your
least favorite sound? What words sound the most pleasant to you? What words sound harshest? This
would be a free write, so the students could be as creative as they want.
I chose the Pinsky poem and recording because it is a contemporary recording made this year
and Pinsky, a former saxophone player, is interested in the sounds of language. This is also relevant
because it connects poetry with music, which bards did during the origins of poetry (Booth 587).
The exercise using the Chasin poem would hopefully cause students to slow down the reading
of poetry. This could create a new awareness of the beauty of language. Also, the poem is short and has
a number of evocative sounds laced through the poem. I think it is central to the concept at hand. The
Chasin poem would be used as a model for the exercise later, where students would describe objects
that I have brought into class emphasizing sound.
The homework assignment is an attempt to bring this concept into the worlds of the students.
Since they learned the basic concepts in the classroom, hopefully they will be able to use them outside
and come up with poems that may be more authentic to their voices and minds.
Materials:
POEMJAZZ CD by Robert Pinsky and Laurence Hobgood
Copies of “Samurai Song” by Robert Pinsky
The Norton Introduction to Literature
About five found objects (such as an action figure or a tea cup)
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will:
 Have written for at least 10 minutes, generating material for a homework assignment.



Read and listened to a poem read by a contemporary poet.
Read a poem by a contemporary poet emphasizing the sounds of the words.
Written about an object using the model in the class.
Procedure:
1. Upon entering the class, students would see the word “sound” written on the board. They will
write for 10 to 12 minutes about this topic.
a) Volunteers who wish to share may do so.
2. We will read the poem, “The Word Plum” by Helen Chasin in Norton.
a) Students will read once silently.
b) One volunteer will read out loud.
c) All students will read together.
d) We would discuss as a class using scaffolding:
 What were things you noticed?
 Was there anything unusual about the sound of words, here?
 How is Chasin using sound to describe the plum?
 What sounds does she emphasize?
3. We will have a brief discussion about what poetic or linguistic elements are at work with
sounds.
a) I would teach a brief lesson on specific vocabulary terms, such as onomatopoeia,
alliteration, assonance and consonance using Writing Poems.
4. I will take out at least five objects found at home, such as an action figure, an apple, a framed
picture, and a tea cup.
a) Students will chose one object and write about it for 10 to 12 minutes using Chasin's poem
as a model for describing sounds.
5. I will pass out a copy of the poem “Samurai Song” by Robert Pinsky.
a) Students will read once silently.
b) One volunteer will read out loud.
c) I will play the POEMJAZZ CD by Robert Pinsky and pianist Laurence Hobgood.
d) We would discuss as a class using scaffolding:
 What were things you noticed in each reading?
 Was there a difference between when the student read aloud and Pinsky?
 Was there anything unusual about the sound of words?
 Was the sound of music important to the way you interpreted the poem?
6. I will go over the homework assignment:
a) Describe the sound of a place outside of school.
 This could be a backyard, the subway, a dentist's office, a construction site, the beach.
 Use sound specific to the place to describe the setting and the characters.
 It is not completely necessary to be in the place, but it would help.
Assessment:
 Will be based on participation and the homework assignment.
 Generative writing will lead to a final project of ten completed poems.
Lesson Topic 3: Speaker
Rationale: The speaker is an element of poetry that is shared with fiction. However, the speaker in
poetry is often more abstract and bewildering than in literature. This, potentially fun, lesson might get
rid of some of that confusion.
Looking at these personified poems is a good way to analyze literature. In Writing Poems,
Boisseau writes that these poems show what Keats meant by negative capability – the ability to be lost
and not cling to reason. Glück enters the world of a flower, allowing us as well to enter that world, too.
Although she does not actually become the flower, we can use our sense of abstraction in order to make
the connections. Being able to make these connections is a good skill for students to learn.
Another important aspect of this lesson is that both poets are living and still working as poets.
This is important also because many classes solely talk about the great dead poets or the old white men.
In this lesson, other voices are heard. Glück is a woman and Smith is a gay man. Either way, both
poems exemplify strong voices of the speaker.
Also, this exercise will hopefully free students from thinking they always have to write in their
voice. In the free write, students will have a chance to write using personification. However, it is
somewhat easy going. In the homework assignment, I would hope students used the models in class to
take it one step further. But, even the idea of a pet talking might prove to show some interesting results.
Materials:
In Writing Poems: “Daisies” by Louise Glück, “Brad Pitt” by Aaron Smith
The Triggering Town
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will:
 Generate writing that will be used for a final project.
 Understand the concept of personification.
 Use personification in a poem.
 Be able to identify the speaker in a poem.
Procedure:
1. Upon entering the class, students will be asked to imagine they are a pet – dog, cat, fish, bird (if
they don't have a pet, a squirrel or raccoon outside) – and imagine what they would say if they
could speak English. They will write for 10 to 12 minutes about this topic.
a) Volunteers who wish to share may do so.
2. I will have students look at “Daisies” by Louise Glück.
a) I will briefly define and discuss personification.
b) Students will read once silently.
c) One volunteer will read out loud.
 What stood out to you in this poem?
 How did it make you feel?
 What techniques is she using to portray the daisy?
 Was there anything startling about the daisy's voice?
3. I will have students look at “Brad Pitt” by Aaron Smith
a) Students will read once silently.
b) One volunteer will read out loud.
 What stood out to you in this poem?
 How did it make you feel?
 How is this a different example of a speakers voice?
 Who is the speaker here?
 Is it the poet?
4. I will go over the homework assignment:
a) Read chapter one in The Triggering Town.
 Underline or highlight any questions or items that puzzled you.
b) Either by using the speaker in the free write prompt or creating a new speaker, write a poem
in a voice that is not yours.
Assessment:
 Will be based on participation and the homework assignment.
Lesson Topic 4: Theme
Rationale: In ENG 611 class, Pamela did an excellent job with her demo on Baca's poem. It made me
realize how much this poem is good for – theme of family, as well as food, and has such great
descriptions of taste, as well as southwestern American culture. Also, the poem is a way to enter into
heavier topics without being overbearing.
The think, pair, share is a way for students to not be intimidated when trying to discuss a
sophisticated work. Also, since this poem is about community, it would be relevant to talk about it with
one's community.
The poem would also be a good opportunity to bring in food. However, it would not be a party.
The students will be asked to use eating as a generative writing exercise. I plan to have the students
describe how the food tastes. Also, students could go further and think about the process of making
food or relate the food to their family like Baca does.
Materials:
A photocopy of “Green Chile” by Jimmy Santiago Baca
Chips and salsa
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will:
 Get a general understanding of theme.
 Generate writing in two different ways.
 Eat food, and relate it to literature and their own writing.
Procedure:
1. Upon entering the class, the word “home cooking” will be up on the board. Students will write
for 10 to 12 minutes about this topic.
a) Volunteers who wish to share may do so.
2. Think – pair – share
a) Students will first read “Green Chile” by Jimmy Santiago Baca independently, noting what
stood out to them.
b) Next, they will meet with groups to discuss the theme.
c) Then, they will share with the class what they came up with, creating a class wide
discussion about the theme.
 What did these poems make you feel?
 What parts stuck out?
 How were these poems similar? Different?
 What about the poems related them to one another?
d) The students talk about the thematic food elements.
 How does Baca explore the senses of taste and smell?
e) Or thematic family elements.
 How are relationships portrayed.
3. We would share some food – maybe chips and salsa.
a) Students will write about the the experiences they had with the taste.
b) They could go further to think about how the product was made and brought to them.
4. I will go over the homework assignment:
a) Use the free write exercise to write a poem of your own, using Baca's “Green Chile” as a
model.
 The poem must follow three parts:
 Them
 Another person
 The outside world.
Assessment:
 Will be based on participation and the homework assignment.
Lesson Topic 5: Setting
Rationale: In this lesson, I plan to show the class three pieces of art – a painting and two poems of
different styles. This will expose students to two major poets of the twentieth century and a famous
sixteenth century painting. It is interesting because both poets chose to write about the same visual
image. Hopefully, this leads students who are more visual-minded or interested in visual arts to see
poetry as another way of describing – painting with the pen.
I plan to use the popcorn reading when we discuss the elements of setting found in Norton. This
is an attempt to get a more fluid readership. The Norton text describes well terms that the students may
need to know in order to describe the poems later in the class.
The homework assignment would let the poems read in class serve as a model for students to
create their own work.
Materials:
Photocopies of “Fall of Icarus” by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, “Musee des Beaux Arts” by W.H. Auden
and “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” by William Carlos Williams.
Norton
The Triggering Town
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will:
 Learn how setting works in poetry.
 Discuss poems by two major twentieth century poets.
 Compare and contrast those poems alongside an image of the poems subject.
 Generate writing using the poems as models.
Procedure:
1. Upon entering the class, students will be asked to think of their favorite place on earth and try
to describe it. They will write for 10 to 12 minutes about this topic:
a) Volunteers who wish to share may do so.
2. Discuss what are elements of setting.
a) Write elements that the class brings up on the board.
b) Look at chapter nine in Norton and have students read the introduction to the chapter
popcorn style.
3. I will pass out copies of a picture of “Fall of Icarus” by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, “Musee des
Beaux Arts” by W.H. Auden and “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” by William Carlos
Williams.
a) Students will read once silently.
b) Two volunteers will read out loud.
c) We will compare how each poem describes the painting.
 What do both focus on?
 What are differences?
 In style? In tone?
4. I will go over the homework assignment:
a) Read chapter two in The Triggering Town.
 Underline or highlight any questions or items that puzzled you.
b) Write about a piece of visual art – includes sculpture, painting, architecture.
Assessment:
 Will be based on participation and the homework assignment.
Lesson Topic 6: Tone
Rationale: This lesson plan idea came from the Favorite Poem Project website. The Favorite Poem
project is a resource for teachers of poetry with a database of videos of people reading their favorite
poems. It also includes teaching resources, such as lesson plans and books.
I will show the video of “Ay, Ay, Ay de la Grifa Negra” by Julia de Burgos read by Glaisma
Perez-Silva, who reads the poem in Spanish and in an expressive way. This would be an opportunity for
students, especially non-Spanish speaking students to get an understanding of tone of voice. To hear
something that is not in his or her native language forces the listener to pay more attention to the sound
of the words in order to try to understand what is being said.
Then, similarly, I would show a video of “The Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll, which is almost
in a foreign language. At times Carroll's poem could be a contrary, less serious take on the same topic.
The poem is silly nonsense. One exercise the students will do is replace some of the made up words
with English words by using context clues. Students would need to have an idea of the tone of the
poem in order to understand how to make these connections. Also, this could help with difficult poems
such as Beowulf, where the words can be challenging at times.
Materials:
Computer with internet connection
Favorite Poem Project videos
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will:
 Understand how tone works in poetry.
 Read poems by two diverse poets.
 Generate writing that will lead to a final project.
Procedure:
1. Upon entering the class, students will write about the last time someone yelled at them. They
will write for 10 to 12 minutes about this topic.
a) Volunteers who wish to share may do so.
2. I will play a video of the Spanish language version of “Ay, Ay, Ay de la Grifa Negra” by Julia de
Burgos and read by Glaisma Perez-Silva from the Favorite Poem Project.
a) Students will listen to the poem twice.
 What elements of the video stuck out to you?
 How did it make you feel?
 What tone of voice is Perez-Silva using?
 What emotions is she expressing?
b) Then, we will watch the English version of the video.
 What was different? What was the same?
 What became illuminated in the English version?
3. I will hand out a copy of “The Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll.
a) Students will read once silently.
b) One volunteer will read out loud.
c) Students will attempt to make sense of the nonsense.
 They can insert where they like potential English words or phrases.
4. I will explain the homework assignment:
a) Use the poems discussed in class as models for a poem. Use ideas generated from the
writing prompt or your own idea.
b) Read chapter three in The Triggering Town “Assumptions” on pages 19 to 27.
Assessment:
 Will be based on participation and the homework assignment.
Lesson Topic 7: Form
Rationale: This would be a simpler take on the overarching idea of form in poetry. Form is not just linebreaks, but line-breaks are a good entry point into discussing formal elements.
This would be an opportunity to teach key vocabulary terms, such as enjambment, end-stop and
caesura, as well as have a chance to employ these terms in students' own writing.
Since Williams' poetry is generally short and thin. He is an obvious example when dealing with
line-breaks. The class exercise would be useful to students because this poem is iconic, and they would
be empowered by the freedom to change the poem the way they wanted to. Discussing what decisions
they have made with a group might lead to how to read a poem and the idea of line breaks as breath.
The interview is complimentary to the exercise. It explains briefly Williams' process when
writing that poem. It also gives ideas as to his opinion about what poetry is or should be.
The free write exercise will be expanded into a writing exercise in class where students must
use one of the terms discussed earlier in class. This would be another way of employing the techniques
and understanding the importance of line-breaks in their own poetry.
The homework assignment will reinforce what they've learned in class. This section in Norton
goes into more detail about formal choices students can make.
Materials:
Writing Poems
Handout of Williams' interview
Norton
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will:
 Understand terms about form, such as enjambment and caesura.
 Be familiar with line-breaks.
 Learn about modernist poet, William Carlos Williams.
 Write on two different prompts.
Procedure:
1. Upon entering the class, students will write about a time someone took something from them.
They will write for 10 to 12 minutes about this topic.
a) Volunteers who wish to share may do so.
2. I will go over some vocabulary terms, such as enjambment and caesura.
a) These terms are found on page 26 of Writing Poems along with some examples.
 This may also be an instance to bring up sentence structure and punctuation.
3. Before class, I will take the poem, “This Is Just To Say” by William Carlos Williams and put it
into one paragraph.
a) I will pass out a worksheet with this prose-like version of Williams' poem.
 Students must break up Williams' lines to make their own poem.
 Students will get into groups of two and discuss how they decided to make their breaks.
 The groups will come together to present their points to the whole class.
b) We will read an interview in which Williams discusses the poem (page 556 of Norton).
4. The students will use the free write prompt to write a poem that uses line breaks in two different
ways. They must experiment with one of the vocabulary words.
5. I will go over the homework assignment:
a) Read chapter two “Verse” on pages 25 to 44 in Norton.
Assessment:
 Will be based on participation and the homework assignment.
Lesson Topic 8: Structure
Rationale: This lesson will be an entry into poetic structure. I plan to look at two poems written by
different authors that both show contrast.
“Sonrisas” by Pat Mora shows two different worlds. Kenneth Koch's “One Train” is an attempt
at uncovering what is hidden. The style is very different. Mora's poem is short, with a stout, thin shape.
Koch's is a longer poem with longer lines. They are both free verse, but their structure is what connects
them. Mora's stanzas are what separate the worlds, while each line in Koch brings a contrast.
The free write assignment is an attempt to discuss how a house looks in order to talk about how
a poem may look. There are foundations, there are stories, there are open parts, there are roofs to cap.
This, hopefully, would convey the message that poems need to be built as well and poets are conscious
of the structure.
The writing assignment plays off the contrast in the two poems. I found the assignment in
Koch's book for teaching children how to write poetry, Wishes, Lies and Dreams. This exercise allows
endless creativity, and is a good stimulus for ideas. These contrasts could be used for full length poems.
Before the students started to write, I would make two columns on the board, writing “I used to be” on
the left and “Now I am” on the right. I would model some examples before the class started.
The homework assignment that I chose for this lesson is to give a few more tools as to how to
improve writing. Hugo does a great job of being silly when it comes to the mechanics of poetry. He
does give advice, but he also gives contradictory advice to make the point: use what works for you.
Materials:
Computer with internet connection
Poets.org audio clip
“Sonrisas” by Pat Mora
Copies of “One Train” by Kenneth Koch
The Triggering Town
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will:
 Gain awareness of internal structure.
 Read two diverse poems about two different subjects that are exemplary of structure.
 Generate writing that will go towards students final project.
Procedure:
1. Upon entering the class, students will be asked to write about their house or apartment building.
They will write for 10 to 12 minutes about this topic.
a) Volunteers who wish to share may do so.
2. I will teach a brief lesson on internal structure starting on page 614 in Norton.
a) I will go over key vocabulary
3. We will look at“Sonrisas” by Pat Mora in Norton.
a) Students will read once silently.
b) One volunteer will read out loud.
c) We will discuss the poem using scaffolding.
 What stuck out to you?
 How did it make you feel?
 How does the poem look?
 Were there differences between the first two parts?
4. The class will work on an exercise called “I used to be, but now I'm...”
a) Students will come up with at least ten examples of this prompt.
b) Students will share a few of the examples.
c) Use one of the examples to free write.
5. I will pass out copies of “One Train” by Kenneth Koch.
a) Students will read once silently.
b) We will discuss the poem using scaffolding.
 What stuck out to you?
 How did it make you feel?
 What is the structure of this poem?
 How is it different from the “Sonrisas”?
6. I will go over the homework assignment:
a) Read chapter five “Nuts and Bolts” on pages 37 to 51 in The Triggering Town.
Assessment:
 Will be based on participation.
Lesson Topic 9: Meter
Rationale: All poetry has form, but one of the most common forms is poetry with a specific number of
beats. This is one of the great musical connections that poetry has. However, meter can be a bit
intimidating to writers and students. In this lesson, I will try to take away that fear of writing
challenging formal poetry by making it fun.
The lesson would start with a free write. This would be based on the question “What is your
favorite nursery rhyme?” This is to show students that they have been working with formal poetry since
they were children. Also, I will explain that formal poetry is the earliest kind of poetry due to the
mnemonic elements and the ease of memorization.
I will teach a brief lesson on the terms involved in discussing meter. These terms will be paired
with examples and I will have the students read the examples to feel the rhythm of the poem. Together,
the class will read popcorn style from the handout “Metrical Variations” by Paul Fussell. This handout
is informative and would reinforce the vocabulary learned prior.
Then students will practice scansion on a poem by Robert Frost, “Out, Out--”. This poem is not
what one might think of when thinking of meter – it is not covered in cobwebs. Writing Poems explains
how scansion works. Also, it gives a few examples of how to scan Frost's poem.
The homework assignment will be to take a piece of poetry with a definite meter and write a
line-by-line response to it. I understand how difficult it is to write in meter, so I am only asking
students to focus on a poem that has meter, but respond to it in their own way. Students who feel
inclined could use the sounds of the model to come up with their own metered poem, but that is not
what I expect.
Materials:
“Metrical Variations” by Paul Fussell
Writing Poems
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will:
 Learn key terms in discussing meter.
 Be able to scan a poem to identify its meter.
 Generate writing that students can use for their final project.
Procedure:
1. Upon entering the class, students will be asked to remember their favorite nursery rhyme. They
will write for 10 to 12 minutes about this topic.
a) Volunteers who wish to share may do so.
2. I will teach a brief lesson on the terms involved in meter, which can be found in chapter three of
Writing Poems.
a) I will focus on types of meter, as well as foot-substitutions, such as dactyl, and give
examples of each.
3. The class will read popcorn style from “Metrical Variations” a chapter in Poetic Meter and
Poetic Form by Paul Fussell.
a) I will answer questions as they arise.
4. The students will look in Writing Poems at the section on scansion.
a) The class will go over the example in the text “Out, Out--” by Robert Frost.
5. I will go over the homework assignment:
a) Students must take a poem with a definite meter and write a line-by-line response to it.
Assessment:
 Will be based on participation and the homework assignment.
Lesson Topic 10: Performance
Rationale: This would be an opportunity for students to reap what they've sown. After working on their
poems and watching multiple Favorite Poem Project style videos, I plan to have students read their own
work and film them.
The whole semester the students will have been working on a final portfolio of poems. Before
this class, the students will have sent me their portfolio and chosen a poem to read in front of the class.
I will print out anthologies of the students work to pass around to everyone.
This will be a moment of pride, but it will also be an opportunity to hear themselves read their
poetry. This would not be a workshop, but the students could criticize themselves based on their
readings in order to improve.
Materials:
Camera
Students' completed poems
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will:
 Have completed a number of poems in different styles.
 Show their completed work by performing in front of the class.
Procedure:
1. Upon entering the class, what is poetry? They will write for 10 to 12 minutes about this topic.
2. I will have the students stand up and walk to a podium or desk where the camera is set up and
read their poem to the class.
a) After everyone reads, we can talk about this experience.
3. We will revisit the question in the prompt.
a) What is poetry now that the students have worked hard to create their own pieces?
b) What still needs to be worked on?
c) What has been the most beneficial?
d) What has been the most challenging?
Assessment:
 The students will be assessed based on whether they completed their final project.
 They will be assessed on participation throughout the course, as well as homework assignments.
Works Cited
Blau, Sheridan D. The Literature Workshop: Teaching Texts and Their Readers. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann, 2003. Print.
Boisseau, Michelle, Robert Wallace, and Randall Mann. Writing Poems. New York: Pearson Longman,
2008. Print.
Booth, Alison, and Kelly J. Mays. The Norton Introduction to Literature. New York: W.W. Norton &,
2011. Print.
Favorite Poem Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Aug. 2012. <http://www.favoritepoem.org/>.
Fussell, Paul. Poetic Meter and Poetic Form. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1979. Print.
Hugo, Richard. The Triggering Town: Lectures and Essays on Poetry and Writing. New York: Norton,
1992. Print.
Koch, Kenneth. Wishes, Lies, and Dreams: Teaching Children to Write Poetry. New York:
HarperPerennial, 1999. Print.
PennSound. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Aug. 2012. <http://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/>.
Pickering, James H., and Jeffrey D. Hoeper. Literature. 3rd ed. New York: Macmillan, 1990. Print.
Pinsky, Robert, and Laurence Hobgood, perfs. POEMJAZZ. Robert Pinsky and Laurence Hobgood.
2012. CD
Poetry Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Aug. 2012. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/>.
Rosenblatt, Louise M. Literature as Exploration. New York: Modern Language Association of
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Smith, Michael W., and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. Fresh Takes on Teaching Literary Elements: How to Teach
What Really Matters About Character, Setting, Point of View, and Theme. New York: Scholastic,
2010. Print.