Unit 3 Poetry



Lesson 1

Assignment 3-1


Target


Assignment


Poet Rita Dove once said, "Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful."

Poetry can be

  • lifelike – Poetry conveys reality powerfully, appealing to both the intellect and emotions.

  • thought provoking – Poets observe and write about life to encourage the reader think deeply about the subject.

  • artistic – Poetry's techniques and imagery reflect the beauty of language. Poets categorize words and use precise vocabulary. Writing is a skill that requires informed practice.

Throughout time, poetry has been used to express ideas and emotion, create art, as well as tell stories. Most importantly, it gives humans a voice.

Voice is not just the physical ability to speak; it is how to speak.

Because poetry is so concise, poets make conscious, purposeful word choices. Poetry is the right word placed in the right spot.


When you read poetry, contemplate the word choices used and always try to identify the speaker, the person whose point of view is described.

Chances are, what attracts you to a particular artist is voice or the sound, manner, style, and tone of the person. Voice is the part of writing that speaks to you.

Consider how the word choices in each of the following poetic excerpts reflect the culture, community or period of history in which it was written:

Let my heart be the coin that I pay you. 
If it is at first far from pure,
Ah, then come and renew,
its fine gleam.
Come, work on it,
melt it and stamp it
so that your image in me
completely renewed may shine forth!
Take me from myself and give me to you! 
J.S. Bach 
"Cantata 163: To Each His Due"
I gave my love a cherry that had no stone;
I gave my love a chicken that had no bone;
I gave my love a baby with no crying,
And told my love a story that had no end.

English Folksong "The Riddle"

As sure as night is dark and day is light,
I keep you on my mind both day and night.
And happiness I've known proves that it's right,
Because you're mine, I walk the line.
Johnny Cash, "I Walk the Line"
But you better take your diamond ring, you better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him he calls you, you can't refuse
When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you've got no secrets to conceal
How does it feel, how does it feel?
To be on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone.

Bob Dylan "Like a Rolling Stone"
Paper bags and memory lanes
Whose dreams are flying all to rest.
He just can't put his finger on the feeling that he lacks.
A spirit too disposable, recycled and cut back,
From tradition to a mission, he's the greatest,
Slippin' through the cracks.... 

Susan Aglukark "Slipping Through the Cracks"
He screams, you fade
He stomps, you break
In a million pieces you shatter.
He lies, you stay.
He leaves, you wait.
For him as if you’ve never mattered.
It’s like dead leaves laying at the foot of a tree,
snow storms shutting down a city street,
like a rockslide rolling out of control,
never let you, taking out half the road,
A million drops rolling down in the rain,
Coming down hard in a hurricane,
Like the sunset when the skies are grey,
Falling shouldn’t feel that way.

Don Amero "Sunshine & Rain"

In this unit, you will...


  1. identify terms and poetic techniques

  1. write a personal response

  1. write a poem


Mid-term Exam


You will be writing a supervised mid-term exam at the end of this unit. Be organized and call your teacher or school now to book an appointment to write your exam.

Begin spending fifteen minutes every day reviewing your Language Arts notes, questions, quizzes, vocabulary lists, and lessons.