Kenneth Johnston's

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES

 

  1. OBJECTIVE: The student will be able to explain and identify devices used in poetry (rhyme scheme, alliteration, and theme).

 

  1. LECTURE:

 

This first lecture is to introduce the students to some literary devices used in poetry such as theme, alliteration, and rhyme scheme.

 

Lecture Notes:

 

    1. Theme

A.   Have students write down the definition: an idea, point of view, or perception embodied and expanded upon in a work.

B.   Have the students write down their favorite song and what message the artist is trying to get across. After a brief discussion, explain that these are actually the themes to the songs and that poets do the same thing. In essence, songs are poetry.

    1. Alliteration

A.   Have students write down the definition: the occurrence in a phrase or line of speech or writing of two or more words having the same initial sound.

B.   Recite the nursery rhyme "Peter Piper" and tell the students that the repeated "P" sound is alliteration. Ask the students to think of their own example of alliteration and write them on the board.

    1. Rhyme Scheme

A.   Have the students write down the definition: arrangement of rhymes in a stanza or poem

B.   Tell the students that rhyme scheme is noted by placing a lower-case letter at the end of each line of a poem. Each rhyming sound is assigned a different letter.

C.   Show overhead of "The Star Spangled Banner" and ask the students to write down the rhyme scheme on their own paper. After a few minutes show the correct rhyme scheme and tell the students to make any corrections.

 

 

B. QUESTIONING:

This activity will allow the students to derive answers and understanding from themselves and each other through group work. The class will be divided into groups of four and each group will be given a dictionary. On the overhead will be a worksheet with questions to be answered by the group. Each group will only turn in one answer sheet with each student’s name on it. Once the answers are collected the class may discuss results from the groups if time permits.

 

Questions from overhead:

 

  1. Using the dictionary provided, define the following words, as they would pertain to poetry: theme, rhyme scheme, and alliteration.

 

  1. Write down the title to your favorite song (one per group). Now write down what you think the theme of the song is. REMEMBER: theme is not the plot! (See me if you are unclear about the dictionary definition).

 

  1. Using your textbook, write down three examples of alliteration from three different poems. Don’t forget to include the titles of the poems with your answers.

 

  1. See overhead of "The Star Spangled Banner." Write down the rhyme scheme.

NOTE: Rhyme scheme is written by assigning a lower-case letter to each line of poetry. Each rhyming sound receives a different letter.

 

Example: Mary had a little lamb, a

Its fleece was white as snow. b

Everywhere that Mary went, c

The lamb was sure to go. b

 

The rhyme scheme for this poem is a b c b.

 

  1. BONUS:
    1. What do you think the theme of "The Star Spangled Banner" is?
    2. Give an example (if any) of alliteration in the song.

 

 

TIME TO COMPLETE OBJECTIVE: 1 Day

 

EVALUATION METHOD: Unit Test

 

MATERIALS NEEDED: Dictionaries, Overhead projector

 

 

  1. OBJECTIVE: The student will be able to identify and memorize specific details from the life of Edgar Allan Poe.

 

  1. LECTURE:

 

This activity will be a little more than a lecture. The students will watch a video titled Biography: Edgar Allan Poe (run time: 50 minutes). During the video the students will be asked to take notes because there will be a short discussion of the movie (time permitting) and the students will be responsible for information about Edgar Allan Poe on a unit test.

 

The students will be told to focus their notes on the following topics:

 

  1. QUESTIONING:

 

Each student will be given a handout of a brief biography of Edgar Allan Poe. They will be asked to read it and answer several questions from the reading. These questions will not be graded but will be the students’ notes for this objective. They will be responsible for the information on the unit test. The questions are not designed to challenge the students. They are simply to help the students remember facts from Poe’s life so that they may better understand him and his poetry. Once the student's are finished the class will discuss the answers.

 

Questions:

 

    1. When and where was Edgar Allan Poe born? Died?
    2. Where was he educated and what two colleges did he attend?
    3. Did he graduate? How do you know?
    4. What was the name of Poe’s first published work?
    5. Where did Poe find his first job after he published the short story "A MS Found in a Bottle?"
    6. What led to the downward spiral of the author’s life and eventually his

death?

 

TIME TO COMPLETE OBJECTIVE: 1 Day

 

EVALUATION METHOD: Unit Test

 

MATERIALS NEEDED: Television, VCR

 

 

  1. OBJECTIVE: The student will be able to infer the themes of selected Edgar Allan Poe poems as well as interpret the rhyme scheme and find examples of alliteration.

 

  1. DISCUSSION:

 

Each student will be given handouts of the following Edgar Allan Poe poems:

 

One student will be selected (if no one volunteers) to read each poem aloud as the other students read along silently. After each poem is read the students will be lead in a discussion about the poem.

 

Topics to be discussed and questions to stimulate discussion:

 

  1. Main Idea:

 

  1. Point of View:
  1. Theme:

 

  1. Alliteration:

 

  1. Rhyme Scheme:

 

This outline will be used to stimulate a discussion after each poem is read. After all four poems have been discussed, the students will be given these questions as a handout to complete for homework to be graded and used as notes for the unit test.

 

 

B. QUESTIONING:

 

Each student will be given handouts of the following Edgar Allan Poe poems:

 

The students will be instructed to read the poems and answer the following questions for each poem:

 

    1. What is the main idea of the poem? In other words, briefly explain what happens in the poem
    2. In what point of view is the poem written and how would it be different (good or bad) if it were written in another point of view?
    3. Describe the emotion of the speaker.
    4. What would you give as the overall theme of the poem?
    5. Give an example of alliteration from the poem?
    6. Write down the rhyme scheme of the poem. Does it make the poem easy to read? (i.e., Try to sing the poem as a song. Does it have a good rhythm?)

 

TIME TO COMPLETE OBJECTIVE: 2 Days

 

EVALUATION METHOD: Unit Test

 

MATERIALS NEEDED: None

 

 

  1. OBJECTIVE: The student will be able to define selected words from four poems by Edgar Allan Poe.

 

  1. QUESTIONING:

 

The students will be asked to use a dictionary to define the following words as they pertain to the selected Edgar Allan Poe poems in this unit:

 

    1. Seraph – an angel with three pairs of wings that guards the throne of God
    2. Covet – to feel envious desire for, that which is another’s
    3. Kinsman – a man sharing the same racial, cultural, or national background as another
    4. Sepulcher – a burial vault
    5. Envy – resentful desire for another’s possessions or advantages
    6. Dissever – to become separated or disunited
    7. Avow – to acknowledge openly
    8. Amid – in the middle of; surrounded by
    9. Pitiless – having no pity; totally uncompromising
    10. Bedight – to dress or adorn
    11. Gaily – in a gay manner; merrily
    12. Gallant – high spirited and courageous
    13. Kindling – easily ignited material used as a fire starter
    14. Alas – used to express sadness, misery over loss, compassion, or apprehension of danger or evil

 

If time permits the class will go over the words to determine how they are used in the poems and then the students will turn them in for a grade. They will be given back to the students for use as study notes for the unit test.

 

 

B. GAME:

 

The purpose of this game will be to help the students memorize definitions of words taken from the selected poems in the unit. The students will have already looked up the definitions of the vocabulary words as a homework assignment. The class will be divided into two teams and a spokesperson for the team will be chosen. One student will also be chosen as the timekeeper and one as the scorekeeper. A list of the vocabulary words will be written on the board or overhead. A coin toss will determine which team will go first. A definition will be read aloud at random. The team then has ten seconds to converse and agree on an answer. The spokesperson is the only person allowed giving the answer to the teacher and the first answer is final. If correct, the team is awarded 100 points. If an incorrect answer is given, the opposing team then has five seconds to respond via the spokesperson. If they give the right answer, they will be awarded 50 points. The two teams will alternate turns until all of the words have been used. OPTIONAL: The teams may get a 25-point bonus for giving the title of the poem from which the word was taken.

 

Vocabulary words to be used:

 

Seraph, Covet, Kinsman, Sepulcher, Envy, Dissever, Avow, Amid, Pitiless, Bedight, Gaily, Gallant, Kindling, Alas

 

TIME TO COMPLETE OBJECTIVE: 1Day

 

EVALUATION METHOD: Unit Test

 

MATERIALS NEEDED: Dictionaries

 

  1. OBJECTIVE: The student will be able to match the titles of the selected poetry with passages taken from each of the poems in the unit.

 

  1. DRILL:

 

This activity will be done at the end of the unit after the students have had time to familiarize themselves with the poems. This will simply be a verbal drill where 5 passages will be read aloud by the teacher and the students will have to write the title of the poem on their own paper. After the exercise, the students will exchange papers and grade them. This is a graded assignment. The students will also have to recognize passages on the test.

 

Quiz:

 

    1. "And in thine eye a kindling light (Whatever it might be)"

-"SONG"

 

    1. "The angels, not half so happy in heaven, Went envying her and me-"

-"ANNABEL LEE"

 

    1. "And as his strength Failed him at length"

-"ELDORADO"

 

    1. "Though its glow hath raised a fiercer flame"

-""SONG"

    1. "O God! Can I not grasp Them with a tighter clasp?"

-"A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM"

 

 

B. DISCUSSION:

 

In this discussion the students will be asked how they can recognize passages and determine what poems they are from. The students will be able to determine how to use devices such as word usage, alliteration, rhyme scheme and punctuation to match the passages with the poem. If the discussion is short or there is minimal participation, they will be asked to take a sample test to determine how well they know the poems.

 

Questions to stimulate discussion:

 

1.    What words are used in poems that distinguish them from the others?

 

2.    What poem does the rhyme scheme resemble?

 

3.    Can you figure out the poem by recognizing rhyme scheme?

 

 

TIME TO COMPLETE OBJECTIVE: 1 Day

 

EVALUATION METHOD: Unit Test

 

MATERIALS NEEDED: None

 

 

SUPPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES

 

 

The following activities are in addition to those listed under each objective. These assignments will be used to offer students extra class work if they complete the daily assignments early. The supplemental activities also offer alternative exercises in case the students are not responsive to the planned activity.

 

  1. After reading "Eldorado" determine the point of view that Edgar Allan Poe uses in the poem. Then, write your own version of the poem by changing the point of view. Remember not to change the theme and overall meaning of the poem. The poem should be at least 12 lines and include at least two examples of alliteration. In the margin write the rhyme scheme of your poem. These will be collected for a completion grade.

 

  1. Write an essay comparing the dates that the selected poems were written with the events that were surrounding Edgar Allan Poe’s life at the time. Does the theme or main idea relate to what he was going through? Do you think that his life influenced him to write the poems? Cite specific examples. The essay should be at least two pages long, typed and double-spaced. This essay will be graded on content, grammar, and spelling.

 

  1. (The students will have already been told to memorize one of the selected poems). During class they will each have to stand in front of the class and recite the poem that they chose to memorize.

 

  1. If you have completed all of the assignments for today, you may work quietly on your study guide for the unit. Feel free to ask me any questions but do not consult your classmates.

 

 Annabel Lee

    It was many and many a year ago,

          In a kingdom by the sea,

    That a maiden there lived whom you may know

          By the name of ANNABEL LEE;

    And this maiden she lived with no other thought

          Than to love and be loved by me.

 

    I was a child and she was a child,

          In this kingdom by the sea;

    But we loved with a love that was more than love-

          I and my Annabel Lee;

    With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven

          Coveted her and me.

 

    And this was the reason that, long ago,

          In this kingdom by the sea,

    A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

          My beautiful Annabel Lee;

    So that her highborn kinsman came

          And bore her away from me,

    To shut her up in a sepulchre

          In this kingdom by the sea.

 

    The angels, not half so happy in heaven,

          Went envying her and me-

    Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,

          In this kingdom by the sea)

    That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

          Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

 

    But our love it was stronger by far than the love

          Of those who were older than we-

          Of many far wiser than we-

    And neither the angels in heaven above,

          Nor the demons down under the sea,

    Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

          Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

 

    For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams

          Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

    And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes

          Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

    And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side

    Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,

          In the sepulchre there by the sea,

          In her tomb by the sounding sea.

 

 

 

A Dream Within a Dream

          Take this kiss upon the brow!

          And, in parting from you now,

          Thus much let me avow-

          You are not wrong, who deem

          That my days have been a dream;

          Yet if hope has flown away

          In a night, or in a day,

          In a vision, or in none,

          Is it therefore the less gone?

          All that we see or seem

          Is but a dream within a dream.

 

          I stand amid the roar

          Of a surf-tormented shore,

          And I hold within my hand

          Grains of the golden sand-

          How few! yet how they creep

          Through my fingers to the deep,

          While I weep- while I weep!

          O God! can I not grasp

          Them with a tighter clasp?

          O God! can I not save

          One from the pitiless wave?

          Is all that we see or seem

          But a dream within a dream?

 

Creep – crawl

Brow – arch of hair above eye

Avow – affirm

Deem – view as

 

 

 

 

 

Eldorado

                   Gaily bedight,

                   A gallant knight,

               In sunshine and in shadow,

                   Had journeyed long,

                   Singing a song,

               In search of Eldorado.

 

                   But he grew old-

                   This knight so bold-

               And o'er his heart a shadow

                   Fell as he found

                   No spot of ground

               That looked like Eldorado.

 

                   And, as his strength

                   Failed him at length,

               He met a pilgrim shadow-

                   "Shadow," said he,

                   "Where can it be-

               This land of Eldorado?"

 

                   "Over the Mountains

                   Of the Moon,

               Down the Valley of the Shadow,

                   Ride, boldly ride,"

                   The shade replied-

               "If you seek for Eldorado!"

 

 

 

 

Song

    I saw thee on thy bridal day-

      When a burning blush came o'er thee,

    Though happiness around thee lay,

      The world all love before thee:

 

    And in thine eye a kindling light

      (Whatever it might be)

    Was all on Earth my aching sight

      Of Loveliness could see.

 

    That blush, perhaps, was maiden shame-

      As such it well may pass-

    Though its glow hath raised a fiercer flame

      In the breast of him, alas!

 

    Who saw thee on that bridal day,

      When that deep blush would come o'er thee,

    Though happiness around thee lay;

      The world all love before thee.

 

 

Alliteration - the repetition of consonant sounds, usually at the beginning of words. Alliteration is marked in blue.

Assonance - the repetition of vowel sounds, usually within words. Assonance is marked in purple.

Internal rhyme - the rhyming of words within a line of poetry, not just at the end of the lines. Internal rhymes are marked in red.

Vocabulary words - This unit provides definitions for many words that may not be familiar to you. These words are marked in yellow.

 

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