Poetry may make us see the world afresh,or some new part of it. It may make us, from time to time, a little more aware of the deeper, unamed feelings to which we rarely penetrate.
T.S. Eliot
Some elements to consider in characterization of poems in Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia
Rhythm-flow; recurrences at equal intervals affected by pauses attribtable to consonant clusters and length of words
Rhyme Order/Rhyme Scheme-What s the pattern of the rhyme?
Mood- Is it tender, hopeful, morbid, grave, tragic, ect?
Movement- Is it majestic, tripping, vigorous, lively, regular, halting?
Sound- Is it alliterative, musical, sonorous, harsh?
Theme-central idea or message
Diction-
Stanza Structure-
-----------------------------------------------
Overall Considerations:
Does the poem imply a story of some sort?
What is the beginning, middle and end?
What was your response to the poem at first reading?
Where there any parts that especially pleased, displeased or puzzled you?
Does the writer reveal his/her personality, culture, values in the poem?
In what instances? Give examples.
Note the images in the poem. How do they add up to one complete picture?
-----------------------------------------------
Common themes in Southern/Mississippi literature
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
THE PAST
How are the elements of RACE/RACIAL RELATIONS introduced/handled in Neely-Dorsey's poetry
What is the tone in which they are handled?
Discuss the use of DIALECT in one or more of Neely Dorsey's poems
Discuss the role that LAND/PLACE/SETTING play in Neely-Dorsey's poetry
-----------------------------------------------
Poetry Workshop
Meet Me and Mississippi Through Poetry Prose and the Written Word
A Life in Poems
Students will
Classify events from the life of Neely-Dorsey | |
• | Illustrate events from the life of Neely-Dorsey |
• | Analyze the poetry of Neely-Dorsey ---------------------------------- |
"MEET ME"/Exploring Self
-Writing About Your Life
1. To increase self-awareness
2. To increase self-esteem
3. To promote pride and unity
4. To promote understanding and appreciation of diveristy
-Poetry is a wonderful way for students to celebrate their heritage and expand their own sense of self and sense of place in their writing.
-Writing a poem , using clear details and vivid language, can bring a person, place or thing to life
-Students are encouraged to write, focusing on familiar topics, such as childhood memories and important events and people in their lives
-Students will read one of Neely-Dorsey's poems and create a poem about places, people or events in their lives, referring to the chosen poem.
Points to Consider
Students will reflect on their childhood experiences in the following areas: ------------------------------------------------- Students are asked to visualize a place/scene/event from their own childhoods which is invested with meaning because of the people who were there or the experiences which they had in this place. -Students are asked to draw a picture of this special childhood place/scene/event. They will be encouraged be as detailed as possible. -Students are asked to describe/explain their pictures to the class -Students are asked to use their pictures as a pre-writing exercise to write a “Memory Piece” which can be prose or poetry ------------------------------------------------ POEM: "Inside Me" EXERCISE: -Students will write a personal poem making a statement about who they are, who/what they want to be,how they feel POEM: " Loving Me" EXERCISE: -Students will discuss how this poem celebrates the uniqueness of individuals. -Students will write an original poem expressing various thoughts about their apperance and self confidence/self image ------------------------------------------------- SENSORY LANGUAGE - Students will recognize language appealing to the senses. -Students will drill on the meanings of visual, auditory, gustatory, tactile, and olfactory. sight/visual; hearing/ auditory; touch/tactile; taste/ gustatory; smell/ olfactory -Students write the new words in their notes-books -Students will create sensory details to add to their own memory pieces -Students will point out sensory details in selected Neely-Dorsey poems NOTE: Visualizing a story or poem can help you enjoy and understand that piece of writing better. As you read. Listen and try to re-create images or scenes in your mind. Pay close attention to details. Ask...what does the image look like? What do I see, hear, taste , or smell ? An image is the presentation in words of a strong sensory impression conveying sight, sound, touch, smell or taste. It is through strong images that one is able to "show and not tell" Encourage students to write poems using all the senses. QUOTE: "Try to be one of those people on whom nothing is lost".- Henry James -------------------------------------------------- MEET MISSISSIPPI Exercise: Imagine that a friend is moving to Mississippi or will be visiting Mississippi for the first time. Write a poem describing things that might stand out to them, what they might see, special attractions, landscape, sounds, ect. Exercise: Write a poem describing a summer day in Mississippi...sights, sounds, feel, activities Images (photos and graphics) will accompany each poem. ------------------------------------------------- - Additional Exercises -LITERARY ELEMENTS - Take one of Neely-Dorsey's poems and have students identify literary elements. - SAMPLE VOCABULARY: from " A Country View": bottle tree, chunk, saunters, sumptuous, muscadines, quaint from "Slopping Hogs": brood, slop, slobber, mush, concoction, trough, rooting from "Coutry Doctor": galore, stethoscope, procure, tike, stock term: first man on deck from "Right to Vote": incredulous -Students will discuss any unfamiliar words or phrases ------------------------------------------------ EXPLORING SOUTHERN CULTURE THROUGH SOUTHERN FOOD AND FOOD PREPARATION -"Southern Life" -"Shelling Peas" -"Country Breakfast" -"Hogkilling time" -"Making Cracklings" --------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------ Students will Discuss/Classify events from the life of Neely-Dorsey • Illustrate events from the life of Neely-Dorsey • Analyze the poetry of Neely-Dorsey Using information from her poems, students will construct a ten-line bio-poem about Neely-Dorsey . Students will share their responses. Teacher will lead the class in combining their thoughts in order to produce one bio-poem which most accurately depicts the author. Students will write a biographical poem of Patricia Neely-Dorsey and write a bio-poem about themselves, comparing themselves/their lives to the author -------------------------------------- Exercise/Activity: Memoir TIME CAPSULE: Materials: shoe box, construction paper, 3x5 inch index cards, markers or colres pencils, found objects Imagine the the author (Patricia Neely-Dorsey) made a time capsule to let future generations know about her life. What items might she include? Create a time capsule and a brief description of each item. The objects included should represent the people, places and events that were/are important in the author's life. They can represnt the author's interests or aspects of her personality. Brainstorm a list of important people, places, objects, and events in the author's life. For each item included in the time capsule write a short paragraph from the author's perspective about why the object is included. Include at least 5 items. Write each explanation on an index card and attach it to the appropriate object. Decorate the box in a way that represents the author. POETRY ANALYSIS Goal : The student will critically interpret and evaluate experiences, literature, language, and ideas. Sentence Length (Sentence Fluency) Focus on Topic- Is there one clear, well-focuesd topic? Does the main idea stand out? Is it supported by detailed information. Capitalization & Punctuation- Is poem punctuated well/correctly so that it is exceptionally easy to read? Introduction- Is the introduction inviting . Does it state the main topic and preview the following content ? Conclusion- Is the conclusion strong? Does it leave the reader with a sense of understanding what the writer is "getting at"/ trying to convey? Word choice- Does the writer use vivid words and phrases that linger or draw pictures in the reader's mind? Does the choice and placement of words seem natural and not forced? DISCUSSING A POEM: Point out the strengths of a poem. Try to evaluate why certain elements are effective. Ask about the source of a poem, it's impulse or vision Ask about the writer's choice in narrative voice, words , imagery, order, form, verb tense or punctuation. Did the writer SHOW instead of TELL. Ask whether everything in the poem is necessary. "Great is th art of begining, but greater the art of ending; many a poem is marred by a superfluous verse." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow "Poetry teaches the enormous force of a few words, and n proportion to the inspiration, checks loquacity." Ralph Waldo Emerson Make suggestions for revision, not by actually rewriting a poem but by pointing out how it might have been revised. In assessing your own poem: Look at verbs. How strong are the verbs? Would some other verb give a more active feeling to the poesm or a stronger picture? Look at nouns. Have you used strong, interesting , varied nouns? Look at the adverds. Are they all really necessary? ( Adverbs can often weaken a poem. Could you find a verb that would include the meaning of the adverb?) Look at the adjectives. Are they all necessary and interesting? What do they add to the images? Look at any word or phrase that may be overworked or cliche and try ot find a new way to express the idea or image. Look for unnecessary repetition and redundancy. QUOTE: "In writing poetry, you're interested in condensation, you do not try to put all of a particular impression or inspiration on a single page. You distill. Poetry is life distilled." Gwendolyn Brooks ------------------------------------ Compare and contrast the different times in southern history in which the two authors wrote Discuss how the social/racial climates might have this affected their writings? Compare poems "Southern Life" by Neely-Dorsey and "My Southern Song" by Margaret Walker Compare poems"Mississippi Morning " by Neely-Dorsey and "My Mississippi Spring" by Margaret Walker Margaret Walker poems from This is my Century ------------------------------------------------- Grade Levels: 4 - 6 _______________________ (First Name of Student) ________, __________, __________, __________ (Four adjectives to describe yourself) Son or daughter of ____________________ Lover of _____________, ___________, ______________ Who feels ___________, ___________, ______________ Who fears ___________, _____________, _______________ Who would like to see ______________, _______________, _____________ Resident of ____________________________________ (Street, town, state, country) ________________ (Last Name) ------------------------------------------------- Lesson Plan Extension: Have students combine their poems, pictures, mementoes, and drawings into a collage. Poems to Pictures- Pictures to Poems "Poetry is a speaking picture, painting is silent poetry" SIMONIDES Assessment Evaluate students on the language skills demonstrated in the poems. ------------------------------------------------ Students will present previously written original pieces to the class ORAL PRESENTATION ANALYSIS Pauses- Were effective pauses used to improve meaning and/or dramatic impact? Enthusiasm- Do facial expressions and body language generate a strong interest and enthusiasm about the topic? Clear speech- Does the reader speak clearly and distincty and properly pronounce word? Volume- Is the speaker loud enough to be heard by all audience members throughout the presentation? -------------------------------------------------- Poetry is indeed the freest form of literary expression. Good poetry touches the heart and resonates in the soul Effective poetry is free of censure and "political correctness". It is raw, honest and revealing. Poetry gives students a chance to express themselves in a way that cannot incur judgement of right or wrong. Poetry should arrest your readers, not hold them captive. Poetry readings afford the opportunity to get immediate feedback on your work, meet and network Discover what moves you in the poetic work of others. Keep a journal to capture ideas. ------------------------------------------------- Reflections in the Classroom: Sept 2009 "It is encouraging to see students who don’t like to read actually get into your poetry, Patricia!" E. Carol Rupert Mooreville Middle School ----------------------------------------------- From Dr. Alfred Tatum's Summer Literacy Program We will seek to use language to define who we are, build and nurture resilient beings, write for the benefit of others and ourselves, and use language prudently and unapolegetically to mark or time and mark our lives. Sometimes it's easy to think of all the things we are not, but have you thought lately about the amazing person you ARE? Are you spending your days trying to proof who you are not, or BEING who you are? The latter is far simpler. Every mental closet you peak into could reveal a person or situation dictating to you who you will never become, what you should be, what you are not. Simplify your life. Free yourself to be the wonderful creation that you are right now. Everything you are going to be is on the inside of you at this very moment. So why not celebrate you now? Who you were, who you are and who you are going to be. Develop an "I AM" list. You know - I am wonderful friend, I am kind, I am creative, I am full of wisdom etc., etc. Some things will be true now; others will be spoken in faith. Press on anyway. WHO ARE YOU? The answer is on the inside of you. MEMOIR WRITING/NARRATIVE POETRY WRITING YOUR MEMOIR-from article by author William Zinsser American Scholar 2006 Writers are the custodians of memory, and that’s what you must become if you want to leave some kind of record of your life and of the family you were born into. That record can take many shapes. It can be a formal memoir—a careful act of literary construction. Or it can be an informal family history, written to tell your children and your grandchildren about the family they were born into. It can be the oral history that you extract by tape recorder from a parent or a grandparent too old or too sick to do any writing. Or it can be anything else you want it to be: some hybrid mixture of history and reminiscence. Whatever it is, it’s an important kind of writing. Too often memories die with their owner, and too often time surprises us by running out. When you write your own family history, don’t try to be a “writer.” It now occurs to me that my father, who didn’t try to be a writer, was a more natural writer than I am, with my constant fiddling and fussing. Be yourself and your readers will follow you anywhere. Try to commit an act of writing and your readers will jump overboard to get away. Your product is you. The crucial transaction in memoir and personal history is the transaction between you and your remembered experiences and emotions. As for how to actually organize your memoir, my final advice is, again, think small. Tackle your life in easily manageable chunks. Don’t visualize the finished product, the grand edifice you have vowed to construct. That will only make you anxious. Here’s what I suggest. Go to your desk on Monday morning and write about some event that’s still vivid in your memory. What you write doesn’t have to be long—three pages, five pages—but it should have a beginning and an end. Put that episode in a folder and get on with your life. On Tuesday morning, do the same thing. Tuesday’s episode doesn’t have to be related to Monday’s episode. Take whatever memory comes calling; your subconscious mind, having been put to work, will start delivering your past. Keep this up for two months, or three months, or six months. Don’t be impatient to start writing your “memoir,” the one you had in mind before you began. Then, one day, take all your entries out of their folder and spread them on the floor. (The floor is often a writer’s best friend.) Read them through and see what they tell you and what patterns emerge. They will tell you what your memoir is about and what it’s not about. They will tell you what’s primary and what’s secondary, what’s interesting and what’s not, what’s emotional, what’s important, what’s funny, what’s unusual, what’s worth pursing and expanding. You’ll begin to glimpse your story’s narrative shape and the road you want to take. Then all you have to do is put the pieces together. Poetry is the art of understanding what it is to be alive - Archibald MacLeish WRITING PROMPTS/BRAINSTORMING Clustering- collect associated words/associations around a key word or phrase; the intended topic for writing Write the word or phrase in the center of a piece of paper and circle it. Write down and circle every word or pharse that comes to mind when you think of this word or phrase. Let ideas flow from each other to form chains of associations. INSPIRATION The best way for students to love poetry and want to write is to read/listen to a wide variety of poetry. The sounds provide powerful exampleof poetic expression; imagery triggers the imagination; the voices heard in reading poetry inspire writers to raise their own voices. THE WRITER'S NOTEBOOK A writer's notebook includes the aim of a journal but with entries more specifically aimed as a storehouse of not only ideas, but feeling feelings, imaginative recreations of experiences, images and words from which to draw on in writing, encouraging one to become aware of the world around hin/her and more aware of the life he/she is living "A man can write at any time, if he will set himself doggedly to it" -Samuel Johnson
Each student will complete a written reflection on the poetry unit.An Autobiographical Poem
Objectives
Materials
Procedures
Jaime
Happy, nice, friendly, kind
Daughter of Sarah and Mike
Lover of my parents, dog, and reading
Who feels summer is too short, school's great and bedtime comes too early
Who fears being bitten by a dog, being thrown off a horse, and getting an F on a test
Who would like to see Hawaii, the pyramids, and Disneyland
Resident of Burnside Way, Stockton, California, USA
Smith
