Poetry Memorization Unit Understand Memorize Perform Enjoy

“We Real Cool” Read poem real-cool real-cool

Assignment Poetry Memorization Assignment Purpose: Enjoy yourself. Understand a classic poem. Understand good writing Complete each section by the due date and put in your folder in class. At the end of the unit, you will compile all the pieces and put your rubric in your folder.

Pick A Poem I will select your poem for you based on what I think will challenge but not overwhelm you This poem does not reflect what I think about your personality This poem does not seem “like” you This poem will be a bit difficult for your ability to study, learn and memorize, but it won’t be too hard Poems are classic poems that have stood the test of time; regular people love them

Memory and Performance – 40 pts Part One – Memorize and Perform: 40 points A = Memorize poem and perform it dramatically B = You have it memorized, but delivery is flat, not expressive C = You miss more than two lines or phrases of the poem D = You need more than two promptings from me and don’t have it well done Use Memorizing a Poem handout for assistance.

Performing Your Poem “Performing” does not mean “acting out.” It does mean saying each phrase and stanza in a way that is interesting and enhances understanding of the poem. 1. Voice Adequate volume is an absolute must Tell a story – understand what the poem is saying; practice telling the story of the poem in regular words and then mimic those same inflections (up, down, loud, soft) into your poem performance Show drama: Voice gets louder and then much softer at least once Emphasize important words with EITHER volume OR pitch (make voice rise) Speak faster in exciting parts; slower in parts that are calm. If entire poem is a battle scene, pick the most important parts – shouting the whole thing isn’t good, either. “Punch” (make your voice slightly louder) on nouns and verbs Articulate ends of words; don’t let them die at the end At the ends of sentences, don’t raise your voice unless the poem asks a question or fall off so the poem is so quiet and low we can’t hear. 2. Body Gesture – use your arms and hands to punctuate ideas; lean forward Look at audience at least once/line; if nervous, look right over people’s heads or at foreheads Do not look your close friends in the eye Hold your body STILL. You can walk around if you’re comfortable, but don’t sway or dance.

How to Memorize a Poem Don’t look at the poem, and write down, in order, what happens. Read a line, then, without looking, write it down. Do this for every line. Recite the poem to someone else who is reading along with you. Have them prompt you when you ask for it.

Part Two – Analysis – 10 points Analyze the poem. Complete the worksheet to explain difficult words and what each line of the poem means. Each line of the poem is where the poem ends on the right. In some poems you will need to explain based on when the sentence ends (which is often in the middle of a line). Twas brillig And the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe

Explanation Chart Example Line (copy poem)DefintiionPoem Twas briling“brillig” – lovelyIt was a nice day And the slithy toves“toves” – creatures like toads The creatures Did gyre and gimble in the wabe“gyre and gimble” – frolic; “wabe” – waves Frolicked in the waves on the lake

Part Three - Writing: 24 points Option #1: Author. Write a paragraph explaining who the author is, including birth and death dates, what significant things were going on in the world during this author’s life, what is his or her reputation as a poet. (10 points) *You must use dress ups, transition words and sentence openers to earn an A. Label as many as you use; they add points to the overall quality score.

Part Four – Art and Music: 40 points (30 points) Visual theme. This poem has a theme that is clear through your photograph. – Picture – Artist’s statement – Theme paragraph Tape an excellent photograph to the outside of your folder. Inside, include an artist’s statement in which you explain why your picture represents that theme. Also, write a well-developed paragraph in which you explain the theme of the poem in a paragraph. (This is the “moral” of the poem.) Use 3 specific examples to show why this theme is correct. Conclude with an explanation of why this theme is significant to you personally.

Music – 10 points Create a piece of music using Garage Band that reflects the mood of the poem