Poetry Analysis: Simple Song October 4

Warm-Up Grab notebooks Grab textbooks Answer the following question: Based on the selections we have read so far, How do valuable relationships impact our lives? Use one example from what we’ve read to support your answer.

Unit 2 Reading Guide Title and Pages Characters Setting Point of View Plot Main Idea  Cranes p. 132-136  Songsam Tokchae Korea @ 38th parallel  3rd Person Omniscient  Two Friends are on opposite sides of the war. Songsam takes his friend into custody Thinks back to their experiences Sets Friend Free  True friendship is stronger than our political allegiances  The Kite Runner  P. 150-154 Amir Hassan  Kabul, Afghanistan   1st Person Amir reflects on Hassan’s talent as a kite runner and a friend Our friends can make up for our own difficulties  Two Friends P. 95 - 102 Morissot Sauvage  Paris, France   3rd Person Omniscient Two friends attempt to go fishing in a war zone; they are caught and killed  Our relationships can sometimes cause us to take risks  Simple Song P. 475  Speaker None   

Our Focus We Will: Define Poetry Terms Learn the TPS-FASTT method to analyze and evaluate poetry You Will: Utilize the TPS-FASTT method on one poetry to help you summarize the selection

Getting Started… This is a process to help you organize your analysis of poetry. We have already learned the vocabulary, now it’s time to put it into practice! Together, we are going to analyze “American Hero” using TPS-FASTT. Now, please copy the next chart in your notebook…

TPS-FASTT T P S F A S T T

T is for TITLE Analyze the title first. (“American Hero”) What do you predict this poem will be about? Write down your predictions. We will reflect on the title again after we have read the poem. The next step is often omitted, but it is the most important!!!!

NOW READ THE POEM

American Hero By Essex Hemphill I have nothing to lose tonight. All my men surround me, panting, as I spin the ball above our heads on my middle finger. It’s a shimmering club light and I’m dancing, slick in my sweat. Squinting, I aim at the hole fifty feet away. I let the tension go. Shoot for the net. Choke it. I never hear the ball slap the backboard. I slam it through the net. The crowd goes wild for our win. I scored thirty-two points this game and they love me for it. Everyone hollering is a friend tonight. But there are towns, certain neighborhoods where I’d be hard pressed to hear them cheer if I move on the block.    

P is for PARAPHRASE Paraphrasing is putting something in your own words. After reading the poem, rewrite it in your own words. This may be three sentences or a page, depending on the particular poem.

American Hero By Essex Hemphill I have nothing to lose tonight. All my men surround me, panting, as I spin the ball above our heads on my middle finger. It’s a shimmering club light and I’m dancing, slick in my sweat. Squinting, I aim at the hole fifty feet away. I let the tension go. Shoot for the net. Choke it. I never hear the ball slap the backboard. I slam it through the net. The crowd goes wild for our win. I scored thirty-two points this game and they love me for it. Everyone hollering is a friend tonight. But there are towns, certain neighborhoods where I’d be hard pressed to hear them cheer if I move on the block.    

Speaker Not always the same as the author Can be different What can we tell about the speaker based on details in the poem

F is for Figurative Language apostrophe ASSONANCE Analyze the figures of speech and sound effects of the poem. These are the poetry vocabulary we have already studied. These elements add to the meaning. alliteration RHYME personification diction onomatopoeia meter simile ONOMATOPEIA HYPERBOLE metaphor consonance

Onomatopoeia is a critical element in this poem. What words are used to help the reader hear the sounds of the basketball game? Words like panting, hollering, slap, and slam help the reader feel like he or she is at the big game. Since this poem is free verse, meaning there is no rhyme scheme, the alliteration adds to the rhythm.

A is for ATTITUDE Tone is the attitude of the speaker toward the subject of the poem.

Don’t Confuse Tone & Mood! * Tone and mood are two different aspects of a poem! * Tone is the author's or the poet's attitude towards his or her subject. * Therefore, the tone in this poem would be how Hemphill feels about the game of basketball and the fans. * The tone seems to be bitter and resentful since the fans are so shallow.

S is for SHIFT If there is a change in… Time Tone Mood Speaker This should always be noted as this will also affect the meaning.

Shift in Mood Mood is how the poem makes the reader or the listener feel. For example, at the beginning of the poem, the mood is excited and elevated as the speaker plays ball and scores points. But, the mood becomes more somber and serious towards the end of the poem as the reader discovers the superficiality of the fans’ cheering.

T is for TITLE (again) At this time, you should reconsider the title. Were you right in your predictions? What other meanings might the title have in light of your analysis? Next, the biggie….

T is for THEME As you already know, theme is the general insight into life conveyed by the author through his/her work. It does not make a judgment. example: “Don’t do drugs” is not a theme. It merely states something that is true to life and the human condition.

How do I find the THEME? Look at the other parts of TPS-FASTT. What insight are all of these working together to convey? What is the poet trying to say about life?

Some Possible Themes Sometimes people are appreciated for their talents and not as a person. The crowd likes the player while he is scoring points on the court, but they would not want to be his friend off the court. Some people can’t see past the color of someone’s skin. Discrimination is a big part of the world we live in. http://www.slideshare.net/hharvey102/poetry-anaysis-tpcastt/download

Discuss Do you have any friends with whom it is “easy to be together”? What makes them so easy to be with? Do you have any friends whom are very different from you? How do you get along with them?

Textbooks Selection: Simple Song Author: Marge Piercy Page: 475 Purpose for reading: Examine author’s use of language to convey meaning

On Your Own Read the selection again to yourself Complete a TPS-FASTT analysis for the selection Summarize each stanza