Honors British Literature Week 2

Class 1: Objectives SWBAT… Analyze “The Lamb” and “The Tyger” by William Blake Know how to write a poetry explication paragraph Identify the emotions in the two poems Practice reading the poems aloud with emotion

Homework Hand in pages about your poem

“The Lamb” and “The Tyger” From Songs of Innocence and Experience Read aloud “The Lamb” Three levels of analysis: 1: What does it literally mean? 2: What features of the poem contribute to the meaning and how? 3: What shifts are in the poem?

Poetry Explication What is it? A short, written analysis Explains the meaning of the poem and how the poem achieves that meaning Moves through the poem from beginning to end

Poetry Explication Paragraph: First sentence: The big idea that the poem discusses or the overall effect that the poem has Example: In “The Lamb,” William Blake dramatizes a child’s explanation of how life is created, building a sense of complete innocence.

Poetry Explication Next sentences: Starting at the beginning of the poem, explain how the structure, the poetic devices, and the word choices in the poem contribute to the big idea or overall effect that you described in the first sentence. Example: In the first line of the poem, the speaker addresses a lamb, asking, “Little lamb who made thee.” The focus on the lamb, associated in this poem with softness and tenderness, and the alliteration in the first two words create a sense of sweetness and ease from the beginning of the poem.

Poetry Explication Ending: No need for a concluding sentence! Explication can end by focusing on overall patterns throughout the poem OR can simply end when you get to the end of the poem.

Poetry Explication In “The Lamb,” William Blake dramatizes a child’s explanation of how life is created, building a sense of complete innocence. In the first line of the poem, the speaker addresses a lamb, asking, “Little lamb who made thee.” The focus on the lamb, associated in this poem with softness and tenderness, and the alliteration in the first two words create a sense of sweetness and ease from the beginning of the poem. The lack of a question mark implies that there is a sure answer, not a real doubt about who made the lamb. In your group, decide on and outline 5 other features of the poem that you could discuss and what you would say they do for the meaning of the poem.

“The Tyger” In your groups Read aloud “The Tyger” Three levels of analysis: 1: What does it literally mean? 2: What features of the poem contribute to the meaning and how? 3: What shifts are in the poem? How is it similar to and different from “The Lamb”?

Reading Aloud…with emotion! Decide what the tone should be in each of the poems. Does the tone shift anywhere in the poems? One member of the group should read aloud each poem with appropriate emotion.

Homework Prepare for POL! Due Thursday/Friday: Write a paragraph explicating “The Tyger.” Include at least 6 features of the poem and their effects.

Class 2: Objectives SWBAT… Perform POL recitations!

Homework Write a paragraph explicating “The Tyger.” Include at least 6 features of the poem and their effects.

Class 3: Objectives SWBAT… Discuss our POL experience Read and analyze “Ozymandias” Explicate “Ozymandias” Get peer feedback on “Ozymandias” explication

Homework Hand in “The Tyger” explication

POL Discussion

“Ozymandias” With a partner/group: Individually: Read poem aloud Step 1: Literal meaning Step 2: Deeper meanings Step 3: Shifts Individually: Write a paragraph explicating the poem

“Ozymandias” Switch paragraphs with your partner Check you partner’s work for: Title and name of poet Opening sentence with an overall idea Explication moves from the beginning of the poem to the end Includes at least 6 features of the poem Quotes (where possible) Explanations of the effect of the feature

Homework Read and annotate “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” Romantic Poetry quiz Tuesday/Wednesday New poem Explicate it Explain what makes it Romantic