Read the Sample IOC and Discussion Packet Answer the following questions in your notebook: After receiving the poem, how long do you have to prepare for the commentary? 20 minutes What is the total amount of time you speak for the commentary? 10 minutes How long do you speak uninterrupted? 8 minutes How long for teacher questions? 2 minutes What information should you cover in the commentary on the poem? see next slide What are guiding questions? questions to guide your analysis; they do not have to be answered; they are just there to help you How long is the discussion, and when does it occur? 10 minutes, immediately following the commentary on a poem What types of questions are asked in the discussion? questions asking you to analyze text topics from the lists Ms. Lassila provided (IB Discussion Topics for Waiting for Godot and The Letters of Truman Capote) On what six criteria are you graded? knowledge and understanding of the poem, appreciation of the writer’s choices, organization and presentation, knowledge and understanding of the work used in the discussion, response to the discussion questions, and language

Outline for IOC (Oral Commentary on a Poem) Thesis statement Overall interpretation Sense: meaning and language Senses: imagery and symbolism Style: other poetry techniques Structure: form, organization, and pattern Sound: auditory techniques Connections: other poems and/or historical/social Concluding statement

Detailed Outline for the IOC (Oral Commentary on a Poem) State a thesis sentence. Provide your overall interpretation of what the poem is about and what it means. Reference specific words/lines/stanzas of the poem to support your interpretation. Explain how the poet uses sense, senses, style, structure, and sound. Refer to specific words/lines/stanzas as you identify the literary devices the poet uses and their purpose/effect on the reader. Comment on the effectiveness of the writer’s techniques, including the use of stylistic devices and their effect(s) on the reader. Connect your poem to other poetry by William Carlos Williams. Identify when the poem was written. Explain what features and/or themes make it similar to or different from his other work. Describe any connection between the poem and Williams’ life and/or times. Situate the extract as precisely as possible in the context of the body of work from which it has been taken. State a concluding sentence.

How to Prepare for Oral Commentary and Discussion Poetry: Review notes Reread each poem and make additional notes Review Power Point presentations on the wiki Practice 20 min. preparation (create outline) and 8 min. speaking Waiting for Godot by Samuel Becket Review worksheets Watch film version (link on wiki) Make notes on each topic listed on the directions for Written Discussion The Letters of Truman Capote Review worksheets and quiz Reread each letter and make additional notes