Poetry Analysis Circles

Getting into Groups Put your name underneath the title of the poem you read. – Remember, if you did not close read AND finish your Think Sheet, you do NOT get to participate (sad)

Circle Questions for Round 1 1.Why did you pick this poem? 2.What were your initial impressions of this poem? 3.What did you find to be the most meaningful section of the poem? (doesn’t have to be a physical section—example, in “Pass On,” the most meaningful moments for me are when he talks about wind) 4.What were some of the motifs you came up with? Where did that idea come from?

Circle Questions for Round 2 Writer Share which motif you decided to write on Share the examples that support your motif Share your thesis What claims will you use to support this thesis? Group Members Does that choice make sense? Is it “correct?” Are they related? Does the connection to that motif make sense? Does their thesis follow the requirements of a thesis? Do the claims connect? Are they answering how/why?

Poetry Analysis 3: Proving your claim with evidence Pick significant quotes Pick quotes that support your claim! Be sure to analyze the claim (and how it relates to the thesis) – Don’t pick quotes that summarize your claim – Don’t just prove your thesis—prove your claim

PA3 Quick tip: USE YOUR QUOTES Look at this example: Think about what is working and what isn’t: To begin, when we have dreams, we have motivation to get us through life. George and Lennie’s dream is introduced after Lennie asks George to tell about the rabbits. George tells Lennie that, unlike the other guys, they “got a future” (Steinbeck 14). He tells him that they’re going to have a little place with a couple of acres with some cows and some pigs, with Lennie adding “An’ love of the fatta…An’ have rabbits” (Steinbeck 14). The dream comes up several times in the book, this being the most prominent. Lennie has asked George to tell about the rabbits multiple times, and the rabbits appear to be the only thing Lennie can remember. Lennie encounters several conflicts throughout the book, and all he can think of after is if he will get to tend the rabbits. Because of this, the rabbits symbolize Lennie’s dreams. What’s good about this? – Good transition into claim – Solid claim – “good” writing (well punctuated, correct word choice, etc.) What’s not great? – Quotes aren’t significant—could just as well use your own words – The claim isn’t proven with the evidence—the evidence focuses on what the dream is, rather that how that motivates them How could it be fixed? – Change the quote to something more significant and realted – Change the analysis so it supports the CLAIM without summarizing

PA 3 Here’s the improvement: To begin, when we have dreams, we have motivation to get us through life. Lennie and George dream of owning a farm, seeing the product of their labors, and having a place to belong. This dreams keeps them motivated to continue to work, even when they don’t want to. This can be seen in a conversation between Lennie and George soon after they arrive at the ranch: “Lennie cried out suddenly—‘I don’t like this place, George. It ain’t no good place. I wanna get outa here’” (Steinbeck 32). Lennie’s hesitation about staying is rejected by George, and he responds to Lennie, “We gotta keep it til we get a stake. We can’t help it, Lennie “ (Steinbeck 33). While other workers like Bill Turner, leave for petty reasons like the food, George and Lennie decide to stay at the ranch because they have a guaranteed job and. Even though George says that they cannot help it, the reality is they can leave if they want to. However, his thought that they have no choice, demonstrates both his dedication to this dream and the power of the dreams in motivating his action.

BRING ENOUGH COPIES FOR EVERYONE IN YOUR GROUP! FRIDAY 10/24 Remember that you are NOT bringing a “rough” draft. Rather, this is the VERY best work you can do on your own. Bring in your most impressive work, fully finished. Your focus for PA 3 : Selection, Introduction and use of Quotations TO PROVE THE CLAIM (not a summary!)

Circle Task: Round 3 Hand out your PA—one to everyone in your group Once you have the other people’s work, read and mark it up. – Edit for CONTENT Thesis Claims Evidence Analysis – Edit for structure (paragraph order, transitions etc.) – Edit for Mechanics

Reminders for Round 4 Edit ONLY what you agree needs to be changed – Don’t have to do it just because a peer said so Upload your work to TurnItIn.com – (see the wiki for passwords and class codes for first time use) Print a copy of your PA Staple your close read poem and Think Sheet to the BACK of your PA Be ready to turn it in!

Round 5 How did it go? – What went well? – What did not go as well as you’d hoped? Take a look at the example paper – What made this paper strong? – What did he/she do differently than you? – What did he/she do that was similar to you? – What can you work on for next time?