1. Poetry Classroom Activity Today we are going to discuss Poetry to prepare for the Poetry Performance Task. In preparation for your performance task, we are going to have a discussion on what it means for a poem to be a poem. First, how do we know when we are reading poetry?

2. Poetry is usually different from what we call prose, which is written or spoken language in a more straightforward, everyday style. I am going to display and read two pieces of writing. Think about which one you would consider a poem, and how you are able to make that decision.

3. Rain on the face of the sea, Rain on the sodden land, And the window-pane is blurred with rain As I watch it, pen in hand. Mist on the face of the sea, Mist on the sodden land, Filling the vales as daylight fails, And blotting the desolate sand. When warm rain falls through cooler air, water evaporates from the warm rain. It subsequently condenses in the cool air forming fog. Such fog can be quite dense. It generally will persist as long as the rain continues. Since temperature rises little during the day, there is little diurnal variation in rain induced fog. Improvement in visibility cannot be expected until the rain stops or moves out of the affected area. Example 1: Example 2: Which of these two examples is a poem?

4. Both of these examples involve descriptions of weather events, but are clearly very different. For one thing, the first example is told in verse, which is writing that is arranged in a rhythm, and typically having a rhyme. Now we are going to consider some other differences between the two pieces. Divide students into groups of 3–4

5. Briefly describe how the Writing Elements apply to Example 1 and Example 2. For instance, what is the purpose of Example 1, and what is the purpose of Example 2, etc. Work in your groups to compete this chart. Be prepared to present your answers to the class. Share responses to different parts of the chart from different groups.

6. Now that we have determined some elements that make these two pieces of writing different, we will get some practice applying them. For this exercise, imagine that you are a writer trying to create a poem based on the National Weather Service’s description of rain-induced fog: When warm rain falls through cooler air, water evaporates from the warm rain. It subsequently condenses in the cool air forming fog. Such fog can be quite dense. It generally will persist as long as the rain continues. Since temperature rises little during the day, there is little diurnal variation in rain induced fog. Improvement in visibility cannot be expected until the rain stops or moves out of the affected area. Write 2-4 lines of poetry, using some of the details from the paragraph above. Be sure to consider some of the writing elements discussed in the previous exercise (Purpose, Point of View, Imagery, Form).

7. You will learn more about different purposes of poetry, and the techniques the poets use to accomplish those purposes, in the performance task you will be completing.