1. Interpreting Poetry

2. What is poetry?? A type of literature written in verse.
Often has rhyme and rhythm.

3. Lines and Stanzas Lines are SINGLE stretches of words or phrases.
Lines are grouped together into STANZAS.

4. How to determine a theme of a poem
Poems can have THEMES just like regular stories (prose)
Ask yourself:
What lesson did the main character learn?
What lesson can I learn?

5. Language of Poetry Figurative Language: Metaphors Similies
Personfication
Idioms

6. Make an Inference from poetry
Use clues from the story to DRAW CONCLUSIONS that are NOT directly stated.

7. Determine the speaker of a poem
To determine a speaker of a poem ask yourself:
Who is telling the story?
What are the clues that help me determine who is telling the story?

8. AS A CLASS
Need Computers
(Activities) Section

9. The Good Boy-Together The Goody Boy
What was the challenge faced by the boy?
What is the meaning of “to curb his sadness” as used in the 4th stanza?
Which line from the poem let’s the reader know that the main character is relieved to be considered a good boy?
What is at least one possible theme of this poem? Provide evidence from the text to support the theme you choose.

10. Saying Goodbye Saying Goodbye
What is the meaning of the phrase, “when one door opens, another closes” as used in the 2nd stanza?
What is the idiom used in the 4th stanza? What is the meaning of the idiom?
How does the speaker feel about the event being descrived? How does this affect how the poem is written?
What is at least one possible theme of this poem? Provide evidence from the text to support the theme you chose.

11. New School
New School
What is the meaning of the underlined word in the below line from the 1st stanza? I walk in solitude to each new class.
How and why did the character feelings change throughout the poem? Provide specific evidence from the poem to support your answer.
Write a 2-3 sentence summary of the poem.
What is at least one possible theme of this poem? Provide evidence from the text to support the theme you chose.

12. Every Day
Every Day
What is the meaning of the underlined word in the below line from the 1st stanza? A dismal amount, I assume.
Why does the speaker work with such determination?
What is at least one possible theme of this poem? Provide evidence from the text to support the theme you chose.
How are stanzas 2,4,6 connected and how do they support the overall theme?

13. The Science Fair The Science Fair
What is the purpose of the 1st stanza?
What is the meaning of the underlined word in the below line from the 2nd stanza? I fashioned a remote control
What is at least one possible theme of this poem. Provide evidence from the text to support the theme you chose.
What evidence from the poem supports the inference that the speaker was nervous while presenting his/her volcano?

14. He was a couch potato He was a Couch Potato
What evidence from the poem supports the inference that his peers disliked the main characters habits?
What is the meaning of the underlined word in the below line from the 4th stanza? He relished what he did.
What is at least one possible theme of this poem? Provide evidence from the text to support the theme you choose.
How does the 5th stanza affect the poem? How does it relate to them theme you chose from question #3?

15. A daddy and his Little Girl
Find two similies in the poem and explain their meaning. Also, how do the similies relate to the topic of the poem?
What is the meaning of the underlined word in the below line from the 3rd stanza? And she always made endearing little noises.
What is at least one possible theme of this poem? Provide evidence from the text to support the theme you choose.
Why are the first and last stanzas important to the overall structure of the poem?

16. Answers

23. With A Partner/Group of 3
5th /6th grade handout
Piece of paper
Close reading handouts

24. CLOSE READING OF POETRY
9 options for close reading.
You can choose a different card to complete each time you re-read the same poem.

25. 1-3

26. 4-6

27. 7-9

28. On Your Own

29. CHOOSE ONE POEM FROM “5th and 6th grade poetry selections”
Need: Computer
Need 5th and 6th grade poetry selection ONLINE

30. What’s the Lesson?
Determine a possible theme for the poem. Record it with evidence that supports the theme.
Theme
Evidence (3 pieces)

31. Figurative Language Hunt
Look for each type of figurative alnguage in the poem you are reading. If the poem does not have figurative language, create an example that matches the poem.
Similes
Metaphors
Idioms
Personification

32. Stanza Summarization Read the poem.
Summarize each stanza in the space below.
Ask yourself:
What is the poem telling me about the eventt?
The topic?
The characters?
Write your summary using complete sentences

33. What can I infer? Read the poem.
Choose specific lines from the poem to make inferences.
Line from Poem
In my Words
I infer that….

34. Speaker, Speaker, How do you feel?
Who is the speaker? What’s your evidence?
How does the Spearker feel about the topic or event?
What’s your evidence?
Write another line for the poem reflecting the SAME feeling.

35. Standards Adressed