1. Essential Questions: Who am I in society? What is my identity?

2. Pick the statement that resonates most with you & respond. 5 minutes
Everyone has a true self.
Our identity is formed by our upbringing, our race, our religion, our gender identification, the place(s) we come from, etc.
Society determines our identity.
There is no true or authentic self.
Identity is malleable - it is dependent on who we are with, what we are doing, our setting.
Our identities are a role we play to best fit our present experience and are thus constantly shifting.

3. We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute
We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race.”
-Robin Williams, Dead Poets Society

4. Poetry Analysis: Examine the Title
Before you even think about reading poetry or trying to analyze it, speculate on what you think the poem is about based on the title.
The author chose it for a reason - it will give you clues as to what the poem is about.
Write down what you think this poem will be out based on the title.

5. Poetry Analysis: Paraphrase
Don’t overlook the literal meaning of the poem. A common mistake students make is jumping to conclusions about meaning because they misunderstand the poem.
Write in your own words each stanza of the poem.
Look up and define any words you don’t know.
Poets are very specific about word choice - misunderstanding a word will ruin your understanding of the poem.

6. Poetry Analysis: Figurative Language & Poetic Devices
Identify poetic devices that help support the conclusions you are going to draw about the poem and its theme. Look for:
-rhyme, rhythm
-simile, metaphor
-symbolism
-imagery
-etc.
Identify at least three separate poetic devices used in the poem.
Label each, and explain how each device enhances the poem, its impact on the audience, and/or its message.

7. Poetry Analysis: Tone or Attitude
Understanding the poet’s tone or attitude will help with understanding the author’s purpose and the theme they are choosing to express.
Examine diction (word choice), images, and specific details that suggest the poet’s attitude toward the reader or the subject matter.
What tone or attitude does the poem take?

8. Poetry Analysis: Shifts
Rarely does a poem begin and end the poetic experience in the same place. As is true of most of us, the poet’s understanding of an experience is a gradual realization. A poem is the reflection of that understanding.
Identify key shifts:
-words: but, yet, however, although
-punctuation: dashes, periods, colons, ellipsis
-stanza and line breaks
-changes in diction
-changes in sound

9. Poetry Analysis: Theme
The theme of the poem should be stated in a complete sentence. Consider the questions on the left when determining the poet’s theme.
What is the poem saying about the human experience?
What idea(s) does the poem address?
What do you learn about these subjects?
What idea does the poet want you to think about?
What is the power or significance of this poem?

10. Consider the following:
“How do we represent ourselves?
What becomes important for others to know?
What is our true self?”
Theme for English B & The Color of Water both wrestle with answering these questions.
As do we all.

11. Connection to The Color of Water - Please Respond:
How is the topic of self-identification vs. societal-identification prevalent in the poem and The Color of Water?
In what ways does James struggle to define himself? In what ways does Ruth struggle to define herself? In what ways does the speaker of the poem struggle to define himself?
-self-identification: the act of identifying yourself as a particular kind of person
-societal-identification: having one’s identity defined by their membership in a specific group, having society impose an identity on one