Monday, March 15, 2021

Blogger #18, Vanessa Lei, Period 2, 3/11/2021, Day A, Freshman 2021

 Aim: How can we define the literary value of poetry? 


Do now: WHOLE CLASS DISCUSSION 

Be prepared to call on each other!!!


Consider your prior experiences you’ve had when reading poetry (good or bad). 

  • What are some of the challenges you and/or others can experience while reading poetry?

  • Consider the following question: 

  • What does poetry mean to you? 


The beginning of a brand new unit. Students were eager to participate and share their experiences with poetry. Mrs. Peterson asks the students to consider both the good and bad experiences had with poetry and what it might mean to you. Ayah responded with positivity. Her experience with poetry in the past was good, it is one of her favorite forms of reading and writing. Ayah describes the feeling as fun to decipher the hidden meanings behind these pieces of art. The flow of poetry is nice as you are able to write whatever comes to mind. Fiona on the other hand may differ. Although she agrees with Ayah on the way poetry allows you to express your feelings she does not prefer writing poetry. She believes through this lesson she will come to appreciate the art of poetry. Natalie agrees with Fiona’s response. She believes reading poetry is more satisfying than writing poetry. Kevin finds the way poetry allows you to express your thoughts and feelings intriguing although sometimes it is hard to understand. Kevin feels challenged by poetry on tests. Jerry also shares his perspective on poetry finding it nice to read but not be questioned about. Mrs. Peterson notices both of her english classes dislike having to analyze poetry. She relates to her students adding she too hated poetry younger. Describing how frustrating it is to interpret what a dead person would’ve thought hundreds of years ago. Eliot states from Mrs. Peterson's last period, “sometimes a door is just brown, with no underlying meaning.” Mrs. Peterson describes her own experience with poet Emily Dickinson. Her poems were surrounded with death and dying. We as students therefore, should keep an open mind when approaching poetry. This allows us to learn it faster and find comfort in this problem area. 


Video watched together in class - 

What makes a poem … a poem? - Melissa Kovacs


(Summary of video)

Poetry finds a way to challenge simple definitions using Muhammad Ali as an example. Ali was asked to create a poem at his Harvard Graduation. There sprouts the shortest poem, “Me, We.” Poetry has many distinct characteristics including as a way to bring out the musical qualities in a language through rhyme, rhythm, and meter. Used by Shakespeare, Confucius and even Sanskrit Vedas. Poems are like literature with all the filler taken out of it. Lastly, poems can also feature emotions. Similar to art poetry creates sophisticated definitions. When poetry is stripped to its core we would be left with music. Does that mean poetry is music? Rappers often use elements such as rhyme, rhythm, and imagery mostly known to be used in poetry. By approaching poetry as more of a concept we unlock the poetic around us. 


(Important vocabulary)

Prose Poem Definition - use vivid images and wordplay formatted like paragraphs. 

Remember !


People often falsely believe that poems HAVE to rhyme. This is not the case! The poems we are working with today are considered to be free verse. The term “free verse” describes poetry without a fixed pattern of meter and rhyme. 


Free Verse- poetry without a fixed pattern of meter and rhyme.


“Cheat Sheet”

It is important to keep track of the poetry terminology. Mrs. Peterson recommends copy and pasting the vocabulary presented during class into a document for reference. This can help you remind yourself what the word may mean as time goes on.  



Video watched together in class -

Free Verse Poetry


(Summary) 


Deprived from the French vers libre free verse has no rules concerning rhymes, syllables, or number of lines. Poets use free verse to express their emotions and ideas however they want. The poet can express with alliteration, personification, rhyme, and rhythm. Short or long, free writing allows the poet full freedom.  


Example Included in the Video - 

Fog by Carl Sandburg 

The fog comes

On little cat feet. 


It sits looking 

Over harbour and city

On silent haunches 

And then moves on. 


ACTIVITY: As we read the following poem by Pablo Neruda, annotate and be sure to look for diction, imagery, figurative language, and any other additional literary elements that stand out to you!


NOTE: Upon completion, be prepared to discuss/share/compare with your group’s findings.


Do all Poems have to rhyme? 

Stop this day and night with me, and you

shall possess the origin of all poems; 

You shall possess the good of the earth and

sun... (there are millions of sun left,)

You shall no longer take things at second or

third hand, nor look through the eyes of the dead

nor feed on the spectres in books;

You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me,

You shall listen to all sides, and filter them from yourself. 


- Walt Whitman, “Song of Myself, ” (Section 2) Leaves of Grass


“Poetry” by Pablo Neruda 


And it was at that age … poetry arrived

in search of me. I don’t know, I don’t know where

it came from, from winter or a river.

I don’t know how or when,

5 no they were not voices, they were not

words, nor silence,

but from a street I was summoned,

from the branches of night,

abruptly from the others,

10 among violent fires

or returning alone,

there I was without a face

and it touched me.

I did not know what to say, my mouth

15 had no way

with names,

my eyes were blind,

and something started in my soul, (figurative language)

fever or forgotten wings,

20 and I made my own way,

deciphering

that fire,

and I wrote the first faint line,

faint, without substance, pure


25            nonsense,

pure wisdom

of someone who knows nothing,

and suddenly I saw

the heavens (reached immortality?)

30 unfastened and open,

planets

palpitating plantations,

shadow perforated,

riddled

35 with arrows, fire, and flowers,

the winding night, the universe.

And I, infinitesimal being,

drunk with the great starry

Void, (small view)

40 likeness, image of mystery,

felt myself a pure part

of the abyss,

I wheeled with the stars,

my heart broke loose on the wind.


How can we define poetry?

10 MINUTE TEAMWORK

With your Teams, create a final definition of poetry. Using the table below, summarize how Whitman and Neruda define poetry along with how our class defines “poetry” according to today’s “Do Now.” Be sure to use textual examples in your summary! 

My classmates responses: 

  1. Ayah said Neruda describes poetry as not just a bunch of words, but speaks volume without realistically being spoken. It is felt by many individuals in many ways rather than what appears to be on the surface. Textual evidence, “I don’t know how or when no they were not voices, they were not words, nor silence.” This explains how the meaning of poetry is not spoken but heard through the silence. 

  2. Asdaq wrote, Neruda's definition of poetry is much more spiritual as it brings them closer to the world. Stating, “and I made my own way, deciphering that fire, and I wrote the first faint line, faint, without substance, pure.” Asdaq explains without substance means close to your soul or idea.

  3. Katrina said that our class defined poetry as a way to express everyone’s feelings or emotions. It can be difficult to decipher the deep definitions of these pieces of art. 

  4. Julia added Whitman's definition of poetry as something that appears different to everyone. Poetry should be interpreted in your own way. This meant not the author or your peers but from your own definition. 

Secondary Lesson  (going over the rubric and tips+tricks)                                                                                                                

RL:Sp Poem Anthology Proj: Assign & Rubric 

The due date is set for 4/23 but is tentative (to be determined). This is due to the uncertainty of the DOE. When the time comes Mrs. Peterson will post another assignment that will state, “Poem Anthology Project Submission.” 

Aim: How can our knowledge and experience with poetry and poetic techniques ensure the successful creation of our Poem Anthology project?


Do Now: Class discussion 

How do you usually feel when you learn you are being assigned a new project? Why?

  1. Ayah shares that when she learns of a new project she gets extremely scared. She realizes she has to keep track of the project along with many other assignments. 

  2. Fiona shares that she feels nervous agreeing with Ayah as overwhelming and a little scary. 

  3. Chloe diffs she tends to like projects a lot, they allow a lot of creative freedom. Exciting to see what will happen or the results in the end. 


Vocabulary: 

Anthology - a collection of works

Example: In college you might be assigned to get an Anthology on a certain time period. 


PBL: Poem Anthology Project assignment: Your assignment is to create a poetry anthology with 4 original poems with at least one poem structured like an extended metaphor


Your anthology MUST INCLUDE

  1. A Creative Cover, with Image(s), a Title, which clearly identifies your First and Last Name, period, TEAM NAME and Cycle Letter.NOTE: Cover pages DO NOT get page numbers and slides are not page numbers!

  2. A Table of contents,  clearly identifying each poem type and title and the page number where it can be found. [(1) Free Verse, (2) Extended Metaphor, and (3) Shakespearean SonnetNOTE: Cover pages DO NOT get page numbers and slides are not page numbers!

This project can be done using google doc or google slides. 

  1. An Introduction to the collection, explaining the basis for your poem choices.

  2. Your extended metaphor must be annotated. If you provide a clean version of your Extended Metaphor (meaning without annotations first)  and you choose to do the annotations separately, then make sure your annotations follow immediately on the next page. Highlight and Annotate some of your poetic choices just like we did in class, and explain the reason behind them. Note: Annotations SHOULD NOT be provided in the comments section! If using Google Slides, you can insert text boxes. If using Google Docs, you can insert your poem on one side into a table, and for the columns next to each line insert your annotations.

  3. All 3 original poems should include complementary visuals/images/drawings. NOTE: On your poem pages, you must have both the title and the poem type provided.

  4. Your last page must include a reflection that explains the experience of creating poetry along with a discussion of the style, language choices, and thematic intent of your poems at the conclusion of your anthology.

These are important pieces of advice and suggestions. 

 Reminders:

  • Don't forget you have your WordPool as inspiration (you don't have to use it, but don't forget about it).

  • Additionally, it is very helpful for you to: 1) open a blank Google Doc, 2) go back through each lesson and copy the main points from each lesson, as well as the links/videos, so 3) you can use this doc as a guide while you are constructing your own poetry. 

  • Punctuation Assistance: I suggest reading your poems aloud, and when you stop, that's your body telling you it needs some form of punctuation.  It’s the equivalent of your body taking a breath, which is what punctuation actually is.

  • Project Assistance: Make sure to use font sizes, font and background colors that are acceptable for reading/grading. Keep in mind that projects are not graded in presentation mode, therefore, it remains the size as if you are constructing the document. Additionally, when choosing font and background colors be sure to choose contrasting colors.  In other words: Dark Background with light font OR Light Backgrounds with Dark Font, to maximize readability.

  • Project Tools: Rhymezone Find rhymes, synonyms, adjectives, and more!


I will be using the attached scoring criteria to evaluate your anthology (original ideas, structure, & use of language). 

Upload your digital version to Google Classroom following all of the aforementioned parameters. You may create your poems via Google Doc or Google Slides, whichever works best for your needs.


As always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns! 

ENRICHMENT

Poetic Devices Defined [4:02]


**Mrs. Peterson suggests to always read the rubric. To fully understand exactly what you are to execute. This can help reach mastery points. Keep time management in time and work diligently, don’t wait till the last minute!


Reflection: Today I learned from the opinions of my classmates. The first do now questions provided me with awareness of how other peers in my class views poetry along with their experiences. We also read the poems of well known poets such as Whitman and Neruda. We shared this today to get a feel of where everyone is around us. The poems helped guide me in the right direction when reading poetry. Some of my friends really enjoyed poetry while others find it difficult to interpret. Following discussion was the youtube video, “What makes a poem … a poem? - Melissa Kovacs.” The video taught me the basics of poetry.  The different characteristics include musical qualities through rhyme, rhythm, and meter. Poetry can also be literature with the lack of fillers and even emotions. This can be very helpful when analyzing poems. I learned important vocabulary words such as prose poems and anthologies. This began my journey to help me slowly build comfort towards poetry. Making sure to apply these qualities for our Poem Anthology Project. In Lesson 2 I was made aware of the guidelines and what is expected. I will use the reminders provided to maximize my score. 


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