English-Poetry Unit

For this unit, students will create a portfolio of their writing and poetry. The portfolio will include 8 Personal Journal Responses worth 6 marks each for a total of 48 marks. In addition, students will write 8 Original Poems worth 6 marks each for a total of 48 marks. We will also continue to sharpen our skills throughout the unit by looking at how to write a formal response to a poem. Please read and re-read your introduction to poetry (posted previously in this blog) to gain a sense of meaning and message within a poem.

Yesterday we listened to and discussed the meaning and message of the song "The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkle. The song or "lyrical Poem" contains many poetic devices, such as imagery, metaphor, simile, etc., and contains rich discussion points that pertain to message.

For today: Search for a song of your choice to analyze. Print off the lyrics and begin your dissection. Highlight any poetic devices and write side-notes that will help you with your response. All responses will have an introduction that introduces the title and author of the song.

Here is an example:

In the song "The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkle meaning can be derived from its form, poetic devices and theme. Like many songs "The Sound of Silence" conveys a wonderful array of feelings, emotions and ideas. And so on..........

Have fun and be insightful..........

English-Song Lyric and Poetry Unit

Journal Response Topic to ponder:

Why are some people so focussed on external beauty?

Listen to "She Ain't Pretty"

Write Poetry Journal response # 1

Write an original poem about Beauty
(Highlight Alliteration)

Poetry

English-Introduction to Poetry

Like music, poetry can be a window to the mind and it's a wonderful form of expression.

Poems can convey feeling, emotions and ideas.

When it comes to poetry, there are three essential ingredients that contribute to the meaning and message behind a poem. They are form, devices and theme.  As an example, we will look at the ancient Japanese poetic form called haiku as it relates to these three concepts.

Form:  This refers to the actual way the poem is put together, such as the number of stanzas, the type of rhyme scheme, and the type of poem. Just like the body has a skeleton to hold its shape, poems have a structure that holds their ideas together. In poetry, that "skeleton" is called form. There are many different types or forms of poetry such as Haiku, Couplet, Quatrain, Limerick, and Free Verse. Poem’s form may be very restricted and limited or very free without many restrictions. Rules for form might include number of words, indention, capitalization, number of syllables, placement of rhymed words, and number and/or placement of lines.

• With a haiku, the poem is usually three lines long, has been broken up so that there are 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the next and back to 5 syllables in the last line. There is usually no rhyming, so the scheme would be ABC, and the type of poem is descriptive.

Poetic Devices: There are numerous devices employed within poetry, essentially it is language being used in a particular way to convey a certain feeling or meaning. Poetic devices are tools that an author uses to help the reader visualize what is happening in a story or poem. Devices include imagery, alliteration, metaphor, onomatopoeia and simile.

• With haikus, imagery is the main poetic device.

Theme: Theme is just that, it is the general idea or thought being conveyed through the poem.  The theme is the point a writer is trying to make about a subject. Learning about theme helps you decide what is important. The theme of the poem tells what the whole poem is about. All the words, descriptions, figurative language, detail sentences, and scenes are all small parts that add to the reader's understanding of what you feel about the theme.

• With haikus, the general theme has to do with a moment in nature.

English—Romeo and Juliet

Poetic Devices Assignment

Students have been introduced to a variety of poetic devices. Shakespeare uses many throughout the play, Romeo and Juliet. For this assignment, students are asked to provide an example of a poetic device from the play and display it on a poster. Here are the steps:

1. Find an example of a poetic device from the play. For example: "parting is such sweet sorrow"
2. Identify the device. In the previous example, it is an Oxymoron
3. Create a poster with both the poetic device and the example. Your poster must include the poetic device definition and an image that you feel represents the overall essence of the quote.

Criteria:

• creates overall impression of insightful and personal response 
• all required details evident
• effective, creative, and appealing presentation
• strong link between chosen image and representation of text

All categories will be marked out of four for a final mark    /16

English—Romeo and Juliet

For our Romeo and Juliet unit, there are three goals I would like to accomplish: Read the play, understand the play, enjoy the play. Thus far, we have read Act 1.

Thanks to the courageous readers who have stepped up so far. As one can see, reading the play aloud breathes life into these pages. Our class has shared many a laugh as we mispronounce words, discover meaning, and fumble our way through the plot. In addition to reading, we will watch two versions of the play on DVD.

Key Concepts:

Literary devices (Imagery, symbolism, metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, oxymoron)

Rhyme Scheme

Verse vs. Prose

Final Project—We will discuss this in class. In essence, students will choose a quote, match it to a literary device, and choose an image to match it with. Posters will be displayed in class.

English 10

This is a reminder that all novel study work is to be handed in no later than May 8th. There are two parts to this assignment. Part A and Part B.  Both are to be handed in separately for marking.

Before we transition to Romeo and Juliet, we will be watching Into the Wild. It is inspired by the true story of a young man who abandons his life to pursue the freedom of the road. Following the movie, we will have a brief discussion. Topics may include: adventure, rebellion, searching, and of course...the hero's journey.