Poetry Unit

You need to work through this Packet, it is expected to be completed and completed with care, I
promise it will help you! *Notice that you have two ballots in this packet you need to have both of these
completed at some point by someone in the class. When you are helping others during this experience
please actually be helpful, critique in a positive way that will also help your classmate grow as a
performer, most of all have fun! *** REMEMBER YOU NEED TO E-MAIL THE AUTHORS ASKING FOR
PREMISSION TO PREFORM THEIR POETRY

Schedule:
Feb 25: Finish Oratory/Auditions for Fayetteville
Feb 27: Poetry Introduction: Start to Locate poetry and Complete poetry planning page of the packet/
Find a poem a poem that represents you as a person (DUE FRIDAY)
Feb 28: My Forensics Self Poetry Work
Homework over Weekend: Make Final selections for Poetry and Complete Poetry Analysis get poetry in
BNB and BRING TO CLASS
March 4: Poetry Work in Class, Focus on Emphasis. (Poetry should be in black note book on this day,
check off poetry with Mrs. Tucker) Emphasis page in Packet. You also have homework located at the end
of the packet.
March 6: Poetry work in class, Focus on emotion. (Scored script due for grade by the end of class)
Emotion Page in Packet
March 7: Devised poetry work
March 13 and March 18- Poetry Performances/ Packet due on Performance day

Poetry Rules:

Helpful Hints:

The selection should be poetic in form and have

quality and aesthetic value.
*If the reader chooses two or more short poems,
they should have a common theme or author.
*Reader must use script, which should be in a
performance notebook.
*An introduction should be presented in a creative
manner explaining poem or linking poems together.
*Title(s) and author(s) must be stated in the
introduction.
*Reader should have no movement below the
waist during presentation.
*Time limit, inclusive of introduction, is 4-6
minutes.

*You should connect with your poetry

*Only hold your BNB with one hand so you have
one free to gesture
*USE PAUSES TO YOUR ADVANTAGE, do not rush
your poem
*Your poetry should have emotion in it and YOU
SHOULD DISPLAY THAT EMOTION
*Your poetry should be from published sources
*Make sure that you can understand your poetry
*Remember to use your body (above your waist) to
bring the poetry to life

Poetry Planning
1) You need to find poetry that is 4-5 minutes long that revolves around a common theme or author.
Please list the titles and authors (remember these needs to be authors WHO ARE PUBLISHED, tell me a
book each of them wrote or where their work is published)
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b. ________________________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________________________
2) Why have you chosen these selections, what about this theme/author is compelling to you? (Should
be a paragraph)
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3) What is the general mood of these selections?
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4) How does this challenge me as a performer? (Should be a paragraph)
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5) Now write your introduction: Remember that you need to make this poetry relevant with this. Why
should society listen to this, what message are you trying to send with this poetry.

Poetry Analysis
*These questions should be answered for each poem that you are doing
1) Who is speaking in the poem?
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2) Who is listening to the speaker?
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3) Where/when does the action of this poem take place (what setting/time period?)
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4) What happens in the poem? (this may be implied)
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5) What is the basic mood of the poem?
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6) What is the underlying idea/theme of the poem?
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7) What lines contain the climax of the poem?
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8) Research about the authors of your selections. A)Who were/are they as an author? B)What general
statements did they try and make? C)What time period were they as an author how did that affect
them?
a. ________________________________________________________________________
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b. ________________________________________________________________________
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c. ________________________________________________________________________
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9) How will the above factor affect your performance? (Should be a paragraph)
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10) What is the meaning superficial (obvious) and hidden of each poem?
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11) Why do these poems fit together (if you are doing only one poem why did you make that choice)?
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12) Why do these poems speak to you and what message do you hope to spend?
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Emphasis
1) What single line in each poem is the most important line, why? How will you show that it is the most
important line?
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2) What will you do to make each poem different, they all might have the same mood/feeling but they
are each an individual works and should be represented that way, how will you represent that?
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3) Now go to your script, you need to figure out where you will place emphasis and how (will you slow
down, will you get softer, will you get louder, will you pause) (Mark this in script, get a partner to date
and initial here that you completed this. ______________________________________
4) Next you need to have a peer watch your poetry and answer these questions.
Who watched my Poetry:__________________________________________________
What line stood out the most, Why?
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Could you tell that they wanted you to pay special attention to certain words? YES NO
If no How do they fix it
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Was there a good amount of pausing in their selections, Explain? YES NO
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How many times do they hesitate or look down at their book? Do a tally mark each time?
Are they using their bodies to tell the story of their poetry? Yes No (Explain how they are or how they
could improve)
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Emotion Work for Poetry

1) Think of a personal experience that you have had that relates to each poem, what emotion was
experienced when you went through this. How did that change or effect you, How can you bring that
into each poem.
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2) Each poem should be different how will you accomplish this? What specific vocal/bodily actions will
you take to accomplish this?
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3) Now have someone watch your poem and answer the following questions?
A. Write down the main tone of the piece as a whole ________________________________
B. Did each poem have a different feel, could you tell when the poem was switched to a new one
without being told? Yes or No
a. If no how could they fix it?_____________________________
C. Did their poetry move you emotionally? Yes or No
D. Did they connect with you? Yes or No
E. How memorized was their poetry? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
F. Did they use their body to convey the emotion, without the words could you feel the emotion by
looking at them? Yes or No What did they do to show the emotion?
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G. Was there a variety of emotions present within the poetry? Yes or No (List them)
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Arkansas Communication and Theatre Arts Association

Poetry Interpretation
Name__________________________________________________________Time_________
Who Watched my poetry:____________________________________
Title/Author Of Selection: ________________________________________________________

Arkansas Communication and Theatre Arts Association

Poetry Interpretation
Name__________________________________________________________Time_________
Who Watched my poetry:____________________________________
Title/Author Of Selection: ________________________________________________________

Script scoring this is homework for March 4

1) You Have four sheets included that you need to follow this checklist to complete
_______ write your poetry on in the center
_______you then need to write the emotion that you will add and how on the left side
_______then you need to add what non-verbal elements you will use specific gestures, facial
expressions, or any movement above the waste be creative.
_______The overarching emotion should be written with each poem.

2) Score your typed copy of the script. You have a plan now give yourself notes to remind yourself what
you are going to do each line. Use the same strategies that we used when we did script scoring for our
solos.

Emotion that you will add

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Poetry lines (should be written in stanza format)

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Nonverbal Cue you will add

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Emotion that you will add

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Nonverbal Cue you will add

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Emotion that you will add

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Nonverbal Cue you will add

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Emotion that you will add

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Nonverbal Cue you will add

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