How Does a Poem Mean?

The goal of the assignment is two fold in that it is meant to inspire both creative and analytical thought. You
and a partner(s) will:
1— teach HDAPM by addressing the pre-assigned prompt as accurately and methodically as possible.
2—inspire creative and analytical thought connected to the theme of your chosen poem(s) by constructing an
INTERACTIVE bulletin board includes the following elements:
1—Creative display of the poem(s) that you will be teaching on your chosen day
2—Original poem(s) that evokes thought on the same theme of your HDAPM poem(s)
3—Original non-print work that evokes thought on the theme of your HDAPM poem(s)
You may include other elements on the board if you wish; however, you must construct the board so that there is
room left for students to comment on various aspects of your work. The board will be divided evenly into thirds
so that there will be room for all classes. Please use the entire space provided! I have some supplies—bulletin
board paper, tape, markers—but you are responsible for securing whatever you need.

You and you partner should construct the board the day before your HDAPM presentation. You will have 40
minutes to teach HDAPM.

Keep in mind the following tips when teaching your poem:

1—The lesson should be a process of guided discovery, so there should be time for the class to close read the
poem (5 minutes) as well as ample time for discussion that discovers the meaning, process and techniques of the
poem.
2—Get the class to participate in some way without using up too much time—activities should be pointed and
specific with clear goals.
3—While you will have your poem marked with notes, for the presentation, use an unmarked copy that you can
mark up as the discussion of the poem opens up. It is not your job to just take a New Critical approach and
come in with all the answers and say, “There it is.” After all, it is possible to varying interpretations of a poem,
so be prepared if class discussion differs from your intended interpretation.
4—It is important to constantly be asking how technique develops the poem, hence the title of the lesson. Poets
specifically and pointedly construct meaning; don’t minimize the importance of this aspect of the presentation in
light of the added creative component.
5—Make use of the wonder of technology; however, I strongly caution solely using power point for this
presentation because of the limited interactive qualities. Although, the promethean board used in conjunction
with power point is a powerful tool as it enables you to write in comments, paraphrasing, etc, or you can just use
a word document with the promethean board. You can also use the document camera, digital projector or other
devices as you see fit.
6— Use resources on poetry freely: An Introduction to Poetry, notes, poetry packet.
7—Submit any materials that need to be copied at least two days prior to your presentation. At the very least,
you should provide the class with a copy of the poem(s) with the prompt clearly displayed at the top.
8—Your bulletin board will be displayed for the entire week of your presentation. Please remove anything that
you wish to keep by the end of the week.
Names ________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Poem(s) ________________________________________________
________________________________________________

Rubric:
Allow time for close reading –5 minutes (5) _______

Review and display prompt (5) _______

Define/dissect the prompt…be specific about what we’re looking for (15) _______

Complete TPCASTT X2 with the class (25) _______

Identification of any allusions and/or archetypes (5) _______

Point of View (5) _______

Develop a thesis statement with the class that ties identified techniques into meaning (15) _______

Identify and note the following elements of versification (20):

a. ID and label the type of stanza: Spenserian or ballad, or non-stanza:
heroic couplet, blank verse.
b. Using scansion techniques of marking stressed and unstressed syllables, ID the
meter: trochaic trimester, iambic pentameter, etc.
c. ID the rhyme scheme: ababab; abab cdcd, etc., if applicable.
d. ID any peculiarities of form.

ID type of poem {folk ballad, sonnet, elegy, dramatic monologue} (5) _______

Preparation (15) _______

Organization (5) _______

Audience Engagement (10) _______

Eye Contact (5) _______

Oration (5) _______

Stays on task (5) _______

Total _______/145
Grade_______