V3 January 7 Understanding Poems

• English

Understanding Poems 

There are 9 Steps I find helpful when it comes to understand poems 

Today we deal with U7, lesson D

Turn to SB p88

These are the materials we're working with today

but first go through the other slides

Step One 

Don't Be Afraid 

Poems can be scary when you first look at them 

• Scary looking words 
• Scary looking wormat 

Read the title 

• Based on the title, what do you think the poem is about?
• Decide before you move on 

Read the poem all the way through 

• Get a general idea of the poem 

Take notes

• Read the poem again                 
• Highlight, write comments, underline
• What you think is interesting, find confusing, and what might be particularly important  

Look up words you don't know 

• In good poems, every word has been carefully chosen 
• Writers have limited space to get there point across 

Identify the Narrator

• It isn't always in the writer's point of view
• What is the tone?
• Is the narrator's point of view important for the poem? 

Notice change 

• Focus on certain words such as: but, however, yet
• Those words can show that some kind of important point is made afterwards. 

Structure 

• Rhyme scheme  
• Meter of the lines (Rhythm) 
• Physical layout

Read out LOUD

• Hearing it can help you find things you may not have noticed before.

Now look at the poem.
By the title what do you think the Poem is about?

What are some things you noticed or think are important?

What are words you didn't understand and what is their definition?
(look it up)

What do you know about the narrator?

Let op, de verteller is niet per se de schrijver

Did you notice anything different after reading it aloud?

Let's go back to the exercises in the book

Now you can probably find the answers to exercises 3 and 4

Afterwards, say goodbye and study build up or read holes.