first lesson on poetry; Jabberwocky

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 3,4

Jabberwocky

or:

"how to not be afraid of poetry and learn how to understand words that you not know."

Jabberwocky

after today's class you will be able:

to find ways to read, understand and (maybe even) enjoy poems in the future.

Jabberwocky

In front of you, you have a copy of 'The Jabberwocky' by Lewis Caroll.

We'll go through it a few times and gradually get more and more acquainted with the poem.

Required tools: pen and paper.

Jabberwocky

First reading:

Take the first handout and scan the poem. 

Are there any words that puzzle you? Underline them.

Jabberwocky

Second reading:

Take a look at the second handout.

You'll see that most of the words you underlined have been omitted. 

Try to think up meanings for the words you wrote down. 

what helped you thinking up these meanings?

Jabberwocky

Third reading:

Now that you thought up meanings to the words you didn't know, read the poem again. And fill in the blanks with the words you came up with.

Do you understand what the poem is about?

Jabberwocky

The author of the poem is Lewis Caroll. Besides a children's books writer, he was also a mathematician (wiskundige), an inventor, a photographer and a deacon (assistant to a priest or bishop).

He lived from 1832 to 1898. The Victorian era.

Work in pairs.

Can you find components that hold a connection to:

* Mathematics?

* Photography/visualisation?

* Inventing/creativity?

* Christianity?

Jabberwocky

Here are some possible answers:

Mathematics: The rhyme scheme (abab), the rythm displayed by repetition (one two one two, through and through)

Photography: The use of graphical words to describe the jabberwock.

Inventor: The creation and use of nonsical words, gibberish.

Christianity: the ominous bad vs the good (my son)

Jabberwocky

Fourth reading.

So you have read Jabberwocky three times.

The fourth time you are going to read it, you will do so while listening to the poem.

Discuss in small groups (max. 4). 

Did you hear things that you didn't pick up from just reading?

Why did you pick them up now? And not before?

Jabberwocky

Fifth reading.

After reading the poem three times. Thinking about it, discussing it, learning about the context and even listening to it. You now get to watch a clip on Jabberwocky.

Ask yourself: did the clip clarify things that weren't clear yet?

The Jabberwocky

One more tip: you can also use litcharts.com

or look for explanations on youtube.

The Jabberwocky

What has today's lesson taught you?

Did you enjoy this lesson?

The Jabberwocky

next week: The Sonnet