poetry of war - wikispacesof+war+unit... · 2 table of contents introduction 3 curriculum standards...

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Poetry of War

Jessica Jensen

Sierra Nevada College

Summer 2011

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=poetry+of+war&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1132&bih=675&tbm=isch&tbnid=uBOPhIxjccrLPM:&imgrefurl=http://therumpus.net/2009/01/anti-war-poetry-and-the-oxymoron-of-liberal-fathers/&docid=fE9s3voWhxxsmM&w=315&h=500&ei=PWo_TpD6MO7WiAL4_LnHBg&zoom=1

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=poetry+of+war&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1132&bih=675&tbm=isch&tbnid=PRbmDgBpcKOq0M:&imgrefurl=http://hsc.csu.edu.au/modern_history/core_study/ww1/poetry/page133.htm&docid=cj3kZr5YG3IycM&w=262&h=316&ei=PWo_TpD6MO7WiAL4_LnHBg&zoom=1

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=poetry+of+war&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1132&bih=675&tbm=isch&tbnid=7iJ505M_lBKR3M:&imgrefurl=http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Randall-Jarrell-Wilfred-Owen-War-Poems-Poetry-Art-Prints&docid=HmYUnEPzAHVIfM&w=270&h=350&ei=PWo_TpD6MO7WiAL4_LnHBg&zoom=1

2

Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Curriculum Standards 4

Grading Rationale 5-6

Grade Tracker 7

Lesson 1 – Intro to Poetry of War

Appendix 1-1

Appendix 1-2

Appendix 1-3

8-9

10

11

12-13

Lesson 2 – The Soldier

Appendix 2-1

Appendix 2-2

Appendix 2-3

14-15

16

17

18

Lesson 3 – At Home

Appendix 3-1

Appendix 3-2

Appendix 3-3

19-20

21

22-23

24

Lesson 4 – Current Issues

Appendix 4-1

Appendix 4-2

25-27

28

29

Lesson 5 – Poetry Final

Appendix 5-1

30-31

32

References 33

3

Introduction

This unit will be covering poetry. Instead of just diving into random poems, we will be

exploring specifically war poetry. The students will be able to see poetry as told through the

eyes of various people that were and still are affected by war. The unit will begin by discussing

the basics of poetry; how words describe feelings, the use of oxymoron’s and irony, and how to

decipher the tone and mood of the author. Next we will explore poetry through the eyes of the

soldier. Students will receive various poems that will be examined to understand the author’s

feelings toward the war they were fighting in. We will then move on to poetry written from the

view point of those left home while their loved ones are away fighting a war. War poetry will

come to an end with students examining current war issues as seen through poetry.

One item that will probably be new to students is learning about Found Poetry. Through

this type of poetry students are able to create poetry by using another poet’s words. This not

only allows students to create their own work, but helps them learn how to choose meaningful

words that play a role in describing the author’s tone, mood, and point of view. Eventually we

will end the poetry unit by stepping into of war of the student’s choosing and putting ourselves in

the shoes of the soldier during a particular war. Students will create a journal entry from which

they will then make their last Found Poem from their own words.

I’m hoping at the conclusion of this unit, students will have a new appreciation for the

power of poetry and come to a different kind of understanding for the power that words play in

describing thoughts and feelings.

4

Curriculum Standards

Content Standards Lesson 1

Intro to

Poetry

Lesson 2

The

Soldier

Lesson 3

Coming

Home

Lesson 4

Issues

Today

Lesson 5

Poetry Final

3.12.5:

Identify the effects of rhythm

and rhyme on text.

3.12.7:

Analyze the influence of

historical events and culture on author’s works.

4.12.2: Analyze the use of

• figurative language

• analogies; Explain words

and phrases that reveal an author’s tone.

6.12.3: Write poetry

7.12.1: Listen for and identify

• main idea

• mood • purpose

• messages

• tone • persuasive techniques;

Listen for and distinguish fact

from opinion.

7.12.3:

Expand vocabulary through

listening.

5

Grading Rationale

Class Participation:

Being in class is key to understanding and learning about the content will be discussing this

semester. For that reason every time a student is in class they will receive and automatic 5 points

just for being there. I will keep a list of students with me throughout the class period and if a

student is disruptive they will receive a minus mark next to their name that will remind me to

minus a point from their class participation. If a student has an excused absent, they can make up

the points by completing an alternative assignment.

Essays:

There will be 4 essays assigned during the first semester. Each essay is worth 100 points with a

total of 400 points for all essays, so it is very important that these do not get neglected. The

essays will cover various topics that will be chosen by the students with regards to their current

reading assignments. The length requirement will be 3-5 pages times new roman, double spaced.

Poetry Writing:

During our poetry unit, the students will be asked to create their own piece of poetry. This

assignment will be worth a total of 50 points. We will be discussing many different types of

poetry that the students will then be able to choose which type of poem they would like to

complete.

Homework Assignments:

These will vary greatly. Some will be questionnaires about their assigned reading while others

may have to do with class projects and smaller writing assignments. There will be 1 homework

assignment each week with a total of 20 for the semester. Each of these will count for 10 points.

I feel that smaller homework assignments are important and necessary as it helps keep students

on track and prepares them for bigger assignments.

Reading Quizzes:

There will be many assigned readings throughout the semester. To ensure that the students are

completing their assigned reading, I will be giving random reading check quizzes. There will be

a total of 10 of these and each will be worth 20 points for a total of 200 points. Again this helps

keeps students on track and prepared for topics we will be talking about in class.

Journals:

Everyday there will be a quote, idea, or other various writings written on the board. The first 5

minutes of every class students will come in and immediately sit down and write their thoughts

regarding whatever may be written on the board. This will hopefully get their minds churning

and ready to discuss and work. Each writing will be worth 5 points with 500 total points.

Journals can easily be made up by those who are absent by borrowing a friends journal or seeing

me for that days writing topic.

6

Vocabulary Tests:

I want my student’s vocabularies to continue growing so for that reason students will be given a

vocabulary list at the beginning of each month. These lists will be taken from the student’s

vocabulary organizers and from a list of words I feel are important to learn. Once a month they

will be tested on these words. Each test is worth 50 points with a total of 250 possible for the

semester.

7

Grade Tracker

Based on a semester approx. 20 weeks (100 class meetings)

Class Participation: 5 points a day- ___/500 possible

Essays: 100 pts each- ___/400 possible

Poetry Writing: 50 pts - ___/50 possible

Homework Assignments: 10 pts each - ___/200

possible

Reading Quizzes: 20 pts each - ___/200 possible

Journals: 5 pts each - ___/500 possible

Vocabulary Tests: 50 pts each - ___/250 possible

8

Teacher: Jessica Jensen

Subject Area: English

Grade Level: 9-12

Unit Title: Poetry of War

Lesson Title: Intro. to Poetry of War

Overview: Students will be introduced to a new unit on poetry. Poetry will be being taught by

looking at poetry of war as seen from the soldiers point of view at various phases and by also

looking at poetry of war regarding current issues - ie: during the war, at home, etc.

Connection to the Curriculum: This lesson can be connected to social studies

Connection to Standards (List local or national standards which will be met upon completion

of this lesson.):

3.12.5: Identify the effects of rhythm and rhyme on text.

4.12.2: Analyze the use of • figurative language • analogies; Explain words and phrases that reveal

an author’s tone.

6.12.3: Write Poetry

7.12.1: Listen for and identify • main idea • mood • purpose • messages • tone • persuasive

techniques; Listen for and distinguish fact from opinion.

7.12.3: Expand vocabulary through listening.

Time: 90 mins

Materials/Equipment Required:

―The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner‖ poem

Vocabulary Organizer

Charles Bernstein’s ―Poem Profiler‖

Objectives: Students will be able to:

Discuss language used in the poem that reveals the author’s tone

Identity mood, purpose, and message that the author is sending

Define new words learned in the poem

Suggested Procedure

9

Opening: Discuss the uses of poetry with the students. Ask students if they ever rhyme on

purpose whether talking to friends, family, etc and why they would do this. Start explaining that

poetry is used to convey thoughts, feelings, and ideas that can be more easily written by using

the poetry form. Poetry is not a ―girly‖ thing, in fact there have been many poems written by

men fighting wars. This poetry unit will be based on war poems and the effect war had on the

writer.

Development:

Students will all receive a copy of Randy Jarrell’s poem ―The Death of the Ball Turret

Gunner‖

o Pick out unknown words to be added to their vocabulary organizers

o Pay attention to the figurative language and ask students questions like:

What is your reaction to this poem?

What do you know about the gunner?

How would you describe the content of the poem?

What is the author's attitude toward war as presented in the poem?

Discuss as whole group answers to the above questions

Students will all receive a copy of Charles Bernstein’s ―Poem Profiler‖

o Discuss what will be done to profile a poem

o Tell students that any words that are unknown need to be written on their

vocabulary organizers

o Have students rate words in comparison with Jarrell’s poem

Define Found Poetry

Closing:

Go over words added to vocabulary organizers to define

Students will be assigned to create a Found Poem based on words seen in Jarrell’s poem

Student Assessment:

Collect vocab organizers to check for understanding

Assign found poetry homework

Extending the Lesson:

Ask your family members who have fought in a war what it was like for them.

Try collecting a sample of words they used to describe the war, to see if you are able to

define the tone of their experience.

10

Appendix 1-1

Randall Jarrell

The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner

From my mother's sleep I fell into the State,

And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.

Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,

I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.

When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.

11

Appendix 1-2

Vocabulary Word________________________________ Page Found_________________

Definition/Description___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sentence__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Draw

How well do I understand this word: 4 3 2 1

Well Not Well

Vocabulary Word________________________________ Page Found_________________

Definition/Description___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sentence__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Draw

How well do I understand this word: 4 3 2 1

12

Appendix 1-3

Charles Bernstein

Poem Profiler: Check Levels

This is a list of rhetorical features of individual poems. Pick one poem and rate it for each of

these characteristics. Rate the levels of these features on a one to ten scale with one the lowest

level and ten the highest level. Be specific: give examples to support assessment. Compare two

poems based on these features. Also: compare any group of poems based on their

likeness/difference from one another. (NOTE: please provide additional parameters for the

Profiler, which is in development.)

For definitions of many key poetics terms, go to here (Wheeler's Liteary Vocabulary) or here

(classical rhetorical terms) or here (Representative Poetry Online glossary)

Stylistic Textures and Poetic

Diction Coefficient of weirdness

(wackiness quotient)

Ambiguity

Ambivolence

Irreverence

Sobriety

Humor

Eloquence

Plainness

Sincerity

Smoothness (vs roughness,

bumpiness, striation)

Neat (vs messy)

Pretentiousness

Subtlety (vs bluntness)

Indirect (vs straightforward)

Intelligence

Visual imagery

Dreaminess

Particularity (vs generality) of

details

Stylistic consistency

Innovation

Originality

Ornamental/decorative

Relevance

Tastefulness

Speech-like

Dialect

Content

Political

Liberal/conservative/radical

Urban

Pastoral

Moral

Sexual

Religious

Spiritual

Mystical

Philosophical

Love

Family

Ethnic/racial

Nationalistic/patriotic

Gender

Mortality (death)

Illness

Conflict (war)

Discontent

Developmental / Temporal /

Compositional Structures

(What holds the poem

together?) Fragmentary / disjunctive /

nonlinear / discontinuity

[parataxis]

Logical/expository continuity

(linear 1/ hypotaxis)

Narrative continuity

Mood/Tone

[rate the first term only]

Scary/reassuring

Dark/light

Impersonal/emotional

Engaged /disaffected

(alienated)

Affirmative/skeptical/ hostile

Elegiac (mournful) /

celebratory (panegyric)

Hot/cold

Angry/friendly

Cool/uncool

Turbulent/calm

Disturbed/content

Reckless/cautious

Happy/sad

Depressed/elated

Bright/dull

Meditative/unreflective

Bubbly/sober

Elusive/explicit

Erotic/dispassionate

Mysterious/apparent

Counting:

Syllables per line

Lines per stanza or for poem

Stanzas

Words per line

http://epc.buffalo.edu/authors/bernstein/

http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms.html

http://rhetoric.byu.edu/

http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/display_rpo/terminology.cfm

13

Sampling (use of found or

quoted material)

Comprehensibility

Coherence

Spontaneity

Exploratory

Density

Predictability

Abstractness

Sensuousness

Wearyness

Timidity

Bravado

Courage

Unusual vocabulary

Complexity

Repetitiveness

Self-consciousness

Artifice (vs ―natural‖)

Difficulty

Modern/contemporary (vs old

fashioned)

Referential Opacity /

Transparency Ratio

(outward/inward pointing)

Point of View Direct POV of author as

speaker (monologic / lyric)

Persona

Narrator (epic)

Multiple POVs (dialogic or

polyvocal)

Textual Subjectivity

n/a

(beginning, middle, and end)

(linear 2 / hypotaxis)

Journey

Journal/diary

Stream of

consciousness/thought

process

Dream-like/surreal

Closure

Symmetrical

Fast paced

Jerky

Kinetic (moves from one

thing to another) vs. static

(continuous present)

Programmatic or procedural

Received form (sonnet,

ballad, etc.)

Devices

Irony

Paradox

Exaggeration

Understatement

Simile

Metaphor

Personification

Symbolism

Allegory

Enjambment

Metonymy

Literary or historical allusion

Persona

Programmatic or procedural

structure

Visual Shape/Form:

Flush left, justified/ragged

prose, overall ―field‖ design,

etc.

Sound Dissonance/cacophony

(noisy, harsh)

Melodious/harmonious/

mellifluous (―pleasing‖)

Assonance

Alliteration

Rhyme

Off-rhyme

Metrical patterns

Obtrusive (vs not noticeable)

for performances:

accent

tempo

voice timbre

tone

intonation

rhythm

amplitude/dynamic range

Contexts Author’s date of birth/death

Date of poem’s composition

Place of composition

Relevant socio-historical facts

Relevant biographical facts

Relevant ethnic, gender,

national, sexual orientation

Place/context of original

publication and significant

subsequent publication

Variant versions, including

performances

Title: yes/no; if yes:

use/connection to poem

14



Grade Level: 9-12


Lesson Title: The Soldier

Overview: Now that students have an understanding of the importance of wording in poetry, we

will be focusing on the individual soldiers voice during war time. Through looking at various

poems, students will have a better understanding of the impact of war on the individual and how

poetry can be a cathartic tool

Connection to the Curriculum (Identify which interdisciplinary subject areas relate to this

lesson.): Social Studies

Connection to Standards:



an author’s tone.




Time: 90 mins



"An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" by William Butler Yeats

"The Man He Killed" by Thomas Hardy

"The Soldier" by Rupert Brooke

Objectives: Students will be able to‖




Suggested Procedure

15

Opening:

As a class, prepare a list of 7-10 character traits that you would deem essential for

someone to be considered a good soldier

Make sure students know to keep thinking about these words when reading and

discussing the 3 poems

Development:

Read the following three poems: "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" by William

Butler Yeats, "The Man He Killed" by Thomas Hardy, and "The Soldier" by Rupert

Brooke.

Consider these questions about each of the speakers in the three poems:

o Why has the speaker gone to war?

o What is the speaker's attitude toward his own country?

o What is the speaker's attitude toward his enemy?

Add words to vocabulary organizer and discuss as whole group

Closing:

Look back on the character traits we came up with as a class and decide who you think is

the best soldier

Write at least 3, but no more than 5 paragraphs in which you defend your choice for best

soldier making sure to draw upon the character traits and using quotes directly from the

poem

Student Assessment:

Essay assignment

Vocabulary organizer

Extending the Lesson: Think about words that you would use to describe a best friend, great

athlete, good leader. Look around in school and see who you believe match these descriptions

Additional Resources.:

Allpoetry.com – is a great resource if you would like to look up more poems

16

Appendix 2-1

An Irish Airman Foresees His Death

I know that I shall meet my fate

Somewhere among the clouds above;

Those that I fight I do not hate,

Those that I guard I do not love;

My country is Kiltartan Cross,

My countrymen Kiltartan's poor,

No likely end could bring them loss

Or leave them happier than before.

Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,

Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,

A lonely impulse of delight

Drove to this tumult in the clouds;

I balanced all, brought all to mind,

The years to come seemed waste of breath,

A waste of breath the years behind

In balance with this life, this death.

17

Appendix 2-2

The Soldier

If I should die, think only this of me:

That there's some corner of a foreign field

That is for ever England. There shall be

In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;

A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,

Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,

A body of England's, breathing English air,

Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,

A pulse in the eternal mind, no less

Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;

Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;

And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,

In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

by Rupert Brooke

.

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/181

18

Appendix 2-3

The Man He Killed

By Thomas Hardy

Had he and I but met

By some old ancient inn,

We should have set us down to wet

Right many a nipperkin!

But ranged as infantry,

And staring face to face,

I shot at him as he at me,

And killed him in his place.

I shot him dead because—

Because he was my foe,

Just so: my foe of course he was;

That's clear enough; although

He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,

Off-hand like—just as I—

Was out of work—had sold his traps—

No other reason why.

Yes; quaint and curious war is!

You shoot a fellow down

You'd treat, if met where any bar is,

Or help to half a crown.

19



Grade Level: 9-12


Lesson Title: At Home

Overview: The general focus of war is on the battle itself and the people who are involved in the

actual fighting. Casualties occur at the front, but the victims of any war would also include the

loved ones left behind. This lesson will be looking at poetry from the point of view of those left

to stay at home while loved ones have left to fight in war





3.12.7: Analyze the influence of historical events and culture on author’s works.


an author’s tone.




Time: 90 mins



"War Is Kind" by Stephen Crane

"Come Up From the Fields, Father" by Walt Whitman

"My Father Leaves for Vietnam" by Lenard D. Moore





20

Suggested Procedure

Opening:

As a class, discuss who is affected by war

Draw attention to those waiting at home for their loved ones to return

Ask for any personal stories

Development:

Read the following three poems: "War Is Kind" by Stephen Crane, "Come Up From the

Fields, Father" by Walt Whitman, "My Father Leaves for Vietnam" by Lenard D. Moore

Split class into groups with each group being assigned one of these poems

o Give each group a list of questions (using only the questions that apply to the

poem your group was given)

Who is the speaker in each poem? (There may be more than one.)

What is the time frame for what is being described in "My Father Leaves

for Vietnam"? For "Come Up From the Fields, Father"?

Explain the irony of Crane's "War Is Kind"

What is the tone of each poem?

How do lines 3-10 of "Come Up From the Fields, Father"contribute to the

overall effect?

Each group should identify the 5 most important words in each of their

poems, which they felt aided in understanding the author’s mood and

feelings about war

Have each group present what they found in their assigned poem

Add words to vocabulary organizer and discuss as whole group

Closing:

Compare what we noticed in the mood of the soldier and the mood seen at home. What

is the difference and what is similar?

Discuss how poetry was helpful in allowing us to see the author’s feelings.

Would it be better to write an essay about this or is poetry better? Why or why not?

Student Assessment:

Group Work


Extending the Lesson: Look for music related to wars and see what the song writer was trying

to say with regards to their feelings about war

21

Appendix 3-1

War Is Kind

Stephen Crane (1899)

Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind,

Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky And the affrighted steed ran on alone,

Do not weep. War is kind.

Hoarse, booming drums of the regiment,

Little souls who thirst for fight, These men were born to drill and die.

The unexplained glory flies above them.

Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom-- A field where a thousand corpses lie.

Do not weep, babe, for war is kind.

Because your father tumbles in the yellow trenches, Raged at his breast, gulped and died,

Do not weep. War is kind.

Swift blazing flag of the regiment, Eagle with crest of red and gold,

These men were born to drill and die. Point for them the virtue of slaughter,

Make plain to them the excellence of killing And a field where a thousand corpses lie.

Mother whose heart hung humble as a button

On the bright splendid shroud of your son, Do not weep. War is kind!

22

Appendix 3-2

"Come Up From the Fields, Father" by Walt Whitman

COME up from the fields, father, here’s a letter from our Pete;

And come to the front door, mother—here’s a letter from thy dear son.

Lo, ’tis autumn;

Lo, where the trees, deeper green, yellower and redder,

Cool and sweeten Ohio’s villages, with leaves fluttering in the moderate wind;

Where apples ripe in the orchards hang, and grapes on the trellis’d vines;

(Smell you the smell of the grapes on the vines?

Smell you the buckwheat, where the bees were lately buzzing?)

Above all, lo, the sky, so calm, so transparent after the rain, and with wondrous clouds;

Below, too, all calm, all vital and beautiful—and the farm prospers well.

Down in the fields all prospers well;

But now from the fields come, father—come at the daughter’s call;

And come to the entry, mother—to the front door come, right away.

Fast as she can she hurries—something ominous—her steps trembling;

She does not tarry to smoothe her hair, nor adjust her cap.

Open the envelope quickly;

O this is not our son’s writing, yet his name is sign’d;

O a strange hand writes for our dear son—O stricken mother’s soul!

All swims before her eyes—flashes with black—she catches the main words only;

Sentences broken—gun-shot wound in the breast, cavalry skirmish, taken to

hospital,

At present low, but will soon be better.

Ah, now, the single figure to me,

Amid all teeming and wealthy Ohio, with all its cities and farms,

Sickly white in the face, and dull in the head, very faint,

By the jamb of a door leans.

Grieve not so, dear mother, (the just-grown daughter speaks through her sobs;

The little sisters huddle around, speechless and dismay’d;)

See, dearest mother, the letter says Pete will soon be better.

Alas, poor boy, he will never be better, (nor may-be needs to be better, that brave and

simple

soul;)

While they stand at home at the door, he is dead already;

The only son is dead.

But the mother needs to be better;

23

She, with thin form, presently drest in black;

By day her meals untouch’d—then at night fitfully sleeping, often waking,

In the midnight waking, weeping, longing with one deep longing,

O that she might withdraw unnoticed—silent from life, escape and withdraw,

To follow, to seek, to be with her dear dead son.

24

Appendix 3-3

My Father Leaves for Vietnam

When my father let loose my mother

from his outstretched arms,

he stared into her eyes,

as if wanting to see his pain.

I had never seen him cry.

His eyes dammed the water.

I felt my mother's heart drumming in me.

He looked down and

whispered in my ear, "I'll be back,

don't be afraid,"

then he turned away.

He boarded the Greyhound.

I held my mother's hand and looked

at him climbing the steps.

He sat and hung his hand out the window,

I watched the bus fade.

I have never understood why he had to go,

although my mother cupped me in her arms,

as if she still could reach my father.

25



Grade Level: 9-12


Lesson Title: Current Issues

Overview: This lesson will be going over poetry written about current issues regarding war.

Students will exam contradictory statements and their important place in poems.






an author’s tone.




Time: 90 mins



"Today is the next day of the rest of your life" by Charles Bernstein

"Palestine" by Lorna Dee Cervantes

―The Daisy Cutter" by Louise Rill





Relate messages in current war poems with previous historical poems

26

Suggested Procedure

Opening:

It is an understatement to say that the tragedies of September 11th have changed us. It has

also heightened our awareness and sensitized us to other conflicts around the globe.

These events have prompted outpourings that have expressed grief, outrage, comfort,

patriotism, compassion, restraint, and observations

Ask for any personal accounts of the effects of September 11th

Development:

Read the following three poems: "Today is the next day of the rest of your life" by

Charles Bernstein, "Palestine" by Lorna Dee Cervantes, "The Daisy Cutter" by Louise

Rill

"Today is the next day of the rest of your life" – discuss the following:

o How would you explain the seemingly contradictory statements in the last 2-4

lines?

o Discuss the mood and tone

"Palestine":

o What images speak to the events of September 11th?


"The Daisy Cutter":

o Describe the content of this poem. Explain the allusion to John the Baptist.


Students will choose one of the poems from today’s lesson and one poem from a previous

lesson

o Students will create a Found Poem using the chosen 2 poems making sure to use 5

words or phrases from each. Their Found poems can be treated meaning changed

if necessary.

o At the end of the Found poem, write 3-5 sentences explaining why you chose the

poems you did and what they have in common or if they were chosen for their

differences, what is different. What does the new poem try to convey to the

reader?

Closing:

Students will read their Found Poems to the class accompanied by their explanation.

Draw comparisons between current issues and past issues.

Student Assessment:

Found Poems

Interaction during discussion of poems


27

Extending the Lesson: Look for changes in our everyday lives that are a direct reflection of

what has happened since Sept. 11th and the war in Iraq. What are your feelings about the current

war issues?

28

Appendix 4-1

―Palestine‖ by Lorna Dee Cervantes

a country you carry in your pocket

airport to airport, a country

that exists for you in a remembered

fragrance, an expired stamp, now the seal

of blood embossed upon someone's

sunstruck pavement. Who owns

this property? Who owns the right

to no way out but a busted window

a hundred flights up? Who owns the key

to Heaven's Gate? Did it open?

I open the newspaper, my computer,

an account, and need to account for all

the terror in the world, in crossing

the street with my child this morning,

our Indian heads and Palestinian shrouds.

With what do we pay? For what

attention? I want to draw its shape

―scattered in files and surprises....

flying on shrapnel and bird's wings....

trapped between the dagger and the wind.

I want to draw your shape

to find my shape in yours....‖

And what

if the source of death

is not the dagger

or the lie?

But both. Buried deep

in the human rubble.

Closer to God

than thee.

29

Appendix 4-2

The Daisy Cutter by Louise Rill

Daisy, Daisy

give me the head of John the Baptist

or another bearded fanatic

The Taliban favor the hirsute

but we are good Christian folk

and our chosen are smooth-chinned

Daisy, Daisy

immolate the hairy ones

cleanse their ethnic dust of

hens, children, terrorists and unseen wives

vaporize their souls, their

spleens, eyeballs, tongues and

tender parts

collect the charred bone fragments

for the charity of the Red Cross

for the Cross is our symbol

We may not get our man,

but by God,

Daisy,

we’ll get someone

30



Grade Level: 9-12


Lesson Title: Poetry Final

Overview: Students will review what has been talked about over the last 4 lessons. Students

will be asked to pick a war and pretend to be a soldier or participant in some capacity of that war.

They will write a journal entry which will then be turned into a Found poem based on their own

words.





an author’s tone.

6.12.3: Write Poetry


Time: 90 mins



Paper

3-2-1 assessment



Construct a poem of their own that illustrates their point of view regarding chosen war

Suggested Procedure

Opening:

Ask students to picture a war that they have learned about that they feel connected to for

one reason or another.

31

Explain that the war they choose will be the premise for their journal entry and found

poem

Development:

Lay out all the poems (and add more if needed) that the class has been studying

Have students take a few minutes to look over them again and choose which war they

want to right about

Give students time to write what would look like a soldier’s journal entry. Students

should discuss feelings they would be having, where they might be, and what they have

been going through.

o Make sure that students have their vocabulary organizers out from this unit. They

will be required to use at least 2 of the new words they learned in their journal

entries

Have a few students read their entries. Try to find different wars as examples.

Students will now work again individually creating their found poems based on their own

soldier journal entries

o They need to choose at least 12 words or phrases

o The words chosen from their vocabulary organizers need to be used in their found

poetry

o Make sure to give ample time for students to complete this

Students will present their Found poems to the class.

o Discuss as whole group after each poem the mood and point of view the author is

trying to convey

Closing:

Touch on what students learned throughout this unit

Ask what they liked before this unit about poetry and what, if anything changed, they like

about it now

o Have them complete a 3-2-1 assessment regarding the above

Student Assessment:

Found Poems

3-2-1


Extending the Lesson: Poetry can be seen in many different areas. Look at other topics poetry

is used, and other ways poetry can be seen.

32

Appendix 5-1

3-2-1 Assessment

3. (write 3 things you have learned about poetry in this unit):

2. (write 2 reasons why poetry is useful in your life/or to the world):

1.(write one idea for how this lesson could have gone better):

33

References

(2011). Retrieved August 4, 2011, from BookRags: http://www.bookrags.com/

Bengtsson, G. (2004, February 7). Walt Whitman-Come up from the fields, father. Retrieved

August 2, 2011, from American Poems:

http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/waltwhitman/13258

Bernstein, C. (2008). Poem Profiler. Retrieved August 4, 2011, from

http://writing.upenn.edu/library/Bernstein-Charles_Poem-Profiler.html

Starbuck, H. (1997-2011). The Literature of War. Retrieved August 1, 2011, from Poets.org:

From the Academy of American poets:

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/17109#assignment5

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