Learning Targets:
What is the trouble with poetry?
We have time for one more unit before our foray into the poet of all poets, William Shakespeare. For now, we are going to dabble in the poetry waters with Billy Collins's The Trouble with Poetry. Collins was the Poet Laureate from 2001-2003. You know what that means? HE IS STILL ALIVE!!!! So often the poetry you encounter in school is from dead guys (occasionally a woman) and poems that have been anthologized. For this unit, we are going to read a complete book of poetry. Something you will probably never do again in high school. Most poets, publish their poems just as novelists do. Each poem or section written and compiled carefully to develop an overall aesthetic. Notice how each poem leads into the next, each part into the next part. Watch as Collins builds for you that beautiful house of cards that Nabokov wrote so lovingly about.
Poetry Assignments
For this unit, you will be reading the parts and focusing on specific skills in each part. We will have lesson days, work days, and discussion days for each of the four parts. You will be assigned a poem in each Part to focus on for your work and discussion. See the packet for the lessons and assignments. Also, I am including an OPTIONAL graphic organizer for the compare/contrast work. If you prefer to do this in some other way, please feel free.
Poetry Assessment
For your assessment, you will be completing a Timed Writing prompt. You will in the next few years practice with Timed Prompts as your AP and IB (and the ACT if you take the writing portion) tests include timed essay responses. Because you are Freshies and this is your first one, you will be given one day to prep and one day to write. You will not receive the prompt until the prep day.