Literature Curriculum Project Syllabi

Poetry Lesson Plan
Suggested Level for teaching students: Upper Level High School
Bushwick Community High School-New York

Poetic Forms Lesson Plan 1 using Lorenzo Thomas Lecture excerpts

OVERVIEW: Previously in this unit, students have discussed their personal definitions of poetry and why poetry is written. Students have written their own lyric poems and begun to look at different poetic forms and categories of poetry. Today, students will listen to and discuss poet Lorenzo Thomas’ lecture on the European historical roots of US American poetry.

AIM: Where do our ideas about what makes a poem come from? What is our English poetic inheritance? Who are Anne Bradstreet and Emily Dickinson?

OBJECTIVE(s): Students will become more familiar with the traditions passed to US poets from English nobility and with US American poets Anne Bradstreet and Emily Dickinson. Students will practice taking notes in a college style lecture.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS: Naropa Archive Lecture excerpts from Lorenzo Thomas’ 1989 lecture “What is the function of the word?”. ( See URL listed below 89P113 00:03:05-00:09:51);“The Author to Her Book” and “Verses upon the Burning of Our House” by Anne Bradstreet; “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” and “Death sets a thing significant” by Emily Dickinson.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:

Do Now (5 minute period of writing in journal): What places outside of the US have influenced the ideas and ways of expressing those ideas people in the US have? Why and how are the places you mentioned important to people in the US?

Introduce Lorenzo Thomas and lecture material from Naropa Institute, 1989. Play excerpt ( See URL listed below 89P113 00:03:05-00:09:51)(public vs. private poetry, tradition of literate nobility in England, conventions and concepts of poetry, Anne Bradstreet, Emily Dickinson). Students take notes on lecture.

Audio: Lorenzo Thomas Lecture excerpts

Click Here to Stream Audio
Click Here to Download

Discussion.

Did anything in Thomas’ lecture surprise you? Do you agree/disagree with anything Thomas said? Do the English literary traditions Thomas talks about seem influential in any of the poetry we’ve discussed so far in this class? In your own poetry?

Divide class into four groups . Half the class will read a poem by Anne Bradstreet, the other half will read a poem by Emily Dickinson.

Each group will discuss how Thomas’ lecture applies/does not apply to the poem they’ve read using details from individuals’ lecture notes and the poem.

Groups will make a brief presentation of their findings to the class.

HOMEWORK/FOLLOW UP LESSONS: Read the 3 poems you did not read in class and write a one page reflection on the poems and/or Thomas’ lecture.

This syllabus is credited to Rachel McKeen
Bushwick Community High School, New York