Activity
Day 1
1. Begin class with a review of the figurative language terms
learned the previous day (post this on the board):
- Define
the following literary terms: metaphor, simile, personification,
allusion, symbolism, imagery, rhyme, and hyperbole.
Students
may use notes from the previous lesson, look up terms
in a reference text book, or confer with other classmates
if
necessary. At this point, it is likely that students still
do not have a firm grasp of these terms and their definitions.
Give the class sufficient time to define each word, about
5-10 minutes, and then review the correct definitions with
students.
Allow the class to make corrections as necessary, and keep
these notes for use with today’s activity. 2.
Explain to the class that they are going to be reading
about a fictitious
disaster at sea, written by the American
poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. You may wish to give the class
some background information on this author (see websites)
to place the poem in historical context. Tell the students
that
as they read and analyze the poem, they will be looking
for elements of figurative language as well as other
stylistic
devices which the author uses to create a more realistic,
compelling poem. There are a variety of stylistic devices
which authors
use to create powerful texts, which include figurative
language. Some of these which we will explore today are:
alliteration,
consonance, assonance, onomatopoeia, and rhyme. You do
not need to define these terms at this time, but rather
allow
the students to assemble their own definitions as they
encounter examples of them in the text.
3.
Read Longfellow’s
poem “The Wreck of the Hesperus” aloud,
or have one or more students do a dramatic reading of
the work. Encourage the students to use lots of emotion
and
emphasis
in the reading of the poem for dramatic effect. Instruct
the rest of the class to follow along as the poem is
read aloud.
Once the poem is read through one time, have the class
write down briefly what the poem is about and how it
made them feel.
Allow about 5 minutes for this. Then, take a closer look
at the first half of the poem. Read this section stanza
by stanza,
identifying the figurative language and other stylistic
devices used by Longfellow. Ask the students to underline
any examples
of these, and to explain how these devices enhance the
poem. When the class reads examples of stylistic devices
which the
students are unfamiliar with, help them to define them
by looking at the text. This process of poem analysis
should be done as
a whole class, with the teacher guiding the conversation.
Day
2
1. Today the students will analyze the second half
of the poem “The Wreck of the Hesperus” in
groups, preparing to do literary analysis on their
own in following
lessons. At the beginning of class, review the definitions
of the stylistic devices covered the previous day: alliteration,
assonance, consonance, onomatopoeia, and rhyme. Have
these terms written on the board for students to define
(starter
activity). As before, students may use reference books,
their notes, and consult each other to construct these
definitions. After about 10 minutes, review these definitions
and make corrections as necessary.
2.
Explain to the students that they will be working in
groups to continue analyzing
the second half of Longfellow’s
poem. Divide the class into groups of 3-4, or pairs
if you desire, and have the class carefully read
again the
rest of the poem. Students should underline and identify
as many instances of figurative language and stylistic
devices as they can find. Give the class about 15-10
minutes to complete this process. When the class
is finished, regroup
and discuss their analysis of the second half of the
poem. Discuss the ways in which Longfellow’s
poem is enhanced by the use of these language devices.
Tell the students
to be as specific as they can be in their explanations
(they may do this in discussion or in writing).
3.
Explain to the class that Longfellow has included many
details
concerning the weather in this poem. What
is the
purpose or effect of including so many details? Have
students identify all the references to weather in
the poem by circling
them. Students should notice the mention of temperature,
wind conditions, snow, ice, waves, fog, and a hurricane.
Ask the students to envision and describe the storm
that caused the Hesperus to sink. Have the class
write a brief
explanation of how Longfellow’s description of
the weather conditions in the poem helps to establish
the setting.
Allow about 10 minutes for this writing activity. Closure
Have the class investigate what type of storm
is described in Longfellow’s poem. The captain mentions
a “hurricane”, but is this really the type of storm
described in the poem? Distribute the handout “Hurricane
Formation” to the class, and allow them about 5 minutes
to read this 1 page article. Then, have students refer back
to the information in the poem to determine if what Longfellow
describes seems like a true hurricane or not. Students may
write their conclusions and evidence in a short comparative
analysis.
Homework
Closure activity
may be assigned for homework if there is insufficient class
time. |
Embedded
Assessment
Students
should be assessed through discussion, group work, written assignments,
and notes to see if they can define and identify figurative language
and stylistic devices used in the text. Students should also
be able to begin to explain how these devices enhance the work
itself.
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