Thursday, March 12

Classwork
1. Notes: how to read poetry
Why read aloud? Poets design their poems to be read aloud; it was originally an oral form (chanted, sang, recited). Plus, you'll understand and remember more.
Steps to a good reading:
Have the right tools handy—a pencil, a dictionary, and the Internet (or encyclopedia).
*Look up unfamiliar words or allusions (brief reference to person, place, event or literary work).
*read silently first—note the title, structure, author. It's helpful to take notes on unfamiliar concepts.
*Determine who the speaker is (it is rarely the author); is the speaker a character or a disembodied voice?
Read aloud
*find an appropriate tone of voice. Engaged: show interest in what you have to say.
*be conversational; don't shout or whisper. Sound natural.
*Don't rush! Read at a deliberate pace. ENUNCIATE!
*Pause for power: consider dashes, periods, semicolons, commas and white space. The stronger the punctuation or larger the white space, the longer the pause. Also consider ends of lines and stanzas.

2. Read "Arithmetic" by Carl Sandburg. Discuss free verse poetry, and how rhythm is often created through repetition. How does one read a poem effectively? Critique Ms.King's reading of the poem; how could she give a better reading?

Homework
song assignment due tomorrow!