I’m doing a poetry unit in Literature class right now. I’m really enjoying it. I have found a book that has chosen some poems for me, and it has some suggestions for discussion and analysis. I have some original thoughts for discussion and study as well, so I have lots of material. I think the kids are mostly paying attention, which is awesome.
Yesterday, we read a poem where a person said they liked to sit down “with a hunk of Havarti and a sliced Honeycrisp”. Besides talking about the “H” alliteration, we talked about what Havarti and Honeycrisp were. Then I had the kids taste them. How fun!
This small block was just enough for forty-five students.
Two days ago, we read a poem that was written in Sonnet form. We talked about what that meant, which included a discussion of Iambic Pentameter. There is a lot of awesome stuff on the internet. I’ve used some of it for the last two years of poetry lessons, so I was looking for something new.
I ended up making an original PowerPoint presentation, but I also found a something else: a guy on YouTube has done a hilarious song that explains it. Besides his animated singing style, he includes a quintessentially middle school joke using the well-known Shakespeare line “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks.” Perfect!
HERE is the link to the video.
Or, just watch it here:
I like your presentation – it explains the poems very clearly. I don’t remember learning that in school, I just nod when people talk about iambic pentameter and pretend to know what they’re talking about. Thank you for the explanations!
Hilarious video, too. That guy’s awesome!
Gosh, I’ve just learned about it now! ha Funny video, you’re so cool to incorporate that stuff in your teachings. Makes kids remember and relate.