1. “The Average” By: W. H. Auden

2. THE AVERAGE W. H. Auden His peasant parents killed themselves with toil To let their darling leave a stingy soil For any of those smart professions which Encourage shallow breathing, and grow rich. The pressure of their fond ambition made Their shy and country-loving child afraid No sensible career was good enough, Only a hero could deserve such love. So here he was without maps or supplies, A hundred miles from any decent town; The desert glared into his blood-shot eyes; The silence roared displeasure: looking down, He saw the shadow of an Average Man Attempting the exceptional, and ran.

3. Activity: A Close Reading of Poetry As a class, we will read and review the TF TASTI method of reading a text closely. Once reviewed, each student will then fill in the blanks in the following TF TASTI slide with their own answers/understanding of the poem. After you are done the TF TASTI method, complete the following 9 questions.

4. T.F. T.A.S.T.I Poetry Analysis O Title – before reading the poem, make a prediction about the subject matter, setting, theme, and mood of the poem based on the title O Facts – Who is the speaker? Where/When is the setting? What happens? (Plot) O Techniques – Figurative Language and Rhyme Techniques O Attitude – tone of the narrator and/or the writer towards the characters, events, etc. in the poem O Shifts – shifts/changes in the poem (voice, stanzas, verb tense, line lengths, punctuation, image patterns, etc.) O Title Review –return to the title after looking at all other elements – any changes from your earlier prediction O Idea – summarize the primary idea (THEME) the poet is communicating in the poem

5. THE AVERAGE W. H. Auden His peasant parents killed themselves with toil To let their darling leave a stingy soil For any of those smart professions which Encourage shallow breathing, and grow rich. The pressure of their fond ambition made Their shy and country-loving child afraid No sensible career was good enough, Only a hero could deserve such love. So here he was without maps or supplies, A hundred miles from any decent town; The desert glared into his blood-shot eyes; The silence roared displeasure: looking down, He saw the shadow of an Average Man Attempting the exceptional, and ran.

6. A Close Reading of “The Average” T F T A S T I

7. Poem Analysis 1.What type of person is the character, The Average Man, in the poem? 2.What is the Average Man’s relationship with his parents? 3.What do his parent’s want his career to be? 4.What is the outcome of the Average Man’s life? 5.What is the message of the poem?

8. Answers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

9. Poem Analysis cont’d simile A simile is the comparison of two things using like or as. metaphor A metaphor is the comparison of two things. simile metaphor 6.Is the line “A hundred miles from any decent town; / The desert glared into his blood shot- eyes,” a simile or a metaphor?

10. Answers 1.

11. Poem Comparison/Contrast 7.How is the poem “The Average” similar to “Warren Pryor”? List two comparisons. 8.How are the poems different from one another? List one contrast. 9.These two poems paint very bleak pictures of parent-child relationships. Why do you think these authors wrote their poems in such a manner? Write a sentence.

12. Answers 1. 2. 3.

13. Poetry Foundation Biography W. H. Auden 1907–1973 http://www.poetryfounda tion.org/bio/w-h-auden http://www.poetryfounda tion.org/bio/w-h-auden

14. Homemade Videos Shaq Hosein – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQAK-HgrT18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQAK-HgrT18 – Since it's founding in the 18th century, the United States of America has been built on a set of ideals that together make up the American Dream. Men and women alike strived to prosper in the land of the free, in hopes that future generations could lead a majestic life of fulfillment and euphoria. The archive footage and clips strung together to create a visual representation of W.H. Auden's The Average tell a story of changing times, familial pressure, loneliness, and it's effect on one's pursuit of the American Dream and essentially, happiness.