1. Good Morning Please have your typed questions out and your Frost poetry packet open to the essay. Today: “Stopping by a Wood…” “Stopping by a Wood…”

2. Robert Frost (1874-1963) “Poetry is merely one more art of having something to say.”

3. Robert Frost (1874-1963) Born in San Francisco Father died when 11 years old Moved to New England Accepted to Harvard, went to Dartmouth for one semester Jobs included news writer, teacher, farming, etc. Known for poetry about New England, nature, death, life, etc.

4. “How does a Poem Mean” by John Ciardi How does the poem move from specific to general? How does the poem move from specific to general? Who is the “foil”? How does he operate as foil? Who is the “foil”? How does he operate as foil? Why is rhyming easier in French and Italian, than in English? Why is rhyming easier in French and Italian, than in English? What does Frost mean about “moving easy in a harness”? What is the harness? How does this apply to his poems? What does Frost mean about “moving easy in a harness”? What is the harness? How does this apply to his poems? How is Frost’s poetry like juggling? How is Frost’s poetry like juggling?

5. Read Characteristics of Frost’s poetry (pg. 8)

6. Form (We’ll look at them in more detail later) Lyric poem Lyric poem Dramatic monologue Dramatic monologue Dramatic narrative with dialogue Dramatic narrative with dialogue Sonnet Sonnet Which one is “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”? Mark this on the poem.

7. Meter Unaccented (u), Accented (/) = iambic Unaccented (u), Accented (/) = iambic Tonight, away Tonight, away u / u / u / u / u / u / u / u / Whose woods these are I think I know. u / u / u / u / u / u / u / u / His house is in the village though;

8. Rhyme scheme (end rhyme) Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year.

9. Rhyme Whose woods these are I think I know. a His house is in the village though;a He will not see me stopping hereb To watch his woods fill up with snow.a My little horse must think it queerb To stop without a farmhouse nearb Between the woods and frozen lake c The darkest evening of the year.b

10. Literary Terms Review “literary terms” page Review “literary terms” page Using this and the “Characteristics” sheet, return to “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Using this and the “Characteristics” sheet, return to “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Add to your notes until you feel you have noted everything, including meter, rhyme scheme, syllables, stanzas, repetition, etc. Add to your notes until you feel you have noted everything, including meter, rhyme scheme, syllables, stanzas, repetition, etc. Approx. 7 minutes on this. Approx. 7 minutes on this.

11. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” Meter? Meter? Rhyme Scheme? Rhyme Scheme? How many stanzas? How many stanzas? Form? Form? Topic? Topic? Themes? Themes? Let’s not beat it up; moving on…

12. Who is feeling brave?? Three volunteers… Annotations Annotations Literal Meanings Literal Meanings Possible Interpretations/Metaphoric meaning backed with evidence from annotations Possible Interpretations/Metaphoric meaning backed with evidence from annotations

13. “The Road Not Taken” (p. 15) Not having read it recently, what do you think this poem is “about”? Not having read it recently, what do you think this poem is “about”? Frost called this “a very tricky poem”; forget what you think you know about it and read it with new, innocent curiosity… Frost called this “a very tricky poem”; forget what you think you know about it and read it with new, innocent curiosity… Mark it up… Mark it up…

14. “The Road Not Taken”

15. “The Road Not Taken” (p. 11) Volunteers to mark on overhead: meter, rhyme Volunteers to mark on overhead: meter, rhyme Label “form” (narrative, dramatic monologue, sonnet, lyric?) Label “form” (narrative, dramatic monologue, sonnet, lyric?) Setting? Setting? Topic(s)? Topic(s)? Meaning/Themes? Meaning/Themes? Does it have the same meaning as you thought, before? Does it have the same meaning as you thought, before?

16. Do you see the contradictions? Do you agree with Frost that this is a “very tricky” poem? “I’m always saying something that’s just the edge of something more” (Frost).

17. Homework Read/mark “The Woodpile” (p. 13). Read/mark “The Woodpile” (p. 13). Finish marking “Stopping by Woods…” and “The Road Not Taken” Finish marking “Stopping by Woods…” and “The Road Not Taken” Complete Frost imitation poem Complete Frost imitation poem

18. Main ideas in “The Figure a Poem Makes” “Poetry as merely one more art of having something to say.” “Poetry as merely one more art of having something to say.” Wildness within restraints Wildness within restraints “It begins in delight and ends in wisdom.” (like love!) “It begins in delight and ends in wisdom.” (like love!) Poetry offers a “clarification of life,” “a momentary stay against confusion.” Poetry offers a “clarification of life,” “a momentary stay against confusion.” “the surprise of remembering something I didn’t know I knew.” “the surprise of remembering something I didn’t know I knew.”

19. Main ideas in “The Figure a Poem Makes” “We are always hurling experience ahead of us to pave the future with[,] against the day when we may want to strike a line of purpose across it…”