Thinking About Literature: Approaching Literature “Out, Out” And “Snow”

Read thoughtfully pg of Lit. & Comp. beginning with “Approaching Literature”. Do the activity on pg. 16 (about 7 pages into your composition notebook), writing approx. 1 paragraph for each: – Experience – Analysis – Extension

Experience Enter the world of the poem! Respond…anything goes – I don’t like it…because… – I don’t get it…because… – It was sad…because… – People aren’t really as callous as the ones in this poem…

Analysis Go further into the text Notice as many details as possible Try to figure out not just what is written, but why Focus on effect: how the text means – Meaning beyond the actual event in the text

Extend Move beyond the text Extend your interpretation from the world of the poem to the real world – Research the author’s background – Examine the historical context of the work – Application of the ideas in the piece to general life

Analyzing “Out, Out!” by Robert Frost Define Theme and explain your process for identifying it in a text. What is Frost saying about home and family? (5min)

Analyzing “Out, Out!” by Robert Frost Structure: – How is this poem organized? What effect does this organizational pattern convey to a reader? Language: – Identify two examples of effective word choice. Explain their effect and why you believe the poet intentionally used them to enhance his message. (7min)

Extending “Out, Out!” Historical context: – Which time period do you believe provides the setting for “Out, Out!”? – Which contextual clues suggest a particular historical time period? Philosophical possibilities: – What philosophical comments does the poet imply setting the poem in this historical context? (5min)

“Snow” by Julia Alvarez Poet’s Background: – B Dominican Republic – Immigrated to U.S to escape military dictatorship – Excerpt taken from How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, her first novel – Explores the immigrant experience from the viewpoint of a young girl, Yolanda, one of the four Garcia sisters

Yolanda’s feelings unfamiliarity Separation Outsider Text connection: Is the nun being kindly or condescending in her slow enunciation of new vocab words and in her decision to seat Yolanda near her?

Historical Context Cuban Missile Crisis Cold War Term “holocaust”

Interpretation What does school mean to Yolanda? – Is it a refuge from the shifts and changes in her home life? Is Sister Zoey really a kind and caring person, or does she mean well and miss the mark? Read the last sentence in Yolanda’s voice: is her tone fondly nostalgic or sarcastic? Is she remembering this incident with affection? anger? both?

Interpretation How does this story treat language—the acquisition of it, the joy of it, the distinction between word and reality? What about snow: atomic fallout or natural beauty?

Extend Consider the ways young immigrants struggle to make their way in a new land and in a new school, where their new experiences often drive a wedge between themselves and their families.