1. Welcome! February 1st, 2016 Wednesday
Do Now
Find your seats! If you don’t remember where you sit, ask me.
Write the date at the top of a new page in your journal.
Once the bell rings, begin the freewrite.
Prompt: If you were forced to give up one sense, but gain super-sensitivity in another, which senses would you choose? Why?

2. Analyzing Theme!
So far we’ve discussed descriptive language, tone/mood, and structure. We’ve talked about how poets communicate with their readers, but we haven’t talked about what they’re actually saying. In other words, we’re going to discuss themes today.
All types of storytelling (novels, poems, tv shows, ect.) have some sort of theme. A theme isn’t necessarily a moral lesson – it’s just what the author is trying to communicate to his or her readers. Usually, this is some sort of universal message that the reader can potentially apply to their own lives.

3. Analyzing Theme!
First, we’re going to practice analyzing theme. I know you’ve had lots of practice throughout middle school and high school, but you might be a little rusty with poetry. So, here’s what you want to do:
Look at the title. What’s the author preparing you for?
Make sure you understand all of the words/how things are phrased. What’s happening in the poem?
Look for emotional cues. What are you supposed to be feeling? Look for words, phrases, or lines that are important or stick out in some way. These can include figurative language elements, powerful pieces of imagery, vivid words, ect. What sort of tone/mood do these phrases create?
Look for any shifts. This can include shifts in tone (do the emotions change), a change in structure, or a change in plot if there’s something happening in the poem. What happens as a result of this shift? How is the poem effected?
Determine theme. What is the poet trying to say? Remember, this should be something not just specific to the poem (don’t reference the poet or any characters in the poem). Make it general. For example, if the poem is a mother’s perspective on her son, what might the poet be saying about motherhood, or what is means to be a parent?

4. Analyzing Theme Example
Look at the title. What’s the author preparing you for?
What happens? Make sure you understand all of the words/how things are phrased.
Look for emotional cues.
Look for any shifts.
Determine theme.
“Mentor”
For Robert Francis
Had I known, only known
when I lived so near,
I'd have gone, gladly gone
foregoing my fear
of the wholly grown
and the nearly great.
But I learned alone,
so I learned too late.
—Timothy Murphy

5. Analyzing Theme!
Choose a poem from the packet and try to analyze its theme on your own. In your journal, respond to the following questions in your journal. If you need any help, let me know!
Look at the title. What’s the author preparing you for?
Make sure you understand all of the words/how things are phrased. What’s happening in the poem?
Look for emotional cues. What are you supposed to be feeling? Look for words, phrases, or lines that are important or stick out in some way. These can include figurative language elements, powerful pieces of imagery, vivid words, ect. What sort of tone/mood do these phrases create?
Look for any shifts. This can include shifts in tone (do the emotions change), a change in structure, or a change in plot if there’s something happening in the poem. What happens as a result of this shift? How is the poem effected?
Determine theme. What is the poet trying to say? Remember, this should be something not just specific to the poem (don’t reference the poet or any characters in the poem). Make it general. For example, if the poem is a mother’s perspective on her son, what might the poet be saying about motherhood, or what is means to be a parent?

6. Analyzing Theme!
Now that you’ve analyzed the theme for a poem, your job for the rest of class is to write a poem in response to that theme.
6. What do you think of the poet’s theme? Do you agree with what he or she is saying? Do you have anything to add?
7. Write your own poem in response to their theme (at least 10 lines). You can either:
Write a poem that shows the same theme, but in a different way
Write a poem that shows a contrasting theme (for example, if their theme is that you should reach out to someone before they’re gone, you might write a poem about someone who doesn’t reach out to someone, finds out they’ve died, and is okay with it.)
Write a poem that expands on their theme