Bright Hub Education

Bright Hub Education

  • Teaching Tools
    • Teaching Tools
    • Classroom Management
    • Education Industry
    • Student Assessment Tools
    • Teaching Methods
  • Preschool and Early Ed
    • Preschool and Early Ed
    • Infant Development
    • Parenting Tips and Advice
    • Preschool Crafts and Activities
    • Preschool Lesson Plans and Theme
    • Preschool Teaching Strategies
    • Toddler Activities and Ideas
  • Elementary School
    • Elementary School
    • Grade School Activities
    • Lesson Plans for Pre-K and K
    • Lesson Plans: Grades 1 - 2
    • Lesson Plans: Grades 3 - 5
    • Parenting Grade Schoolers
    • Teaching Younger Students
  • Middle School
    • Middle School
    • English Lessons: Grades 6-8
    • History Lessons: Grades 6-8
    • Math Lessons: Grades 6-8
    • Parenting Preteens and Tweens
    • Science Lessons: Grades 6-8
    • Social Studies: Grades 6-8
    • Teaching Middle Schoolers
    • The Arts: Grades 6-8
  • More
    • High School(7)
    • Homework Help(20)
    • Special Ed(11)
    • More Areas(4)
More
High School (7)
Homework Help (20)
Special Ed (11)
More Areas (4)
English Lessons: Grades 9-12
High School Teaching Tips
History Lessons: Grades 9-12
Math Lessons: Grades 9-12
Parenting Teens
Science Lessons: Grades 9-12
The Arts: Grades 9-12
English Help
Geography Facts
Help with German
Help with Latin
Help with Writing
History Help
Language Learning Strategies
Learning Chinese
Learning French
Learning Italian
Learning Japanese
Learning Spanish
Literature Study Guides
Math Facts
Miscellaneous Languages
Science Homework Help
Science Projects
Social Studies Help
Study and Learning Tips
Test Preparation
Behavioral Disorders
Gifted and Exceptional St...
Hearing Impairments
IDEA, IEPs and The Law
Inclusion Strategies
Learning Disorders
Neurological Disorders
Physical Disabilities
Special Ed: Parent Perspe...
Speech Disorders
Visual Impairments
Homeschooling Advice
Summer Learning
Teaching a Second Language
Teaching ESL Learners
High School
    Skip to content
    768

    How to Annotate a Poem for Class Discussion: Analysis Lesson Plan

    High School English Lesson Plans, Grades 9-12 / By Trent Lorcher / High School Lesson Plans & Tips

    Mastering The Technique

    Using Annotations to Analyze a Poem Pin it! Share on Facebook

    I thought I knew how to analyze a poem, but it wasn’t until I learned how to annotate a poem that I truly mastered it. And it wasn’t until I taught students how to annotate a poem that I really learned how to do both in conjunction. I owe it all to this lesson plan:

    1. Choose a short poem (15-20 lines). Copy it onto a half-slice of paper and use the other half for writing an analysis.
    2. Write the poem on the board.
    3. Read the poem aloud.
    4. Instruct students to identify the following elements and make notations: rhyme scheme, figurative language, images, symbols, sound devices (alliteration, consonance, assonance, rhythm, onomatopeia, off rhyme).
    5. Instruct students to circle any part of the poem that stands out, confuses them, or is important.
    6. Write questions in the margin; highlight unusual words; mark phrases that indicate the poem’s meaning.
    7. Determine the poem’s theme and draw arrows to the lines that support the theme.

    Make it Fun

    Robert Frost Pin it! Share on Facebook

    Don’t assume students will find this activity boring. Most often, they are pleased they get to think through a poem without the pressure of being "right or wrong." Encourage them to write whatever comes to mind. Instruct students to continue writing their thoughts and do the following:

    1. Hand a white board marker to a student and instruct him or her to identify the rhyme scheme.
    2. Hand a marker to another student and have him or her identify figurative language.
    3. Choose a different student for each of the following: images, symbols, metaphors, similes, sound devices, and meaningful lines.
    4. Ask for volunteers to come up and add anything they wish to the board annotations. They may be shy at first. If so, throw the marker and choose the student it lands closest to.
    5. You may have anywhere from 1-5 students at the board at once while the remainder of the class is writing on their own paper.
    6. Feel free to make a few annotations yourself to keep things rolling. It’s important to encourage students. Acknowledge all efforts with appreciation.
    7. Revel in the words of master poets.

    You’ll discover amazing things as you participate in the process. For example, I discovered that

    • Robert Frost’s "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" makes sense forwards and backwards.
    • William Wordsworth’s "Daffodils" is about the subconscious connection poets, in nature, make with the Universe/God.

    Poetry Analysis

    Once the annotations are complete, it’s time to write the analysis. Remind students that an analysis consists of facts and commentaries. It is not a summary, a listing of facts, or random, unsubstantiated conjecture. Use the following outline to help students:

    • Topic sentence stating the title of the poem, the author, and the poem’s theme.
      • Evidence #1: Identify an important line, poetic devices, rhyme scheme.
        • Analysis/Interpretation #1: Explain how the evidence supports the designated theme.
        • Analysis/Interpretation #2: Explain how the evidence supports the designated theme.
      • Evidence #2: Identify an important line, poetic devices, rhyme scheme.
        • Analysis/Interpretation #1: Explain how the evidence supports the designated theme.
        • Analysis/Interpretation #2: Explain how the evidence supports the designated theme.
      • Concluding Sentence

    This post is part of the series: Teaching Poetry

    Teach poetry without speaking with a funny accent.
    1. Lesson Planning How to Introduce Poetry?
    2. New Approaches to Literature Lesson Plan: Responding with Poetry
    3. Short Story Lesson Plans: Teaching Short Stories with Poetry
    4. Lesson Plan: Teaching Setting and Characterization by Writing Poetry
    5. Lesson Plan: How to Analyze a Poem Using Annotations

    Post navigation

    ← Previous Post
    Next Post →
    Copyright © 2019 Bright Hub Education. All Rights Reserved.
    About | Copyright Policy | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

    Recent

    • College Essay Prompts, Tips and Templates: Free Workbook Download
    • A Christmas Carol Assignment & Workbook for Students in High School
    • AP Literature Review: Resources to Review English AP With Your Class
    • Two Day Julius Caesar Lesson Plan for English and History Teachers
    • Shakespeare Lesson Plans: Using Creative Interpretations to Teach A Midsummer Night’s Dream
    • Scene by Scene Quiz Questions for A Midsummer Night’s Dream

    Quick Links

    • Teaching Tools
    • Preschool and Early Ed
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • Top Menu

    © 2019 brighthubeducation.com - All rights reserved.
    • Privacy Policy