Posted Sun Jan 11 09:21:38 PST 2004 by Carroll J. Pellerin (
Multiculturalism and Poetry (Senior High/College, 120-minute class)
Lesson 1
Poem Appreciation featuring George Elliott Clarke’s "To Liu Chan, Near Nanking".
(On necessary authority’s approval.)
Objectives:
To enhance students’ ability to empathize “poetically” with a person or
situation outside their culture leading up to their composition of a poem employing
foreign-culture subject matter; enhance dissemination and use of poetic voice and subject matter through use of structural elements: simile, metaphor, trope, alliteration, assonance, symbol; enhance poetry- reading listening and comprehension; poetry reading itself.
Materials:
Several of Clarke’s books. Tape player. Cassette recording of Clarke’s Lush Dreams, Blue Exile. Overhead projector. Clarke photo transparency. Photocopies of Clarke’s poem Liu Chan, Near Nanking. Map of China. Short biography of Mao T’su Tung. PA system. Video camera.
Assignment:
Write a poem appreciation considering the meanings of: “… to seeing of answers past answers… correct notes and the city unfolds …right music – the citadel falls…
songs to arm the broken peasants…”; why bloodied red banners would stop Liu Chan.(symbolism?) Why does Clarke choose this subject for a poem? Could Clarke intend the entire poem as a trope? If so, of what?
Learning Activity Sequence:
1.Handout: George Elliott Clarke brief biography; synopsis of successes and accolades; a recent book review; class reads over; circulate his books; ask class if they are familiar with him; if so, how? Pre-amble on successes of local artists from minority ethnic groups.
2. Simulate “café” style poetry reading: classroom lights dimmed or out; photograph of Clarke on overhead; teacher instructs students to “listen” only; play Clarke’s recording of his poem twice or more.
3. Place students in small groups asking them to now listen for and write down: the poem’s setting, to whom the poem is addressed and why, who might the speaker be, then to discuss and compare within the group. Play reading twice again. Teacher solicits and juxtaposes each group-spokesperson’s answer on the board.
4. Students remain in their groups; teacher hands out copies of the poem asking students to read, discuss and re-evaluate their answers in activity 2; discuss and try to ascertain the meaning of any unclear vocabulary; teacher initiates a Socratic discussion toward seeking a general consensus as to the above; map reference – Nanking; general discussion of the Chinese Communist Revolution; suppression of free expression – any present day societies that do the same; how? (Option: ask students if they have read or heard of the
book, “The rape of Nanking: The forgotten holocaust of WW II” – discuss ).
6. Review definitions of: simile, metaphor, alliteration, assonance, trope and symbol.
(may have to introduce “trope”). Ask for a show of hands as to examples in this poem.
7. Play the reading again as students follow in their handout.
Ask students if there is any difference(s) between the recital and the written.
(There are some word differences). Which is better?
8. Assignment handout. Field any questions.
(Lesson 2, follows up: (1) Form groups where they will read and discuss their poem appreciations; teacher circulates and participates socratically. Students hand in their assignments. (2) Handout list of diverse ethnic/cultural subjects. Students choose one (or one of their own approved by teacher) and compose a poem employing some or all structural elements reviewed in Lesson 1 leading up to students forming a café atmosphere of the classroom to their liking and reading their poems to the “audience”; option of video-taping.
Contact "CJ" Pellerin at: cjpel@hotmail.com
