The beauty of a poem is lost without an understanding of its tone. Middle schoolers connect author's purpose and word choice to four poems in a literary analysis activity, which prompts them to note each poem's tone and meaning.

Concepts

tone, poetry, poetry analysis, literary elements, word choice

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Divide your class into small groups, and have them meet in four centers to discuss each poem before returning to their group in a jigsaw discussion
• Use in a reading assessment or homework packet

Classroom Considerations

• Some learners may require guidance through some interpretations
• The second worksheet in a 6-part series focused on tone
• Resource does not provide a lot of space for responses; have your class write their answers on another sheet of paper

Pros

• Includes the works of Hilda Doolittle, Louisa Fletcher Tarkington, Harold Mono, and Paul Lawrence Dunbar
• Provides definitions for several unfamiliar words

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.6.4 RL.7.4 RL.8.4 RL.9-10.4