A poet's word choice can be the difference between a poem that is merely sad, and a poem full of heartbreaking regret. Middle schoolers discern the tone in four different poems, noting the relevant textual evidence that supports each tone, and determine the meaning of each poem.

Concepts

tone, literary analysis, poetry, poetry analysis, textual evidence

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Cut the worksheets in half and assign each to different groups in jigsaw activity, in which each member of the group shares their observations of their poem with another group

Classroom Considerations

• The poems might be too complex for younger readers or those who struggle with literary analysis

Pros

• Includes poems by Douglas Hyde, Sara Teasdale, Aline Kilmer, and Marguerite Wilkinson
• Provides an answer key with suggested responses

Cons

• None

Common Core

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