The document provides guidance for students on analyzing poetry using the SOAPSTONE method. It includes background information on poetry and two poems - Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 and "The First Words" by Elizabeth Acevedo. Students are instructed to use SOAPSTONE to analyze "The First Words" by identifying the speaker, occasion, audience, purpose, subject, and tone based on evidence from the poem. They are also asked how the use of Spanish and imagery provide context.

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Name:
Date:
Period:
Guided Notes
Lecture: Poetry and The Merchant of Venice and The Poet X
Unit Topic: Poetry
Lecture Objectives: Students will be able to decipher the expressive language used in a
poem, explain what the poem is about using the SOAPSTONE method, and justify their
assertions using quotes as supporting evidence.
ACTIVITY
[K-W-L chart on page 3]
1. For the next two minutes, fill out everything you know about poetry in the “K” section
of your K-W-L chart.
2. Take another two minutes to fill out what you want to know in the “W” section of your
KWL chart.

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3. Name: __________________
K-W-L Chart
Topic: ________________________________________________________________________
K- What do I know about the
topic?
W- What do I want to know
about the topic?
L- What did I learn about the
topic?
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Poetry as Defined by Literary Terms
“Poetry is a type of literature based on the interplay of words and __________. It often
employs ___________ and ___________ (a set of rules governing the number and
arrangement of syllables in each line). In poetry, words are strung together to form
_________, __________, and ideas that might be too complex or abstract to describe directly”.
William Shakespeare
• Born April 26th
, 1564
• Died April 23rd
, 1616
• English playwright, poet, and actor
• Wrote 38 ______________, 2 _____________
poems, 154 _______________, and a variety of
other poems
• Was a writer during the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages of British theatre

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The Merchant of Venice: Overview
• Play first performed in 1605
• It is considered a _____________
• Follows the journey of Antonio, who is a
merchant that borrows money from a Jewish
moneylender named Shylock
• The story takes place in Venice, Italy
• During the 16th
- century
• The story starts with Antonio’s friend, Bassanio,
venting about his money problems to Antonio
• Bassanio needs money to court Portia, a wealthy
heiress
• Antonio suggests Bassanio borrow money from a city moneylender
• Antonio puts down his name as the loan’s guarantor
• Portia
• From the city of Belmont
• Her wealth is tied to her father’s will
• Can only access the money in the will if she marries the right man
ACTIVITY
[On “Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”]
For eight minutes, talk to the person seated next to you about any of these questions (use the
space below to record your thoughts/ideas):

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1. In the first line, why does he want to compare someone to a “summer’s day”?
2. What do you think Sonnet 18 is about? Why do you think that?
3. What line or lines are you having trouble understanding?
SOAPSTONE
• Acronym that stands for S_____________, O______________, A_____________,
P_______________, S______________, and Tone
• Tool used to break down a poem’s meaning

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Elizabeth Avecedo
• Dominican-American poet and author
• National Poetry Slam Champion
• Identifies as Afro-Latina
The Poet X: Overview
• 2018 novel written as a collection of poems
• Written in ___________ as opposed to
_____________
• It is a “coming of age” or ___________________
work
• About a 15-year-old girl named Xiomara Batista
Story takes place in Harlem, New York
• Novel centers around topics like family, religion,
and identity
• Xiomara is trying to come to terms with who she is outside of her family unit
• Her parents are Catholic
• Her mother, in particular, is very devout
ACTIVITY
[K-W-L chart on page 2]

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For the next five minutes, fill out everything you learned about poetry or anything that stood
out about the lecture in the “L” section of your K-W-L chart.
CULMINATING ACTIVITY
[SOAPSTONE activity on page 9]
Use the SOAPSTONE method to analyze Avecedo’s “The First Words”. If possible, pick out
quotes from the poem to act as supporting evidence for your assertions.
Other Questions to Consider on your SOAPSTONE sheet….
1. How do you think the use of Spanish affects the poem?
2. What kind of picture does Avecedo paint of Xiomara and/or of her family?
3. Do you see any rhetorical devices in this piece?
• Does it add anything to the poem or your understanding of it?

10. Name: _______________________
SOAPSTONE
Work: ________________________________________________
Speaker
Who is the Speaker?
The voice that tells the story.
Occasion
What is the Occasion?
The time and the place of the
piece; the context that prompted
the writing.
Audience
Who is the Audience?
The group of readers to whom
this piece is directed.
Purpose
What is the Purpose?
The reason behind the text.
Subject
What is the Subject?
Students should be able to state
the subject in a few words or
phrases.
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11. Tone
What is the Tone?
The attitude of the author.
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12. Works Cited
Morse, Ogden. “SA:Soapstone: A Strategy for Reading and Writing.” AP Central, 27 June 2017,
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/resources/soapstone-strategy-reading-and-
writing.
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