Before reading The Merchant of Venice or The Poet X, we will have this lecture in class so that students get familiar with the content they are about to read. The lecture contains biographic information about our authors (William Shakespeare and Elizabeth Avecedo), an overview of the plot of the story, and activities that will develop how students analyze poetry. (PowerPoint for EDSC 304 Module 4)

1. Lecture: Poetry and The
Merchant of Venice and
The Poet X

2. 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. We will be working with The Poet X for this unit.

3. CA Content Standards
• Conventions of Standard English:
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
• Knowledge of Language:
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.3.A
Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte's Artful Sentences) for guidance as needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading.
• Vocabulary Acquisition and Use:
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.4.A
Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.5
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.5.A
Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text.
• Comprehension and Collaboration:
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building
on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.C
Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or
challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.3
Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.

4. ACTIVITY
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?

5. ACTIVITY
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?

6. Poetry as Defined by Literary Terms
“Poetry is a type of literature based on the interplay of
words and rhythm. It often employs rhyme and meter (a
set of rules governing the number and arrangement of
syllables in each line). In poetry, words are strung
together to form sounds, images, and ideas that might be
too complex or abstract to describe directly”.

7. Wrote 38 plays, 2 narrative poems,
154 sonnets, and a variety of other
poems
William Shakespeare

8. The Merchant of Venice:
Overview

9. The Merchant of Venice:
Overview (Cont.)

10. Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s
day?
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Online copy of Shakespeare’s poem on
Poetry Foundation

11. ACTIVITY

12. SOAPSTONE
Questions to ask by College Board
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
TONE  What is the Tone?
The attitude of the author.
• Acronym that stands for
Sound, Occasion,
Audience, Purpose,
Subject, and Tone
• Tool used to break down
a poem’s meaning

13. Elizabeth Avecedo

14. The Poet X: Overview

15. The Poet X: Overview
(Cont.)

16. Follow Along

17. The Poet X: “The First Words” Performed by
Avecedo

18. ACTIVITY
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?

19. Culminating Activity
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.
Tone
What is the Tone?
The attitude of the author.
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.

20. Other Questions to Consider