This document discusses the three characteristics that make poetry powerful: intensity, precision, and concision. It provides examples to illustrate each characteristic and examines poems to identify which characteristics they demonstrate. Students are tasked with analyzing poems to determine which of the three characteristics are evident in each one. The lesson concludes by challenging students to identify poetic language in everyday situations.

1. Poetry’s Powers

2. SWBAT explain the characteristics that make poetry both powerful and unique. SWBAT identify these characteristics in poems. SWBAT write collaborative poems. Objectives

3. Today we are learning about the power of poetry. We’ve come across poetry many times in our lives. But, for some unfortunate reason, we sometimes don’t take poetry very seriously. This is probably because we are thinking too narrowly about what poetry is. Let’s reexamine this idea! Poetry’s Power!

4. Poetry is powerful and unique because it is language that has 3 characteristics: (1) Intensity (2) Precision (3) Concision (Milner & Milner, p. 178) KEY POINTS on Poetry’s Power!

5. Poetry’s INTENSITY brings out the most powerful of human emotions about even the simplest of things. (1) Intensity

6. A dull description of what a teacher does (from About.com): “Teachers…prepare lectures; prepare activities; grade exams and papers; hold parent-teacher conferences; attend school meetings; lead extracurricular activities; mentor students; teach life skills…” Now, Taylor Mali’s intense description (“What Teachers Make”): Intensity Examined

9. To express love, I could say something like “I love you!” The response might be dull OR—if I had recently quit smoking—I could say this: “Giving Up Smoking” There’s not a Shakespeare sonnet Or a Beethoven quartet That’s easier to like than you Or harder to forget. You think that sounds extravagant? I haven’t finished yet – I like you more than I would like To have a cigarette. -Wendy Cope Precision Examined Again

12. Turn to a partner and explain what each of the 3 characteristics means. You will receive a bonus if you can give an example of a poem that exceptionally shows one or more of the characteristics. Check For Understanding!

13. Let’s work together to identify and analyze the 3 characteristics that make poetry powerful in selected “poems”! Your task is to determine which of the 3 characteristics of powerful poetry are evident in the following poems: “Doing Laundry in Our Building” “Smoke & Mirrors” “Happy the Man” Guided Practice

14. Doing Laundry in Our Building Monday, November 16, 2009 Unfortunately I hardly looked up, but I'm pretty sure you were beautiful. Hope to see you again. - m4w - 26

15. Tonight my dreams left, swept far and wide from me, leaving darkened halls and pungent decay in their exodus. The nightmares called my name, in shrill voices filled with disdain, while twisted images all around melted like deeply colored wax. At last I saw you, beautiful and true, and breathed a sigh of sweet relief, a smile dancing upon my lips and joyful tears glistened upon my cheeks. So sudden it happened, the deed was done, you turned your back on me and part of me died a pauper’s death, abandoned, without hope nor dignity. As I called to you, my tongue swelled, words could not come in time, for suddenly I saw you lifted, ripped from me through the heavens. Clutched tightly by my dreams, which have faded away forever. -Elizabeth Anne Easter Smoke & Mirrors

16. Happy the man, and happy he alone, He who can call today his own: He who, secure within, can say, Tomorrow do they worst, for I have lived today. Be fair or foul or rain or shine The joys I have possessed, in spite of fate, are mine. Not Heaven itself upon the past has power, But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour. - John Dryden Happy the Man

17. Now that we have a collective idea of what makes poetry powerful, we are going to collectively write poetry! Directions: Take one poetry card from your teacher. Form a group of 4. Write one—and only one—line on your topic (be as intense, precise and concise as you can!). Pass the card to the right when your teacher says to. Continue this process until you have written 3 lines (first, middle, last). Independent Practice

18. Today we learned about the power of poetry to shape us. But what were the three characteristics that make poetry powerful, again? Shout them out loud! Hopefully you’ve learned that poetic language—language that is intense, precise and concise—is everywhere! On your way home from school today I challenge you to identify and analyze poetic language in the commonplace… Poetry is everywhere…