Exploring the Melodies of Poetry

1. The Sounds of Poetry p. 537 CCRS – W.9-10.4, W.9-10.10, RL.9-10-10, SL.9-10.1, L.9-10.1, L.9-10.2, L.9-10.5, L.9-10.6 Literary Skills –Understand rhythm and meter; Understand rhyme; Understand the characteristics of ballads

2. The Sounds of Poetry • Ballad (p. 539) – a song that tells a story, often a story about love, death, or betrayal • Refrain – a phrase or a stanza that is repeated throughout the work, usually at the end of the verse

3. The Sounds of Poetry • Folk Ballads – were composed by unknown singers and passed along orally for many years before being written down. • Literary Ballads – written in imitation of the old ballads.

4. Quickwrite (p. 537) • Is there something in your family that you would like to inherit? It could be something material, like a picture. It could also be a wonderful quality or talent – like the ability to play the piano. What would you like to inherit, from whom, and why?

5. “The Courage That My Mother Had”(p. 537) • What does the speaker want to inherit? • What does she inherit? • Identify the rhyme scheme of the poem. • Find an example of metaphor. • Find an example of simile.

6. “Ballad of Birmingham” (p. 540) • What actual event is the poem based upon? • What is the irony in the poem?

7. ISN --“Firework” by Katy Perry • Complete the worksheet. • Find examples of the following terms: • Simile • Hyperbole • Alliteration • Internal Rhyme • Metaphor Onomatopoeia Personification End Rhyme Repetition Anaphora

8. Activity • P. 543 Writing – Poetry and History • Create a chart comparing the poem with the historical account on page 542 (see chart p. 543)