“Casey at the Bat”

1. “Casey at the Bat” • Before Reading: Complete the following statements in your LNb. • My favorite athlete is ___________________. • What I admire about him or her is ___________________. • When a game is “on the line,” I expect him or her to ___________________. • I was disappointed in him or her when ___________________. • Read the Build Background section on pg. 299 in your literature book.

2. “Casey at the Bat” • Questioning: • Good readers ask questions both before and as they read. • Reading a narrative poem is a lot like reading a story. • It has characters, setting, and a plot. • To understand a poem, you might ask questions about use of figurative language or the speaker’s perspective. • Complete the Questioning Worksheet as we read “Casey at the Bat.”

3. “Casey at the Bat” • Sound Devices in Poetry • Rhyme: the likeness of sounds at the ends of words • Rhythm: the pattern of sounds created by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables. • Repetition: the use of sounds, words, phrases, or whole lines more than once • Alliteration: the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words • Onomatopoeia: the use of words whose sounds suggest their meaning, like buzz, hiss, and clap.

4. “Casey at the Bat” • Complete the chart below in your LNb with examples of sound devices in “Casey at the Bat.” You may work with a partner or alone. • Title: • Author:

5. “The jabberwocky” and “Sarah Cynthia, sylvia stout” • Before reading: Connect to your life. • Discuss the following in your LNb. • Life has many challenges. Some are simple, like making your bed, while others are more risky. Think about a challenge that you have had that was either hard to do or that you just didn’t want to do. Why was it so hard for you? How did you finally get motivated to do it?

6. “The Highwayman” • Before Reading: Connect to your life. • In your LNb, name a legendary figure from your state, city, or local community and describe at least 3-5 things that you know about him or her. • Next, read the Build Background section on page 564 in your literature book.

7. “The Highwayman” • During reading: Understand Writer’s Style • A writer’s style is his or her manner of writing. • It involves HOW something is said, rather than WHAT is said. • The style of this poem is vivid and dramatic. • As you read, try to notice aspects of the writer’s style.

8. “the Highwayman” • Pay attention to things like mood, tone, images, figurative language (similes, metaphors, etc.), sound devices, and word choice. • Mood: atmosphere; the feeling that a literary work conveys to readers • Tone: the writer’s attitude toward his or her subject • Figurative language: the presentation of ordinary things in fresh ways, taking ideas beyond their literal meanings. • Includes similes, metaphors, personification, etc. • Sound devices: alliteration, onomatopoeia, repetition, rhyme, and rhythm • Use the provided chart to record your examples as we read. Be sure to label them specifically, as shown in the examples.

9. “The Highwayman” • Writer’s Style, continued. • Word Choice • Writers choose certain words, phrases, or lines to emphasize certain ideas with the reader. • What do you notice about the 4th and 5th lines of each stanza? • There is repetition. • What effect does this have on the reader? • The reader is forced to focus on the action of the highwayman.

10. “the highwayman” • Connotation and Denotation • As stated earlier, word choice, especially in poetry, is often deliberate. • Denotation is a word’s dictionary definition. • Connotation is the association implied by a word beyond its dictionary definition. • Words often have a positive or negative connotation, and writers choose them to create a specific feeling, or mood. • Which bold-faced word below has a more intense connotation? • I was famished. • I was hungry.