Poetry Analysis Lesson and Rubric

Poetry may be a daunting topic for some students. One way to introduce this topic is through the use of song lyrics. In my class, as in one of the examples below, I have students study songs when analyzing literary devices, such as alliteration, imagery, personification, simile, and metaphor. For extra credit, students could bring in copies of the radio version of a song, the lyrics, and an analysis of the song already completed. I would use these student-prepared materials for drills, homework, review, and even substitute lesson plans, and students feel like they “own” part of the curriculum.

I also introduce how to read poetry by modeling how not to read it. I start by reading aloud nursery rhymes, making sure to stop at the end of every line, being overly dramatic, and emphasizing the pauses. Eventually, my students get annoyed, and say it doesn't make sense. I then have a student say the nursery rhymes correctly. We then review punctuation: commas mean you have to pause, the ends of a line do not mean stop, and periods and dashes mean stop. This leads to a discussion of how punctuation can change the meaning of poetry, or any other type of writing.

Often the most difficult parts of a poetry lesson or unit is getting students to compose their own work. Most of my students enjoy following specific forms, such as haikus, but there are also those who like free forms more. I show students examples of various forms of poetry, and then have them write two poems, one that has a prescribed format and one that is in free verse. I score their poems using a rubric, and then students can publish their poetry on a computer and take a final copy home. In the past, I’ve also put the poems in a booklet for an end of the year celebration.

Poetry Analysis Lessons:

Poetry of Pablo Neruda: Analyzing Historical Poems

Students first read about the poet Pablo Neruda, and then read his poetry. They examine the poems, and identify common themes and ideas. Ultimately they answer the question, “How has poetry been used to comment on historical events?” There are also ideas for including music.

I Hear Poetry: Using Music Lyrics to Introduce/Reinforce Poetry

This series of lessons introduces song lyrics as poems, and includes handouts for note-taking. It also includes rubrics. Students collaborate and edit one another’s works and eventually analyze a poem once their understanding of literary elements is complete.  Instructions are very clear and easy to follow.

History and Poetry: Finding Connections to Inform Writing

In this lesson, students examine different decades in American history, finding connections between historical events and the poetry written during these time periods. Students then write their own poetry based on current world events.