BEFORE you can do anything with poetry, you have to know how to completely break poetry down. Do this project.

  1. How does one EXPLICATE a poem? Split these up in your group and WEBQUEST each one:
    1. Individual Responsible: ______________Link #1,
    2. Individual Responsible: ______________Link #2,
    3. Individual Responsible: ______________Link #3,
    4. Individual Responsible: ______________Link #4,
    5. Individual Responsible: ______________Link #5,
    6. Individual Responsible: ______________Link #6 .
  2. Report back so that each person can share out on what their source said. This will help you internalize and memorize the process.
    1. No one talks while each person says everything about what s/he found.
    2. Each person goes through everything. There will be repetition. No interruptions.
  3. The group must create a poster describing in summary the steps to EXPLICATE a poem/song.
  4. Email me or submit comments to this page if you have any questions.

AFTER you have created the How to Explicate A Poem poster, you can then work with a poem. Here are the steps to working with lyrics/poetry as a warm up. This can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes of class time. Time estimates shown below.

  1. READ the poem/song 1 time for its own meaning.
    • Time: depends on length and complexity of the poem/song
  2. JOURNAL – Copy the whole poem/song into your journal, and explain in writing the significance of what you copied.
    • Time: depends on length and complexity of the poem/song
  3. READ the poem/song 1 time for connections to ideas presented elsewhere (allusions).
    • Time: depends on length and complexity of the poem/song
  4. READ the poem/song 1 time just to read it.
    • Time: depends on length and complexity of the poem/song
  5. JOURNAL – PERSONALLY explicate the poem/song. Write to explain the specific connection to the story idea(s).
    • Time: depends on length and complexity of the poem/song
  6. SHARE what you know or THINK you know.
    • Time: 5 minutes
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