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1. Dudley Randall,
The Black Poets
, p. 5.
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2. Kenneth Koch,
Wishes, Lies and Dreams
, p. 26.
Lesson Plan
“Little Brown-Baby,” “Scamp,” and “Wadin’ in de Crick”
(Dialect Poems) by William Laurence Dunbar
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I. Distribute copies of “Little Brown Baby.” The students will read silently. Follow the same procedure with “Scamp,” and “Wadin in de Crick” after completing the study of “Little Brown Baby.”
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II. Introduce the following vocabulary words:
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“Little Brown Baby”
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“Scamp”
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“Wadin in de Crick”
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“pappy”
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“trimbly”
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“crick”
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“merlasses”
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“trunnel bald”
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“Jay-b’ud”
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“straggler”
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“scamp”
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“tattlah”
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“buggah man”
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“chattah”
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“pallet”
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“mammy”
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III. The teacher will read each poem twice. Student volunteers will read aloud also, having had time to read silently. The students might enjoy reading the poem in non dialect. The different readings of the poem will enhance understanding and enjoyment of this dialect poetry.
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IV. Discussion/Questions: Explain the use of dialect. Ask students how they feel about the use of dialect. What effect does it have in Dunbar’s poetry writing? How did reading the poetry in non-dialect change it? Explain that these three poems show a progression in theme from infancy to school age. “Little Brown Baby” is scared of the bogey man, “Scamp” is a tired toddler and “Wadin in de Crick” is about a school boy who plays hooky. What is the relationship with the father in “Little Brown Baby?” Read the lines that show a warm loving relationship. What did the father joke with the child about? Do you think he should have joked with him about the bogey man? Find examples of rhyme and repetition in the poem. Next, direct the students to read “Scamp” as they did the first poem. Read the last lines of each stanza. Note these lines as examples of repetition. Find examples of the use of rhyme. Read the lines that tell why it is nice to have a mother. What were some of the things his mother did for him? Finally, direct the students to read “Wadin in de Crick.” Find examples of the use of repetition and rhyme in this poem. Read the lines that tell how he felt about school. How did he describe the water? How did he feel about playing hooky? Read the lines that tell who would tattle on him. What lines tell how his mother felt about what he was doing. Find example of humor in the three poems.
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V. Writing Activities: Rewrite a poem using non-dialect English. Try writing a short dialect poem using some of the dialect words from the selections studied in class. Write a poem or paragraph about some pleasurable childhood experience.
Lesson Plan
“A Black Man Talks of Reaping,” by Arna Bontemps
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I. Distribute copies of the poem. The students will read the poem silently.
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II. Introduce the following vocabulary words:
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reap
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sow
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stark
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glean
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stalk
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orchard
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fowl
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yields
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III. The teacher will read the poem at least twice. Student volunteers will read aloud also, having had time to read the poem silently. The different readings of the poem will aid the students in the interpretation of this poem.
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IV. Discussion/Questions: Read stanza one again. What kind of person does the speaker seem to be? What is his fear? How does he try to protect himself from this fear? How do the first two lines in stanza two contribute to your initial impression of the black man? How do these lines make you feel? In stanza three who are “my brother’s sons?” What is the effect of the “stalk and root?” Who are “my children?” Is the black man a symbol for one person or a symbol for many people? What does he mean by sowing and reaping? Every line in the poem is leading up to the last two lines. What is happening to “my children?” Who is responsible? What is the “bitter fruit?” What is the obvious external meaning of the poem? Actually the poem means more than the farmer having his crop stolen by his nephews. What ideas and feelings are behind the words? What does the poet really mean by line one? Read lines seven and eight. What is the result of the speaker’s effort? Bontemps’ poetry uses nature imagery. Find examples of the use of rhyme. How does this poem compare to other poems we have studied? Do you like this poem? Why or why not?
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V. Writing Activities: Write a paragraph interpreting the message of this poem. This poem conveys fear and injustice. Write a paragraph or poem about an injustice, or a fear that you have experienced. (I would review the clustering technique in a brainstorming session to help generate ideas if the students appeared to be having difficulty with writing.)
Lesson Plan
“Yet Do I Marvel” by Countee Cullen
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I. Distribute copies of the poem. The students will read the poem silently.
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II. Introduce the following vocabulary words:
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quibble
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fickle
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caprice
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dooms
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inscrutable
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immune
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catechism
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strewn
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petty
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awful
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marvel
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Tantalus
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Sisyphus
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III. The teacher will read the poem at least twice. Student volunteers will read aloud also, having had time to read the poem silently. The different readings of the poem will aid the students in the understanding of this difficult poem.
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IV. Discussion/Questions: References to well known events, characters, stories or myths are called allusions. After explaining the mythical characters in the story, ask the students, what do Tantalus and Sisyphus stand for in this poem? What are the doubts mentioned in the first half of the poem? What lines are examples of death and misery? What does “awful” mean in the poem? The poem uses the traditional form the sonnet. What would seem to be characteristic of a sonnet? What is the main question the poet is asking God? Examine the poem for poetic devices that we have discussed earlier. What are these if any? For example, they should notice immediately the use of rhyme. What do you think the poet thinks of God? Do you like the poem? Why or why not?
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V. Writing Activity: Think of ten “why” or “how” questions that you would like to ask God. Take one of the questions and construct a short dialogue with God.
Lesson Plan
“My People” and “Color” by Langston Hughes
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I. Distribute copies of the poems, one at a time. The students will read the poetry silently.
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II. Introduce the following vocabulary words:
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banner
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proud
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shroud
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(The vocabulary of the poetry is simple.)
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III. The teacher will read the poetry aloud. Student volunteers will then read aloud. These poems lend themselves well for choral or unison reading.
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IV. Discussion/Questions: These poems were chosen for presentation in one lesson because the selections have the theme of black pride and the poems are short and simple. “Color,” the shorter poem has only twenty three words in eight lines. “My People” has thirty-three words in six lines. “Color” is an excellent example of a poem utilizing rhyme and simile. Find examples of rhyme. Read examples of simile. Find the use of repetition. How does the poet say to wear color? How does he say not to wear it. What message does the poem relate? “My People,” clearly illustrates the use of metaphor. Find examples of the use of metaphor, repetition is used in the poem by using the word “beautiful” four times. Read the poem again and substitute different synonyms to, “beautiful.” Note how the effect of the poem changed. “Of My People” is repeated three times in this short poem. Try making substitutions for this phrase and note how the effect of the poem changed. Compare “My People” and “Color.” Note how the poet conveyed the same message of “Black pride” by using different comparisons. Name one poetic device that was used in “Color” not used at all in “My People.
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V. Writing Activities: Using the poem “Color” as an example, think of a word, such as “music,” add a verb such as “hum,” then add “it like,” now add an appropriate noun or adjective/adverb such as “a bee.” (Music hum it like a bee.) Write as many such comparisons as possible. Try to combine them into a poem. Rewrite “My People” by making substitutions for all the words except “beautiful” and “my people.” Write a paragraph on the importance of having personal pride.
Lesson Plan
“We Real Cool” and “A Song in the Front Yard” by Gwendolyn Brooks
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I. Distribute copies of the poetry. The students will read the poetry silently.
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II. Introduce and discuss the following simple vocabulary words:
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cool
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jazz
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sneers
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strut
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lurk
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gin
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charity
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untended
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III. The teacher will read each poem twice. Student volunteers will read aloud after reading silently. The students will be encouraged to experiment with their voices in the poetry reading, especially in the reading of “We Real Cool.”
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IV. Discussion/Questions: “We Real Cool” is a “hip” little poem composed of eight sentences with only three words in each sentence. The sentences all follow the pattern of: We-verb-adjective-or noun. (example—We strike straight.) This poem contains excellent simple illustrations of several poetic elements. Find examples of repetition, rhyme, assonance, and alliteration. The multi-sensory imagery depicted in this poem about a dropout is an excellent model for imitation in creating personal poems. The poem “A Song in the Front Yard,” a longer poem with four stanzas, is about a girl who yearns to go beyond her front yard to learn about life in the street. This multi-sensory poem illustrates the use of rhyme. Read lines that illustrates rhyme. Find examples of how she uses imagery. The poem illustrates contrast in her description of the front yard and in her description of the streets. Read the lines that describe the front yard and the lines that provide a description of life in the streets. What key words do you find in each?
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V. Writing Activities: Write a paragraph or poem about something that you dream of doing but is forbidden by your parents. Use the clustering technique with the word “street” and generate as many words and ideas as possible and then try to use them in composing a poem or paragraph. Try imitating “We Real Cool” by using three word sentences composed of we-verb-noun or adjective/adverb. (example—We lurk late.) in composing your poem.
