Explain that the poem is, in fact, a kind of sonnet, and that during the remainder of the class, students will explore other sonnets in order to determine what makes a sonnet a sonnet.Allow students to share any details they recall about the sonnet form, but do not push them to recall the characteristics. Students who have had exposure to the forms before will likely notice the poem’s title. Ask students to point out the poetic features that they notice. If students have not mentioned any of the craft elements of the poem as they have responded, turn their attention to these features now.
Work to shift students’ attention to the details and features of the poem by asking them what word, phrase, image, or idea were important to their reactions.
You can download the plug-in from the technical support page. Test the Interactive Sonnet Characteristics Chart on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tool and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed.Remember that the Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem “ the sonnet-ballad” is used for the class demonstration, so it does not need to be assigned to a group.
Ideally, assign groups sonnets from a range of time periods (e.g., assigning a group a poem by Shakespeare, Frost, and Shelley rather than only sonnets by Frost or only sonnets by Shakespeare). There are enough poems for five groups of students to each analyze three poems.
Decide how to distribute the poems to your students.Otherwise, make copies of the sonnets listed above or identify sonnets in your class texts that students can use for this project. Arrange for online access to read the traditional sonnets listed above.In the process, students determine the form of traditional sonnets. This lesson adopts just such an inductive strategy, providing students with examples of the sonnet form and asking them to find the similar characteristics that unite the poems. Actually begin with specifics (poems) that lead to generalizations-inductive teaching" (146).
Somers suggests that teachers use the opposite strategy: "Instead of definitions, begin with generalizations. Few recall it with affection, and fewer reflect upon it later as a source of insight and inspiration." (146)
Yet year after year, most of our students barely tolerate our efforts. In some ways, the method is logical and efficient. "The most prevailing approach is deductive: define the terms, give examples, and have the students find them in poems. Teachers are left trying to find the instructional technique that reaches that balance. We find ourselves searching for a balance between "analyzing poetry to death" and "voices clamor for the teaching of culture and art and the way art-including poetry-works" (145). Albert Somers, author of Teaching Poetry in High School, asserts that the "business of structure seems to be the poetry teacher's greatest bugaboo" (145).