Poetry I / Julius Caesar Act IV Intro

College Prep 12

• Usual post-holiday prep talk (It is really almost June now.)
• Copied the defintion of and discussed:
• Context: the parts of a written or spoken statement that precede or follow a specific word or passage, usually influencing its meaning or effect; the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc. (This is a weakness in many of the Platoon/Ghosts of War essays
• In class journal: How to you read/process poetry. Share some answers and discuss.
• Distribute "Poem on an Underground Wall" by Paul Simon:

The last train is nearly due,
The underground is closing soon,

And in the dark deserted station,

Restless in anticipation,

A man waits in the shadows.

His restless eyes leap and scratch,

At all that they can touch or catch,

And hidden deep within his pocket,

Safe within it's silent socket,

He holds a colored crayon.

Now from the tunnel's stony womb,

The carriage rides to meet the groom,

And opens wide and welcome doors,

But he hesitates, then withdraws

Deeper in the shadows.

And the train is gone suddenly

On wheels clicking silently

Like a gently tapping litany

And he holds his crayon rosary

Tighter in his hand.

Now from his pocket quick he flashes,

The crayon on the wall he slashes,

Deep upon the advertising,

A single worded poem comprised

Of four letters.

And his heart is laughing, screaming, pounding

The poem across the tracks rebounding

Shadowed by the exit light

His legs take their ascending flight

To seek the breast of darkness and be suckled by the night.

• Read the poem, identify key/high content words.
• Assign one stanza to each of six groups- discuss words chosen.
• Last five minutes: hand back graded essays. Encourage conferencing for rewrites. These essays are worth three major grades. Rewrite can change two of them
• HW: Reflection journal on the poem.
• Reminder: 5 reflection journals each week! (Two should have been done over the break. 

Grade 10

•  Usual post-holiday prep talk (It is really almost June now.)
• New vocab:
• 25. Context: the parts of a written or spoken statement that precede or follow a specific word or passage, usually influencing its meaning or effect; the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc.
• 26. Cynical: Believing or showing the belief that people are motivated chiefly by selfish concerns; skeptical of the motives of others; Negative or pessimistic, as from world-weariness
• 27. Altruistic (adj): unselfishly generous; concerned for others. (noun = altruism)
• Journal: summarize story so far then discuss.
• Read and discuss Act IV summary.
• Will check crossword puzzles tomorrow and start reading the act.