Subject: Language Arts Grade Level: 9 Time Estimate: 45 minutes

Unit: Poetry Topic: Poetic Devices and Theme in Poetry

Goal(s):
SWBAT understand how to find connotation, attitude, shifts, and theme in poetry.
Content Objective(s): TEKS: 110.3
SWBAT recognize and explain the use of poetic devices (such as metaphor, simile, alliteration,
etc) and figurative language to create imagery, using text evidence to support their understand.
Language Objective:
SWBAT identify personification, similes, and alliteration while reading the poem.
Materials/Resources/Technology needs:
Journals
Poem for day:
! I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
Key Vocabulary Words:
! imagery
! figurative language
! simile
! personification
! theme
! alliteration
! connotation
! denotation
! symbol
! assonance
Instructional Procedures
Focusing Event:
Think of an image or a memory that brings you joy. Something that when you think about it,
you cant help but smile. It can be the most beautiful place youve ever been, it could be an
experience with others. Whatever it was, journal or draw some of your memories about that
scene.
Teaching/ Learning Procedures:
1. Show a picture of daffodils on the screen. Ask students to write a sentence describing the
picture. For beginning ELLs, they may write words that describe the picture. Ask
students what literary device is used to create an image in the mind (answer: imagery).
Ask students if they remember what other poetic devices weve seen (they should say
figurative language, metaphor, simile.)
2. Have students fill out a post-it for the first section of What I Know - What I Want to
Know - What I Learned. Have students place post-its on board.
a. if students are unable to remember some of the poetic devices, reteach by giving
examples of imagery, simile, and personification. Check to see if they remember
these under the What I Know category.
3. Introduce I Wandered lonely as a cloud by reading aloud and giving background on the
poem. It was written in 1804 about an event in 1802. We know this happened because
his sister was with him and she journaled about it as well.
4. Have students write a post it for What I Want to Know and place on board. The
following are questions that we can use to direct the class discussion based upon what
students are curious about in the poem. Direct student questions to involve literary terms
they have been learning, such as connotations, attitude, simile, personification, and
theme.
5. What connotations do you see? (Remember, connotations are the hidden meaning.
Connotations are what you think of when you read a word or phrase, while denotations
are the actual definition. So connotations are made up of all the poetic devices we find).
a. Think about some cliche expressions for a moment. What are the ends to some of
these? (Try to get class involved and having fun in this section - ask for ideas
from students!)
i. blind as (a bat)
ii. hungry as (a wolf)
iii. cold as (ice)
iv. quiet as (a mouse)
v. sharp as (a tack)
vi. Ask for any others that people can think of (may be from native language.
Ask for them to translate!)
b. So when you read lonely as a cloud, does it surprise you? Turn to a partner to
discuss what that might mean.
c. How do you feel as a reader when youre surprised, instead of finding the
predictable? Do you think the author had a specific purpose in his word choice?
i. Ask if someone remembers what our word is for word choice (answer:
diction)
d. Why do you think he said a cloud? Are clouds lonely? Why might this be a
good simile?
e. What examples of personification do we see?
f. What other similes do we see?
6. How does this poem make you feel? What words make you feel that way?
7. What is the theme of the poem?
a. Possible theme questions:
i. If happiness: what makes daffodils happy? what makes a cloud lonely?
How doe we see these emotions in things?
ii. Why do you think the speaker was lonely at the beginning of the poem?
We know that he was with his sister when he came upon this. Could he be
referring to current loneliness and discovering the daffodils in his
memory?
iii. If memory or loneliness: How lonely do you think he is if he can be
comforted by this memory? Do any of you ever have memories or happy
places you imagine and your spirits are lifted?
1. me: Disneyland, Hume Lake
8. Go back to your free-write from the beginning of this lesson. Try rewriting the scene,
this time using some of the elements weve talked about throughout this unit. If you can,
write a short poem - just a few lines. If not, make it a descriptive paragraph. If you
choose to draw the scene again, make sure to include specific elements that make it
special.
Reteach (alternative used as needed):
If students are having difficulty with the poetic elements, have students quiz each other with
partners on the different elements. Ask them to write examples of each while looking at the
definition to try and make learning more concrete.

Closure:
Have students write what they learned on a post-it. Ask a few to share out loud. This is their
exit ticket.
Assessment
Beginning ELLs: See if the students were able to apply concepts in their free-write. Check the
post-its to ensure students have grasped the material.
Intermediate ELLs: To check the application of concepts, look at the rewrites/poems that
students have written and check to see if they were able to include any descriptive elements.
Check the post-its to ensure understanding of concepts.
Make sure every student has answered at least one question during class. Differentiate
instruction by focusing questions about definitions toward beginner ELLs and application
questions (such as identifying elements) toward intermediate ELLs.