Understanding Poetry: Annotating Puritan Poetry

Learning Resource Type

Lesson Plan

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

9, 10, 11, 12

Overview

This lesson is part of a larger unit dealing with Early American Literature. In this lesson, students will become familiar with the figurative devices and strategies used by 17th Century Puritan poets when creating closed or fixed form poetry. 

This is a College- and Career-Ready Standards showcase lesson plan.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 9

ELA21.9.R2

Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

UP:ELA21.9.R2

Vocabulary

  • Literary texts
  • Literal understanding
  • Figurative understanding
  • Text
  • Purpose
  • Situation

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Strategies to analyze literary text to develop a literal and figurative understanding.
  • Literary texts have different intended meanings depending on the genre, purpose, and situation.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Develop literal and figurative understanding of literary texts appropriate to the text, purpose, and situation.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Literary texts can be understood on both a literal and figurative level.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 9

ELA21.9.4

Analyze how authors use characterization, connotation, denotation, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view to create and convey meaning in a variety of texts.

UP:ELA21.9.4

Vocabulary

  • Characterization
  • Connotation
  • Denotation
  • Figurative language
  • Literary elements
  • Point of view

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Authors choose to write from a particular point of view and use specific literary elements and vocabulary words to convey their intended meaning.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify characterization, connotation, denotation, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view in a variety of texts.
  • Analyze how characterization, connotation, denotation, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view creates and conveys meaning in a variety of texts.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Authors select particular literary elements and devices to create and convey meaning within their written work.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 10

ELA21.10.R2

Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

UP:ELA21.10.R2

Vocabulary

  • Literary texts
  • Literal understanding
  • Figurative understanding
  • Text
  • Purpose
  • Situation

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Strategies to analyze literary text to develop a literal and figurative understanding.
  • Literary texts have different intended meanings depending on the genre, purpose, and situation.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Develop literal and figurative understanding of literary texts appropriate to the text, purpose, and situation.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Literary texts can be understood on both a literal and figurative level.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 10

ELA21.10.4

Interpret an author’s use of characterization, connotation, denotation, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view to create and convey meaning in a variety of texts.

UP:ELA21.10.4

Vocabulary

  • Characterization
  • Connotation
  • Denotation
  • Figurative language
  • Literary elements
  • Point of view

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Authors choose to write from a particular point of view and use specific literary elements and vocabulary words to convey their intended meaning.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify characterization, connotation, denotation, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view in a variety of texts.
  • Interpret how characterization, connotation, denotation, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view creates and conveys meaning in a variety of texts.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Authors select particular literary elements and devices to create and convey meaning within their written work.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.R2

Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

UP:ELA21.11.R2

Vocabulary

  • Literary texts
  • Literal understanding
  • Figurative understanding
  • Text
  • Purpose
  • Situation

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Strategies to analyze literary text to develop a literal and figurative understanding.
  • Literary texts have different intended meanings depending on the genre, purpose, and situation.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Develop literal and figurative understanding of literary texts appropriate to the text, purpose, and situation.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Literary texts can be understood on both a literal and figurative level.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.1

Read, analyze, and evaluate complex literary and informational texts written from various points of view and cultural perspectives, with an emphasis on works of American literature.

UP:ELA21.11.1

Vocabulary

  • Analyze
  • Evaluate
  • Complex literary text
  • Complex informational texts
  • Points of view
  • Cultural perspectives
  • American literature

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to read, analyze, and evaluate complex literary and informational texts.
  • Strategies to identify and describe various points of view and cultural perspectives.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Read complex texts.
  • Analyze elements within complex texts.
  • Evaluate text based on specific criteria provided by teacher.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Texts written from various cultural perspectives and viewpoints can provide them with valuable information about the thoughts, opinions, and experiences of others.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.4

Analyze how an author uses characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view to create and convey meaning.

UP:ELA21.11.4

Vocabulary

  • Analyze
  • Characterization
  • Figurative language
  • Literary elements
  • Point of view
  • Create
  • Convey

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Authors choose to write from a particular point of view and use specific literary elements and vocabulary words to convey their intended meaning.
  • Methods to analyze characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view in a variety of texts.
  • Analyze how characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view creates and conveys meaning in a variety of texts.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Authors select particular literary elements and devices to create and convey meaning within their written work.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 12

ELA21.12.R2

Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

UP:ELA21.12.R2

Vocabulary

  • Literary texts
  • Literal understanding
  • Figurative understanding
  • Text
  • Purpose
  • Situation

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Strategies to analyze literary text to develop a literal and figurative understanding.
  • Literary texts have different intended meanings depending on the genre, purpose, and situation.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Develop literal and figurative understanding of literary texts appropriate to the text, purpose, and situation.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Literary texts can be understood on both a literal and figurative level.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 12

ELA21.12.4

Evaluate an author’s use of characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view to create and convey meaning.

UP:ELA21.12.4

Vocabulary

  • Evaluate
  • Characterization
  • Figurative language
  • Literary elements
  • Point of view
  • Create
  • Convey

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Authors choose to write from a particular point of view and use specific literary elements and vocabulary words to convey their intended meaning.
  • Methods to evaluate characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view in a variety of texts.
  • Evaluate how characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view creates and conveys meaning in a variety of texts.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Authors select particular literary elements and devices to create and convey meaning within their written work.

Primary Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Locate the following devices used in a meditation poem. (true rhyme, eye rhyme, apostrophe, metaphor, repetition, personification, and allusion)
  • Determine the rhyme scheme of a selected meditation poem.
  • Explain the meaning and/or significance of the metaphors, allusions, and repetition in a selected meditation poem.
  • "Map out" the iambic pentameter used in Puritan meditation poetry.

Additional Learning Objective(s)

At the conclusion of this unit of study, students will create their own meditation poem adhering to the following requirements:

  1. Must be in aabbcc rhyme scheme.
  2. Must be six lines long.
  3. Final couplet must summarize the entire poem.
  4. Must contain one metaphor and apostrophe.

Procedures/Activities

1. Prior to the lesson, students should be arranged into pairs.

2. Distribute student copies of "Mediation 4" by Philip Pain.

3. Students will read "Meditation 4" in pairs and discuss the meaning of the poem.  

4. Teacher will allow student pairs to share their thoughts concerning the poem with the class.

5. In pairs, each group is responsible for finding a pair of literary devices. Device slips indicating which devices the group will find should be distributed to each group. (Example: Group One-metaphor and true rhyme; Group Two-Eye Rhyme and Apostrophe) Make certain that one group maps out the rhyme scheme, and one group maps out the rhythm of the poem. Each group is to write an explanation of how/why Philip Pain used the literary devices. 

6. After students have worked together, review how to annotate the poem using PowerPoint and allow students to share their responses as we go through the poem. 

7. At the conclusion of this exercise, each student should create his/her own PowerPoint presentation (slide) demonstrating how to annotate a Philip Pain meditation poem.


1. Prior to the lesson, students should be arranged into pairs.

2. Distribute student copies of "Mediation 4" by Philip Pain.

3. Students will read "Meditation 4" in pairs and discuss the meaning of the poem.  

4. Teacher will allow student pairs to share their thoughts concerning the poem with the class.

5. In pairs, each group is responsible for finding a pair of literary devices. Device slips indicating which devices the group will find should be distributed to each group. (Example: Group One-metaphor and true rhyme; Group Two-Eye Rhyme and Apostrophe) Make certain that one group maps out the rhyme scheme, and one group maps out the rhythm of the poem. Each group is to write an explanation of how/why Philip Pain used the literary devices. 

6. After students have worked together, review how to annotate the poem using PowerPoint and allow students to share their responses as we go through the poem. 

7. At the conclusion of this exercise, each student should create his/her own PowerPoint presentation (slide) demonstrating how to annotate a Philip Pain meditation poem.


1. Prior to the lesson, students should be arranged into pairs.

2. Distribute student copies of "Mediation 4" by Philip Pain.

3. Students will read "Meditation 4" in pairs and discuss the meaning of the poem.  

4. Teacher will allow student pairs to share their thoughts concerning the poem with the class.

5. In pairs, each group is responsible for finding a pair of literary devices. Device slips indicating which devices the group will find should be distributed to each group. (Example: Group One-metaphor and true rhyme; Group Two-Eye Rhyme and Apostrophe) Make certain that one group maps out the rhyme scheme, and one group maps out the rhythm of the poem. Each group is to write an explanation of how/why Philip Pain used the literary devices. 

6. After students have worked together, review how to annotate the poem using PowerPoint and allow students to share their responses as we go through the poem. 

7. At the conclusion of this exercise, each student should create his/her own PowerPoint presentation (slide) demonstrating how to annotate a Philip Pain meditation poem.


1. Prior to the lesson, students should be arranged into pairs.

2. Distribute student copies of "Mediation 4" by Philip Pain.

3. Students will read "Meditation 4" in pairs and discuss the meaning of the poem.  

4. Teacher will allow student pairs to share their thoughts concerning the poem with the class.

5. In pairs, each group is responsible for finding a pair of literary devices. Device slips indicating which devices the group will find should be distributed to each group. (Example: Group One-metaphor and true rhyme; Group Two-Eye Rhyme and Apostrophe) Make certain that one group maps out the rhyme scheme, and one group maps out the rhythm of the poem. Each group is to write an explanation of how/why Philip Pain used the literary devices. 

6. After students have worked together, review how to annotate the poem using PowerPoint and allow students to share their responses as we go through the poem. 

7. At the conclusion of this exercise, each student should create his/her own PowerPoint presentation (slide) demonstrating how to annotate a Philip Pain meditation poem.


1. Prior to the lesson, students should be arranged into pairs.

2. Distribute student copies of "Mediation 4" by Philip Pain.

3. Students will read "Meditation 4" in pairs and discuss the meaning of the poem.  

4. Teacher will allow student pairs to share their thoughts concerning the poem with the class.

5. In pairs, each group is responsible for finding a pair of literary devices. Device slips indicating which devices the group will find should be distributed to each group. (Example: Group One-metaphor and true rhyme; Group Two-Eye Rhyme and Apostrophe) Make certain that one group maps out the rhyme scheme, and one group maps out the rhythm of the poem. Each group is to write an explanation of how/why Philip Pain used the literary devices. 

6. After students have worked together, review how to annotate the poem using PowerPoint and allow students to share their responses as we go through the poem. 

7. At the conclusion of this exercise, each student should create his/her own PowerPoint presentation (slide) demonstrating how to annotate a Philip Pain meditation poem.


1. Prior to the lesson, students should be arranged into pairs.

2. Distribute student copies of "Mediation 4" by Philip Pain.

3. Students will read "Meditation 4" in pairs and discuss the meaning of the poem.  

4. Teacher will allow student pairs to share their thoughts concerning the poem with the class.

5. In pairs, each group is responsible for finding a pair of literary devices. Device slips indicating which devices the group will find should be distributed to each group. (Example: Group One-metaphor and true rhyme; Group Two-Eye Rhyme and Apostrophe) Make certain that one group maps out the rhyme scheme, and one group maps out the rhythm of the poem. Each group is to write an explanation of how/why Philip Pain used the literary devices. 

6. After students have worked together, review how to annotate the poem using PowerPoint and allow students to share their responses as we go through the poem. 

7. At the conclusion of this exercise, each student should create his/her own PowerPoint presentation (slide) demonstrating how to annotate a Philip Pain meditation poem.


1. Prior to the lesson, students should be arranged into pairs.

2. Distribute student copies of "Mediation 4" by Philip Pain.

3. Students will read "Meditation 4" in pairs and discuss the meaning of the poem.  

4. Teacher will allow student pairs to share their thoughts concerning the poem with the class.

5. In pairs, each group is responsible for finding a pair of literary devices. Device slips indicating which devices the group will find should be distributed to each group. (Example: Group One-metaphor and true rhyme; Group Two-Eye Rhyme and Apostrophe) Make certain that one group maps out the rhyme scheme, and one group maps out the rhythm of the poem. Each group is to write an explanation of how/why Philip Pain used the literary devices. 

6. After students have worked together, review how to annotate the poem using PowerPoint and allow students to share their responses as we go through the poem. 

7. At the conclusion of this exercise, each student should create his/her own PowerPoint presentation (slide) demonstrating how to annotate a Philip Pain meditation poem.


1. Prior to the lesson, students should be arranged into pairs.

2. Distribute student copies of "Mediation 4" by Philip Pain.

3. Students will read "Meditation 4" in pairs and discuss the meaning of the poem.  

4. Teacher will allow student pairs to share their thoughts concerning the poem with the class.

5. In pairs, each group is responsible for finding a pair of literary devices. Device slips indicating which devices the group will find should be distributed to each group. (Example: Group One-metaphor and true rhyme; Group Two-Eye Rhyme and Apostrophe) Make certain that one group maps out the rhyme scheme, and one group maps out the rhythm of the poem. Each group is to write an explanation of how/why Philip Pain used the literary devices. 

6. After students have worked together, review how to annotate the poem using PowerPoint and allow students to share their responses as we go through the poem. 

7. At the conclusion of this exercise, each student should create his/her own PowerPoint presentation (slide) demonstrating how to annotate a Philip Pain meditation poem.


1. Prior to the lesson, students should be arranged into pairs.

2. Distribute student copies of "Mediation 4" by Philip Pain.

3. Students will read "Meditation 4" in pairs and discuss the meaning of the poem.  

4. Teacher will allow student pairs to share their thoughts concerning the poem with the class.

5. In pairs, each group is responsible for finding a pair of literary devices. Device slips indicating which devices the group will find should be distributed to each group. (Example: Group One-metaphor and true rhyme; Group Two-Eye Rhyme and Apostrophe) Make certain that one group maps out the rhyme scheme, and one group maps out the rhythm of the poem. Each group is to write an explanation of how/why Philip Pain used the literary devices. 

6. After students have worked together, review how to annotate the poem using PowerPoint and allow students to share their responses as we go through the poem. 

7. At the conclusion of this exercise, each student should create his/her own PowerPoint presentation (slide) demonstrating how to annotate a Philip Pain meditation poem.


1. Prior to the lesson, students should be arranged into pairs.

2. Distribute student copies of "Mediation 4" by Philip Pain.

3. Students will read "Meditation 4" in pairs and discuss the meaning of the poem.  

4. Teacher will allow student pairs to share their thoughts concerning the poem with the class.

5. In pairs, each group is responsible for finding a pair of literary devices. Device slips indicating which devices the group will find should be distributed to each group. (Example: Group One-metaphor and true rhyme; Group Two-Eye Rhyme and Apostrophe) Make certain that one group maps out the rhyme scheme, and one group maps out the rhythm of the poem. Each group is to write an explanation of how/why Philip Pain used the literary devices. 

6. After students have worked together, review how to annotate the poem using PowerPoint and allow students to share their responses as we go through the poem. 

7. At the conclusion of this exercise, each student should create his/her own PowerPoint presentation (slide) demonstrating how to annotate a Philip Pain meditation poem.


1. Prior to the lesson, students should be arranged into pairs.

2. Distribute student copies of "Mediation 4" by Philip Pain.

3. Students will read "Meditation 4" in pairs and discuss the meaning of the poem.  

4. Teacher will allow student pairs to share their thoughts concerning the poem with the class.

5. In pairs, each group is responsible for finding a pair of literary devices. Device slips indicating which devices the group will find should be distributed to each group. (Example: Group One-metaphor and true rhyme; Group Two-Eye Rhyme and Apostrophe) Make certain that one group maps out the rhyme scheme, and one group maps out the rhythm of the poem. Each group is to write an explanation of how/why Philip Pain used the literary devices. 

6. After students have worked together, review how to annotate the poem using PowerPoint and allow students to share their responses as we go through the poem. 

7. At the conclusion of this exercise, each student should create his/her own PowerPoint presentation (slide) demonstrating how to annotate a Philip Pain meditation poem.

Assessment Strategies

Each group will turn in its "Meditation 4" annotation and literary device explanations.

Each student will create and submit a PowerPoint presentation in which the student annotates and explains how Philip Pain used true rhyme, eye rhyme, apostrophe, metaphor, repetition, personification, and allusion. The students must also determine the rhyme scheme of his/her selected meditation poem. Explain the meaning and/or significance of the metaphors, allusions, and repetition in the selected meditation poem.

Acceleration

Students can apply the strategies in this lesson to the annotation and/or analysis of any closed-form poem--specifically "To My Dear and Loving Husband" by Anne Bradstreet.

 

Intervention

Students will be grouped according to skill level as a means of increasing participation and mastery from weaker students.  

Total Duration

61 to 90 Minutes

Background/Preparation

Prior to this lesson, students should be familiar with the major characteristics of Puritan society and writing. The students should also be familiar with key literary devices that will be used in this lesson--metaphor, extended metaphor, apostrophe, alliteration, allusion, types of rhyme, rhyme scheme, poetic meter, and personification.

Also, the teacher must prepare "Meditation 4" template for students to annotate while going through lesson. Teacher must select five meditation poems for students to annotate independently.

Technology Resources Needed

Teacher access to interactive whiteboard (if one is available)

Student access to a computer, PowerPoint, and/or a flashdrive (You may choose to use mybigcampus or other LMS)

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