Objectives:

Understand and explain how a title may add to the author's intended meaning within a specific poetic selection
Identify and explain how specific details may add to the author's intended meaning within a specific poetic selection
Identify the use of literary elements such as, conflict, irony, foreshadowing or tone, within a guided personal choice poetic selection
Poetry

by Emily Paulette

Poetry can be a scary word for some

For others, a means of expression that is second to none

Seeing it is not enough

We must put it in a jar

Poke a finger at it

Wrap our minds around the delicate, intricate lines of verse

And hope to hear it speak

For the last section of this course you will read poetry! It can be a little nerve racking and scary at first, and many people find it difficult to understand. It is like an onion…it has many layers. One of the best ways to tackle poetry (or literature in general) is to dive right in! Just sit quietly and READ to yourself. You may read it as many times as you like. I recommend reading more than once, because you often miss interesting things in the first reading. For now, take a deep breath and jump off the cliff of what you think you know…and sink into the thoughts of someone else.

Lesson 6: Harlem

By: Langston Hughes

What Happens to a Dream Deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?


Lesson 6: Reading Comprehension Questions

Harlem

Directions: Please respond to the following questions. Unless otherwise stated, your responses to each question should be 3-7 sentences in length where applicable.

1. Define the term, deferred. How does the definition relate to the title of the poem and the poem itself?

2. What do you think this poem is about? Explain your thinking.

3. What did you like or dislike about this poem? Explain your thinking.

4. How did this poem make you feel? Explain your thinking.

5. What is the overall tone of lines 8-10 in your opinion? (Remember tone is the feeling that writing produces, how does it make you feel?) What tone, do you suppose, Hughes was trying to convey? Explain your thinking.

6. After reading the poem, does the title make sense? Do you feel it was a clue for the audience? How would the poem have been different if the title was not there?

7. What type of figurative language does Hughes use in this poem? Give one example from the poem and describe what type of figurative language he uses.

Note: You may need to review lesson 4 to answer this question.

8. Now it's your turn: Conduct a search for more of Langston Hughes’ poetry. Find one poem that you enjoy and answer the following questions.

a. What did you like or dislike about the poem? Be specific. Your response should be at least 3-5 sentences in length.

b. List one of the literary elements you found in this poem and describe how it is an example of figurative language, conflict, irony, foreshadowing or tone. Please copy and paste the section of the poem you are using.