Poetry by Sara Teasdale

Aim: How does Sara Teasdale describe different locations in New York?

Motivational Activities:

About Sara Teasdale

Do Now: In your journal, describe a place in New York you are very familiar with. Find one sentence you can use to describe the most outstanding features about the place. Circle the line.

Procedure:

I. New Vocabulary: insouciance-lighthearted unconcern : NONCHALANCE

II. Read the poem out loud and discuss the study questions.

• We'll go over the first two poems in class and identify the literary devices Teasdale used in her portrayal of Gramercy Park and the MET.
• Divide the class into three groups. Each group is given a poem and will follow the modeling to discuss the poem.
• Share the result in class.

III. Study questions to guide your reading-

1. Gramercy Park
   • What is the key word Teasdale used to describe Gramercy Park?
   • Identify a simile used in the poem.
   • Identify an example of symbolism in the poem.
   • How is the theme reiterated in the poem?
2. In the Metropolitan Museum
   • What is "Pantheon" and what does it symbolize?
   • What simile is used to describe their solitude away from the crowd?
   • What example of personification is used? What does the example mean?
   • What image is portrayed in lines "Ah, not from Rome but farther still/Beyond sun-smitten Salamis,/The moment took us, till you stooped/To find the present with a kiss."
   • What mood permeates the poem?
3. Coney Island
   • What line gives away the fact that she is lamenting her loss ?
   • What season is it now as described in the poem?
   • What imager do we see about Coney Island in this season?
   • Identify an example of personification, simile, and metaphor.
   • What does the last line mean "Alas, there cannot be/For us a second spring;..."
4. Union Square
   • Why is the first line important in portraying the mood of the poem "With the man I love who loves me not,/ I walked in the street-lamps' flare;"? What images are depicted in the two lines?
   • What does the simile "I leaned to catch the word he said/That were light as snowflake falling;"?
   • What feelings are expressed in the lines "Ah well that he never leaned to hear/ The words my heart was calling"?
   • When they said goodbye, how does the speaker feel as depicted in "I knew by his smile he had not heard /My heart's unuttered cry"?
   • Identify an example of repetition and how does the technique enhance the meaning?
5. Broadway
   • When and where did the speaker spend the night?
   • What is the meaning if the lines " The million lights blaze on for a few to see,/ Robbing the sky of stars that should be hers"?
   • How did the speaker feel as described in lines " ...only we passed up the street unwearied, warm and free"?
   • What literary technique is used in the line "...The pavement an enchanted floor,"? What does it mean?

IV. Use one of the Poetry Forms to describe your neighborhood or any other parts of the city:

• Acrostic poem
• Haiku
• Tanka
• Cinquain
• Diamonte poems
• Limericks
• Shape Poems
• Rap
• Free Verse
• Sonnets
• Narrative poems
• Quatrains

Handout ( info is taken form http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june00/poetryboxrules.html)

Acrostic: poetry in which the first letter of each line, when read vertically, spell out a word. The word is usually the subject of the poem.	Vanilla As I eat it on my brownie Not doubting it's sweet Ice cream is a tasty treat Lots of lingering taste Lasting to the end Always my favorite!
Haiku: an ancient Japanese form with no rhyme. Haiku often deal with nature. This type of poetry has three lines with a fixed number of syllables: Line 1= 5 syllables Line 2= 7 syllables Line 3= 5 syllables	The dying plant bends And drips its dew to the ground It falls like a tear
Couplets: two-line poems with a fun and simple rhyming pattern. Each line has the same meter and their endings rhyme with one another. Couplets are often humorous.	My English teacher wants me to use imagination So I go to math class and let my mind go on vacation!
Tanka: another Japanese form that depends on the number of lines and syllables instead of rhyme: Line 1= 5 syllables Line 2= 7 syllables Line 3= 5 syllables Line 4= 7 syllables Line 5= 7 syllables, rhymes with line 4	I have my own place Where I can go for hours I go there to write It is not difficult to find Search within your heart and mind.
Cinquain: a form consisting of five lines. Each has a required number of syllables, and a specific topic. Line 1:Title (noun)- 2 syllables Line 2: Description- 4 syllables Line 3: Action- 6 syllables Line 4: Feeling (phrase)- 8 syllables Line 5: Title (synonym for the title)- 2 syllables	Flowers Pretty, fragrant Waiting, watching, weeding Enjoying all the while they grow Gardens
Diamonte poems: diamond-shaped poems of seven lines that are written using parts of speech. The Diamonte is a form similar to the Cinquain. Line 1: Noun or subject Line 2: Two Adjectives Line 3: Three 'ing' words Line 4: Four words about the subject Line 5: Three 'ing words Line 6: Two adjectives Line 7: Synonym for the subject	Home Safe, caring Loving, sharing, talking Friendship, food, car, travels Living, loving, enjoying Joyous, adventurous Family
Limericks: whimsical poems with five lines. Lines one, two, and five rhyme with each other and lines three and four rhyme with each other. Rhyme pattern: AABBA	A flea and a fly in a flue Were caught, so what could they do? Said the fly, "Let us flee." "Let us fly," said the flea. So they flew through a flaw in the flue.
Proverbs: have been called the shortest art form. They use devices associated with poetry- rhyme, rhythm, and metaphors. They provide vivid imagery to teach a moral lesson.	"If one thinks he is the wisest, he is not wise at all."
Shape Poems (concrete poems): poem that form a visible picture on the page. The shape usually reflects the subject of the poem.	Trees blossoming in the spring Clouds above give rain Fruit will come soon Nature is at work while trees stand still
Rap: spoken-word expression of urban activists that began in the 1960s. In the early 70s "rapping" evolved into spoken rhymes about street life put to the beat of DJ-manipulated drum machines and turntables. Click here for more on rap.	Don't wait to beat the street Stay in school and keep your seat The entire eight parts of speech Will your reading, writing, and speaking teach!
Free Verse: poetry without rules of form, rhyme, rhythm, or meter.	What do the oceans do at night? Do they tease and tickle the bottom of boats? Do they ripple away in fright? Or are the beaches like coats That keep them still and quiet And once the day breaks and it's breakfast time Do the oceans wish for some other diet than fish?
Sonnets: poems of 14 lines that begin with three quatrains and end with a couplet. The couplet usually contains a surprise ending or "turn." William Shakespeare is one of the most famous sonnet writers in history.	Why do we continue to kill in various ways? Why do we waste time with jealousy and hate? Why not take advantage of the current date? Stop the violence now, don't let it grow. Love is important, a fact that we all know. As the fires of hate continue to burn The hands of clock continue to turn. No one can find reason to our madness today. The gift of life is extremely short Demand no more violence of any sort! With kindness, life's quality we can improve! As those hands on the clock continue to move. Day becomes night and night becomes day The hands of the clock keep ticking away.
Narrative poems: tell stories and are usually long. Epics and ballads are narrative poems.	There once was a man named Bob Who was out looking for a great job He really needed money to feed pets His cat's name was Tiger His dog's name was Ted. His pets were hungry most of the day The animals were hungry - they couldn't play Bob had been laid off for a month or two There was plenty of work that Bob wouldn't do. Bob was really hungry. His stomach was an empty tank He decided to go rob a local bank. He walked through the door and looked around He pointed his gun and yelled "Get down" Bob took the money and headed for the door. If only he had seen the officer in the store. The policeman came out with a shout Bob thought for a second and then pulled his gun out One shot, two shots and with a deafening sound Poor old Bob's body hit the ground. With his last breath He thought back to his pets He sure hoped Tiger and Ted Would have a great life after he was dead!
Quatrains: rhyming poems of four lines. Poets use letters to express the rhyme pattern or scheme. The four types of quatrain rhyme are: AABB,(shown at right) ABAB, ABBA, and ABCB.	Picnic planning in July Traveling up the mountains so high! What an adventure for me Because I prefer mountains to sea!

V. Enrichment Activity

More poems by Sara Teasdale(link)

Homework Assignment #7

Use one of the poetic forms to compose a poem describing a place in New York. Try to use some poetic devices in your poem such as metaphor, simile, personification, etc (there ar emany examples of such devices in Teasdale's poetry)