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“And they were happy, for to their young eyes / Each was an angel."
"There is pleasure in the pathless woods.”
Lord Byron - Two Poems / Two Group Works - "Don Juan" & "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage": I never did (even when we had more time) these two poems, "Don Juan" and "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" in the same year. I used to do "Childe Harold" and then in later years switched to "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage". Both are excerpts from much longer poems - both are beautiful and two of the most image rich verse that our students studied all year. For both poems, the students have NOT read the text for homework - and they will read it(either by themselves - "Childe Harold" or as a group "Don Juan" and do the Group/Partner Work, as they go through the poem. For "Don Juan" the process resembles like what we did earlier in the year with some of the Macbeth and Twelfth Night scenes. For "Childe Harold" the students will look at the first three stanzas on their own - before finding a partner to go through the rest together. Both poems are incredible - and if you have time (I never did) you should by all means, do them both.
Lesson Overview
Lesson Overview
REMEMBER: This is probably a one or the other - unless you have a lot of free days. I never did both of these poems/group work in the same year. PLEASE see the actual Group/Partner work for more specifics.
Quiz
Quiz
No quiz. The students read either of these poems "cold". You'll want them to get started as soon as they come in the room.
"Don Juan" Group Work
"Don Juan" Group Work
This is the more recent of the two Group Works and it is on an excerpt (also included below) from Byron's "Don Juan". Here are the student instructions, also with the first three questions (one Group Member will be the questioner - much like in what we did earlier in the year with some of the Macbeth and Twelfth Night scenes. Please see my page on Group Work for more on the how and why of Group Work.
As you answer these questions, read the work in your text books (Elements of Lit, page 715) aloud. Your group (ideally 4 people) should divide up into the following:
· one person who stops the group when they get to appropriate line(s) and asks the questions below. This person should also be very aware of the time – keeping the group on track to finish before the bell.
· one person who records the answers (most answers here should not be long – a sentence or two)
· two people who alternate reading (one person reading one stanza then switching at the next stanza)
Enjoy your reading, ideally this should be read outside – under a tree with a picnic lunch on a bright spring morning…
Questions
Notice how the ocean is compared to a lake – big to small – what are some possible implications for a poem about individuals as opposed to big things like armies or countries? How does it make these two “alone” individuals seem next to such a big ocean? Remember, Wordsworth’s poem – where he said his lost love, Lucy, was like a star when only when is visible in the night (yes, it’s ONE, but there is also the viewer) – comment.
9-10 What do you see here that is also found in “Kubla Kahn” – what is the narrator doing (think narrative point of view)?
25-31 What aspect of Romantic Poetry do we see in these lines. Think of other Romantic Poets (especially Wordsworth). One thing many people admire about Byron is his ability to “paint a picture.” Do you agree – why or why not? Bring in our discussion of his poems – be specific.
"Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" Partner Work
"Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" Partner Work
This is the older of the two Group Works and it is also an excerpt (also included below) from Byron's "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage". The first page has the text of the excerpt. The first three stanzas, each student will examine (and answer the questions) by themselves - and then they will find a partner for the rest. Please see my page on Group Work. Here are the instructions for the beginning part - along with the first question:
1. Work by yourself on Stanzas 1& 2. Mark it up, write on it, annotate it, question it (answer it if you will). After 3 minutes – answer the following:
1a. What do you take the first line to mean? Do you agree?
1b.Which poem by Robert Frost seems to echo this idea.
1c.Look at the second line – where have we encountered this in our Romantic Poems – be specific.
1d. How do lines 3 & 4 fit into the Romantic Paradigm?
1e. How is the last line of this stanza ironic?
"Don Juan" Canto II - Group Work
"Don Juan" Canto II - Group Work
This is the more recent of the two Group Works and it is on an excerpt (also included below) from Byron's "Don Juan". Here are the student instructions, also with the first three questions (one Group Member will be the questioner - much like in what we did earlier in the year with some of the Macbeth and Twelfth Night scenes. Please see my page on Group Work for more on the how and why of Group Work.
The second page has the poem "Darkness" which may have been covered in the previous lesson, but is referenced here again - and it will also show up in a couple of months when we get to Tom Stoppard's Arcadia.
"Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" Canto IV - Partner Work
"Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" Canto IV - Partner Work
This is the older of the two Group Works and it is also an excerpt (also included below) from Byron's "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage". The first page has the text of the excerpt. The first three stanzas, each student will examine (and answer the questions) by themselves - and then they will find a partner for the rest. Please see my page on Group Work.
The first page has the excerpt from "Childe Harold" - don't let them use the text book - none of the questions require any footnotes from that book.
Remote Enhancements
Remote Enhancements
Group or Partner Work works great remotely - or it can be done solo or as an offline assignment.
Every year, I struggled with the order of these last Romantic Poets (Keats, Shelley). I believe that I finally (after some 25 years) came to what I think was the best order for getting the most out of these incredible poems - and ensuring that they have the impact that they deserved. First we do three poems by Keats - then we read about those by Shelley - and finally we end our Unit on The Romantic Poets, by going back to John Keats - and the students act out - then we discuss one of greatest poems every written in English: "Ode on a Grecian Urn". For this lesson - we first read aloud and discuss "When I Have Fears", and then the students will plan and act out the very dramatic, "La Belle Dam sans Merci". Finally, we will quickly (there won't be much time - read "Ode to a Nightingale" aloud - stopping and discussing as we go through it. This may take more than one period unless you are the dreaded block scheduling.
WHAT CAME BEFORE:
WHAT CAME BEFORE:
Thoughts on the Lesson
Thoughts on the Lesson
I'm really not sure why I changed from "Childe Harold" to "Don Juan". Perhaps I just wanted a change after a number of year - and I always wished that I could do both of these. I do know that the students really responded to them. For many students - Byron became the favorite poet that we did all year.
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