Lesson Overview (see also poems with notes)  

As usual on "Poems before..." day there is no quiz and you need to get started right away.  I usually stand at the door and give the handout with the poems to the students as they enter (and tell them to start looking at it right away).  For more specifics on the actual poems and songs - see the notes below next to the Poems & Songs handout and the notes on my Lesson Notes on the Poems (in my handwriting - also found below)

As with most (though not the last) Poems Before, break the students into small groups (it is usually best and quickest if you do this by just pointing.  There are 9 poems to be distributed, and some of the poems are large - you will need to purposefully make the groups for those poems larger (perhaps 3-4 students instead of the usual 2).  You should encourage those larger groups to split the especially long poems (and give these more students) into sections - tackled by mini-groups within their group.  There are also a few poems, quotes, and a song that you will do together as a class

Give the students about 5-8 minutes to prepare their poems - you will need the rest of the time to go over them (and listen to the songs) as a class.  Once they are done (or time is up) - you can begin tackling the poems together.  By now, being the 8th time I've done poems before a book this way - the students are much more comfortable - and you'll be surprised how quickly they get through it - but even more - how intelligent their interpretation is.

Once you begin the discussion, remind students that they are to write notes directly on their handouts as the group is reading the poem aloud (always how they should begin their presentation).  Anything is fine - but as always with poetry - What is the story?  What is taking place?  See my page On Poetry.  They can link it to other things - but first we need to figure out what's happening in the poem.  Here are the poems and songs  See the PDF of my copy of the Poems with my Notes - for my take on the poems - the things I'd be sure to bring up.

• "Failing and Flying" by Jack Gilbert.  Wow - so much here in this poem.  Song of Solomon has so much to do with flying - and it also has to do with the act of attempting and of little triumphs.  For thoughts on the other poems see my handwritten notes on the  poem (found in a PDF below) - Group 1

• "Wings" by Miroslav Holub  - Group 2

• "Roots" by John Piller - Group 3

• "If We Must Die" by Claude McKay - Group 4 - Song of Solomon concerns itself with the Civil Rights movement and with civil rights over a century.  This poem and the next epitomize and introduce students to the sentiments they will encounter in the novel.

• "Justice" by Langston Hughes - usually given to one student (if possible a person of color)- or read and discussed together as a class.

• from "A Wreath for Emmett Till"  - Group 5 - Emmett Till and his murder play a pivital role in the book - it's good to know as much as possible going into it.

• "In Flight" by Jennifer Sweeney - Group 6

• Longfellow Quote - read together

• "An Apple-Gathering" by Christina Georgina Rossetti  - Group 6

• "The Myth of Innocence by Louise Gluck - Group 7 (large group)

• "Guilt" by e e cummings - very small, read together

• "The Deserted House" by Alfred Lord Tennyson - Group 8

• Anita Baker quote - read together

• "Stations" by Audre Lorde - Group 9

• "This Must be the Place (Naive Melody) - song to be listened to together

• Matsuo Basho quote - read together

The bookmark for this novel has the titles of the poems on it - so it will bring this class - these ideas to the forefront as they are doing their reading.  At the end of class, remind them of what is due - there will be a quiz - and to follow their bookmarks (which have those titles from the poems on them) and read ahead.