Poetic Structure
LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING
Lesson Standards
9.1(A)
9.1(D)
9.5(A)
9.4(F)
9.5(E)
9.5(G)
9.7(B)
What will this lesson look like?
Language Objective
Success Criteria
Learning Intention
I will be able to discuss and analyze the poetic structure of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" using academic language and vocabulary related to poetry analysis.
Identify the rhyme scheme and meter of the poem.
Analyze the use of imagery and symbolism in the poem.
The goal of this lesson is for students to deepen their understanding of the poetic structure of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" and its significance within the context of African American literature and history.
Do Now
- Read the quote from Robert Frost to the left
- Reflect on the quote and share their interpretations in the chat!
Define
There are many different forms, or types, of poems, such as epics, ballads, sonnets, haiku, and free verse. A poem’s form is determined by its subject matter and poetic structure. Poetic structure describes the organization of words and lines in a poem as well as the rhyme scheme and meter. Poems consist of words arranged on a page, usually divided into lines. A group of lines in a poem is called a stanza.
Rhyme is the repetition of the same or similar sounds. The rhyme scheme of a poem is the pattern formed by the rhyming words at the ends of lines. Not all poems have rhyme.
Rhythm is the pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables in a line of poetry. A regular pattern is called meter, and it gives a line of poetry a predictable rhythm.
In addition, poets may utilize graphic elements, such as line length, word position, capitalization, and punctuation, to create meaning or add effects in poetry.
Vocabulary
poetic structure
meter
graphic element
line
a string of words in a poem, not necessarily a full sentence or phrase
the organization of words and lines as well as the rhyme and meter of a poem
a regular pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables in a line of poetry
the use of punctuation or capitalization to create meaning or add effect in poetry
Vocabulary
stanza
rhythm
rhyme scheme
rhyme
the pattern formed by the rhyming words at the ends of lines in a poem
the basic unit of a poem, made up of a series of lines
the pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables in a line of poetry
the repetition of the same or similar sounds in a poem
Directions
Review the Checklist for Poetic Structure below. Then read the Skill Model to examine how one student used the checklist to analyze poetic structure in “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” As you read, identify the question from the checklist the student used for each annotation.
Checklist for Poetic Structure
In order to identify lyric poetry and its structure, note the following:
- lyric poetry: formal poetry with regular meter, often rhyming, expressing a speaker’s thoughts and feelings, usually in the first person
- free verse: informal poetry with no regular line lengths or meter, stanzas, rhyme scheme, capitalization, or punctuation
- song: a short poem or other set of words that is set to music or meant to be sung
- couplet: a pair of successive lines that usually rhyme and have the same meter
- meter: evidence of a regular rhythmic pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables, found in both short form and long form poetry
- A syllable is stressed if it’s emphasized when said aloud, as in the beat of a song. For example, the stressed syllables of the words below are in bold:
- Mo del
- No ticed
- Unbe liev able
Checklist for Poetic Structure
To analyze structure, sound, and graphic elements across a variety of poetic forms, use the following questions as a guide:
- Are the lines organized in stanzas? If so, how many lines appear in each stanza?
- Is a regular meter or rhythm in the lines? Can you count a pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables?
- What are the effects of graphical elements, such as punctuation and line breaks, when the poem is read aloud?
- How do the structure, sound, and graphic elements contribute to the meaning of the poem?
Skill Model
Identifying and analyzing the structure, prosody, and graphic elements of poetry can help a reader better understand its effect on the reader and the poet’s intended meaning,
Let’s look at how one reader analyzes the poetic structure of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”:
The poem contains rhymes, and the speaker describes emotions. “Our” and “us” show that it’s in first person. I think it’s mostly a lyric poem, especially since it’s also a song. This stanza is about the “present.”
Skill Model
To analyze the poetic structure, the reader first determines the type of poem he is reading. He notices that the poem contains rhymes and that the speaker references various emotions, including joy (“rejoicing”) and “hope.” The fact that the poem is written in the first person indicates that the speaker feels these emotions. A poem written in the first person that expresses the speaker’s feelings and that includes rhyme is usually a lyric poem. The reader had previously learned from background information that the poem is also a song—specifically, a hymn—set to music and meant to be sung, reinforcing the idea that it is lyrical in nature. The word present tells the reader that this stanza is about the present moment, making him wonder if the other two stanzas will describe the past and the future. When he examines the other stanzas, he finds that he was correct: the first stanza describes the present moment of rejoicing over newly won freedom, the second stanza describes the terrible struggle African Americans faced during past days of slavery, and the third stanza describes the speaker’s hopes for his people’s future. The poem’s structure contributes to its meaning.
Skill Model
The reader then examines the second stanza of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” to identify the prosody, or sound effects, that are created through meter and rhyme. He counts the syllables, tries to tap out the beat, and uses colored highlighters to identify the end rhymes.
The poem does not have a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, making its meter irregular. However, it has a regular syllable pattern and a regular rhyme scheme of AABCCBDDEEFE that creates a musical effect.
Skill Model
The reader notices that the poem does not have a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, making its meter irregular or free verse. However, the reader does notice a syllable pattern throughout all of the stanzas. In each stanza, there are 10 lines: two pairs of couplets with six syllables each; two 10-syllable lines that rhyme separated by a couplet; a 14-syllable couplet, and a 12-syllable couplet. The reader also notices that the poem has a regular rhyme scheme of AABCCBDDEEFE. Together, the regular syllable pattern and rhyme give the poem a musical effect that is appropriate for a lyrical poem and a hymn.
Skill Model
Finally, the reader examines the effect of graphic elements such as line length, repeated words, and capitalization. He highlights long lines in yellow, repeated words in magenta, and capitalized words in the middle or at the end of the lines.
The pair of very long lines toward the end of each stanza stand out, creating emphasis. Repeated words at the beginning of these lines enhance this emphasis. Words that refer to God are capitalized, showing the importance of faith.
Skill Model
The reader notice that one pair of lines toward the end of each stanza are very long, suggesting that the poet wishes to emphasize them, and that repeated words at the beginning of these lines draw even more attention to this emphasis. In the third stanza, for example, the long lines serve warn the speaker’s people of the dangers of straying from God’s path or of getting caught up in the pleasures of the world and forgetting God. The reader also notes that the capitalization of Thee and God emphasize the importance of faith to the speaker.
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Poetic Structure - Lift Every Voice and Sing
Ashley Campion
Created on April 15, 2024
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Transcript
Poetic Structure
LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING
Lesson Standards
9.1(A)
9.1(D)
9.5(A)
9.4(F)
9.5(E)
9.5(G)
9.7(B)
What will this lesson look like?
Language Objective
Success Criteria
Learning Intention
I will be able to discuss and analyze the poetic structure of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" using academic language and vocabulary related to poetry analysis.
Identify the rhyme scheme and meter of the poem. Analyze the use of imagery and symbolism in the poem.
The goal of this lesson is for students to deepen their understanding of the poetic structure of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" and its significance within the context of African American literature and history.
Do Now
Define
There are many different forms, or types, of poems, such as epics, ballads, sonnets, haiku, and free verse. A poem’s form is determined by its subject matter and poetic structure. Poetic structure describes the organization of words and lines in a poem as well as the rhyme scheme and meter. Poems consist of words arranged on a page, usually divided into lines. A group of lines in a poem is called a stanza. Rhyme is the repetition of the same or similar sounds. The rhyme scheme of a poem is the pattern formed by the rhyming words at the ends of lines. Not all poems have rhyme. Rhythm is the pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables in a line of poetry. A regular pattern is called meter, and it gives a line of poetry a predictable rhythm. In addition, poets may utilize graphic elements, such as line length, word position, capitalization, and punctuation, to create meaning or add effects in poetry.
Vocabulary
poetic structure
meter
graphic element
line
a string of words in a poem, not necessarily a full sentence or phrase
the organization of words and lines as well as the rhyme and meter of a poem
a regular pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables in a line of poetry
the use of punctuation or capitalization to create meaning or add effect in poetry
Vocabulary
stanza
rhythm
rhyme scheme
rhyme
the pattern formed by the rhyming words at the ends of lines in a poem
the basic unit of a poem, made up of a series of lines
the pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables in a line of poetry
the repetition of the same or similar sounds in a poem
Directions
Review the Checklist for Poetic Structure below. Then read the Skill Model to examine how one student used the checklist to analyze poetic structure in “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” As you read, identify the question from the checklist the student used for each annotation.
Checklist for Poetic Structure
In order to identify lyric poetry and its structure, note the following:
Checklist for Poetic Structure
To analyze structure, sound, and graphic elements across a variety of poetic forms, use the following questions as a guide:
Skill Model
Identifying and analyzing the structure, prosody, and graphic elements of poetry can help a reader better understand its effect on the reader and the poet’s intended meaning, Let’s look at how one reader analyzes the poetic structure of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”:
The poem contains rhymes, and the speaker describes emotions. “Our” and “us” show that it’s in first person. I think it’s mostly a lyric poem, especially since it’s also a song. This stanza is about the “present.”
Skill Model
To analyze the poetic structure, the reader first determines the type of poem he is reading. He notices that the poem contains rhymes and that the speaker references various emotions, including joy (“rejoicing”) and “hope.” The fact that the poem is written in the first person indicates that the speaker feels these emotions. A poem written in the first person that expresses the speaker’s feelings and that includes rhyme is usually a lyric poem. The reader had previously learned from background information that the poem is also a song—specifically, a hymn—set to music and meant to be sung, reinforcing the idea that it is lyrical in nature. The word present tells the reader that this stanza is about the present moment, making him wonder if the other two stanzas will describe the past and the future. When he examines the other stanzas, he finds that he was correct: the first stanza describes the present moment of rejoicing over newly won freedom, the second stanza describes the terrible struggle African Americans faced during past days of slavery, and the third stanza describes the speaker’s hopes for his people’s future. The poem’s structure contributes to its meaning.
Skill Model
The reader then examines the second stanza of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” to identify the prosody, or sound effects, that are created through meter and rhyme. He counts the syllables, tries to tap out the beat, and uses colored highlighters to identify the end rhymes.
The poem does not have a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, making its meter irregular. However, it has a regular syllable pattern and a regular rhyme scheme of AABCCBDDEEFE that creates a musical effect.
Skill Model
The reader notices that the poem does not have a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, making its meter irregular or free verse. However, the reader does notice a syllable pattern throughout all of the stanzas. In each stanza, there are 10 lines: two pairs of couplets with six syllables each; two 10-syllable lines that rhyme separated by a couplet; a 14-syllable couplet, and a 12-syllable couplet. The reader also notices that the poem has a regular rhyme scheme of AABCCBDDEEFE. Together, the regular syllable pattern and rhyme give the poem a musical effect that is appropriate for a lyrical poem and a hymn.
Skill Model
Finally, the reader examines the effect of graphic elements such as line length, repeated words, and capitalization. He highlights long lines in yellow, repeated words in magenta, and capitalized words in the middle or at the end of the lines.
The pair of very long lines toward the end of each stanza stand out, creating emphasis. Repeated words at the beginning of these lines enhance this emphasis. Words that refer to God are capitalized, showing the importance of faith.
Skill Model
The reader notice that one pair of lines toward the end of each stanza are very long, suggesting that the poet wishes to emphasize them, and that repeated words at the beginning of these lines draw even more attention to this emphasis. In the third stanza, for example, the long lines serve warn the speaker’s people of the dangers of straying from God’s path or of getting caught up in the pleasures of the world and forgetting God. The reader also notes that the capitalization of Thee and God emphasize the importance of faith to the speaker.
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