Home, Grief, and Storytelling in Men We Reaped

Lesson 2
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ELA

Unit 9

10th Grade

Lesson 2 of 22

Objective


Analyze how multiple poetic techniques work together to create a unified meaning in Howes’ "The Homecoming."

Readings and Materials


  • Poem: “The Homecoming” by Barbara Howes 

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Target Task


Writing Prompt

How does Howes use poetic elements such as structure, imagery, and/or figurative language to convey meaning about returning home in Howes’ "The Homecoming"?

Sample Response

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Key Thinking


Annotation Focus

Annotation focus for 1st read: What is the story of the poem?

Annotation focus for 2nd read: What literary devices and evidence does Howes use to build the story of the poem?

Annotation focus for 3rd read: What central ideas does Howes ultimately convey about coming home?

Scaffolding Questions

What lines does Howes introduce and conclude her poem with in the first and last stanzas? What is the significance of this line? What effect does the repetition have on the overall meaning of the poem?

Zoom in on the imagery of the ruby beacon. How does Howes describe the movement of the beacon? What is noteworthy about the way the beacon moves? How does it compare to the first line of the poem?

Consider the second stanza. How does the tone shift in this section of the poem? In other words, how does the tone in this stanza compare to the tone in the previous stanza? What words and phrases support the shift in the tone?

Zoom in on the metaphor "voyager of mind." What does this metaphor mean literally?  What does it mean figuratively? How does it contribute to the overall meaning of the poem?

What distinction does the poem make between those who return home and those who do not? How does understanding this distinction help one to understand the overall meaning of the poem?

Discourse Questions

In what ways does the structure of the poem mirror the central idea that Howes conveys?

Homework


Read and annotate The Yellow House, pages 52 to 98. 

  • Annotation focus: 
    • What historical and social context of the Gulf South does Sarah Broom provide?

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Standards


  • LO 1.3B — Analyze how the writer's use of stylistic elements contributes to a work of literature's effects and meaning.
  • RL.9-10.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

Supporting Standards

LO 1.3A
LO 2.3A
LO 2.3B
LO 2.3C
LO 5.1A
LO 5.1B
LO 5.2A
LO 5.2B
LO 5.2C
LO 5.2D
RL.9-10.1
RL.9-10.2
SL.9-10.1
W.9-10.2

Next

Analyze the details that Broom uses to reveal the social and historical context of New Orleans East.

Analyze the social dynamics of the neighborhood Broom describes in New Orleans East.

Lesson 3
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