Feminism and Self-Respect in Sula

Lesson 16
icon/ela/white

ELA

Unit 8

10th Grade

Lesson 16 of 21

Objective


Analyze how Denise Levertov uses structure and other poetic techniques to highlight her perspective on marriage.

Readings and Materials


  • Poem: “About Marriage” by Denise Levertov 

Fishtank Plus

Unlock features to optimize your prep time, plan engaging lessons, and monitor student progress.

Target Task


Writing Prompt

How does Levertov use structure and other poetic techniques to reveal the speaker’s perspective on marriage?

Sample Response

Upgrade to Fishtank Plus to view Sample Response.

Key Thinking


Annotation Focus

What words, lines, and phrases reveal the speaker’s perspective about marriage? What is Levertov doing with language in these words, lines, and phrases? 

Scaffolding Questions

Who is the speaker and what is her situation? How do you know? 

According to the speaker, what is the difference between marriage and wedlock? What are the connotations and denotations of each word? How do they inform our understanding of the speaker’s tone?

What does the image of a green airy space connote? Why is this significant to the speaker? How does it help her to convey her perspective on marriage?

Discourse Questions

What is the speaker’s perspective on marriage? 

How is the speaker’s perspective on marriage similar to or different from Nel’s? Eva’s? 

Homework


Watch and take note of Beyonce’s visual album Lemonade. You may reference the lyrics to her song while watching. 

  • Annotation Focus: What does Lemonade teach us about being a black woman? About feminism? About expectations for women who are in relationships with men? About friendships among black women? 

Enhanced Lesson Plan

Fishtank Plus Content

Bring your most engaging lessons to life with comprehensive instructional guidance, detailed pacing, supports to meet every student's needs, and resources to strengthen your lesson planning and delivery.

Standards


  • LO 1.3A — Analyze how literary elements interact to develop the central ideas of a work of literature.
  • LO 1.3B — Analyze how the writer's use of stylistic elements contributes to a work of literature's effects and meaning.
  • RL.9-10.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • 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 2.3A
LO 2.3B
LO 2.3C
LO 5.1A
LO 5.1B
SL.9-10.1
W.9-10.2

Next

Synthesize ideas about marriage, sex, and love across Sula and “About Marriage.”

Lesson 17
icon/arrow/right/large

Lesson Map

A7CB09C2-D12F-4F55-80DB-37298FF0A765

Request a Demo

See all of the features of Fishtank in action and begin the conversation about adoption.

Learn more about Fishtank Learning School Adoption.

Contact Information

School Information

What courses are you interested in?

ELA

Math

Are you interested in onboarding professional learning for your teachers and instructional leaders?

Yes

No

Any other information you would like to provide about your school?

We Handle Materials So You Can Focus on Students

We Handle Materials So You Can Focus on Students

We've got you covered with rigorous, relevant, and adaptable ELA lesson plans for free