Poetry (2020)

Lesson 9
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ELA

Unit 9

6th Grade

Lesson 9 of 17

Objective


Identify and explain the theme in the poem. 

Readings and Materials


  • Poem: ““Hope” is the thing with feathers” by Emily Dickinson 

  • Poem: “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou 

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Target Task


Question 1

Read “Hope Is the Thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickinson. Which of the following BEST expresses the theme of this poem? 

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Sample Response

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Which line from the text best supports the theme you selected above?

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Sample Response

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Key Questions


Read “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou.

  • Which line resonates with you? Explain your answer.
  • Stanza 1 describes a free bird. Which diction supports this image? 
  • Read the following lines from stanza 2 from the poem:

But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage
Can seldom see through his bars of rage

  • What is the author literally trying to convey through this imagery? 
  • Why does the poet contrast the free bird and the caged bird? 
  • What is the theme of this poem? Which stanza(s) best support your answer?

Vocabulary


theme

Notes


  • This lesson connects with a unit test question.
  • Note to Teacher: Students need to be able to use the word “theme” in two ways. Theme can be a one-worded topic (love, for instance, in Romeo and Juliet) or theme can be a statement about that topic (“young love is dangerous”). Students need to be able to use the word interchangeably because that is how the word is used socially. When students are asked to identify the theme of a text in class, however, they are always asked to identify the thematic statement. 
  • See definition of “theme” according to the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework below:
    • “Theme. Central message or abstract concept made concrete through representation in a literary text. Like a thesis, a theme implies a subject and predicate of some kind: for instance, not just vice as a standalone word, but a proposition such as Vice seems more interesting than virtue but turns out to be destructive. Sometimes a theme is directly stated in a work, and sometimes it is revealed indirectly. A single work may have more than one theme.” (Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy, 2017, page 184)

Common Core Standards


  • RL.6.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

Next

Identify and explain how the poet develops the theme.

Lesson 10
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