This Unit, we spent the first few weeks understanding how authors develop complex characters and did several practices of analyzing two different texts with similar ideas and connecting these to each other as well as to the world. The first few weeks of the second quarter were spent looking at poetry, different types of poetry and how poetry connects to the larger world. We studied different poetic techniques such as figurative language, imagery, sound devices etc. Lastly, right now we are looking at how poetry such as song lyrics or slam poetry can be used to communicate ideas, looking at protest songs from the 20th century.​

Enduring Understanding: Poetry

Poetry can be found anywhere one wants to find it. To me, poetry has nothing to do with rhymes but is literature, any text with special intensity of the expression of feelings and ideas using specific poetic devices. To gain understanding of the poet’s message is rather difficult, as poetry uses figurative language and more enduring analysis is required to understand a message. In class we read the poems “Birches” and “Mending Walls” by Robert Frost which I found very difficult to understand, and had to read at least 6-7 times until I understood the slightest bit of the reader’s message.

Reflection on Standards