Grades 5–12
60+ Minutes
PoetrySparksStudents will learn more about what voice is in a poem and how to describe it.
Students will generate one question and one piece of appreciation, both focused on voice, to include in their letter to a poet of their choice.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
This Spark is presented in part by the Academy of American Poets to engage students everywhere in Dear Poet, a multimedia education project that invites young people in grades five through twelve to write letters in response to poems written and read by award-winning poets.
Before you begin, students should have already chosen a poet and poem they would like to respond to. Students can choose a video from this year’s lineup of award-winning poets at Academy of American Poets’ website, or you can choose to project and watch all of the videos as a class.
We recommend setting aside at least one class period, or about one hour, for students to browse, enjoy, and connect to the poets featured this year before you begin.
STEP 1
Begin by playing a quick word association game with students. Give students 30 seconds to write down the first 5 words that come to mind when they hear the word “voice.” Write their responses on the board. This game will yield a variety of different answers (like singing, yelling, messages, etc.) and can help frame the conversation that “voice” in poetry means something different than our general understanding of the word.
Then, share with students: Though voice can be challenging to define, at its core, it refers to the unique ways a writer, or the speaker of the poem, appears in the text. Voice can be developed through a variety of techniques, including point of view, syntax, tone and word choice, and sensory details and imagery. The speaker’s voice can change from piece to piece, depending on the genre and purpose. In the next part of the lesson, students will begin exploring voice in the poem of their choice.
STEP 2
In the next step, students will read their poem multiple times and answer questions about the different components of voice that give way for the speaker of the poem. Before they begin, review these terms (you may also want to write them on the board as a reminder throughout the exercise). Links to the Academy of American Poets’ glossary of poetic terms are provided.
Educator Note: Students who have chosen the same poem can pair up in small groups of 2-4 and work through this step together.
STEP 4
For this step, make sure each student has a hard copy of their chosen poem and pages 1 and 2 of the Exploring Voice—Handouts. Students will perform a close reading of their poem and answer questions about the way their poem’s voice is expressed. On page 3, they will be asked to describe the poem’s voice, based on what they read.
After students have finished the handouts, ask for volunteers to share their description of the poem’s voice and which of the elements they felt was the most present in their poem.
STEP 5
Last, students will develop at least one piece of appreciation for the voice of the poem, as well as at least one question for the poet to include in their Dear Poet project letter. They should use the handouts they’ve already completed as their jumping off point and then write their new sentences on page 4 of the handout. Here are some things they can consider:
If students finish this step quickly, they have the option of taking this lesson on voice further by writing a poem of their own that emulates the voice of the poet they chose. Have students choose one of the elements from page 1 of the handout and write their own poem that mirrors the way that technique is used, with their own content.
STEP 6
Finally, ask students to find a partner and share what they learned about voice from their close readings and if they plan on incorporating any of what they learned in their writing, moving forward.
Optional Extension: Give all students the opportunity to write the emulation poem mentioned in Step 5! If some students have finished their emulation poems already, they can form a peer review group and provide feedback while the other students write their drafts.
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