How to Read Poetry
1. Look at the title of this poem. What might it mean? Write what you think down.
2. Look at the layout of the poem. Note the number of stanzas, lines, rhyme schemes and any layout that deviates from a flush left set up. Write these down.
3. Read the poem through, highlighting and paying attention to periods, commas and other punctuation marks (read it properly). During this read, also highlight words that are not familiar.
4. Look up the definitions of the highlighted words and put them right on the page.
5. Examine the poem once more. Identify any figures of speech you see and define them. Look up allusions and write them down.
6. Reread the poem again. Now, try to paraphrase the stanzas (put in your own words
succinctly).
7. Look for connotations in the word choices (positive and negative).Connotation is the
emotional added meaning of a word.
8. Determine who the speaker of the poem is
9. Finally, add a theme based on what you have paraphrased. What should we learn
from this? What is the point?
VIII. Actively read the poem “Billy Paris, below, using each of the steps I have given you. Once you are finished, show it to me and then I will give you questions 45 to 48 to answer fully.
Billy Paris
This term I don’t have a lunch period,
Too many subjects to make up.
So while I learn new nouns in Mr. Brewer’s Spanish class,
I munch on some potato chips.
Two days ago he laid down the law:
“No snacking while speaking Spanish.”
Yesterday I got even.
I pulled out from my bad
A checkered tablecloth,
Two Candlesticks,
One bowl,
One spoon,
And a thermos full of soup.
I slowly set the table,
Said a blessing (in Spanish) over the food,
And named every object with perfect accent.
Mr. Brewer stood there, dumbstruck.
Then he began to laugh.
The class joined in.
You know, school doesn’t have to be so grim.
1. Look at the title of this poem. What might it mean? Write what you think down.
2. Look at the layout of the poem. Note the number of stanzas, lines, rhyme schemes and any layout that deviates from a flush left set up. Write these down.
3. Read the poem through, highlighting and paying attention to periods, commas and other punctuation marks (read it properly). During this read, also highlight words that are not familiar.
4. Look up the definitions of the highlighted words and put them right on the page.
5. Examine the poem once more. Identify any figures of speech you see and define them. Look up allusions and write them down.
6. Reread the poem again. Now, try to paraphrase the stanzas (put in your own words
succinctly).
7. Look for connotations in the word choices (positive and negative).Connotation is the
emotional added meaning of a word.
8. Determine who the speaker of the poem is
9. Finally, add a theme based on what you have paraphrased. What should we learn
from this? What is the point?
VIII. Actively read the poem “Billy Paris, below, using each of the steps I have given you. Once you are finished, show it to me and then I will give you questions 45 to 48 to answer fully.
Billy Paris
This term I don’t have a lunch period,
Too many subjects to make up.
So while I learn new nouns in Mr. Brewer’s Spanish class,
I munch on some potato chips.
Two days ago he laid down the law:
“No snacking while speaking Spanish.”
Yesterday I got even.
I pulled out from my bad
A checkered tablecloth,
Two Candlesticks,
One bowl,
One spoon,
And a thermos full of soup.
I slowly set the table,
Said a blessing (in Spanish) over the food,
And named every object with perfect accent.
Mr. Brewer stood there, dumbstruck.
Then he began to laugh.
The class joined in.
You know, school doesn’t have to be so grim.
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