Module 4: A Thousand Voices - Discovering Poetry and Short Stories |
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| Section 4.2 Assignment Part B: Identifying Theme |
Introduction
You will remember from the last lesson that one of the main types of poems is the narrative poem. Much like a story, the narrative poem has a distinct plot and developed characters. One of the most famous Canadian narrative poems is Earle Birney's "David." In "David" two young men are working together in the woods cutting down trees for trails. They become friends and spend all their spare time hiking and climbing the mountains that surround them. The speaker is David's friend. David is the more adventurous and experienced climber, but in the end, it is the speaker who must face the most difficult challenge.
Instructions
Listen to the poem David, and follow along on page 118 of your Sightlines 10 textbook.
Read the poem with a pencil in your hand to underline any important phrases. The poem is broken into nine parts or chapters. At the end of each part, take a moment to make certain that you have understood what has happened.
Step 1: Reading Guide Use the following summary as a way to keep track of this long poem. Add a quotation to each section to keep note of the parts of the poem that you find most memorable. You may also note what images stand out in your mind from each section.
Click on the pdf icon to view the summary.
Reading summary |
Step Two: Create a well-developed theme statement for "David." Further, you must select three quotes from the poem as support for your theme statement. For each quotation, you must briefly explain why those lines are important. Click on the pdf icon to view the following example put together for the fictional poem, "Bobbie."
Theme Statement sample |
Your turn! Complete the Theme Statement template for "David"in the assignment template for this section assignment.
Click on the pdf, rtf, or doc icon to complete the assignment.
ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES
Evaluation:
Description Marks Theme Statement:
4 - Wow! Your theme statement is accurate and insightful.3 - Good! Your theme statement is accurate and clear.2 - A Pass! Your theme statement is weak and needs more development.1 - Not Yet! Your theme statement is inaccurate or imcomplete.
Quotes plus Explanations
Each set of quotes and explanations will be marked as accurate or not (one mark for the quote and one mark for the explanation).
Total:
