Unit Syllabus
MARCH POETRY MADNESS TOURNAMENT
March Madness of Poetry
Four teams: East, West, North, and South.
Round One- 16 to 8
Each group will receive 16 poems– select the best poems based on the criteria provided.
- In the group, read each pair of poems aloud and compare them to decide which is best.
- You have two class periods to read all 16 poems.
- Use the hint provided to help you compare the two, discuss them and then vote which poem is better than the other.
- You should have 8 poems remaining.
40 points: BRACKET of 8 poems is due on
Round Two- 8 to 4
- Transfer the winning 8 poems to another group. (East to North) (West to South)
- Read each of the new poems aloud.
- The task is to once again decide which poems will make it to the next round. This time, the winner will be decided by answering 5 questions about the poems.
- For each of the poems, answer the following questions and use complete sentences:
-
- What is the poem about? (State the poem’s SUBJECT and briefly paraphrase it).
- Why did you CHOOSE this poem over the others?
- What is the speaker (or poet’s) attitude toward the subject of the poem? In other words, what is the TONE of the poem?
- What IMAGES does the poet use? (What do you see, smell, hear, taste, and feel?)
- What is the EMOTIONAL effect of these images?
- You will have two class periods to answer the questions.
- After answering the questions, decide which 4 poems you liked better.
10 points: Answers to questions for the 4 winning poems due on
Round Three- 4-2
- Transfer the winning 4 poems to another group. (East to West) (North to South)
- Read them aloud together.
- For each of the poems, answer the following questions and use complete sentences:
-
- What is the poem about? (State the poem’s SUBJECT and briefly paraphrase it). 2. Why did you CHOOSE this poem over the others?
- What is the speaker (or poet’s) attitude toward the subject of the poem? In other words, what is the TONE of the poem?
- What IMAGES does the poet use? (What do you see, smell, hear, taste, and feel?)
- What is the EMOTIONAL effect of these images?
- Rank and select the final 2 poems.
10 points: Answers to questions for the 2 winning poems by
Round Four: 2 to 1
- Use SOAPSTone and analyze/explicate the “surviving” 2 poems.
- Based on your analysis, which of the two poems is the best one?
20 points: 2 explications from SOAPSTone by
The Final Four:
The final four poems are determined by each group’s best poem selection.
- East will go against West (North vs. South)
- If there are duplicate poems, use an alternate poem(second place poem)
- Argue the reasons why your poem is better than your opponent’s poem.
- Use the criteria(5 questions and SOAPSTone) to support your argument successfully.
- The entire class will vote by secret ballot to decide the remaining 2 poems.
Championship Round of Two:
The winning groups will follow the same discussion and ranking guidelines as before and cut the two poems to one.
Final Assessment:
40 points: Use SOAPSTone and analyze/explicate the “surviving” poem in class on
East
Poems | Discussion Point |
1. Sympathy |
Both poems use an extended metaphor to explore an idea. |
3. The Raven 4. Home |
Center around an unexpected visitor appearing on a gloomy night. |
5. The moon was but a chin of gold 6. The Moon |
Based on descriptions of the moon. |
Emphasize the importance of family love, childhood memories, both happy and sad. | |
10. The Weary Blues |
Both bring music into the poems. |
11. Sea Fever 12. Crossing the Bar |
The lure of the ocean is the topic but on a deeper level, both deal with death. |
13. We Real Cool |
The message of how fleeting life, and its marvels, can be. |
16. Harlem |
The idea of the unfulfilled dream. |
West
Poems | Discussion Point |
2. Snowman |
The snowman as a symbol of childhood in winter |
3. Same Song 4. Mirror |
Mirrors and the displeasure of looking at oneself in one. |
6. Things |
Poems are things to be treasured. |
coming of age and experiencing the rush of being young and beautiful. | |
A tasty look at poetry. | |
11. Mother to Son 12. Women |
Both poems describe the struggle of African American women. |
two very stylistically different poems detailing the fall of Icarus. | |
15. Utopia 16. Utopian |
Emphasize the impossibility of the existence of a perfect place. |
North
Poems | Discussion Point |
1. America 2. I, Too |
the pain of being excluded in one’s own country. |
4. At The End |
a touching tribute to aging and emphasize the happiness of a life well-lived. |
A son’s admiration for his father encourages us to show appreciation to those who love us now rather than later. | |
two poems about baseball. | |
10. Hanging Fire |
Both of these poems dwell on the distance between mother and daughter. |
11. My Papa’s Waltz |
Both poems reveal their parents’ flaws.
|
Death is the subject of these two classics. | |
15. The Wind |
the effects of the wind, since the wind itself, cannot be seen. |
South
Poems | Discussion Point |
2. America |
Both poets share their love for America despite its flaws. |
3. To My Dear and Loving Husband 4. Sonnet 18 |
These two love letters hope that their love will live on forever |
5. My Shadow 6. Shadow Wash |
The poets playfully describe their shadows. |
7. Mr. Nobody 8. One Art |
starts off light but turns serious. |
These two poems are a celebration and encourage all women to feel empowered. | |
11. sisters 12. The Sisters |
Both of these poems touch on the special bond between sisters |
13. We Wear the Mask 14. Richard Cory |
It is clear that appearances are deceiving |
15. To Helen 16. Helen |
Helen of Troy is depicted very differently in these two poems. |