First of all, the very notion of form sounds restrictive and my students already resist the idea that there is a craft to be learned when writing poetry. Before writing this unit, I attempted to think through why I and so many teachers at my level avoid the discussion of form in poetry. I have found ways to help them develop an understanding and even an intimacy with many poetic elements, especially image, metaphor, tone, and theme. Middle school students in my classroom have always responded positively to the study of contemporary free verse poetry and to opportunities for writing this type of poetry. The unit itself should cover seven one hour class periods, but teachers will find many ways to extend or limit its scope. This unit will be a part of the year long emphasis on poetry. Because my eighth graders have responded so positively to poetry study in the past, and because I believe that the study of poetry provides a strong foundation for the study of other literary forms, I hope to find time for poetry study each week during the school year. This unit is appropriate for all three situations.

In addition, I plan to start an after school poetry club next year. I teach both an eighth grade regular Communications class (our terminology for language arts) and an eighth grade Creative Writing class. However, most of what is presented is appropriate for other middle school grades as well as for high school. I teach eighth graders in an urban middle school, and so had my own students in mind when creating this unit. The decision to write this unit stemmed from an awareness that many middle school students lack experience in both of these areas. The second objective is to create a framework that enables students to experience success in the close reading of poetry. The first objective is to introduce the concept of form in poetry and its importance to the poem's overall impact. Studying the Sonnet: An Introduction to the Importance of Form in Poetry by Lynn Marsico OverviewĪlthough this curriculum unit will focus on the sonnet and its history from Petrarch to contemporary times, two core objectives have guided its development.

Petrarchan sonnet examples by students