L2 CLOSE READING POETRY – LESSON PLAN PAGE 1/5

English level 2 – Unit Standard 12419Produce crafted and developed formal transactional writing

Teacher Guidelines

The following lesson plan provides examples forstudents of how to conduct a close reading andanalysis of poetic written texts from two differentgenres, namely poetry and drama.

The first task allows students to follow throughexamples taken from the Animals & Us battery henresource, at which point they may be introduced toother examples which they can read closelythemselves.

Students will then be prepared for the second task,which entails the completion of analysis of furtherpoetic texts provided in class.

Student Instruction Sheet

The first task in the following exercise willdemonstrate how to conduct a close reading of apoem and an extract from a play.You will learn howto identify a main idea in the text, explain itssignificance both within the text and beyond it, andshow how the technical features of this kind ofwriting–including language use and structure–helpto convey its ideas.

You will then conduct an analysis of this kind ontwo more texts provided by your teacher.

CLOSE READING POETRYTASK 1: FOLLOW THROUGH THE SAMPLE ANALYSIS GIVEN OF EACH OFTHE TWO EXAMPLES OF POETIC WRITING BELOW,ACCORDING TO THEFOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS.

a) Find at least one main idea in the text and explain it with reference to at least one relevant section of the text.

b) Analyse the significance of a main idea in the text with reference to social, historical, cultural, physical, political, or personal contexts.

c) Find three examples of language features using appropriate terminology, and describe each example in terms of its effect. Languagefeatures could include figures of speech, sound devices, choice of words, irony, symbolism, grammatical usage, punctuation.

d) Identify a technique used to shape the text–for example structure, or narrative technique–and analyse it with reference to at least one relevant section of the text.

[ 50 ] TAKEN FROM: ANIMALS & US: ISSUE 1: BATTERY HEN FARMING IN NEW ZEALAND

L2 C

LOSE

REA

DING

POET

RY– L

ESSO

N PL

AN

PAGE

2/5

Exa

mpl

e 1:

Poet

ry

1) M

ain

idea

:tha

t ba

tter

yhe

ns a

re d

epri

ved

of

the

life

that

bir

ds s

houl

d be

allo

wed

to e

xper

ienc

e.•

Rel

atio

nshi

p to

spe

cific

pa

rts

of

text

:des

crip

tion

of“O

utsi

de t

his

hous

e” in

sta

nza

thre

e —

the

det

ails

her

eco

ntra

st s

harp

ly w

ith d

escr

iptio

nof

life

insi

de t

he s

hed.

2)S

igni

fican

ce o

f m

ain

idea

(tha

t ba

tter

y he

ns a

rede

priv

ed):

• In

ref

eren

ce t

o ph

ysic

alco

ntex

t —

des

crip

tion

ofba

tter

y he

n sh

ed in

con

tras

tw

ith o

lder

-sty

le t

radi

tiona

l far

men

viro

nmen

t (“

orch

ard”

,“fie

lds

of c

abba

ges”

).•

In r

efer

ence

to

soci

al c

ont

ext

— t

he b

atte

ry h

en's

plig

ht is

rela

ted

to t

he e

xper

ienc

e of

som

e hu

man

s:(i)

Bat

tery

she

d de

scri

bed

like

sub-

stan

dard

hum

an

tene

men

ts.

(ii)

Bird

s ar

e de

scri

bed

as c

ut

off f

rom

nat

ure

like

som

e hu

man

s in

citi

es.

3)T

hree

lang

uage

fea

ture

s:•

Iro

ny:

(i) “

We

can'

t gr

umbl

e ab

out

acco

mm

odat

ion”

:lite

rally

th

is s

houl

d m

ean

that

the

re is

not

hing

to

com

plai

nab

out,

but

the

oppo

site

bec

omes

app

aren

t w

hen

the

acco

mm

odat

ion

is d

escr

ibed

.(ii

) “G

od m

ade

us a

ll qu

ite d

iffer

ently

,/ a

nd b

less

ed u

s w

ith t

his

expe

nsiv

e ho

me”

:lite

rally

thi

s m

eans

tha

tea

ch li

ving

cre

atur

e is

tre

ated

as

an in

divi

dual

,but

th

e re

st o

f the

poe

m s

how

s th

e op

posi

te is

tru

e in

the

case

of b

atte

ry h

ens.

• App

eal t

o d

iffer

ent

sens

es (

touc

h,si

ght,

smel

l,he

arin

g):

(i) “

alw

ays

dry”

,“pa

inte

d w

hite

”,“t

he r

ain

drum

s”,

“war

m a

ir”,

“sm

ell o

f chi

cken

shit”

– t

he e

ffect

is t

o m

ake

the

plac

e de

scri

bed

seem

ver

y re

al t

o th

e re

ader

.

• R

epet

itio

n:(i)

“Li

sten

”,in

sta

nza

thre

e –

the

effe

ct is

to

mak

e th

e vo

ice

spea

king

the

poe

m s

eem

urg

ent,

whi

le a

t th

e sa

me

time

conn

ectin

g w

ith o

ther

ref

eren

ces

to

soun

d in

the

poe

m,a

nd r

emin

ding

the

rea

der

of t

heco

nsta

nt n

oise

insi

de t

he b

atte

ry s

hed.

The

re

latio

nshi

p to

the

titl

e th

en b

ecom

es ir

onic

.

4) A

tec

hniq

ue u

sed

to s

hape

the

tex

t:•

Dir

ect

addr

ess

to r

eade

r:T

he p

oem

use

s th

e fir

st p

erso

n (“

we”

and

“I”

) an

d th

ese

cond

per

son

“you

”):m

akes

the

sce

ne v

ery

vivi

d,as

thou

gh t

he r

eade

r is

pre

sent

;als

o su

gges

ts t

he r

eade

rha

s di

rect

invo

lvem

ent

in o

r re

spon

sibi

lity

for

the

bird

's si

tuat

ion.

Bro

ck,E

dwin

.Son

g of

the

Bat

tery

Hen

:Sel

ecte

d P

oem

s,(1

959-

1975

).L

ond

on:

Sec

ker

& W

arbu

rg,1

977.

[Pag

e 95

of

reso

urce

bo

ok.

]

We

can'

t gru

mbl

e ab

out a

ccom

mod

atio

n:

we

have

a n

ew c

oncr

ete

floo

r th

at's

alw

ays

dry,

four

wal

ls th

at a

re

pain

ted

whi

te, a

nd a

she

et-i

ron

roof

the

rain

dro

ps o

n. A

fan

blow

s w

arm

air

bene

ath

our

feet

to d

ispe

rse

the

smel

l

of c

hick

ensh

it an

d, o

n du

ll da

ys,

fluo

resc

ent l

ight

ing

sees

us.

You

can

tell

me:

if y

ou c

ome

by

the

nort

h do

or, I

am

in th

e tw

elft

h pe

n

on th

e le

ft-h

and

side

of t

he th

ird

row

from

the

floo

r; a

nd in

that

pen

I am

usu

ally

the

mid

dle

one

of th

ree.

But,

even

with

out d

irec

tions

, you

'd

disc

over

me.

I ha

ve th

e sa

me

oran

ge-

red

com

b, y

ello

w b

eak

and

aubu

rn

feat

hers

, but

as

the

door

ope

ns a

nd y

ou

hear

abo

ve th

e el

ectr

ic fa

n a

kind

of

one-

wor

d w

ail,

I am

the

one

who

sou

nds

loud

est i

n m

y he

ad.

Son

g of

the

bat

tery

hen

List

en. O

utsi

de th

is h

ouse

ther

e's

an

orch

ard

with

sm

all m

oss-

gree

n ap

ple

tree

s; b

eyon

d th

at, t

wo

fiel

ds o

f

cabb

ages

; the

n, o

n th

e fa

r si

de o

f

the

road

, a b

roile

r ho

use.

Lis

ten:

one

cock

erel

gro

ws

out o

f the

re, a

s

tall

and

prou

d as

the

firs

t hou

r of

sun

.

Som

etim

es I

stop

cal

ling

with

the

othe

rs

to li

sten

, and

won

der

if h

e he

ars

me.

The

next

tim

e yo

u co

me

here

, loo

k fo

r m

e.

Not

ice

the

way

I so

und

insi

de m

y he

ad.

God

mad

e us

all

quite

diff

eren

tly,

and

bles

sed

us w

ith th

is e

xpen

sive

hom

e.

ee

ee

∑∑

∑∑

∑∑co

ntin

ues

...

TAKEN FROM: ANIMALS & US: ISSUE 1: BATTERY HEN FARMING IN NEW ZEALAND

L2 C

LOSE

REA

DING

POET

RY– L

ESSO

N PL

AN

PAGE

3/5

Exa

mpl

e 2:

Pla

yscr

ipt

1) M

ain

idea

:tha

t th

e si

tuat

ion

of

batt

ery

hens

and

wo

men

can

be

com

pare

d in

tha

tth

e in

divi

dual

fre

edo

m o

f ea

ch is

co

nfin

ed

by a

n “i

ndiff

eren

t sy

stem

”.•

Rel

atio

nshi

p to

spe

cific

par

ts o

f te

xt:B

ron'

sre

actio

n to

bei

ng p

ut in

the

cag

e,an

d he

rm

emor

ies

of b

eing

out

side

it.

2) T

hree

lang

uage

fea

ture

s:•

Iro

ny:

(i) “

Wel

com

e to

blo

ck 4

320A

….W

e ho

pe y

our

stay

her

e w

ill b

e a

plea

sant

one

.”:G

eorg

ia s

ees

the

batt

ery

shed

as

if it

is a

sub

urb

they

hav

em

oved

to

by c

hoic

e;in

con

tras

t w

ith t

he a

ctua

lco

nditi

ons

of a

bat

tery

she

d,th

is m

akes

us

won

der

how

idea

l the

act

ual s

ubur

bs r

eally

are

.

• D

iffer

ent

voca

bula

ries

of

diff

eren

tch

arac

ters

help

est

ablis

h th

eir

vari

ous

pers

onal

ities

and

re

spon

ses

to t

he s

ituat

ion:

(i) B

ron:

“Shi

t! H

ey! Y

ou! L

et m

e ou

tta

here

!” –

yo

ung,

angr

y,id

ealis

tic,t

ries

to

resi

st o

r es

cape

.(ii

) G

eorg

ia:“

The

bra

cing

air

and

ele

vate

d vi

ews

are

feat

ures

of t

his

loca

tion”

– m

iddl

e-cl

ass,

com

plac

ent,

delu

ded

abou

t he

r re

al s

ituat

ion.

(iii)

Valm

ai:“

Cal

m d

own

dear

.Tak

e it

easy

” –

mot

herl

y,nu

rtur

ing,

resi

gned

to

the

stat

us q

uo.

• P

uns:

“get

stu

ffed”

,”la

nd o

f the

long

flu

ores

cent

tub

e”,“

You'

ll ge

t to

ughe

ned

up

doin

g th

at”.

The

effe

ct o

f the

hum

our

is t

o ke

epth

e au

dien

ce e

ngag

ed w

ith t

he c

hara

cter

s ev

enth

ough

the

ir s

ituat

ion

is v

ery

blea

k;at

the

sam

etim

e,th

e pu

ns k

eep

rein

forc

ing

the

com

pari

son

betw

een

the

cond

ition

s of

som

e hu

man

s an

d of

batt

ery

hens

.

Farr

ell,

Fio

na.C

hook

Cho

ok.I

n P

layl

unch

Fiv

e Sh

ort

New

Zea

land

Pla

ys.E

d.P

rent

ice,

Chr

isti

ne a

nd L

isa

War

ring

ton.

Ota

go:U

nive

rsit

y o

f O

tago

Pre

ss,1

996.

[Pag

e 90

of

reso

urce

bo

ok]

TAKEN FROM: ANIMALS & US: ISSUE 1: BATTERY HEN FARMING IN NEW ZEALAND

L2 C

LOSE

REA

DING

POET

RY– L

ESSO

N PL

AN

PAGE

4/5

Exa

mpl

e 2:

Pla

yscr

ipt

3) S

igni

fican

ce o

f m

ain

idea

(th

at b

oth

batt

ery

hens

and

wo

men

exp

erie

nce

conf

inem

ent

by s

yste

ms)

:•

In r

efer

ence

to

phys

ical

co

ntex

t –

disc

ussi

on a

bout

the

art

ifici

ality

of t

heba

tter

y ca

ges

(“flu

ores

cent

tub

e”,“

gree

npe

llets

”) in

com

pari

son

with

nat

ural

envi

ronm

ent

outs

ide

(“T

he s

un,s

hini

ngev

ery

day”

,“Tr

ees

and

gras

s gr

een”

).•

In r

efer

ence

to

soci

al c

ont

ext

– G

eorg

iade

scri

bes

the

batt

ery

cage

s as

if t

hey

are

apl

easa

nt s

ubur

b;im

plie

s a

conn

ectio

nbe

twee

n th

e co

nfin

emen

t of

hen

s an

d th

e“e

ntra

pmen

t” o

f sub

urba

n w

omen

.

4) A

tec

hniq

ue u

sed

to s

hape

the

tex

t:•

Intr

odu

ctio

n o

f a

new

cha

ract

erO

nce

the

situ

atio

n an

d fir

st s

et o

fch

arac

ters

hav

e be

en e

stab

lishe

d,Br

on's

arri

val f

rom

“ou

tsid

e” s

ets

up a

ser

ies

ofco

nflic

ts a

nd c

ontr

asts

bet

wee

n ho

w t

hing

sar

e in

side

the

she

d,an

d th

e lif

e th

at t

hech

arac

ters

can

not

have

.

Farr

ell,

Fio

na.C

hook

Cho

ok.I

n P

layl

unch

Fiv

e Sh

ort

New

Zea

land

Pla

ys.E

d.P

rent

ice,

Chr

isti

ne a

nd L

isa

War

ring

ton.

Ota

go:U

nive

rsit

y o

f O

tago

Pre

ss,1

996.

[Pag

e 90

of

reso

urce

bo

ok]

TAKEN FROM: ANIMALS & US: ISSUE 1: BATTERY HEN FARMING IN NEW ZEALAND

L2 C

LOSE

REA

DING

POET

RY– L

ESSO

N PL

AN

PAGE

5/5

TA

SK

2:A

NA

LYS

E T

WO

FU

RT

HE

R E

XA

MP

LE

S O

FP

OE

TIC

WR

ITIN

G S

UP

PL

IED

BY

YO

UR

TE

AC

HE

RA

CC

OR

DIN

G T

O T

HE

FO

LL

OW

ING

IN

ST

RU

CT

ION

S.

a) F

ind

at le

ast

one

mai

n id

ea in

the

tex

t an

d ex

plai

n it

with

ref

eren

ce t

o at

leas

t on

e re

leva

nt

sect

ion

of t

he t

ext.

b) A

naly

se t

he s

igni

fican

ce o

f a m

ain

idea

in t

he t

ext

with

ref

eren

ce t

o so

cial

,his

tori

cal,

cultu

ral,

phys

ical

,pol

itica

l,or

per

sona

l con

text

s.

c) F

ind

thre

e ex

ampl

es o

f lan

guag

e fe

atur

es u

sing

app

ropr

iate

ter

min

olog

y,an

d de

scri

be e

ach

exam

ple

in t

erm

s of

its

effe

ct.L

angu

age

feat

ures

cou

ld in

clud

e fig

ures

of s

peec

h,so

und

devi

ces,

choi

ce o

f wor

ds,i

rony

,sym

bolis

m,g

ram

mat

ical

usa

ge,p

unct

uatio

n.

d) Id

entif

y a

tech

niqu

e us

ed t

o sh

ape

the

text

— fo

r ex

ampl

e st

ruct

ure,

or n

arra

tive

tech

niqu

e —

and

ana

lyse

it w

ith r

efer

ence

to

at le

ast

one

rele

vant

sec

tion

of t

he t

ext.