Do Now:
Semantic Mapping about Bullies/Hardship On a semantic map, brainstorm some ideas about bullies and/or hardship. Branch off from the main circle with smaller bubbles. Think about bulling tactics and what forms hardship comes in. This activity will lead into a discussion of how we can respond to bullies and hardship (i.e. what are some coping mechanisms?) |
|
Listen & Read Along:
Maya Angelou Performs "Still I Rise" Listen to Maya Angelou recite the poem, "Still I Rise," herself. Follow along on a print typescript. Think about how Angelou's expression, inflection (i.e. raised voice, dramatic pauses, etc.) and physical gestures (i.e. laughing, head bowing, etc.) contribute to the written words of the poem. |
Close Reading:
Annotations & Simile Exercise As you reread Maya Angelou's "Still I Rise," make note of the similes, and write two original similes off of the repetitive line, "Just like _______ , I'll rise." Angelou inserts objects like air and dust in that blank. Keep that in mind when composing your own. Next, consider both the connotative and denotative meaning of the poem's words. Circle the hopeful words and underline the angry words. |
i
Just like ________ , I'll rise.
|
l
|
Close Reading:
Pattern Identification for Tone & Address Examine the visual relationship between the narrator's use of the word "I" and "you" and the "hopeful" and "angry" words. Identify a pattern: Which types of words align with "I" and with align with "you"? Is the tone different when the narrator speaks about herself (i.e. "I rise") compared to when she talks to the audience (i.e. "Did you want to see me broken?")? TONE: the narrator's attitude toward the subject and toward the audience implied in a literary work. It can be formal, informal, intimate, solemn, somber, playful, serious, ironic, condescending, etc.
Write a short paragraph analyzing this relationship between tone and address. Also think about how the tone of the words come through in Angelou 's recitation of the poem. The poem is addressed to "you," bringing in the audience as recipients of the accusations and rhetorical questioning. Think about how the directness of the message - through use of "you" - impacts the tone.
|
Tone & Address Application:
Creative Writing Activity To apply what you learned about the poetic effect of tone and address through your analysis of Angelou's "Still I Rise," create your own poem that incorporates an unnamed "you" and operates around a consistent attitude or strong feeling. Provided below are five writing prompts. For all prompts, don't explicitly identify who you are addressing. Instead, incorporate clues that hint at the identity of the "you" in your poem, so readers can infer the identity. Do not worry about rhyme, but you may see fit to incorporate some other literary elements we have discussed, like metaphor, imagery, etc. However, it is unnecessary. Just remember your primary focus is tone and address. Make sure your tone is consistent and powerful. Your poem should be at least fifteen (15) lines. Select one of the writing prompts below or feel free to make up your own! |
1.
Write a poem addressed to another self - your alter ego, your future self, your image in the mirror, etc. |
2.
Write a poem to an anonymous "you," suggesting some secret connection in a mysterious or unique way. |
3.
Write a poem to an emotion as a form of catharsis. Think about anger, grief, guilt, loneliness, or happiness. |
4.
Write a poem addressed to an inanimate object. Look around the room and select a random item. |
5.
Write a poem to a family member or pet. Remember to refer to them as "you," and not by their name. |
|
Still I Rise
Maya Angelou You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies, You may tread me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? 'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops. Weakened by my soulful cries. Does my haughtiness offend you? Don't you take it awful hard 'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Diggin' in my own back yard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I'll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I've got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts of history's shame I rise Up from a past that's rooted in pain I rise I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise. |
|