Guide to Setting Up a Poetry Seminar
When we finished this poetry activity, my students actually said, “That was fun! When can we do it again?”
I said, “Y’all do realize you just analyzed and discussed poetry, right?”
It didn’t matter.
They were invested in it.
So, what was this magical activity?
A Poetry Seminar!
I know it might sound intense, but ALL of my classes love doing it.
Personally, I think it’s because they are able to share their thoughts and feelings about life in a safe space.
They don’t even realize they are comparing and contrasting their personal opinions with that of the author.
At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, doing a week-long poetry seminar with my middle schoolers is magical.
If you want some of this poetry magic with your students, follow these steps for hosting a poetry seminar.
Poetry Seminar Steps:
Start with an author study
A lot of times, the author brings their life story into their poetry. At the very least, it provides influence.
For the poetry seminar I just created, I have students complete an author investigation by watching a video, reading an article, and clicking through images that portray the author’s life.
From there, they will write an obituary for the author that includes the information they learned.
2. Teach vocabulary
It’s no secret that some of the language in poetry can be obscure and it can hinder their understanding of the poem.
In order to remove this barrier, teach the hard to understand words beforehand.
I include the word, meaning, example sentence, and related GIF. Make sure you say the words for the students so they can hear how they are pronounced. With my southern dialect, I have to look this up in order to make sure I’m saying it correctly. 😂
3. Allow time for annotations
In order to talk about the poem, students need to have time to understand it.
In my classroom, I really push active reading skills. If we are analyzing a text, I want them reading with a pencil or pen in their hand. I found that if I just told my students to read, they would stare at the paper and not really understand what’s happening in the poem or story. With a lot of my classes, I have to be super structured with the annotation expectations.
For each stanza, I have students focus on their reactions, what the author is saying, questions they have, and imagery.
4. Set up your classroom
The most important thing is that students should be in a circle. This way they can see each other easily during the discussion. I usually sit on a stool outside the circle.
I like to put the tables at the perimeter of the room and pull the chairs into a circle in the middle of the classroom. Students bring their poem, pencil, and something to bear down on for writing (book/individual whiteboard/clipboard).
You can also reserve your media center for this activity.
5. Set a classroom goal
6.students set a personal goal
The goal could be anything you want your students to gain from studying this poem. I typically have the goal of understanding how the theme is developed throughout the course of the poem. Your classroom goal is to simply understand the poem.
I write the classroom goal on the board.
For students who don’t like to speak in class, this could be to contribute to the classroom discussion at least three times.
For students who like to dominate the discussion, it could be to contribute to the class discussion five times and let others speak.
You will always have those students who will try to dominate the conversation or not speak at all. Setting this goal beforehand will help students participate in the discussion appropriately.
7. Set up the poem
Students have already read and analyzed the poem, but they need to make it ready for discussion. Have the students number the stanzas and lines for reference during the discussion.
8. Create an initial talking point
Have the students read back over the poem and underline their favorite or most impactful line (or two lines if the lines are connected).
Starting with someone you know will be confident and working your way around the circle in a clockwise fashion, have the students read their line out loud. They should say, my favorite line is stanza 2, lines 6-7, Why should the world be over-wise,/In counting all our tears and sighs?
Even if another student has the same favorite line, it should be repeated and read aloud. This is a crucial step in getting everyone comfortable with speaking.
9. Discuss
Create questions that are open-ended and don’t necessarily have one correct answer. For example, you can have questions like, Is this poem relevant? Can someone from this time period benefit from hearing this poem? Can this poem inspire someone to take action or advocate for change? How so? What theme from this poem can we apply to our everyday lives?
Tell the students it might be awkward at first. You are going to be the one to ask the questions. However, students are not to answer you but share their ideas with each other.
Stress that no matter their opinion, they should be able to refer back to the text to support their answer.
Only one person should speak at a time! Encourage proper etiquette. “I understand what you are saying, Sarah. However, I feel Dunbar was trying to say.....” Not shouting, “That’s the dumbest answer I’ve ever heard!!” I model this ahead of time.
Remember, students are speaking with each other AND NOT YOU! This is the hardest part! Step back and let them take control of their learning and understanding of the poem. It WILL happen!! They will try to get your input. Stay silent and let them work it out.
10. Wrap up with a written response
After reading and discussing the poem, provide an opportunity for students to write about what they read.
Provide students with a prompt where they can connect what they learned about poems to their life. For example:
What is the significance of the title? How does it relate to the theme of the poem? How can you apply this theme to your life?
What is the tone of the poem and how does it contribute to the overall message? What message do you think the author would benefit from hearing?
And….that’s it!
I usually do a Poetry Seminar after we have learned how to annotate poetry and analyzed a couple of poems. It takes about a week to do the author study, learn the vocabulary, read and annotate the poem, discuss it in a seminar format, and complete the written response, but it’s time well spent!
Give it a try and let me know how it goes!
Resources to Help You
“We Wear the Mask” Poetry Seminar ON TPT
Ready to go for it? The complete resource is available and ready to download on TpT!
ELA UNLIMITED
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FREE Poetry Seminar Starter Pack!
Get started with seminars with this great freebie! It includes an author investigation sheet, poetry seminar guide, and seminar discussion questions!