ENGLISH 3

UNIT 1 DISCUSSION BASED ASSESSMENT

In this Unit’s Discussion Based Assessment, you’ll be asked to do the following for each of the

stories, poems, etc. you read in the lessons:

• Summarize what you read

LESSON 1: EDGAR ALLAN POE: THE RAVEN.

It tells of a distraught lover who had mysterious visit by a talking raven. The lover, often
identified as a student, is lamenting the loss of his love, Lenore. Sitting on a bust of Pallas,
the raven seems to further antagonize the protagonist with its constant repetition of the
word "Nevermore".
Theme: grief can overcome a person's ability to live in the present and engage with society.

LESSON 2: EMILY DICKINSON

“Because I could not stop for Death,”
In the poem, a female speaker tells the story of how she was visited by "Death," personified
as a "kindly" gentleman, and taken for a ride in his carriage. This ride appears to take the
speaker past symbols of the different stages of life, before coming to a halt at what is most
likely her own grave.
Theme: an exploration of both the inevitability of death and the uncertainties that surround
what happens when people actually die.
“Much Madness is divinest Sense,”
Argues that many of the things people consider "madness" are actually perfectly sane and
that many of the things that people consider normal are, in fact, totally mad.
“My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close,”
The speaker of the poem says that her life has been cut short twice, and that she expects it
to happen at least once more at life's end. The ironic thing is that life will eventually be
limited by the soul's limitlessness—its immortality.
“The Soul selects her own Society”
a speaker justifies her decision to lead a mostly solitary life. The speaker argues that the soul
(functioning here as a kind of stand in for the speaker herself) naturally rejects the outside
world in favor of her own inner circle.
“I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died,”
the narrator is on her deathbed as she describes the progression towards her death
“My Life Had Stood a Loaded Gun”
the surface meaning is about a personified gun, but delve a little deeper into the text and
Dickinson's views on women and poetry are, perhaps, revealed: a woman and her words are
not only powerful, but in a man's world will stand the test of time.

LESSON 3: WALT WHITMAN

“I Hear America Singing,”
each person has a role and a voice that belongs only to that person, but when added to the
roles and voices of all other Americans, helps piece together the puzzle that is America

“Song of Myself,”
an ode to individuality and originality. As the end of the poem suggests, Whitman is not to
be defined or tied down. He is immortal in the sense that even after he dies, his matter will
meld into the earth, growing forth so many leaves of grass.
“A Noiseless Patient Spider,”
explores the relationship between the individual self and the larger world. The poem depicts
a spider that is isolated in space but actively sending filaments "out of itself," seeking
connection as it builds its web.
“Beat! Beat! Drums!”
The poem directly addresses the instruments of a military band, telling drums and bugle
horns to raise the alarm of war.

LESSON 4: LANGSTON HUGHES

“I, Too”
The poem depicts how racism affects African-Americans and excludes them from the literal
and figurative seat at the American table.
“Harlem”
about the possible negative things that can result when a person's dream or a wish that
could contribute to their happiness doesn't work out.
“The Negro Speaks of River”
It traces black history from the beginning of human civilization to the present, encompassing
both triumphs (like the construction of the Egyptian pyramids) and horrors (like American
slavery).
“The Weary Blues”
focuses on a singular piano player performing in an establishment on Lenox Avenue, a street
in the heart of Harlem. The voice of the poem describes the musician as he performs and
includes some of his lyrics, which represent the struggles of the African American people
during the time.

LESSON 5: ROBERT FROST

“The Road Not Taken”
describes a person standing at a fork in the road in a wood, unsure which one to take. Frost
uses the road as a metaphor for the journey of life. Each decision we make is like a turn in
the road, and choosing what to do with our lives can be like choosing which turn to take at a
fork in the road.
“Acquainted with the Night”
describes a lonely nighttime walk throughout a city. During this aimless wandering, the
speaker grapples with a sense of overwhelming despair that seems to cut the speaker off
from the world that surrounds them.
“Nothing Gold Can Stay”
emphasizes the fleeting nature of youth, beauty, and life itself. As trees lose their leaves and
then the buds, leaves and blooms reappear the following spring, so people age and
eventually pass from the earth. This is part of the cycle of life and death, and rebirth.
“Out, Out”
tells the tragic tale of a boy injured in an accident. Just as he is about to go in for his dinner,
his arm gets caught in a buzz saw—he loses his hand, and subsequently dies from blood
loss. The poem is thus a stark reminder of the fragility of life, and that tragedy can happen
to anyone at any time.

LESSON 6: OTHER POETS

Gwendolyn Brooks
“Life for My Child is Simple”
is showing how a young mother feels as though her children have deprived her of happiness
and she regrets the life she has chosen.
“Primer for Blacks”
encourages black people to embrace blackness and demystifies the analogy of white
supremacy.

Rita Dove
“Adolescence III”
is about a young girl who is growing up with a single mother. She works in the field with her
mom, and they are poor. The main character, the poor girl, dreams of a better life, nicer
things, and her “Prince Charming.”

“Testimonial”
The speaker is clearly looking back on her memories as a child and, with the last stanza, she
connects her childhood life with her present life.

Billy Collins
“The Man in the Moon”
Collins seeks out the man in the moon as he is travelling through the dark mountains. The
man in the moon is there for him in his time of need. Collins perspective of the man in the
moon transforms from a scared and uneasy mindset, into almost a friendship, that he is
grateful for.

“Forgetfulness”
Collins takes us on a journey through the loss of memory and the transition of growing
older. He ponders aging and loss, including things learned in the past that may no longer be
needed.

E.E. Cummings,
“anyone lived in a pretty how town,”
A man named anyone lives in an average town, gets married to no one, and eventually dies

Marianne Moore,
“Poetry,”
is an investigation into the mysterious art of poetry. At times ironic and serious, Moore
considers the opposing methods by which poets convey the world: intellection and
imagination. Moore explores the ways poetry appeals to our conscious thoughts and our
unconscious feelings. On the one hand, poetry is of the intellect; its interests are in “high-
sounding interpretation” and a cold understanding of the world. On the other hand, poetry
is “genuine”: language that stirs us by evoking the world instead of guiding us to an
understanding of it.

Edna St. Vincent Millay

“Recuerdo”
The poem describes two friends (or, perhaps, lovers) having a wonderful time riding a ferry
back and forth, eating fruit, and gazing up at the moon. Through its exuberant depiction of
what appears, on its surface, to be a relatively ordinary night, the poem suggests that the
best things in life don't cost much—and that good company can transform a mundane night
into something to remember.

• Discuss the main idea & theme

The main idea: what it is about, The theme: the message an author wants to communicate through
the piece.

• Define vocabulary words

• Analyze literary elements (such as characterization, setting plot and conflicts),

figurative language (such as metaphor, simile, personification, symbolism and allusion)

and descriptive language (such as tone, irony, mood and imagery)

In addition, you’ll be asked questions like the ones below for each lesson.

Lesson 1

• Have you read any of Edgar Allan Poe's work before? If so, what do you remember being

distinctive about his writing?

• What does the Raven represent in the poem? Why can it only repeat the same phrase, over and

over?

• Describe the differences in the experience of The Raven between reading, listening, and

watching the poem.

Lesson 2

• If you were assigned to write a poem right now, what theme would your poem reflect upon?

Would you discuss the value of friendship or family? Would you discuss the tragedy or joy of true

love? Or would you discuss the finality of death?

• What problems or concerns do you have in your life? What themes do those relate to?

• What effect can devices (personification, imagery, rhythm) have on a reader?

• What effect does informal capitalization and dashes have on the reader?

• What kinds of simile and metaphor did you see?

Lesson 3

• The textbook quotes Whitman as saying, "I was simmering, simmering, simmering. Emerson

brought me to a boil." This is a metaphor. What are the two things being compared? What does

Whitman mean?

• How might Whitman’s life experiences have affected his choices to write about controversial
topics at the time?

• What do you think of when you think about America?

• How does "I Hear America Singing" use cataloguing, repetition, and parallelism?

• Do you agree with Whitman's statement about America's "genius" in Leaves of Grass? Why or

why not?

• Who inspires you? If you had to write a poem in the style of "Ode to Walt Whitman," who would

you choose as your subject? Would it be a parent, coach, teacher, or celebrity?

Lesson 4

• The textbook points out how much inspiration Hughes took from the music around him, such as

blues and jazz. How are music and poetry similar?

• What experiences did Hughes have in his youth that may have affected his writing?

• Who was Hughes' intended audience? How did that affect the way he wrote?

• Why might Hughes' work have been successful and appreciated during his lifetime, while other

writers such as Whitman were not?

• When and where was the Harlem Renaissance? Who were the key figures of the time?

• What art forms were focal points of the Harlem Renaissance?

• Why do you think Langston Hughes felt that there was a need to respond to Whitman's "I Hear

America Singing"? Think about what groups were and were not represented in Whitman's poem.

• Consider the four poems you read. In your opinion, which speaker best achieves each of the

following goals?

o Captures Hughes' pride in African-American culture?

o Reflects the everyday life of African-Americans?

o Conveys the sounds of African-American speech?

o Represents the feelings of African-Americans today?

Lesson 5

• Why do you think Frost might have been able to secure a publisher in England before he was

able to find a publisher in the United States?

• What kind of professions did Robert Frost try before he became a published poet?

• What kind of successes did Frost enjoy during his lifetime?

• When have you had to make a hard decision in your life? How did you decide the path you should

take?
• Robert Frost was inspired by his surroundings in New England. What kind natural surroundings

do you find inspiring? Have you encountered anything in nature that affected your thoughts or

emotions? If not, what kind of scenery do you feel an emotional connection with?

• Consider "diction." What are some of your favorite words? Think of words that have meaning to

you as well as words that you just think sound fun, interesting, or beautiful. Examples could range

from the lengthy "cornucopia" to the quippy "folk."

• “Acquainted with the Night”

o Notice the shadowy human figures in relation to other objects in the photograph on page

938. What mood is established by the composition, or arrangement of shapes? How do

the figures appear in relation to each other?

o In what way does line 7 set the stage for lines 810? Identify the mood evoked by the

image of the interrupted cry.

o Reread lines 11-14. Identify at least two possible meaning of “the time was neither wrong

nor right.” What does this proclamation suggest about the “luminary clock”?

“Nothing Gold Can Stay”

• What is the mood of this poem? Identify the diction or imagery that most strongly establishes this

mood for you.

• “Out, Out”

o Reread lines 1 and 7. What sound is imitated by the repetition of words in these lines?

Consider Frost’s style here; how does this imagery contribute to the overall mood?

o Reread lines 13 - 18. What does the diction in these lines suggest about the accidental

meeting of the saw and the hand?

o Identify the ambiguity in the last two lines of the poem. What does their understatement

and lack of sentiment suggest about the survivors and their attitude toward the boy’s

death?

Lesson 6

Gwendolyn Brooks

• Which other poet studied in this unit does Brook's remind you of? Find two similarities between

Brooks and another poet, based on what you learned about her life and the themes of her poems.

Rita Dove

• Dove says that she enjoys writing about the "dramas of ordinary people." Which other poets who
we have studied so far seem to focus on the "ordinary people"?

• Where do you see alliteration and assonance occurring?

Billy Collins

• Collins said, "Poetry is a home for ambiguity. It is one of the few places ambiguity is honored."

You learned about ambiguity while studying the poet Robert Frost. What is the value or the

intrigue in poetic ambiguity? Do you think that ambiguity has a place in other areas of our lives?

For example, is ambiguity good in politics? In medicine? In the media?

• Read "The Man in the Moon" on page 1283. Trace the development of "him" in the poem. Who is

"him"? On which line of the poem does it become clear?

• Read "Forgetfulness" on pages 1284. What is the tone of this poem? What words or phrases help

Collins create this tone?

Other Poets

• Reflect on what makes a piece of writing a “poem.” Do poems have to rhyme? Do they need

specific line breaks? What if the words are arranged in a pattern that form a symbol or picture?

• What features are required for writing to be considered “poetry” or “poetic”?

• Think about the traditional American poetry you have studied so far in this Unit. Why do you think

modern poets decided to abandon the traditional poetic forms and structures in favor of

experimental poetry?

• Can you think of any other kind of writing, art form, or media that has both traditional and

experimental forms?

• Which do you prefer? Do you enjoy classic structures in writing, art, or film, or do you prefer

progressive, experimental forms? Why?

You should be able be to explain these concepts during the DBA:

• What are three poetic devices you know?

• What is a theme?

• What is a thesis statement?

• What is MLA in-text citations?

• What were some of the themes from the poetry you read?

9
Lesson 1: Edgar Allan Poe - "The Raven"
Summary:

 The poem describes a man mourning the loss of his beloved Lenore,
who is visited by a mysterious raven. The bird only speaks one
word, "Nevermore," which leads the narrator into a descent of
madness.

Main Idea & Theme:

 The main idea revolves around grief and loss. The theme touches on
despair, the search for meaning, and the torment of memory.

Literary Elements & Figurative Language:

 Characterization: The narrator is depicted as sorrowful and

increasingly desperate.
 Setting: The dark, eerie chamber enhances the poem's melancholic
tone.
 Plot: The progression from initial curiosity to madness.
 Conflicts: The internal conflict of the narrator’s grief and
hopelessness.
 Figurative Language: Use of metaphor (the raven as a symbol of
death), simile, personification (the raven speaking), symbolism (the
raven represents unending remembrance), and allusion (references
to mythology and religion).
 Descriptive Language: Tone (melancholic, foreboding), mood
(gloomy, despairing), and imagery (detailed descriptions of the dark
room and the raven).

Discussion Points:
  Poe’s distinctive writing style, characterized by gothic elements,
themes of death, and psychological horror.
 The raven represents eternal grief and the inescapability of death,
repeating "Nevermore" to emphasize the permanence of loss.
 Different experiences of "The Raven" can be noted when reading,
listening, and watching, as each medium brings out different
emotional responses and atmospheric details.

Lesson 2: Emily Dickinson’s Poems

Summary:

 Poems explore themes of death, madness, societal norms, and the

human condition through succinct, poignant verses.

Main Idea & Theme:

 Themes of mortality, individualism, and the complexity of human

emotions.

Literary Elements & Figurative Language:

 Personification: Death is personified as a kind driver in "Because I

could not stop for Death."
 Imagery: Vivid descriptions create strong visual pictures, such as in
"I heard a Fly buzz."
 Rhythm: Use of meter and rhyme to create musicality.
 Informal Capitalization and Dashes: These create pauses and
emphasize words or ideas, impacting the reader's interpretation and
emotional response.
 Simile & Metaphor: "Much Madness is divinest Sense" uses
metaphor to contrast society’s view of sanity and insanity.

Discussion Points:

 Potential themes for a personal poem could reflect on friendship,

love, or death.
 Concerns in personal life might relate to themes of uncertainty,
hope, or loss.
 Literary devices enhance the reader’s connection to the poem,
making themes more impactful.

Lesson 3: Walt Whitman’s Poems

Summary:

 Poems celebrate individuality, democracy, and the human spirit.

Main Idea & Theme:

 Themes of unity, democracy, and the celebration of the common

man.

Literary Elements & Figurative Language:

 Metaphor: Whitman compares his poetic development to a

simmering pot brought to a boil by Emerson.
 Cataloguing, Repetition, Parallelism: Used in "I Hear America
Singing" to create a rhythmic celebration of diverse American
workers.
 Life Experiences: Whitman’s encounters with various American lives
and historical events influenced his inclusive, expansive writing
style.

Discussion Points:

 Whitman’s metaphor about Emerson suggests his transformation

from potential to active creativity.
 America as a concept can evoke thoughts of diversity, freedom, and
opportunity.
 Whitman’s use of cataloguing and repetition highlights the collective
harmony and individuality of American people.

Lesson 4: Langston Hughes’ Poems

Summary:

 Poems reflect the African American experience, capturing both

struggles and resilience.

Main Idea & Theme:

 Themes of racial pride, social justice, and the power of music.

Vocabulary Words:

 Deferred, blues, Harlem, weary, syncopated.

Literary Elements & Figurative Language:

 Inspiration from Music: Hughes incorporates rhythms of blues and

jazz into his poetry.
 Audience: His intended audience was the African American
community, influencing his use of relatable themes and vernacular.
  Harlem Renaissance: A cultural movement in the 1920s and 1930s,
key figures included Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Duke
Ellington.

Discussion Points:

 Hughes responded to Whitman by highlighting the voices and

experiences absent in Whitman’s vision of America.
 Music and poetry both use rhythm, repetition, and emotional
expression to convey messages.
 The poems vary in how they capture pride, daily life, speech, and
contemporary feelings of African Americans.

Lesson 5: Robert Frost’s Poems

Summary:

 Poems often explore themes of nature, choice, and the human

experience in rural settings.

Main Idea & Theme:

 Themes of decision-making, isolation, and the passage of time.

Vocabulary Words:

 Diverged, trodden, luminary, ether, ambiguity.

Literary Elements & Figurative Language:

 Diction: Frost’s choice of simple, evocative words creates a clear yet

profound imagery.
 Ambiguity: Frost’s poems often leave room for multiple
interpretations, enhancing their depth.
 Tone & Mood: The mood in "Nothing Gold Can Stay" is melancholic,
reflecting on the transient nature of beauty.

Discussion Points:

 Frost’s success in England before the U.S. might relate to different

literary tastes and publishing opportunities.
 His diverse career and personal hardships influenced his themes.
 Personal connections to nature and difficult decisions mirror Frost’s
reflections in his poetry.

Lesson 6: Other Poets

Summary:
  Poems explore diverse themes from racial identity to the intricacies
of human relationships.

Main Idea & Theme:

 Themes of identity, societal norms, and personal experiences.

Vocabulary Words:

 Assonance, alliteration, ambiguity, ordinary, extraordinary.

Literary Elements & Figurative Language:

 Ambiguity in Poetry: Encourages readers to find personal meanings

and engage more deeply with the text.
 Experimental Forms: Modern poets often break traditional forms to
express new ideas and perspectives, reflecting changes in society
and art.

Discussion Points:

 Poetic Devices: Metaphor, simile, and personification are key tools

poets use to convey deeper meanings.
 Theme: The central idea or message of a work.
 Thesis Statement: A statement that presents the main argument or
point of an essay.
 MLA In-Text Citations: A method for citing sources within the text,
providing author and page number.

General Themes in Poetry:

 Themes from the poetry studied include mortality, identity, social

justice, nature, and the complexity of human emotions.

Summary of Key Concepts for the DBA:

1. Poetic Devices:
o Metaphor, Simile, Personification, Imagery, Alliteration,
Assonance.
2. Theme:
o The central topic or idea explored in a poem or literary work.
3. Thesis Statement:
o A concise summary of the main point or claim of an essay or
research paper.
4. MLA In-Text Citations:
o A method for crediting sources within the text, typically
including the author's last name and page number.