Rhythm and Rhyme
Go through the Prezi with your group and fill out the definitions and examples on your poetry notes sheet. Any extra questions should be answered on a separate sheet of paper.
Author's Purpose
1.) What do you think is the author's purpose for writing the poem "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" in the inference section below?
Inference in Poetry
Definition:
Inferring is the process of combining what is read with relevant prior knowledge. It is how readers create personal meaning from text.
Read the following poem:
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
by Maya Angelou
The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill for the caged bird
sings of freedom
The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
The kinds of inferences I should expect to make in this text and ways I can use the text to help me:
Assignment: Read the following prompt and answer it in complete sentences on your separate sheet of paper:
Inferring is the process of combining what is read with relevant prior knowledge. It is how readers create personal meaning from text.
Read the following poem:
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
by Maya Angelou
The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill for the caged bird
sings of freedom
The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
The kinds of inferences I should expect to make in this text and ways I can use the text to help me:
- From information about the poet
- From the title
- About words or sensory images
- About the language the poet uses
- About the form (format features) and style of the poem
Assignment: Read the following prompt and answer it in complete sentences on your separate sheet of paper:
- Go through the poem again and find at least four instances where the poet may want you to infer information (using your prior knowledge and the text). Think about what you can infer using the bulleted list above. Quote the section of text you are referencing, explain what it is that you can infer, and how you knew that.
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