A. Introduction

1. Writing

* Ask students to write about their feelings about poetry, in a short paragraph, a few sentences or a few words. Ask students to put their names on the papers. Save them to be returned at the end of the poetry unit.

2. Brainstorm

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Going from the general to the specific enables the instructor to focus in on the theme, introduce the topic and find out what the students know and think about poetry. Saving the writing and flip chart papers can assist the instructor and the students to evaluate their learning upon completion of the unit.


* Brainstorm the word "poetry" for 10 - 15 minutes with your class, recording on a flip chart. This could also be done by individual students, with the results posted on the wall afterwards.

* Then brainstorm and discuss "Canadian poetry."
* Finally, brainstorm "Canadian women poets."
* Save the records of the brainstorms for use at the end of the chapter.


B. Theme: Motherhood

In this section there are poems from the point of view of mothers, children and grandchildren.

Their Time*
Reading 186

1. Reading: Several poems

* Spend 15 - 30 minutes introducing, reading and discussing each of the following poems and their authors:

  • "The Mother" and "Green Rain" by Dorothy Livesay
  • "Their Time" by Linda McDonald
  • "Repetitions for My Mother" by Lorna Crozier
  • "completely seduced by motherhood, from now on I will call you not-mother" by di brandt
  • "Step Son" by Kate Braid
  • "Hibernation" by Patricia Young
Repetitions for My Mother*
Reading 187		 Step Son*
Reading 188		 Hibernation*
Reading 189

* Introduce only one or two poems per session. Before reading any poem, you might give a brief biographical sketch of each author, show photographs if possible and pass around any of their books, or anthologies and periodicals in which their poems have been published.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Some of the poems are reproduced at the end of this chapter. Dorothy Livesay's works are available in most libraries and bookstores.


* Introduce any new or difficult vocabulary.
* Discuss any phrases or metaphors that might present problems.

2. Guided discussion and review

* After the group has read all the poems, over several sessions, discuss the similarities and relationships between them. Some questions to consider:

  • What is the theme of "Green Rain?" What do you think the author is trying to say?
  • What are the similarities between "Green Rain" and "Their Time"? Is this common emotion timeless or has it changed from generation to generation?
  • What are the similarities between Dorothy Livesay's poem "The Mother" and di brandt's poem which begins "completely seduced. . ."?
  • Why does di brandt want to call her mother "not-mother"?
  • How does Kate Braid stamp a date onto her poem? (The word "dude".)

3. Follow-up activities

* Make a collage: Look through magazines for pictures that could be used to illustrate the poems; this could be done individually, in pairs or in larger groups; make collages to be posted around the room; the titles of the poems, authors' names or lines from the poems could be sprinkled throughout the collage.

* Write: Choose the poem that you like best or that has the most meaning for you, and write a paragraph outlining your feelings

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
If your books are full of poems that are too hard to read, copy some of the easier ones and ask students to look through the resulting collection.

* Research: Ask students to look through the books for other poems that would fall under this theme and share them with the group.

Write a poem: For reluctant writers, try formula poems, which are fun and gratifying. Here is one example:

line 1: first name
line 2: four adjectives describing yourself in a positive way
line 3: mother (father, son, daughter) of _____________
line 4: lover of (list 3 things)
line 5: who feels (list 3 things)
line 6: who fears (list 3 things)
line 7: who would like to ________________________
line 8: last name

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I got this idea from an article by Sara Garfield in the Journal of Reading (vol. 37, no. 1, Sept. 1993) and have used it several times with my classes.

Mary
sensitive, warm, kind, gentle
mother of Stephen and Rose
lover of pizza, music and birds
who feels everyone is created for something special
who fears hatred, thunderstorms and silence
who would like to learn one new thing every day
Jones


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