1a. According to the speaker in "Poetry," poetry is finding peace in what?
2a. What emotion does the speaker associate with sitting in front of a typewriter?
3a. What is contained between the mind of the poet and the ear of the reader?
4a. What utensils does the speaker in "How to Eat a Poem" say you do not need while reading a poem?
5a. Examine the words and phrases Giovanni uses to describe a poet. What does she say poets do? feel? think? What suggestions does Merriam give to a poetry reader? How do these suggestions about "eating" translate into suggestions about "reading"?
6a. Reflect on the ideas that "Poetry" and "How to Eat a Poem" offer the reader. Do you agree with the messages? Why, or why not?
1b. What do you think the speaker means by this?
2b. Why might the poet connect this emotion with writing?
3b. Why might the speaker use this language?
4b. What does not needing special tools or utensils suggest about reading poetry?
5b. How does Giovanni see poets? How do Giovanni's attitudes about poets and poetry reflect on herself as a poet? What does Merriam believe about reading poetry? What might Merriam's attitudes about reading poetry tell you about her likes and dislikes? about her approach to new things?
6b. How do you view poetry? What does poetry offer you as a reader? What ideas would you want to convey in a poem?
Image and Imagery. Look at the cluster charts you made. In what ways does "Poetry" describe poems and poetry? What images does the poem offer? Why do you think these poets chose to use imagery in their poems? How does the use of imagery help the reader envision a clearer picture of what each poet is trying to say?
Figure of Speech. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken or written about as if it were another. This figure of speech invites you to compare the two things. Highlight the descriptions in your cluster charts that use metaphor to describe poetry and poems. How do the metaphors in "Poetry" work together to provide a vivid image of poetry? How does metaphor work in "How to Eat a Poem"? What idea does each metaphor convey? What metaphors would you use to describe writing or reading poetry?
Free Verse. Get together with a partner, and take turns reading "Poetry" and "How to Eat a Poem" out loud. Listen to the rhythm created by natural speech. Discuss the following questions with your partner. How effective is rhythm in the first poem? Would the speaker's ideas be more strongly conveyed using a traditional form of poetry with predictable rhythms and rhyming patterns? Why, or why not? Answer the same questions for the second poem.
"Poetry"
"How to Eat a Poem"
