1. Follow along in the text as your teacher reads aloud the first four stanzas. Jot down any difficult words that you encounter in your reading. When your teacher has finished reading, share the words you listed with the rest of the class. Then, work together to tackle the difficult words, using context clues, word parts, and dictionaries if necessary. When you have defined all the difficult words, discuss as a class the content of the poem. What has happened so far? Also, discuss the diction and word order. Does the poem seem dated?
2. Take turns with two or three other students reading the remainder of the poem aloud. Designate stanzas for reading, and stop at the end of each stanza to identify and define difficult and unfamiliar words. Use context clues, word parts, and any other strategies you find useful in tackling difficult vocabulary. Record difficult words and their definitions in your notebook.