People read for different purposes. Sometimes people read to learn, to gather information, or for experience. When reading literature, you can do all of these, but most importantly, you gain experience by educating your imagination. Read section 1.4 of the Reading Resource in your textbook (page 894). Then, read the Prereading information on page 643. Considering what you know about the poem before reading, decide on your purpose for reading it. At the top of a sheet of paper, write your purpose for reading. Then, with a small group, brainstorm ideas that will help you achieve this purpose, such as questions you can ask of the text or literary techniques you can identify and analyze.
1. Read the poem on your own. Keep your purpose in mind as you read. Then, apply the ideas you brainstormed to help you achieve this purpose. Make sure you read actively, asking questions of the text and analyzing elements of the poem.
2. After you have answered the questions and analyzed the text, read the poem again. Write a paragraph describing the approach you took to the text given the purpose you set before reading.
If you have difficulty applying the reading strategy, use the Guided Reading Questions. Being an active reader requires you to ask and answer questions about the text as you read. The Guided Reading Questions will help you identify the main points of the poem. Use these questions as you read to help you interpret and understand the poem.
With a small group, share your paragraph describing your purpose and your experience. Discuss with the group how setting a purpose for reading helped you focus on certain aspects of the text and helped you better understand the content.