Discuss what you have learned about characterization. Draw a cluster chart with the center circle labeled Characterization. In the outlying circles, list ways that authors create characters. If necessary, consult the Literary Terms Handbook in your textbook to fill in the circles. Then, explain protagonist and antagonist. As you read, you will use your knowledge of character and characterization to analyze the poem.
1. Follow along in the text as your teacher reads the poem aloud. Who is the protagonist of the poem? Who are the antagonists? Write an explanation of your answers. Then, identify ways the author characterizes the protagonist and antagonists.
2. Reread the poem and make a cluster chart for the protagonist and one for the antagonists. In the outlying circles of their respective charts, write lines from the poem that serve to characterize each.
If you have difficulty applying the reading strategy, try varying your reading rate. Read the poem silently and identify the lines that are narration and those that are dialogue. Identify the speakers of the dialogue. Then, read the poem aloud and adjust your reading rate to mimic the voices of the speakers and the narrator.
Now that you have applied your knowledge of character and characterization to the poem, review your charts and write a short analysis of the characters in the poem and the means the poet uses to characterize them. When finished, share your analysis with a partner and discuss the techniques you applied in analyzing the poem.