Read the Prereading information on page 667 and the author biography on page 669. Discuss what you picture when you think of the Summer Palace and Kunming Lake, as well as Peking Opera. Then, view the photographs and illustrations provided by your teacher of these things. Close your eyes and imagine being in the audience of a Peking Opera. Then, imagine touring the grounds of the Summer Palace. Keep these images in mind when you read the poem.
1. Close your eyes and visualize the imagery as your teacher reads the poem aloud. Pay attention to all sensory details, not just the ones that appeal to sight. Work together with the class to make a sensory details chart of the images in the poem.
2. Reread the poem on your own and visualize the images presented. Write a paragraph describing the senses to which the images appeal.
If you have difficulty applying the reading strategy, try reading the poem aloud with a partner. Read aloud the first stanza as your partner listens and visualizes. Then, visualize the imagery of the second stanza as your partner reads it aloud. Continue reading and visualizing until you have had the opportunity to listen to all the stanzas read aloud.
After you read, write a paragraph describing what you visualized as you read the poem. Be sure to include descriptions of the sensory experiences of your visualization. When you are finished, share your description with another student.