During Reading
Complete the Chart as You Read
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first stanza aloud. What is ironic in this stanza? Fill this information in your chart.
2. Continue reading on your own. Look for other examples of verbal irony as you read. Write these examples in your chart. When you have finished reading, explain why each statement is ironic.
3. Read "A Man Said to the Universe." Look for the irony in this poem. Remember there are different kinds of irony. This poem contains a different type of irony than that found in "Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind."
Fix-Up Idea: Focus on Imagery
As you read, notice the imagery Crane uses. Visualize images such as a lover throwing hands toward the sky and a frightened horse running away. Make a picture of this in your head. What might cause this to happen? Does this image seem to be part of something "kind"? Continue to focus on imagery as you read. Keep asking if the images seem to be part of something kind?