Before Reading
Begin to Think about a Character
Read the About the Selection and review techniques of characterization on page 953. Begin to think about the character of Beulah. Set up a chart in your notebook so you can take notes about Beulah as you read. Make one skinny column labeled Line Number and two wider columns labeled Details about Beulah and My Comments and Questions.
During Reading
Take Notes and Respond to Character
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first stanza of the poem aloud. What do you learn about Beulah in this stanza? Think about what she says, does, and remembers. Write details in the second column of your chart. What do you wonder about her? What would you say to her about this experience? Add these ideas to the third column of your chart.
2. Continue reading on your own, filling in your chart as you go.
Fix-Up Idea: Refocus on History
As you know from reading the Prereading page, the selection makes an allusion to the Civil Rights March of August 28, 1963. With a partner, discuss what you know about the Civil Rights movement. Think about how this social context affects the action in the poem.
After Reading
Share Your Ideas
When you finish reading the poem, do a quickwrite about Beulah. Then meet with two or three of your classmates to share your ideas.