Before Reading
Identify Your Purpose
Respond to the Reader's Journal question on page 497 of your textbook. Discuss your responses with a few of your classmates. Do you think these qualities are hard to find? As you read, look for the qualities the speaker seeks in a mate.
During Reading
Keep Purpose in Mind While Reading
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first stanza of the poem. What does the speaker tell the reader to do? How might these things be related to his ideal mate?
2. Continue reading the selection on your own. Keep thinking about what the speaker wants out of a mate.
Fix-Up Idea: Write Things Down
Make a cluster chart like the one on page 497 of your textbook. As you read, look for the impossible tasks the speaker lists. Add these to the cluster chart. Think about what these things have in common. According to the speaker of the poem, what do these tasks have in common with finding a mate?
After Reading
Share Your Experience
With your group from the Before-Reading activity, talk about what the speaker wants from a mate and how likely he thinks he is to find such qualities. Write a brief summary comparing your ideas to those of the speaker.
Before Reading
Preview Organization
Read about sonnet and rhyme scheme in Literary Tools on page 500. Think about other sonnets you have read and their organization. Quickly scan the end words of each line to determine the rhyme scheme. What kind of sonnet do you think this is? What do you know about the organization and development of theme in this type of sonnet?
During Reading
Use Text Organization as You Read
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first four lines. What main ideas are presented? Make a few notes in your notebook about these ideas.
2. Continue reading the selection on your own. Think about the organization of the poem. Take notes about the theme of the poem and how it is developed. In your notes, write line numbers next to key ideas.
Fix-Up Idea: Connect to Prior Knowledge
What connotations does death have for you? If death were a person, what characteristics would describe it? Keep these ideas in mind and compare them to the ideas about death the speaker presents in this sonnet. Try paraphrasing each sentence to capture what the speaker is saying about death.
After Reading
Reflect on Your Experience
With a partner, compare the notes you took about the sonnet. Break the sonnet down into parts and explain the main ideas of each part. Then write the meaning of the sonnet as a whole.
Before Reading
Make a Plan
There are many ways to track the main ideas of a selection. Choose a method to take notes on ideas as you read. You could set up a cluster chart, like the one on page 502 in your textbook, or try using an outline.
During Reading
Write Things Down
1. Listen as your teacher reads the beginning of the selection. Use your chart or outline to take notes about main ideas in the selection.
2. Continue reading the selection on your own. Keep noting main ideas as you read.
Fix-Up Idea: Unlock Difficult Words
Before reading the selection, preview the Words for Everyday Use. Read each word, definition, and contextual sentence carefully. Write your own contextual sentence for each word. Then preview the footnotes. Read each word or phrase and its explanation carefully. As you read, refer back to the footnotes to refresh your understanding of the words. Use context clues to determine the meaning of any other unfamiliar words. If you cannot understand the words using context clues, consult a dictionary.
After Reading
Summarize What You Wrote
With a partner, compare the main ideas you identified. Use your notes to help you identify the theme of the selection.