Written by an anonymous author, “Abandoned Farmhouse” piques our interest.
It is intriguing because of its ambiguity. Each reader brings his/her
own prior knowledge to the poem and leaves, having drawn his/her own conclusions
about the characters and the events in the poem. It is open to many
interpretations. Your first challenge is to read the poem at
least once and develop your own interpretation of the poem.
When you are finished, pair up with your partner and discuss.
Abandoned Farmhouse
He
was a big man, says the size of his shoes
On a pile of broken dishes by the house;
A tall man too, says the length of the bed
In an upstairs room; and a good, God-fearing man,
Says
the Bible with a broken back
On the floor below a window, bright with sun;
But not a man for farming, say the fields
Cluttered on boulders and a leaky barn.
A
woman lived with him, says the bedroom wall
Papered with lilacs and the kitchen shelves
Covered with oilcloth, and they had a child
Says the sandbox made from a tractor tire.
Money was scarce, say the jars of plum preserves
And canned tomatoes sealed in the cellar-hole,
And the winters cold, say the rags in the window-frames.
It was lonely here, says the narrow country road.
Something
went wrong, says the empty house
In the weed-choked yard. Stones in the fields
Say he was not a farmer; the still-sealed jars
In the cellar say she left in a nervous haste.
And the child? Its toys were strewn in the yard
Like branches after a storm – a rubber cow,
A rusty tractor and a broken plow,
A doll in overalls. Something went wrong, they say.
What
do you believe happened to the man, woman, and child in the poem? Explain
using textual support.
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How did the writer create AMBIGUITY?
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Task
2: Inquiry and Identification of Poetic Devices Employed in “Abandoned
Farmhouse” (individual)
After
reading the poem, examine the following web links in order to determine which
poetic devices the poet has used in “The Abandoned Farmhouse,” and respond
to the following questions.
|
Glossary
of Poetic Devices with Examples
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~greebie/Criticism/glossary.html
|
| Basic
Definitions of Poetic Devices
http://www.mca.k12.nf.ca/subpro3.htm
|
|
|
Poetic
Devices Illustrated Through the Lyrics of Billy Joel
http://www.turnstiles.org/articles/poetic.html
|
Based on the websites you visited, explain the benefits of including
poetic devices in poetry. What purposes do they serve?
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Explain the role of personification in the “The Abandoned Farmhouse.”
Is it an important element? Support your answer.
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Identify
at least three other poetic devices that are utilized in the poem. Provide
an example for each, and explain the meaning behind each example.
| Poetic
Device
|
Textual
Reference
|
Meaning/Interpretation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Which
sensory images in “The Abandoned Farmhouse” are particularly effective in
building the desired mood
(which is _____________________).
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Look closely at the poem. Make some observations about the poet’s
style.
| Number
of stanzas
|
|
| Syllables
per line
|
|
| Marks
of end punctuation
(kinds
and frequency)
|
|
| Rhyme
scheme?
|
|
| Other
comments…
|
|
Why
is it important to look critically at these elements? What knowledge
do we gain about the poem? How do these elements contribute to the overall
mood and/or message of the poem?
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 |
Brainstorming
|
Think
of a place that would have a story to tell.
Imagine
the people that would be a part of that story.
What
event would occur there?
|
Choosing
a Setting
|
Below
are a list of possible places for the setting of your personification poem.
Feel free to check out the websites provided to get ideas. If you would
prefer, come up with your own setting, have me approve it, then visit
a website on that topic to gain more information.
|
Disney World
|
|
Eiffel Tower
|
|
World Trade Center –
NYC
 |
A Tourist Site
(pre-Sept. 11)
|
|
A Tribute to
the Victims
|
|
|
Ocean City
|
|
Gettysburg Battlefield
|
|
Yellowstone National
Park
|
|
Titanic
|
|
Space Shuttle
|
|
Other _______________________
|
|
Generating
Ideas
|
Once
you have decided what the setting of your poem is, you need to plan out the
“meat” of your poem.
- Who
are going to be the main characters? Describe them.
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- What
will your poem allude
happened to the characters? Remember that your challenge is to be
ambiguous, just like the author of “Abandoned Farmhouse.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- What
objects are present in this setting that can tell their story?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
|
Writing
Your Poem
|
In
Microsoft Word, write a poem that follows the style of “The Abandoned Farmhouse.”
Be sure that you include the appropriate stanzas, personification, a consistent
mood with includes 1. at least three ADDITIONAL poetic devices (highlighted
in different colors so that they stand out), and 2. appropriate punctuation
for the mood and tone of your poem. Do not forget to use correct grammar
and spelling. (Utilize those features in Word.)
For
help in using Word, see Microsoft Word Tutorial at http://www.baycongroup.com/wlesson0.htm
For
help in improving the vocabulary in your poem,
refer
to the Merriam-Webster dictionary and thesaurus online at http://www.m-w.com/
|
Scoring
Rubric
|
| Poetry
|
Novice
|
Apprentice
|
Veteran
|
Master
|
Score
|
| Ability
to Captivate the Reader
|
Unfocused; author seems unsure
of direction
(1-2 pts.)
|
Some focus, but lacks continuity
(3-4 pts.)
|
Well focused and interests reader
throughout.
(5-6 pts)
|
Captivates
and involves reader deeply.
(7-8
pts)
|
|
| Use
of Language and Poetic Devices
|
Imprecise
or inappropriate choice of words
(1-2
pts)
|
Expresses
thoughts marginally
(3-4
pts)
|
Appropriate
choice of language
(5-6
pts)
|
Uses
rich and imaginative language
(7-8
pts)
|
|
| Sensory
Images
|
Difficult
to visualize image or emotion
(1-3
pts)
|
Some
use of image, idea, or emotion
(4-6
pts)
|
Clear
use of sensory images to portray ideas or emotions
(7-9
pts)
|
Vivid,
detailed images and intensely felt emotion
10-12
pts)
|
|
| Punctuation
|
Arbitrary
punctuation
(1-2
pts)
|
Some
meaningful punctuation
(3-4
pts)
|
Punctuation
meaningful throughout
(4-5
pts)
|
Punctuation
enhances conveyance of thoughts and images
(5-6
pts)
|
|
Source:
Empowering Students through Negotiable Contracting to Draft Rubrics for
Authentic Assessment © 1996 Andi Stix, Ed.D., US Department of Education:
ERIC #TM027247
Extension Activity
Locate
and interpret another well-known poem that utilizes poetic devices on the
web. Listed below are several valuable resource sites to peruse and
examine.
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For
extra credit, type the analysis in Word. Include the poem and author’s
name, along with your interpretation and explanation of the use of the poetic
devices.
