Connecting Song Lyrics and Poetry To

Create Your Own Poem Then Constructing

An Essay.
Connecting song lyrics to poetry provides a way for students to become
engaged with literature through critical analysis of a text. Students will be
able to generate connections by asking questions, pointing out references
that they find meaningful, and seeing patterns. This will also facilitate
students development to creating their own poem and essay based off of
what they have created.

Directions
1. Students will be provided all resources in order to create their own
poem. It will be split within three categories.
2. Within the first category, students will analyze the poems provided to
find any literary elements.
3. Next, students will do the same for the song lyrics.
4. Students should pick 2-3 important aspects of the poems that strike
them in order to give them an idea of what should be implemented
within their own poem.
5. After students construct their poem, they will then begin to create a
short essay consisting of five paragraphs elaborating on the
experience of creating their own poem.
*It is mandatory to take notes*
Additional Notes
The sole purpose of this assignment is to have students use their
abilities to developing a critical analysis of literature/poetry. By
having students use a literature piece then comparing it to a modern
day piece, it will give students a different perspective on where poetry
lies within society. By having students give their own narrative on
their experiencing of creating their own poem, the outcomes of the
essays should be thorough and precise.
 Poems
Mother to Son

Well, son, Ill tell you:

Life for me aint been no crystal stair.
Its had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floors
Bare.
But all the time
Ise been a-climbin on,
And reachin landins,
And turnin corners,
And sometimes goin in the dark
Where there aint been no light.
So, boy, dont you turn back.
Dont you set down on the steps.
Cause you finds its kinder hard.
Dont you fall now
For Ise still goin, honey,
Ise still climbin,
And life for me aint been no crystal stair.

-Langston Hughes

Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,
And sings the tunewithout the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

Ive heard it in the chillest land,

And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

Emily Dickinson
 Song Lyric Snippet

"Me without a mic is like a beat without a snare...

I'm sweet like licorice, dangerous like syphilis."
- Lauryn Hill on "How Many Mics," The Score

"RRRRROAW RRRROAW like a dungeon dragon,

change your little drawers because your pants are saggin'."
- Busta Rhymes on "Scenario," Low End Theory

"Claiming that you've got a new style, your attempts are futile, oooh child, your puerile
brain waves are sterile."
- Lauryn Hill on "How Many Mics," The Score

"Holding my raps, Olden is golden and black, extolling virtues of rap, with monkeys
riding my back."
- K-Os on "Emcee Murdah," Joyful Rebellion
This is an example of how to mark up a poem or song lyrics
when finding key literary techniques.
 Outline to Creating Poem

Title of Poem: ___________________________ Author: _____________________

Record your analysis here.

What key literary
elements will be
implemented?

What will be the tone of

the poem?

Quick synopsis of what

the poem will be about.

Will this poem hip-hop

inspired of classic poet
inspired? Why?

Will this poem rhyme?

Why or why not?

Explanation of why this

poem will be written in
this style.

*Do not fill out this

portion until poem is
completely done*
After finishing the poem,
how will you elaborate
on your experience on
creating your own poem
through an essay?
 Rubric for Constructing Poem

Category 4 3 2 1
Required connections Students pulled Students pulled Students pulled Students pulled
are made for both the at least five at least five less than five less than five
classic poems and the quotes from the quotes from the quotes from the quotes from the
song lyrics snippets. poems and song poems and song song poems and passage, and
lyrics provided. lyrics, but song lyrics, and also, students did
Also, could use some also, students not make any
connections are additional made an effort in making
thorough and connections. attempt to make any connections
concise. additional and responses are
connections. minimal.
Required completion Students Students Students made Students did not
of outline for creating thoroughly answered an attempt to make an attempt
a poem. answered each questions, but answer to answer all of
question with could use some questions but the questions and
reasonable help on answers could did not elaborate
answers. answering with use some more on some
more reasoning. elaboration on questions.
certain aspects.
Quality of work Handwriting is Handwriting is Handwriting is Work is difficult
clear, coherent, somewhat clear, difficult to to read, thoughts
and concise. thoughts are understand, but are not thought
Also, work is understandable, thoughts are out, and there is
well thought and there is understandable very little effort
out. some thought and work is in putting
put into it. somewhat reasonable ideas.
thought out.
 What is Expected When Constructing the Narrative Essay?
When writing this essay, it is imperative that students remember that this
essay is a narrative and that their opinion is the foundation of the essay.
Pivotal aspects that should be stressed on are their experience making
connections between the classic style of poetry and modern day music.

Directions!

First, in paragraph one, students will start off their essays with
information they have gathered in their mandatory notes from
examining the classic style poetry and the song lyrics.
In the second paragraph, students will elaborate on what stood out to
them while reading the classic style of poetry.
In the third paragraph, students will then elaborate on what stood out
to them from the song lyrics that were assigned.
In the fourth paragraph, a thorough elaboration will made when
connection the classic poetry and the song lyrics. Specific examples
are mandatory for this paragraph and it is vital that students use
literary terms to explain the comparisons. Please reference to the
literary terms that are explained on the prezi on the Lesson 1:
Teacher Lecture.
On the last paragraph, it is vital to give a recollection of everything
that the student experienced while constructing their own poem and
close off the paragraph with a vivid image of what they took away
from this assignment.