Poetry Discussion
Groups
Choose a poem that you like
from the handout. Within your
group, read the poem aloud and begin to discuss it. Raise questions, point out favorite
parts, and share your opinion. If
you get stuck, use the questions below to help guide your group discussion. When you feel that you have covered a
poem, move on to another.
1. Who is the speaker in the
poem?
2. What is he, she, or it trying to
tell you?
3. What middle school issue is the
speaker writing about?
4. Does the poem talk about a
problem? If so, what is the
problem? Does
the speaker solve this problem?
5. Look at the form of the poem. Does the author write one sentence per
line or does he or she break the lines at certain
points? Why do you
think the author does this?
6. Does the form of the poem have
anything to do with what it is saying?
7. Discuss the title. What does it mean? Do you like the title? Would you
change it?
8. Are there any words or parts of
the poem that you don’t understand?
Ask your group
for help!
9. Can you relate to these
poems? Have you ever felt like the
speaker?