Intermediate Poetry

Poetry lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world, and makes familiar objects be as if they were not familiar. • Percy Bysshe Shelley

Theory	The Intermediate Poetry Books
Analysis & Imitation	What to Buy
Practice (Writing Projects)	Frequently Asked Questions

Intermediate Poetry builds on the foundation laid in Poetry for Beginners. We focus on Romantic and Victorian poets such as Shelley, Byron, Wordworth, Tennyson, and Stevenson. Old English alliterative poetry, particularly Beowulf, is studied extensively, and we also offer snippets from Gilbert and Sullivan, Longfellow, Shakespeare, and Tolkien.

Intermediate Poetry is intended for use in 7th grade through high school. Abstract thinking skills are required, and the models we use are more appropriate for older students.

Theory

In Intermediate Poetry, we introduce:

• Figures of Speech – alliteration, refrain, hyperbole, as well as a review of figures learned in Poetry for Beginners

• Poetic Meter – dactylic and anapestic meters, as well as a review of iambic and trochaic meters

• Stanza Forms – limericks and ballads as well as a review of stanzas learned in Poetry for Beginners
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Analysis and Imitation

In Intermediate Poetry, students continue to develop copia—a variety of ways to express the same thought.  The book's six units are laid out as follows:

Unit 1: Reading and Understanding
paraphrasing poetry to prose, background research on the poet and the poem, analyzing lyrical and sensory appeals

Unit 2: Metrical Feet
scanning and imitating dactylic and anapestic meter; review of previously learned meters

Unit 3: Figures of Speech
analyzing and imitating figures of speech; effective use of figures of speech in poetry and in prose

Unit 4: Stanza Forms
analyzing and imitating limericks and ballads; review of previously learned stanza forms

Unit 5 • Lyrical Analysis and Imitation
Romantic and Victorian poets; analytical essay of a lyrical poem

Unit 6 • Narrative Analysis and Imitation
analysis and imitation routine for narrative poetry, particularly Old English alliterative poetry; analytical essay of narrative poem
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Practice

In Intermediate Poetry students imitate poems and write analytical essays about poems. They also compose poems of their own by imitating classic models.
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The Intermediate Poetry Books

Intermediate Poetry contains six units, each of which takes from 2 to 6 weeks to complete.  In all, the book contains 16 weeks of instruction.

Intermediate Poetry is a non-consumable book containing one semester’s worth of writing instruction and work. The layout of the text is linear: start in Unit 1 at Lesson 1 and work straight through the book to Unit 6’s final lesson. The students may cover the material simply by working through the lessons in sequence.

We strongly recommend that the majority of our teachers and students should use the consumable Student Guides.  The material in our intermediate and advanced books is challenging, and is best encountered with the strong organizational foundation that the Student Guide provide: weekly schedules with check lists, coordinating lessons, and reading for each unit. The Student Guide includes copies of the models, charts and tables for analysis and imitation, as well as space for most of the diagramming work. Finally, the Student Guide has an extensive Answer Key which you will find invaluable as a time and stress saver!   
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What to Buy for Intermediate Poetry:

Intermediate Poetry • core text needed for Intermediate Poetry • non-consumable • lessons laid out in units • prerequisite: Poetry for Beginners • recommended for 7th grade and up • Student Guide is recommended Preview Sample Pages

Intermediate Poetry Student Guide • consumable • 16 weeks of assignments • weekly schedules for all assignments • optional poetry reading schedule • includes all models, charts, and tables needed • extensive answer key included Preview Sample Pages

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my students are ready for Intermediate Poetry?

The beginning Intermediate Poetry student should have completed Classical Writing's  Poetry for Beginners.

How do I schedule Intermediate Poetry with Diogenes Maxim and Diogenes Chreia?

Intermediate Poetry is divided into six units, and 16 weeks if you use the schedule in the Student Guide.  Here is a possible schedule for a typical 7th-8th grader:

Year One
Diogenes: Maxim (26 weeks) + Intermediate Poetry Units 1-3 (7 weeks)

Year Two
Diogenes: Chreia (24 weeks) + Intermediate Poetry Units 4-6 (9 weeks)

Another scenario is to complete Diogenes: Maxim the first year and go directly into Diogenes: Chreia, so you will have fewer weeks to complete the second year.  When you are done with Diogenes Chreia, begin Intermediate Poetry. 

I’d love to buy Classical Writing but we are on a tight budget, and I have many students coming down the line.

Intermediate Poetry is a non-consumable book, so it can be reused.  It may be possible to only purchase one Student Guide and use it as a non-consumable book by having your students do their work on the computer or on separate paper instead of marking up the book.
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