A. Read and Analyze “Hope” – RL.7.2, RL.7.4, RL.7.5 (30 minutes)

• Review appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

“I can analyze how the structure of ‘Hope’ contributes to its meaning.”

“I can determine the meaning of figurative language in ‘Hope.’”

“I can identify a theme and explain how it is developed over the course of ‘Hope.’”

• Inform students that, as in the previous lesson, they will read and analyze a poem, using the Techniques anchor chart and Analyze Poetry: “Hope” note-catcher to support them. In this lesson, they will work in pairs or small groups to analyze the poem “Hope” by Georgia Douglas Johnson. 
• Ask students to retrieve their copies of One Last Word and turn to page 56 of “Hope.”
• Read the poem aloud, asking students to close their eyes and listen. Read the poem aloud a second time, asking students to follow along. Finally, read the poem aloud chorally as a class.
• Note that students may not know what all the words in the poem mean, but they can note structures of the poem and get a general gist of the poem even before they understand all the words. Invite students to briefly Turn and Talk to a partner about their first impressions of the poem, including the gist, what they notice, and what they wonder.
• Focus students’ attention on the first line of the poem and Think-Pair-Share:

“Who is the speaker? To whom is she speaking?” (The speaker is not named. The speaker is speaking to the “frail children of sorrow.”) Ask students to use context and background knowledge to determine the meaning of the word frail (weak or sickly).

“How can we use parts of words to understand the meaning of dethroned in this line? What does it mean to be ‘dethroned by a hue’?” (The word dethroned breaks down into de and throne, so it must mean to be “taken off a throne.” The word hue means “color,” so the phrase must mean “taken off a throne because of a color.”)

• If necessary, provide the meaning of the word hue (a particular color).

“Why do you think the speaker calls them ‘children of sorrow’?” (The speaker may call them “children of sorrow” because they’ve been treated poorly because of their color.)

• If necessary, ask:

“Why have the children been ‘dethroned’? To what does the speaker refer when she says ‘hue’ or color? Color of what?” (They have been dethroned because of the color of their skin.) ▲

• Add frail, dethroned, and hue to the academic word wall with translations in home languages where appropriate, and invite students to add the words to their vocabulary logs.
• Confirm for students that the rest of the poem should be read with the understanding that the speaker is addressing the children that the speaker mentions in the first line, who have been treated poorly simply because of the color of their skin (because they are black Americans).
• Ask students to Turn and Talk about what they notice about the poem’s structure: 

“How is the poem organized? How does the structure compare to the structure of ‘Calling Dreams’? What do you notice about the punctuation of stanzas?” (This poem also has rhyming couplets and is organized in stanzas—three instead of two. The first two stanzas end in periods, while the third stanza ends in an exclamation point.)

• Tell students that as they did with “Calling Dreams,” they should determine the gist of the couplets, then analyze the gist of each stanza. Note that this poem has rhyming couplets to show how smaller ideas are related. Each stanza also contains a bigger complete thought. Explain to students that in looking for meaning in poems, it is often helpful to find those areas where poems have repeating ideas or structures, and that is what they will do to begin their analysis of this poem. 
• Use a total participation technique to determine the gist of each couplet with the class. Record the responses on the board:
• 1st couplet: mistreated children, there is still hope in darkness
• 2nd couplet: no difficulty can last forever
• 3rd couplet: the oak takes a long time to grow, but nettles and weeds grow quickly
• 4th couplet: wait calmly and you can rise at the right time
• 5th couplet: time moves according to a plan
• 6th couplet: we are connected to the past, and everyone has a time to shine
• Distribute copies of the Analyze Poetry: "Hope" note-catchers and ask students to form small groups. Assign each group a stanza to analyze and discuss. 
• Ask students to work in their groups to find the gist of each stanza. (Since there are likely more groups than stanzas, several groups will find the gist of the same stanza.) Determine the meaning of unknown words using strategies such as context, word parts, and a dictionary.
• Tell students that they should note “1st stanza, 2nd stanza, and 3rd stanza” in their gists box and record the gists after they share out.
• Ask students to share out the gists they identify for each stanza. Because there are likely several groups analyzing each stanza, invite volunteers from each group to add to or correct the gist that other groups share. See the Analyze Poetry: “Hope” note-catcher (example for teacher reference) to guide student discussion.
• After a few minutes, ask volunteers from each group to share their responses about the meaning of the last line in each stanza. 
• 1st stanza: “No night is omnipotent, there must be day!” means that night can’t last forever or overpower day. Ask students to explain the meaning of the word omnipotent (all powerful).
• 2nd stanza: “And rise with the hour for which you were made” means that the speaker is encouraging her listeners to rise and achieve their dreams. 
• 3rd stanza: “And each has his hour — to dwell in the sun!” means that everyone has a chance to shine.
• Ask students to Think-Group-Share: 

“What do the last lines of these stanzas have in common? How do the final lines help to convey the ideas of the stanzas?” (The last lines of the stanzas all express hope of some kind. They help to convey the idea that even if things are difficult, eventually they will get better.)

“How do the stanzas in the poem relate to each other? For example, do they discuss different ideas, develop similar ideas, tell a story, etc.?” (The stanzas in the poem discuss a similar idea in different ways. They all talk about how difficult times pass eventually, although they use different images. The first stanza talks about night passing into day, the second stanza discusses an oak growing from a seed into a tree, while the third stanza talks about the “cycle of seasons” passing so that “each has his hour.”)

• Congratulate students on their work identifying the gists of each stanza and how they build on each other. Ask students to record these ideas on their note-catchers. Consult the Analyze Poetry: “Hope” note-catcher (example for teacher reference) as necessary.
• Ask if any student volunteers can identify a theme in the text. (Difficulties don’t last forever; no matter how difficult life is, there is always hope.) Have students record this theme on their note-catchers. Consult the Analyze Poetry: “Hope” note-catcher (example for teacher reference) as necessary.
• Tell students that to explore this theme more closely they will work together to analyze figurative language in the text. 
• Write the following examples, one from each stanza, on the board, and assign one to each group, based on the stanza they have been analyzing thus far:
• Stanza 1: “Shadows are flecked by the rose sifting through”
• Stanza 2: “Oak tarries long in the depths of the seed”
• Stanza 3: “We move to the rhythm of ages long done”
• Ask each group to discuss the meaning of the figurative language. Groups should discuss not only what the words mean, but the point they are making in relation to the theme they identified for the poem. Remind students that figurative language is often used to convey an abstract idea the author has about a subject in an interesting and vivid way. Students should consider what ideas these images convey.
• After several minutes of analysis, ask groups to share out the meaning and purpose of their line of figurative language. Write the words “Meaning” and “Purpose” below the examples of figurative language to make the task clear. Because there are likely several groups analyzing each stanza, invite volunteers from each group to add to or reinterpret the analysis.
• Stanza 1: “Shadows are flecked by the rose sifting through”
• Meaning: Even shadows have other pretty colors like rose in them.
• Purpose: to show that darkness still has hope in it, which means that even if you are going through a tough time there is still hope
• Stanza 2: “The oak tarries long in the depths of the seed”
• Meaning: The tree is a seed for a long time before it becomes a tree.
• Purpose: to show that things in nature must be patient before they grow and become what they are meant to be, in the same way that people must also be patient before they can become who they are meant to be
• Stanza 3: “We move to the rhythm of ages long done”
• Meaning: We are affected by the long ago past.
• Purpose: to show how things can take a long time to develop and change
• Invite students to add these examples to their note-catchers in the Figurative Language section. Consult the Analyze Poetry: “Hope” note-catcher (example for teacher reference) as necessary.
• Inform students that they will now independently write a paragraph explaining how the poet uses structure and figurative language to develop a theme in “Hope.” Remind students that they have written similar paragraphs as a class and in pairs over the past few lessons. Direct students to write their paragraph on the lines on their note-catcher. As they do so, display the Harlem Renaissance Themes anchor chart. Use a total participation technique so that students can share their responses. Record these on the anchor chart. For possible responses, see the Harlem Renaissance Themes anchor chart (example for teacher reference).
• Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the relevant learning targets.