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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Literary parodies: Exploring a writer's style through imitation

http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=839

A lesson plan for grades 9 and 11 English Language Arts

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By exploring sample poems and their parodies, students focus on the language and style of the original writer and try to emulate the poem. After reading “This is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams, the class discusses their feelings and questions about the poem. Students also discuss the poetic elements and how the poem recalls memories or connects to any part of their lives by pointing to specific words and lines in the poem. Then, after students read the parody of the poem, they compare and contrast the poems using a Venn diagram and discuss their conclusions about parody. As a homework assignment, students read or play a recording of Guy Noir Episode from November 30, 2002, which parodies Williams’ poetry. Once students have discussed the episode, they compare it to the parody of the Williams poem. After students understand the concept of parody, the teacher challenges them to write their own parody of “This is Just to Say”. When students have written their first drafts, they work in groups to evaluate, revise, and finish their work. This lesson suggests several extension activities, provides links to helpful web resources, and offers opportunities for student reflection. Readwritethink provides links the poems needed for the lesson, the format for parodying a poem, an assessment tool, and links to Venn diagrams.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 9

  • Goal 5: The learner will demonstrate understanding of various literary genres, concepts, elements, and terms.
    • Objective 5.01: Read and analyze various literary works by:
      • using effective reading strategies for preparation, engagement, reflection.
      • recognizing and analyzing the characteristics of literary genres, including fiction (e.g., myths, legends, short stories, novels), non-fiction (e.g., essays, biographies, autobiographies, historical documents), poetry (e.g., epics, sonnets, lyric poetry, ballads) and drama (e.g., tragedy, comedy).
      • interpreting literary devices such as allusion, symbolism, figurative language, flashback, dramatic irony, dialogue, diction, and imagery.
      • understanding the importance of tone, mood, diction, and style.
      • explaining and interpreting archetypal characters, themes, settings.
      • explaining how point of view is developed and its effect on literary texts.
      • determining a character's traits from his/her actions, speech, appearance, or what others say about him or her.
      • explaining how the writer creates character, setting, motif, theme, and other elements.
      • making thematic connections among literary texts and media and contemporary issues.
      • understanding the importance of cultural and historical impact on literary texts.
      • producing creative responses that follow the conventions of a specific genre and using appropriate literary devices for that genre.

Grade 10

  • Goal 5: The learner will demonstrate understanding of selected world literature through interpretation and analysis.
    • Objective 5.01: Read and analyze selected works of world literature by:
      • using effective strategies for preparation, engagement, and reflection.
      • building on prior knowledge of the characteristics of literary genres, including fiction, non-fiction, drama, and poetry, and exploring how those characteristics apply to literature of world cultures.
      • analyzing literary devices such as allusion, symbolism, figurative language, flashback, dramatic irony, situational irony, and imagery and explaining their effect on the work of world literature.
      • analyzing the importance of tone and mood.
      • analyzing archetypal characters, themes, and settings in world literature.
      • making comparisons and connections between historical and contemporary issues.
      • understanding the importance of cultural and historical impact on literary texts.

Grade 11

  • Goal 4: The learner will critically analyze text to gain meaning, develop thematic connections, and synthesize ideas.
    • Objective 4.01: Interpret meaning for an audience by:
      - examining the functions and the effects of narrative strategies such as plot, conflict, suspense, point of view, characterization, and dialogue.
      - interpreting the effect of figures of speech (e.g., personification, oxymoron) and the effect of devices of sound (e.g., alliteration, onomatopoeia).
      - analyzing stylistic features such as word choice and links between sense and sound.
      - identifying ambiguity, contradiction, irony, parody, and satire.
      - demonstrating how literary works reflect the culture that shaped them.