Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Why do you think going to the cinema was important for young people in the 1960s? How might those experiences have been different from going to a movie theater today?

Teaching Suggestion: There is an opportunity to explore and discuss the short- and long-term benefits of visiting the movie theatre and the role class divides and coming-of-age might play in these experiences. Students might complete a series of timed brainstorming exercises to generate ideas regarding this question (images and connotations associated with the 1960s, differences in movie technology over the last fifty years, etc.), then share thoughts with the group.

• “A History of Movies in the USA” explores the growth and evolution of the cinematic experience.
• “A Hidden Movie Theater and Underground Cruising Spot Has Left the East Village” discusses the storied life cycle and eventual closing of a cinema very much like the one explored in “Ave Maria.”

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the poem.