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.

Short Answer

1. How would you define the word “poem?” What is an example of a poem that you know? What makes your example a poem, as opposed to another form of writing? Explain.

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider the theme What Makes a Poem from their own experience. Jack’s understanding of poetry changes throughout the course of text, from a narrow and gendered viewpoint in the beginning to embracing many of the creative and unique elements of the form by the end of the novel. Students may benefit from accessing the links below, which provide definitions for important words related to poetry, including syntax and stanza.

• This guide from SuperSummary introduces poetry writing and analysis.
• “10 Important Elements of Poetry” from Poemanalysis.com reviews literary components that help readers understand the message of a poem.

2. Throughout history, poetry and other forms of writing have been used to raise awareness about important topics. How does writing amplify the power that each person has? How can writing one’s opinion, as opposed to just talking about it, lend insight into another way of thinking? Explain.