StudySync Lesson Plan
Song of Myself
Objectives
1.
Engage students in the themes, poetic technique and larger ideas surrounding Walt
Whitman’s seminal American poem, “Song of Myself,” preparing them to discuss complex
ideas and write critical responses to the excerpt.
2. Practice and reinforce the following Grades 11-12 ELA Common Core Standards for
reading literature, writing, and speaking and listening:
READING: LITERATURE – RL.11-12.1-2, 4-5, 7, 9-10
WRITING – W.11-12.1-10
SPEAKING AND LISTENING – SL.11-12.1-6
Time
130 minutes (with up to an additional 250 minutes of extension possibilities)
Materials
SyncTV Premium Lesson on Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself”
Overview
The famous literary critic, Harold Bloom, on Walt Whitman: “If you are American, then Walt
Whitman is your imaginative father and mother, even if, like myself, you have never composed a
line of verse. You can nominate a fair number of literary works as candidates for the secular
Scripture of the United States… None of those, not even Emerson's, are as central as the first
edition of Leaves of Grass.” Responding to a call by Emerson for a distinctly American poet,
Whitman worked on Leaves of Grass for most of his adult life, publishing the first edition in 1855
to little fanfare. More than a hundred and fifty years later, Leaves of Grass has achieved the
utmost status in American letters: it forged a language and a philosophy all its own. “Song of
Myself,” contained within the first edition of Leaves of Grass, is one of Whitman’s most renowned
poems, wherein he announces his purpose to “celebrate myself, and sing myself” – words that
continue to echo through the halls of American poetry. Students will read and excerpt of the
beginning of “Song of Myself” and analyze both its form and meaning. They will then participate
in class- and group-led discussions and write critical responses consistent with the ELA Common
Core Standards for Grades 11 and 12.
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Lesson Plan: Song of Myself
Background (10 minutes)
1.
Watch the Preview (SL.11-12.1-2). As a group, watch the video preview of the premium
lesson. After viewing, use the following questions to spur a discussion:
a. “Song of Myself,” among other things, is a meditation on “the individual’s
relationship with the universe.” What do you think is your own relationship with
the universe? Have you thought about this before? What kinds of questions do
you think Whitman will seek to answer?
b. Whitman has been called the “father of free verse,” but what is free verse? What
are the distinctions of free verse, compared to some other formal styles of poetry?
What examples of free verse poetry can you think of?
c. The preview mentions that Whitman’s time was marked by “a growing selfawareness, the search for identity [and] the evolution of morality.” What was the
historical and social context of this poem? What was happening in America in
1860? In what social issues and upheavals can you see evidence of this shift in
thought?
Extension (additional 100 minutes)
d. Define (SL.11-12.1-2). Before reading, it may be helpful to define some formal poetic
terms for the class, as they will aid in the formal study of the poem. Make sure
students are aware of these terms before proceeding with the lesson.
Suggestions: alliteration, assonance, pentameter, verse, stanza, rhyme, etc.
e. Read (W.11-12.7-9). For homework, have students read Ralph Waldo Emerson’s
essay “The Poet,” which was said to be Whitman’s inspiration for writing Leaves of
Grass, his collection of poems. The full text of the essay can be found here:
http://www.emersoncentral.com/poet.htm. Have students write a short summary or
paragraph response to this essay.
f.
Create (SL.11-12.1-2, 5 and W.11-12.7, 9). For a longer, more involved project, have
students in groups create a short (1-2 minute) biography about Whitman’s life and
life’s work using iMovie. Some web sources for images and information about Walt
Whitman can be found here: <http://www.whitmanarchive.org/>
<http://kirjasto.sci.fi/wwhitman.htm>
<http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/126>
Engaging the Text (120 minutes)
2. Read the Text (30 minutes)
a. Read and Annotate (RL.11-12.1-2, 4-5, 9). Ask students to read the introduction and
the poem “Song of Myself.” Be sure to give them enough time to both read and
annotate the text. If your classroom has a projector, you may want to model notetaking skills by reading and annotating the first paragraph as a class. If students
are completing this as a homework assignment, ask them to write any questions
they have into the annotation tool–these questions are visible to you after the
students submit their writing assignments or beforehand if you use the “Mimic”
function to access the students’ accounts.
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Lesson Plan: Song of Myself
i. Read. Ask the students to read the introduction and have a student
volunteer to read the poem aloud. Each student should have the poem in
front of them and, if possible, it should also be projected on the board.
ii. “What do you notice?” After hearing it for the first time, ask the students,
“What do you notice?” This should be a free-form discussion; anything that
attracts attention in the poem is worth mentioning. If the conversation is
having a hard time getting started, tell the students to pretend you’ve
taken the poem away from them after the first reading and you just want to
know what they remember about it.
iii. Read again with a pencil. Have another student read the poem aloud a
second time, or use the audio feature on the site. This time, students
should underline any image, phrase, or line that appeals to them. Anything
goes: something that sounds nice, a phrase that rings true, or something
that is clearly stated. Ask that they underline at least three things as they
listen to the poem. At the same time, they should circle any words or
phrases that are unfamiliar to clarify later.
iv. Ask questions. Each student should write at least two specific questions
they have about this poem.
b. Discuss (SL.11-12.1, 3). Have students get into small groups or pairs and briefly
discuss the questions and inferences they had while reading.
Extension (additional 15 minutes)
c. Listen and Discuss (SL.11-12.1-2). As a class, listen to the audio reading of the text.
Ask students to share how their understanding of the text changed after listening.
What additional images came to mind? How does the act of listening to this poem
reveal more of the poetic structure or language?
d. Comprehend (RL.11-12.1-2, 4-5, 9-10). Have students complete the multiple-choice
questions. Collect papers or discuss answers as a class.
e. Illustrate (ELL). Ask students to draw a picture of a scene or an idea Whitman is
describing in this excerpt. What thoughts and emotions do you associate with this
excerpt? How did that translate into your illustration? Have students think of some
good descriptive words for both Whitman’s poem and their illustrations.
3. Watch SyncTV (30 minutes)
a. Watch. Either watch the SyncTV discussion as a class or ask students to watch it
on their individual computers.
b. Discuss (SL.11-12.1-5 and RL.11-12.1-2, 4-5, 9-10). After watching the model
discussion, have a conversation with the class about the ideas discussed in the
SyncTV episode. What new thoughts do they have after hearing the students'
discussion? Next, divide students into small groups (3-4 students). Move around
the room monitoring groups as students follow the SyncTV episode as a model to
discuss some of the following questions:
i. Whitman’s poem begins with a statement of purpose: “I will celebrate
myself, and sing myself.” Why does Whitman want to celebrate himself?
Which aspects of his “self” do you think he wants to celebrate?
ii. Why might the “celebration of self” have been a bold subject for a poem in
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Lesson Plan: Song of Myself
the 1850s? How was Whitman attempting to subvert the status quo? Why
was this concept somewhat controversial in its day?
iii. Though it might not seem so dramatic by today’s standards, what “rules”
of rhyme and verse is Whitman breaking in “Song of Myself? How does
this poem compare to poems you may have read from earlier in the 19th
century?
iv. Why does Whitman speak directly to the reader in the first stanza? How
does Whitman see his relationship with readers of this poem? What is the
relationship between the “self,” as he puts it, and everyone else?
v. How are Whitman’s ideas, descriptions and language poetic? If there are
no rhymes, conventions, formal rules, etc., what makes this a poem? Do
you like this style of poetry? Why/why not?
vi. What is Whitman’s overall worldview, as judging from this excerpt?
Speculate on Whitman’s beliefs about life and the meaning of existence,
as well as our role in the universe as individuals.
Extension (additional 60 minutes)
c. Paraphrase (RL.11-12.1, 4 and W.11-12.2, 4, 9). Ask students to closely read and
paraphrase the last stanza of the excerpt, probably the most impenetrable
passage in the text. First, students should do a close reading, using their
annotations and notes to come to a better understanding of the precise meaning
of this passage. Students should then write out their explanation of the text, noting
what Whitman is saying here as well as what he is leaving uncertain.
d. Write Creatively (W.11-12.3-4, 9 and SL.11-12.1, 4). Pretend you are Walt Whitman–
after all, according to Whitman, you are anyway–and write the next section of
“Song of Myself,” as the narrator continues to sing the praises of the self and the
universe. Remember: this is free verse! Discuss after writing: what are some of the
difficulties of writing in free verse? Can you find any structure in what you wrote?
What rules, if any, did you follow?
e. Critical Response (W.11-12.2, 4, 7-9). Search online for a condemnation or critical
appraisal of Whitman’s work (most negative responses were published during the
author’s lifetime). What did this particular critic take objection to in Whitman’s
work? Why was Whitman so controversial? Write a short summary (one or two
paragraphs) of the main ideas of the criticism, and whether you agree with the
critic’s assessment.
4. Think (10 minutes)
a. Respond (W.11-12.1, 4). Ask students to read the “Think” questions, watch the
corresponding video clips, and respond to the questions, either in class or for
homework.
5. Write (50 minutes)
a. Discuss (SL.11-12.1). Read the prompt you have chosen for students, and then
solicit questions regarding the prompt or the assignment expectations. Whichever
prompt you have chosen, make sure you are clear about the assignment
expectations and the rubric by which you and the other students will be evaluating
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Lesson Plan: Song of Myself
them.
b. Organize (RL.11-12.1-2, 4-5, 9-10 and W.11-12.1-2, 5). Ask students to go back and
annotate the text with the prompt in mind. They should be organizing their
thoughts and the points they’ll address in their writing as they make annotations. If
you’ve worked on outlining or other organizational tools for writing, this is a good
place to apply them.
c. Write (W.11-12.1-2, 4-6, 8-10). Have students go through the writing process of
planning, revising, editing, and publishing their writing responses.
d. Review (W.11-12.4-6). Use the StudySync “Review” feature to have students
complete one to two evaluations of their peers’ work based on your chosen
review rubric. Have the students look at and reflect upon the peer evaluations of
their own writing. What might you do differently in a revision? How might you
strengthen the writing and the ideas?
Extension (additional 75 minutes)
e. Write (W.11-12.1-2, 4-6, 8-10). For homework, have students write an essay using
one of the prompts you did not choose to do in class. Students should publish
their responses online.
f.
Read Aloud (SL.11-12.4-6 and RL.11-12.9). Re-read “Song of Myself,” this time aloud
and with special attention and emphasis places on the rhythm and cadence of the
language. Have students read certain passages in front of the class; play other
dramatic recordings, if desired, to help students get a better grasp of the rhythm
of Whitman’s language.
g. Write Analytically (W.11-12.2, 4-6, 8-10). Even though Whitman’s verses aren’t in
iambic pentameter, don’t rhyme, etc., there are still poetic elements present in his
work. But what are they? Write an analysis of at least 300 words describing one or
more of the “poetic” qualities of “Song of Myself,” and how it gives his language a
rhythm and music. Cite specific lines from the excerpt and analyze how they are
poetic in form and function.
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Lesson Plan: Song of Myself
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
Key Vocabulary
1.
assume (v.) – (alt.) To accept or undertake; to take on
2. loafe (v.) – (loaf) To relax, to sit around idly
3. creed (n.) – A set of beliefs that forms the basis of a particular religion or group
4. abeyance (n.) – A temporary state of pause or suspension
5. suffice (v.) – To be enough or provide enough
6. harbor (v.) – To contain or hold, to protect
7. hazard (n.) – A source of risk
Reading Comprehension Questions
1.
In the first stanza, Whitman sings the praises of ________________.
a. the self
b. God
c. both a and b
d. neither a nor b
2.
“And what I assume you shall assume” (line 2)
In this line, the underlined word is probably closest in meaning to __________________.
a. presuppose
b. simulate
c. take on
d. guess
3.
“For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” (line 3)
We can infer from this line that Whitman believes _________________.
a. he is the property of the reader
b. we are the same in that we are all made up of the same matter
c. the traditional scientific views of atoms and molecules are probably wrong
d. the reader is the property of Whitman
4. The mood of the narrator in the poem’s second stanza is best described as
__________________.
a. tranquil
b. distressed
c. ecstatic
d. confused
5. Whitman believes he is made up of the same matter as ________________.
a. other people
b. the Earth
c. the sky
d. all of the above
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Lesson Plan: Song of Myself
6.
“Hoping to cease not till death.” (line 9)
Here, Whitman is saying he doesn’t want to _________________.
a. die at too young of an age
b. make any careless mistakes
c. stop celebrating the self while he’s still alive
d. all of the above
7. Whitman “begins” this song of himself when he is __________________.
a. born
b. thirty-seven years old
c. on his deathbed
d. in school
8.
“Creeds and schools in abeyance / Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but
never forgotten” (lines 10-11)
In simpler terms, Whitman __________________.
a. is a retired schoolteacher looking over his career
b. thinks that following creeds and schools is the only key to understanding and
knowledge
c. wants to move beyond creeds and schools in his understanding of the world, but
knows they can’t be forgotten
d. thinks creeds and schools should be improved
9.
“I permit to speak at every hazard” (line 12)
Here, Whitman is saying that __________________.
a. he’s going to speak no matter the risk
b. he will talk about the dangers that have befallen society
c. he will decide whether someone can speak
d. all of the above
10. “Nature without check with original energy.” (line 13)
The underlined word in the line above most closely means ___________________.
a. inspection
b. restraint
c. payment
d. authorization
Answer Key
1. A
2. C
3. B
4. A
5. D
6. C
7. B
8. C
9. A
10. B
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Lesson Plan: Song of Myself
Further Assignments
1.
Have students read the entirety of Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself.” Ask them to keep
annotating the text as they go along, writing down any responses, questions, or notable
passages they come across as they are reading. Continue and expand the analysis and
discussion from earlier over the course of Whitman’s complete poem. (RL.11-12.1-2, 4-5, 910)
2. Have students compare and contrast “Song of Myself” with some of Whitman’s other
poems from Leaves of Grass, such as “I Sing the Body Electric” or “Crossing Brooklyn
Ferry.” Discuss what makes these poems particularly Whitman-esque, coming up with a
list of similarities as a class. What are the hallmarks of his work? How is a similar vision
expressed in all of these poems? How is the form also similar? (RL.11-12.1-2, 4-5, 9-10 and
W.11-12.9)
3. What was the Beat generation? What was Whitman’s influence on the most prominent
thinkers and authors of the Beat generation? Have students research this movement and
write an essay response describing how the Beat writers and poets were indebted to
Whitman’s style and ideas. How was this generation and its aims the culmination, in many
ways, of the work Whitman started in Leaves of Grass and “Song of Myself”? (RL.11-12.9
and W.11-12.2, 4, 7, 9)
4. The clothing manufacturer Levi’s famously used a passage from one of Whitman’s poems
in an ad campaign of theirs just a few years ago. Watch the video of one of these
advertisements here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG8tqEUTlvs. Next, discuss as a
class any reactions and issues with this video. Do you think the style of this ad captures
the spirit of Whitman’s work? What sort of musical quality does this poem have? Does the
fact that this is an ad to sell jeans run contrary to the spirit of Whitman’s work? How do
you think Whitman would respond to this ad, if he were to see it? (RL.11-12.7 and W.11-12.89 and SL.11-12.1)
5. Once again, Harold Bloom: “If you are American, then Walt Whitman is your imaginative
father and mother, even if, like myself, you have never composed a line of verse. You can
nominate a fair number of literary works as candidates for the secular Scripture of the
United States. They might include Melville’s Moby Dick, or Twain’s The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn, or Emerson’s two series of Essays and The Conduct of Life. None of
those, not even Emerson's, are as central as the first edition of Leaves of Grass.”
Discuss, in an essay of at least 300 words, what it is about Whitman’s poetry and vision
that is so distinctly American. Consult outside sources if necessary. How did Whitman
capture the spirit of America at a distinct time and place in history? Is his poetry still
representative of American ideas? Explain, citing specific passages from “Song of Myself”
and other poems, if necessary. (RL.11-12.1, 9 and W.11-12.7, 9)
6. Does Whitman remind you of any poetry in your own native language? Compare Whitman
to a poet in your native language and discuss the similarities and differences between the
two poets’ language and ideas. If a translated copy of this poem is available, bring it into
class to share. (ELL)
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Lesson Plan: Song of Myself