9th Grade

ELA Week 4

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to: Cite evidence from these texts, personal experience, literature, art, or history to analyze and reflect on how the passage of time and community influences can impact family relationships.

Lessons Lesson 1: Read “The Tempest” then answer both multiple choice and short answer questions and write an argumentative response that takes a position on the speaker’s tone toward death. Lesson 2: Read “’No Man Is an Island” then answer both multiple choice and short answer questions and write a paragraph that compares how “No Man Is an Island” and “The Tempest” suggest how the dying and the communities surrounding the dying deal with death. Lesson 3: Keep a journal about your experiences with social distancing. Your journal should have at least three entries a week. Each entry should be at least one paragraph. If this is too personal, please write your journal from the perspective of a fictional character.

Vocabulary Clod (noun) : a clump of soil Promontory (noun) : a point of high land that juts out into a large body of

water; like a peninsula

Wayward (adjective) : difficult to control or predict because of unusual or perverse behavior

Diminish (verb) : to make or become less

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"Untitled" by Neven Krcmarek is licensed under CC0

"No Man Is An Island" by John Donne (1624) is in the public domain.

No Man Is An IslandBy John Donne

1624

John Donne (1572-1631) was an English poet whose time spent as a cleric in the Church of England ofteninfluenced the subjects of his poetry. In 1623, Donne suffered a nearly fatal illness, which inspired him towrite a book of meditations on pain, health, and sickness called Devotions upon Emergent Occasions.“No Man is an Island” is a famous section of “Meditation XVII” from this book. As you read, take notes onhow the author uses figurative language to describe humanity.

Modern Version

No man is an island entire of itself; every manis a piece of the continent, a part of the main;if a clod1 be washed away by the sea, Europeis the less, as well as if a promontory2 were, aswell as any manner of thy friends or of thineown were; any man's death diminishes me,because I am involved in mankind.And therefore never send to know for whomthe bell tolls;3 it tolls for thee.

Early Modern English Version

No man is an Iland, intire of itselfe; every manis a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine;if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europeis the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, aswell as if a Manor of thy friends or of thineowne were; any mans death diminishes me,because I am involved in Mankinde;And therefore never send to know for whomthe bell tolls; It tolls for thee.

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1. a clump of soil2. a point of high land that juts out into a large body of water, like a peninsula3. ringing a bell to mark or announce something (such as the time or a person's passing)

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Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. Which of the following best describes a theme of the poem?A. People tend to care only about themselves and cannot easily connect with

others.B. Peace among different people and countries is possible through shared grief.C. Everyone and everything in the world is connected as part of a larger whole.D. Loneliness is one of the worst fates one can suffer and no one should have to

bear it.

2. How does the figurative language in lines 1-4 develop the poem’s theme?A. It compares people to land masses, and when one clod is washed away it

lessens the continent; this develops the theme of connection betweenindividuals as parts of a whole.

B. It compares people to islands, and when one island loses land it only impactsthe one island; this develops the theme of people who exist within their ownworlds.

C. It compares the world to the continent of Europe; this develops the theme ofEuropean expansion across the world, uniting different parts of it under colonialrule.

D. It compares different peoples to land masses, and when one clod is washedaway it lessens the continent; this develops the theme of peace and unityamong different countries.

3. PART A: What does the word “diminish” most likely mean as used in line 6?A. to endB. to belittleC. to lessenD. to sadden

4. PART B: Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A?A. “No man is an island entire of itself” (Line 1)B. “if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe / is the less” (Lines 3-4)C. “as any manner of thy friends or of thine / own were” (Lines 5-6)D. “I am involved in mankind.” (Line 7)

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5. How do lines 8-9 contribute to the overall meaning of the poem?

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Discussion QuestionsDirections: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared toshare your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. How does our modern society value connection between people? Is this similar to howDonne conceived of it?

2. In the context of this poem, how do people face death? How are people affected or notaffected by grief today? Cite evidence from the text, your personal experience, or othersources of history and literature.

3. How does the poet likely define friendship? What does it mean to be a friend?

4. In the context of this poem, what is the importance of community? What does it mean to bea part of a community? Cite evidence from the text, your personal experience, or othersources of history and literature.

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Name: Class:

"Death" is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

From You Kiss By Th' Book © 2016 by Gary Soto. Used with permission of Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco. Visit www.chroniclebooks.com.

The Tempest 4.1.156-8By Gary Soto

From You Kiss By Th' Book 2016

Gary Soto is a contemporary American poet, novelist, and memoirist. He has said, of his own work, “I’m onewho provides portraits of people in the rush of life.” In one of his most recent poetry collections, You KissBy Th’ Book (from which this poem is excerpted), Soto begins with lines from classic Shakespeare plays butthen takes the poems in new and often surprising directions. As you read the poem, take notes on how thepoet’s language and diction is used to establish the speaker’s tone toward death.

We are such stuff… rounded with a sleep,1

But before this eternal sleep,Our loved ones look away.To witness death is painful.The last sigh, the gargle of words,The nostrils an engine of snorts,The eyes springing open,The eyes that close and squeezeA painful tear.

The last snort of life may moveNothing grander than a wayward feather,The weight of thy detachable spirit

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1. This line comes from William Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest. The full line, spoken by the play’s magicianprotagonist Prospero, states: “We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.” Inthis scene toward the end of the play, Prospero has just made a large group of spirits vanish and is reminding hisdaughter and her fiancé that mortal life also ends quickly.

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[RL.4]

[RL.1]

[RL.2]

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Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: What does the phrase “eternal sleep” most closely mean as it is used in line2?

A. DeathB. SicknessC. UnconsciousnessD. Lack of awareness

2. PART B: Which phrase from the poem best helps clarify the meaning of “eternalsleep”?

A. “We are such stuff” (Line 1)B. “loved ones look away” (Line 3)C. “To witness death” (Line 4)D. “a wayward feather” (Line 11)

3. PART A: Which statement best describes a central theme of the poem?A. We should avoid and fear death and the physical symptoms that accompany it.B. Death is often written about too harshly and should be treated with more

respect.C. We should not fear death because the spirit lives on after life has ended.D. The reality of death is hard to endure.

4. PART B: Which TWO statements from the poem provide the best support for theanswer to Part A?

A. “We are such stuff…rounded with a sleep” (Line 1)B. “Our loved ones look away” (Line 3)C. “To witness death is painful” (Line 4)D. “eyes springing open” (Line 7)E. “Nothing grander than a wayward feather” (Line 11)F. “The weight of thy detachable spirit” (Line 12)

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[RL.4]5. Explain how the author’s use of diction contributes to the tone of the poem.

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Discussion QuestionsDirections: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared toshare your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. How do you think the speaker in this poem suggests we handle death? Do you agree withhim?

2. What does the Shakespearean language in the first and last lines contribute to this poem?Why do you think the author chose these lines to surround his work?

3. Why teach Shakespeare? Why would a contemporary poet go back to Shakespeare’s lines toinspire his modern-day poetry?

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