Monday, April 24 - Seven Ages of Man

Objective: by the end of class, students will analyze poem in order to improve reading comprehensive skills and prepare for the Keystone exam.

DO NOW

Choose one stage from Shakespeare's Seven Ages of Man and describe it in your own words. Notice how the figurative language can help you visualize. Do you think Shakespeare liked this stage? How do you know?

Direct Instruction

How you know Shakespeare's attitude toward the specific stage is by the words he chooses. THIS IS TONE.

visual of Seven Ages of Man

morgan freeman reading poem


Circle words that suggest tone for each stage of the seven stages.

Questions about communicating ideas and tone. The first one was done for you as an example.

Example:
Question: What idea does the phrase "mewling and puking" communicate?

Possible Answer: The idea that it communicates is that a baby is loud, and annoying and hard to care for. (negative attitude)

Shakespeare's tone for first stage: Annoyed, Irritated, Agitated... (all possible answers chosen from the negative column on "TONE" sheet)

1. What idea does the simile "creeping like snail" communicate? 

2. What is Shakespeare's tone toward the schoolboy stage?

3. What does the simile "sighing like furnace" communicate about the lover?

4. What idea does the phrase "quick in quarrel" suggest? How does the alliteration in this phrase help to communicate that idea?

5. What idea does the phrase "in fair round belly" communicate?

6. Does Shakespeare have a positive or negative tone toward the justice? Explain.

7. What ideas do the alliterate phrases "world too wide" and "shrunk shank" communicate?

8. What idea does the last line of the poem communicate?

9. Consider the overall tone of the poem. From the tone, how does Shakespeare feel about life in general? (write this in your own words and make at least two references to the poem).