AP Spanish - Pablo Neruda - Day Three

“Explico Algunas Cosas”

Actividad con la poesía de Pablo Neruda

As you have seen, poetry can be a very powerful way to express your opinions.  In this activity, you will write your own poem of protest about an issue that is important to you. ***Please remember that you are Women of Mercy & students in a Catholic school - these poems are not meant to protest or debate the faith/beliefs of this institution or to offend your classmates.***

Purpose:

To explore the development of poetry in Spanish.

To create & defend a strong argument for your cause.

 To practice some of the techniques you have studied.

***Think about how this can help you prepare for the AP Exam!

Assignment:

1. Choose an issue about which you feel a strong opinion. 

2. Now select a partner and brainstorm aloud for 3 minutes as your partner takes brief notes  & writes down key phrases.  Talk about everything you can think of relating to your topic. Go ahead and allow yourself to get fired up about your cause, talking about why it is important, how things could be different, and especially citing examples of people, things, and situations affected by this issue.  After 3 minutes, switch places with your partner.  Take notes while he/she talks about a different topic.  

3. Review the notes your partner took.  Circle or highlight key words or phrases that catch your eye for any reason.  Look for concrete images and strong “tone words.”  These will serve as a bank of ideas for your poem.

4. Now begin to write your poem using your word bank.  Do not attempt to make the ends of lines rhyme, or you may become distracted from the true meaning of your message.

5. Follow the tips below to create a poem that packs a punch:

a. Show, Don’t Tell: Do not mention the cause, but make a few small references to it.  Your poem is an illustration, not a lecture. Use your vocabulary!

b. Shift in Tone: by showing a contrast between two things, situations, or people, you show your audience that you are right, rather than telling them.

c. Word Choice: Carefully choose words that convey your desired tone. Think about the purpose of different verb tenses and moods! What can the Spanish language convey to a listener? Be prepared to read your work aloud to the class.

d. Simile and metaphor: these comparisons can appeal to the five senses and captivate your audience (“I have seen the blood of Spain tower like a tide to drown you in one wave”) 

e. Sound devices: (repetition, rhyme, alliteration, assonance, consonance, etc.  ex: “kill children”, “poppy-petalled”) make the words quietly stick in the audience’s mind. Think about the activity we did on the board – which words do you want to stick with your readers?

f. Audience: Be aware of who you are addressing in this poem.  How does your choice of audience affect your poem?


For more inspiration, read La United Fruit Co. by Pablo Neruda. We will read & discuss this poem in its entirety next class.