“In-Depth Poetry Analysis”

In this activity, students will compare the poets’ choices, attitudes, shifts, and themes in Frost’s “After Apple-Picking” and Heaney’s “Blackberry Picking.”

As you re-read “After Apple-Picking,” write down your thoughts about the choices Frost made regarding poetic devices, how his attitude changes throughout the poem, other shifts you notice (consider time, subject, etc.), and overarching themes.

Next, read Seamus Heaney’s “Blackberry Picking,” and repeat the same process detailed above.

After you have read and analyzed both poems, create a visual representation of the poems’ similarities and differences, and present your findings to the class.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who favor visual approaches might benefit from completing the comparative poetry analysis on a large graphic organizer or anchor chart. If working in a small group, group members can divide the tasks of analyzing each poem, and each member can contribute a poetic device independently. Alternatively, groups can discuss each category together before writing down their answers on their charts.