H.G. Wells, as a wizard, holding crystal ball with himself inside by Miguel Covarrubias, hosted by the Library of Congress.
The following activities and questions are designed to help your students use their noticing skills to move through the poem and develop their thinking skills so they understand its meaning with confidence, using what they’ve noticed as evidence for their interpretations. Read more about the framework upon which these activities are based.
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Warm-up: Look closely at the drawing H.G. Wells, as a wizard, holding crystal ball with himself inside by Miguel Covarrubias. What stands out to you in this image? Why? Look again. What else do you see? What questions do you have?
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Before Reading the Poem: Watch this video of the song “Crystal Ball” by Grimes. What words or phrases from the song stand out? Why?
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Reading the Poem: Silently read the poem “The Crystal Gazer” by Sara Teasdale. What do you notice about the poem? Note any words or phrases that stand out to you or any questions you might have.
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Listening to the Poem: Enlist two volunteers and listen as the poem is read aloud twice. Write down any additional words and phrases that stand out to you. You can listen to a reading of the poem.
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Small Group Discussion: Share what you noticed about the poem with a small group of students. Based on the details you just shared with your small group and the resources from the beginning of class, how does the title, “The Crystal Gazer,” inform your reading of the poem? Do you believe in any superstitions? Why or why not?
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Whole Class Discussion: What is the most powerful imagery in the poem? Why? How does this poem explore the self? How might you compare the two stanzas? What might it mean when the speaker says, “I shall take my scattered selves and make them one”?
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Extension for Grades 7-8: Imagine that this poem is a poem in series. What might the next poem say? Write your own response and share it with the class.
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Extension for Grades 9-12: Read the essay “The Poetry of Superstition and Supposition” by Aimee Nezhukumatathil. What does this essay make you think about the poem you read earlier? Choose to respond to this question from the essay: “What happens when you take a superstition and try to connect it to a line or two of an actual belief that you hold, or an actual memory of yours?” or one of the prompts that Nezhukumatathil offers. If you feel inspired, share your response with the class.
“Occultism, like poetry, is a way of life which suggests an intimate relationship between everyday experiences and spiritual forces.” Read more about the history of occultism in Modernist poetry with the article by Thomas Moran “Beyond The Warp: Occult Poetics in H.D. and Robert Duncan.”