Look closely at this image of an “Old man in green jacket walking on snow covered sidewalk through an alley of trees.”
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 this image of an “Old man in green jacket walking on snow covered sidewalk through an alley of trees.” Write a six-word story inspired by this image. A famous example of a six-word story is “For sale: baby shoes, never worn” by Ernest Hemingway. Share your story with the class. Do you notice any patterns?
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Before Reading the Poem: Listen to the song “Autumn in New York” by Billie Holiday. As you listen, make a list of both comforting and challenging aspects of this time of year. As a class, make a list of these aspects and add your own.
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Reading the Poem: Silently read the poem “Holiday cheer or holiday void—” by Haleh Liza Gafori. 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 might enjoy the poet reading the poem.
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Small Group Discussion: Share what you noticed about the poem with a small group of students. What connections can you make between the poem and the resources from the beginning of class? How would you describe the speaker in the poem? Why?
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Whole Class Discussion: How does the poem use both everyday imagery and cosmic imagery? What do you make of the line, “A true holiday is a day you befriend the void.” What do you notice about the structure and/or rhyme in this poem?
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Extension for Grades 7-8: Write your own poem exploring your relationship to others and/or solitude, or write a poem inspired by the title, “Holiday cheer or holiday void.” Share your poem with the class.
- Extension for Grades 9-12: Select one line or image from the poem and write a piece about someone navigating something different from what they expected. Share your writing with the class.
Thanksgiving may seem like the most American of holidays, but with changes in demographics and the diversity of cultures that accompanies them, Thanksgiving may no longer look the same to everyone. In his poem “América,” Richard Blanco brings us into the experience of Thanksgiving celebrated by an extended Cuban American family, making us think about the many ways to be an American today. Teach “América” by Richard Blanco with this lesson plan.
Syntax is the arrangement of language and order of words used to convey the poem’s content.