The Language of Poetry - LanguageArts-NHS

After Reading
Comprehension
1. Recall Where has Lord Randall been, and what has happened to him?
2. Clarify Why is the speaker of “Ballad” so distressed?
3. Summarize In “Midwinter Blues,” what is the speaker’s situation?
Literary Analysis
4. Identify Ballad Reread “Lord Randall” and “Ballad.” Using a chart like the one
shown, compare how the elements of the traditional ballad are used in both
poems. How does Mistral’s poem depart from a traditional ballad?
Ballad Characteristics
Single tragic incident
Repetition
Dialogue
Four-line stanzas
Regular rhyme and meter
Examples from
“Lord Randall”
Examples from “Ballad”
5. Analyze Dialect Review your dialect chart. How does dialect help establish
the voices of the speakers in “Lord Randall” and “Midwinter Blues”?
6. Contrast Speakers Contrast the attitudes of the speakers in “Ballad” and
“Midwinter Blues.” How does the language used in each poem communicate
the speaker’s emotional state?
7. Compare Styles Consider qualities that make a poem musical. How do
poems based on song forms differ from others you have read?
Reading-Writing Connection
writing prompt self-check
Extended Response: Support an Opinion
Compare and contrast the experiences of each speaker.
What do their experiences suggest about the nature of
romantic love? Support your argument with details from
the poems in a three-to five-paragraph response.
A successful response will . . .
• point out similarities and
differences between the
speakers’ experiences
• formulate a conclusion that
is supported by details
lord randall / ballad / midwinter blues 741