Skip to Main Content

Lesson 4

We will continue our exploration of characterization within Beloved, focusing on point of view, character dialogue, and actions. We will read the poem “The Gift to Sing” by James Weldon Johnson and compare it to Paul D.’s singing in this section in order to discuss the power and effect of song. We will prepare for the Section Diagnostic by reviewing our notes from our Attending to Details Tool, Analyzing Relationships Tool, and the Character Note-Taking Tool. We will consider the following question: How does Morrison incorporate narrative shifts and what impact does this have on the reader?

Lesson Goals

  • Can I synthesize information from James Weldon Johnson’s poem “The Gift to Sing” and Beloved to create new understanding about the importance of song in the novel?

  • Can I evaluate how different literary elements shape Morrison’s portrayal of the plot?

  • Can I analyze relationships among characteristics of poetry, including stanzas, speaker, and sound devices in “The Gift to Sing.”

  • Can I evaluate how Johnson’s diction and syntax contribute to the mood and tone of the poem?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • Beloved, Toni Morrison, Vintage Books, 2004
  • Unit Reader
    • “The Gift to Sing,” James Weldon Johnson, The Cornhill Company, 1917

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Discuss

As a class, we will discuss the homework reading by sharing some of the details from our notes about the characters, and we will consider the text-specific questions we used to guide our reading.

As a class, discuss your homework reading. Share your new insight into each of the following characters, which you kept track of throughout your reading using your Character Note-Taking Tool:

  • Sethe

  • Baby Suggs

  • Paul D.

  • Denver

  • 124

Now, discuss your responses to the guiding questions. Be sure to cite evidence from the text to support your answers.

  1. How would you characterize the relationship between Sethe and Paul D.?

  2. Think particularly about the focus on color and colorful images (pp. 46-48). How does this language affect the mood? Does the discussion of colors lift or sadden you as a reader?

  3. What is meant by the line "As for Denver, the job Sethe had of keeping her from the past that was still waiting for her was all that mattered" (p. 51)?

  4. When Sethe, Paul D., and Denver go to the carnival, Sethe is the only one who notices that their three shadows held hands, and she decides this is a "good sign" (p. 57). How does the description of the carnival’s atmosphere support or contradict Sethe’s positive outlook? How does Morrison use word choice to create the atmosphere and mood? Use textual evidence to support your thoughts.

Activity 2: Read – Discuss – Write

We will read and explore James Weldon Johnson’s poem “The Gift To Sing.” we will analyze the poem’s language, structure, and meaning in more depth by discussing questions with partners.

Step 1

As a class, we will read the poem “The Gift to Sing” by James Weldon Johnson and think about how the idea of “song” is captured in the poem as well as in the novel. The Attending to Details Tool will be used to record important details before exploring the poem’s language and structure.

As a class, generate ideas for the following question:

  1. Based on the title, what do you predict this text might be about?

Step 2

Listen and read along silently as your teacher or one of your peers reads the poem aloud. Respond to the following guiding question in your notes.

  1. What is this poem about?

Turn to a partner. Discuss the following question:

  1. What stands out to you as important?

Step 3

Reread the text on your own, this time focusing on specific words and phrases that create mental images or bring forth strong feelings.

Individually, mark at least five words or phrases that create mental images or bring forth strong feelings. For each marked word or phrase, identify the feelings evoked or describe your reaction.

Step 4

Work with a partner to determine meaning and deepen your understanding of the poem, then write down answers to the questions below in your Learning Log. Support your answers with textual evidence.

  1. What do we know about the speaker? Using evidence from the poem, what inferences can you make about his life?

  2. Where is there repetition in the poem? How does the repetition contribute to meaning?

  3. How do the three individual stanzas contribute to the overall structure of the poem? Consider how each stanza begins and ends and what message these choices might signal to the reader?

  4. Where does a shift occur in the poem? What is the significance of the shift?

  5. What is the tone of the poem? What evidence can you find to support this?

  6. What is the speaker's perspective on the poem's topic?

  7. How does the speaker's word choice develop the tone and convey his perspective?

  8. How do specific words or phrases impact the meaning of the poem?

Step 5

As a class, discuss your interpretation and analysis of the poem.

Activity 3: Read – Discuss

We will draw connections between the poem “The Gift To Sing,” by James Weldon Johnson, to Paul D.’s singing on pages 48–49 and discuss the power and effect of music and poetry on our lives.

Reread the passage where Paul D. sings, starting with "He was responsible" (p. 48) and ending with "sledge hammer in chains" (p. 49).

Participate in a whole-class discussion to analyze the relationships between the poem "The Gift to Sing"and Paul D.’s singing on pages 48-49 in Beloved. Respond to the following questions:

  1. What connections do you see between the poem and Paul D.’s song?

  2. How are they similar? How are they different? Cite evidence from both texts to support your conclusion.

  3. How do these two pieces enhance our understanding and empathy of the speaker and what he might be going through?

  4. What power has music had on your life? In what ways has music been important or meaningful to you?

Activity 4: Discuss

We will discuss characterization through point of view and analyze the impact of Morrison’s narration shifts on the reader.

With a partner, discuss the following questions:

  1. How does Morrison incorporate narrative shifts while not interrupting the flow of the reading?

  2. What impact does this have on the reader?

Activity 5: Write

We will review the task and expectations for the section 1 diagnostic. For homework, we will select our prompt and begin organizing evidence we will use for support in preparation for writing the Section Diagnostic. We will use a Forming Evidence-Based Claims Tool to help us form a claim in response to the prompt.

Step 1

Read, annotate, and analyze the Section 1 Diagnostic Checklist. Choose one of the prompts that you would like to respond to and begin organizing the evidence you will use for support.

Step 2

Review your Vocabulary Journal. Identify a significant word or words that you would like to use in your response to the Section Diagnostic.

Set up a Forming Evidence-Based Claims Tool for the Section Diagnostic task question of your choosing by recording the question at the top of a tool. Review your materials and notes from previous lessons to find key details that you see as closely related to the question and to each other. Using these details, draft a central claim that will organize your responses to the task questions.