I FELT A FUNERAL IN MY

BRAIN
MS. KLEMSTINE
THE CATCHER IN THE RYE-
PRE READING ACTIVITIES
SWBAT…analyze the themes of depression and the metaphor of the funeral in “I Felt a Funeral in My Brain” by
Emily Dickinson

COMMON CORE LEARNING STANDARDS

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on
grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.A
Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence
from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text,
including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.3
Analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how
the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
SWBAT…analyze the themes of depression and the metaphor of the funeral in “I Felt a Funeral in My Brain” by
Emily Dickinson
DO NOW- Creating our own metaphors

If you had to compare the experience of feeling really happy to something, what would you
compare it to?

If you had to compare the feeling of being very sad to something, what would you compare it to?
Please spend five minutes and think of something creative!

Ex. I’d compare feeling happy to a warm day, walking through a sunny meadow where a swarm of
colorful butterflies gently land on me, take off, and repeat, flitting about the air.

I’d compare feeling really sad to a gray, stormy day, where it’s not quite raining (because that would
feel cathartic) but I almost want it to rain, but it doesn’t. It just stays gray, and everything has that
blue/gray filter on it.
 “I Felt a Funeral In My Brain”
SWBAT…create and answer review questions about Chapters 19, 20, and 21 in Things Fall Apart.

Written by Emily Dickinson – frequent themes of death and her mind as an “undiscovered continent”
Contemporary of Walt Whitman and both considered extremely important to creating a unique “American” voice
Was not famous during her life, but they found all her poems hidden in her room
And they were published after her death
Was a hermit most of her life, having virtually no contact with the outside world
Though she wrote to people extensively and read a lot.
Raised in a Puritan New England town so had a strict view of Christianity which
Influenced her work
Her work was unique – lots of dashes and weird punctuation, quirky vocabulary, strange metaphors
and lots of “slant rhyme” which rappers use extensively
It’s a rhyme in which the stressed syllables of ending consonants match, however the preceding vowel sounds do not
match. Ex. shaPE and keeP. The ending consonants are strong, but the vowel sounds don’t match.
Another is: bridge and grudge, moon and run.
Gives an “unharmonious” feeling to the poetry; avoids the sing-songeyness of perfect rhyme, gives creative freedom.
Half rhymes help a poet create an unusual range of words to give a variety of rhyming effects, particularly when they are used with other poetic devices and
rhyming schemes. They help poets avoid using the typical sing-song chiming effects of full rhymes, and give them creative freedom. Furthermore, half rhymes
have provided a subtle discordant note, which does not give absolute harmony, but which offers variation in tone, and creates a good impact on the readers.
When half rhymes are used with other poetic devices, they give shocking effects to the reader about the actual rhyme scheme.
SWBAT…analyze the themes of depression and the metaphor of the funeral in “I Felt a Funeral in My Brain” by
Emily Dickinson

Symptoms of Depression in Teens:

Symptoms of depression in women include:

- Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood

- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
- Restlessness, irritability, or excessive crying
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, hopelessness, pessimism
- Sleeping too much or too little, early-morning awakening
- Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain
- Decreased energy, fatigue, feeling "slowed down"
- Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions

- As we read the poem, think about whether or not the narrator is depressed and how/if you know?
 SWBAT…analyze the important literary elements/techniques in “Oh Captain, My Captain”
Connotation – You are looking for all types of figurative language in this category.

IMAGERY: language that appeals to all five senses – so what are examples of the imagery used in this poem?
METAPHORS: these are comparisons without using like or as. Though this is a poem about a “crew member losing his fearless
leader” this is a good comparison to what it might feel like for all of us to lose someone who has taken us through a difficult
time or steered us through important events in life only to lose them.
SIMILES: Descriptive comparisons using “like or as”
SOUND/STRUCTURE: Repetition – what is the purpose of repeating certain phrases in the poem? What is the effect of
repetition? ALSO – IRONY, ONOMOTOPEIA, ALLUSIONS, MANY TYPES OF FIG. LANGUAGE.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

THEME: The universal human truth of the text. It is not specific to the text you’re reading. It is a short phrase that can be
applied to many different texts. Ex. Love conquers all, friendship is the most important thing in life.

NOT: Abraham Lincoln died. NOT: a ship loses its’ captain.

SWBAT…analyze the important literary elements/techniques in “Oh Captain, My Captain”

CREATING REVIEW QUESTIONS

With your group, please write three review questions for a quiz on the
poem tomorrow. They must all be Level 2 or 3 questions. You may
refer to any theme, tone, or figurative language used in the poem.