ELA 10 Name: ____________________

Analysis of Charles Bukowski’s “Bluebird”

Context: In this unit, the students will have studied various forms of poetry. Much of the studies have focused on different forms, word choice, style, etc. found in poems. The students will have just spent time understanding how an author’s word choice changes the tone of their work. Specifically, many terms elicit masculine and/or feminine tones. With that in mind, students will now move to reading Charles Bukowski’s “Bluebird,” and respond accordingly to the tone prompt below.

Purpose: Students will display their understanding of how the author’s word choice reflects a certain tone. Once they decide on this tone, they will rewrite the poem in small groups and focus on new word choices to depict the opposite voice of the writer.

Assignment: Silently, each student should read through the poem. After reading it through, ask students to briefly reflect in their journal what the tone of the poem is (ie. masculine, feminine, humorous, mysterious, dramatic, depressing, uplifting, etc). Then, have the students circle the specific words or phases in the poem that made them come to their understanding of Bukowski’s particular voice. They will then rewrite at least one stanza in the accompanying box with a focus on the words they have circled. The students must display the opposite tone of voice through their word choice. Finally, each individual will reflect at the bottom briefly how they understand the way in which a writer’s word choice reflects changes in the tone or meaning of a text. The student must give examples of the words they changed in their newly written stanza and how those words are opposite from the original poem’s words.

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Bluebird—by Charles Bukowski

there's a bluebird in my heart thatwants to get outbut I'm too tough for him,I say, stay in there, I'm not goingto let anybody seeyou.

there's a bluebird in my heart thatwants to get outbut I pour whiskey on him and inhalecigarette smokeand the whores and the bartendersand the grocery clerksnever know thathe'sin there.

there's a bluebird in my heart thatwants to get outbut I'm too tough for him,I say,stay down, do you want to messme up?you want to screw up theworks?you want to blow my book sales inEurope?

there's a bluebird in my heart thatwants to get outbut I'm too clever, I only let him outat night sometimeswhen everybody's asleep.I say, I know that you're there,so don't besad.

then I put him back,but he's singing a littlein there, I haven't quite let himdieand we sleep together likethatwith oursecret pactand it's nice enough to Laugh, but Imake a manweep, but I don'tweep, doyou?

REFLECTION:

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RUBRIC for CHARLES BUKOWSKI POEM ANALYSIS

(see handout for assignment details)

Excellent (5) Competent (3) Emerging (1)

Journal Writing (x2)

The student completed a short journal entry explaining their initial response to the poem. The entry clearly states their opinion on the tone of the poem.

The student completed a short journal entry explaining their initial response to the poem. The entry somewhat states their opinion on the tone of the poem.

The student did not complete a journal entry OR the journal entry does not reflect any aspect of the poem.

RewrittenStanza(x1)

The student rewrote (at least) one stanza of the poem. Their piece clearly depicts the opposite tone and perspective from the original stanza. The student also used different words that strongly represent this depiction.

The student rewrote one stanza of the poem. Their piece somewhat depicts the opposite tone and perspective from the original stanza. The student also used a few words to help in this depiction.

The student did not rewrite a stanza OR they rewrote some part of a stanza Their piece does not depict the opposite tone from the original stanza.

Reflective Response(x2)

The reflection clearly explains their understanding of word choice and how that affects tone.

The reflection somewhat explains their understanding of word choice and how that affects tone.

The reflection does not explain their understanding of word choice and how that affects tone.

TOTAL: _____ / 25