Adrienne Rich's Poetry and Prose Lesson Plan

Pastiche Day 2

Kind of Activity:

Creative Writing

Objective:

Students will write an imitation of "Twenty-One Love Poems" in order to better understand Rich's poetic choices.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3.D; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.5

Structure:

Explain to students that a pastiche is a poem written in imitation of the style and form of another poem. It is not satire--it is meant to honor, not mock (such as satire), the original work.

Ask students to write a pastiche of one of the sections of "Twenty-One Love Poems." They should imitate the loose sonnet structure Rich uses, and write about similar topics (love, desire, etc). Give them...