Poetry: James K Baxter

Learning objective: to explore the world and poetry of James K. Baxter

Success criteria: 
1. I can show understanding of the world and motivations of James K. Baxter, with supporting evidence.
2. I can analyse a Baxter poem, with supporting evidence.
3. I can critically respond to a Baxter poem, with supporting evidence.

Resources:
Excerpts from The Road to Jerusalem
Excerpt from Paul Millar's introduction to The Selected Poems of James K. Baxter, edited by Paul Millar.
Baxter reading a poem
Profile of Baxter from NZEDGE Legends
Biography of Archibald Baxter from Te Ara.
Dave Dobbyn's Song of the Years, set to the words of Baxter's poem.

Using the resources above, and poems handed out in printed form, make notes in a chart with three columns:
1. Key events in Baxter's life:  
2. What Baxter wrote about:   
3. Questions I have about Baxter and/or his poems:

Term one: poetry

We will look at how to read and enjoy a poem and become confident in making sense of a poem, peeling the layers off to understand what makes it special.  We will look primarily at three New Zealand poets: James K Baxter, Glenn Colquhoun and Selina Tusitala Marsh.  Through these three poets, we will explore the ways in which poets use poetry to make sense of the world and their place(s) in it.  From a solid understanding of these poets, we will then look at how to understand connections between texts, and critically review those connections.

Each of us will identify a connection between four texts (at least one of which you have chosen yourself) and write a comparative essay on it.  You can choose from a very wide selection of written and visual texts for your connections, and we will talk about how to make those choices.  We will explicitly learn how to write a comparative essay.

By the end of Term One, you will have four credits in Level Three English, a greatly enhanced confidence in reading poetry and in writing about it, and the beginnings of readiness to ace the 3.1 external at the end of the year!

• https://bluemilk.wordpress.com/2015/01/23/we-could-say-that-the-poem-is-a-lie-detector/