not an elegy for Mike Brown
by Danez Smith
Photo by Tabia Yapp
Writing Workshop
Workshop Title: Disheartened
Step 1
Ask the students, “What is something that never changes? Why doesn’t it change? And how do you feel about it?”
Step 2
Watch the embedded video about the context behind the poem they are about to read. Then discuss.
Step 3
Read “not an elegy for Mike Brown.” Then discuss the poem with your students.
Step 4
Have the students use the poem as a mentor text in which they write their own poem about something that “never changes.” Tell them to be deliberate with their word choice to express their tone.
Step 5
When the students are done, have them share their responses with one another.
Analytical Lesson
Area of Focus: Tone
Step 1
If your students are not familiar with the concept of “tone,” review the introductory lesson.
Step 2
Read “not an elegy for Mike Brown,” with your students, focusing on the speaker’s shifts in tone throughout the piece. Then discuss.
Step 3
Have the students work in the following document to analyze the various tones in the poem. They may work in groups if they wish.
Step 4
Discuss their responses. If time permits, share the exemplary essay.
Essay Materials
Lesson Details
Lesson Info
Focus
- Tone
Themes
- Criminal Justice
- Death / Grief
- Police Brutality / Profiling
- Race / Ethnicity / Racism
- Social Movements / Protest
Literary Tags
- Diction
- Figurative Language
- Selection of Detail
- Structure
- Tone