This document provides instructions for a poetry comparison project on Robert Frost's poems "After Apple-Picking" and "Birches." Students are asked to identify poetic devices, structures, and themes found in both poems and create a final project demonstrating their understanding of the similarities. The final project can be an original poem comparing elements to Frost's works, a storyboard visually comparing elements between the poems, or a video making comparisons with explanation. The document provides reviews and analysis of both poems to aid students in identifying poetic elements to compare in their final project.

1. Poetry Comparison Project
ELAALRL1 Student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence in a variety of texts
representative of different genres and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.

2. Project objectives
For this project, you will compare Robert Frost’s poem
“Birches” to “After Apple-Picking.” Please make sure you have
completed lesson 2.05 Robert Frost before beginning this
assignment.
• In completing this project, you will . . .
– Identify, compare, and contrast poetic devices
and structures found in the poems “After Apple-
Picking” and “Birches.”
– Determine a similar theme found in the poems
“After Apple-Picking” and “Birches.”
– Produce a final project to demonstrate your
understanding of the similarities found in the
poems “After Apple-Picking” and “Birches.”
• When your project is complete, you will submit it to
the dropbox labeled “2.05 Poetic Comparison.”

3. “After Apple-Picking”
A review
• Symbols
– Recall the lesson’s ideas about the symbolic items in the poem:
~ The ladder
~ The apples on the tree
~ The apples that had fallen
~ The thin, icy “pane” on the drinking trough
– Consider other possible symbols
~ The apple tree
~ The sleep of the speaker
~ The different barrels (some full, some not quite full)

4. “After Apple-Picking”
A review
• Imagery
– Frost appeals to the senses of smell and sight with his descriptions:
~ “Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.”
~ “Magnified apples appear and disappear,
Stem end and blossom end,
And every fleck of russet showing clear.”
– To which other senses does Frost appeal?
~ Touch: “My instep arch not only keeps the ache…”
~ Hearing: “And I keep hearing from the cellar bin
The rumbling sound
Of load on load of apples coming in.”
~ Surprisingly, taste is the only sense not represented.

5. “After Apple-Picking”
A review
• Structure
– This poem has no stanzas – it is one, long piece.
~ Some lines, for reasons unknown, are considerably shorter than most.
– The rhyme scheme is irregular.
~ Check out the ends of each line and see if you can find a pattern?
– The lines, for the most part, have 10 syllables.
~ The first line has more (12)
~ The shortened lines are inconsistent but have fewer (6, 4, or 2)
– The rhythm is inconsistent; there is no consistent sound pattern.

6. “After Apple-Picking”
A review
•Poetic devices
– Typically, Frost uses very few devices in the classic sense.
– Extended metaphors are common in Frost’s work, and in “After Apple-
Picking” we see the extended metaphor through Frost’s use of symbolism.
The apple tree and the entire aspect of harvesting it are an extended
metaphor for life. Symbols include:
~The ladder reaching toward heaven represents the progression of life.
~The apples are symbolic of our choices.
~The harvest being what we reap from life.
~The fallen apples are the neglected aspects of life, the careless choices.
~The resulting exhaustion and sleep is obviously the end of life.
– You will find little use of simple metaphors, similes, alliteration,
or personification (although the woodchuck in this comes close).
– Remember, though, you should always look for these devices in poetry.

7. “After Apple-Picking”
A review
• Theme
– Theme is the overall message the author intends for his reader to get.
– Think of theme as a lesson the reader learns through the action in the poem.
– Remember that theme is a universal truth, not a single word.
– Theme is truly personal; while you may learn one truth, someone else may learn.
something completely different depending on life experiences.
– Possible themes for “After Apple-Picking” include:
~Life is a series of choices and opportunities, regrets and mistakes.
~All of our opportunities and regrets are in our final thoughts.
~Regardless of how hard we work, there will always be unfinished business.
– But try this idea out… If the apples represent people instead of choices – if the
fallen apples are people who have sinned, then what might a theme be?
~Themes are dependent upon other interpretive
aspects of a poem, so reserve your judgment of
theme until you have identified and analyzed the
other elements.

8. “Birches”
Now it’s your turn
Before you can complete the project, you will need to read and analyze
Frost’s “Birches” on your own. As you read, look for the devices and
structural elements discussed in the “After Apple-Picking” review.
Once you advance from this screen, you will have a chance to hear Frost
read his poem aloud. If you would like, open your textbook to page 301 and
read along as Frost presents his poem for you.

9. “Birches”
Now it’s your turn
Now that you have heard the poem for the first time, review it several
times as you look for elements included in the “After Apple-Picking”
review. Those elements are:
Imagery – language that appeals to the five senses
Structure – The rhythm and rhyme scheme, the physical poem as it is
printed
Poetic devices – Metaphor, simile, alliteration, personification , and
symbolism.
Theme – a universal truth or lesson revealed by a piece of literature.
Once you’ve identified these elements in “Birches” look back at the
elements found in “After Apple-Picking.” You will likely notice that there
are several similarities.

10. Project options
Now that you have explored the poetry of Robert Frost as parts of
one whole, you are to create a final project that shows your
understanding of the similarities found in Frost’s poems.
Please choose one of the following project options:
• Create an original poem that includes at least three similarities found in Frost’s
poetry. Write a brief analysis outlining which elements your poem shares with
Frost’s poems. Identify any differences between your poem and Frost’s poems.
• Create a pictorial story board that illustrates the similarities and differences found
in “After Apple-Picking” and “Birches.”
• Create a video that highlights the similarities and differences in the Frost poems.
Be sure there is a fair amount of explanation, either spoken or written, outlining
your findings. Make sure all wording is original.
You can find specific instructions for these projects in doc sharing and in the
remainder
of the presentation. Please advance the slides to read about each project choice.

11. Project options
An original poem
This project is for the writers in the group. You will write a poem of your own that has
elements comparable to those in “After Apple-Picking” and “Birches.” Look back at the
elements you found in both poems. Your poem might have some elements that are
similar to one but not to the other. You will then explain how your poem compares to
Frost’s works.
•Requirements for the poem:
• It must have a length of more than 10 lines.
• It should be free from distracting grammatical errors.
• It should be typed - single spaced, please.
• Requirements for the analysis
• It must have a length of 150 – 300 words
• It must address at least three similarities and one difference
• It must address the themes of all three poems
• It should address specific similarities and specific differences.
• It should be free from distracting grammatical errors.
• It should be typed – double spaced, please.
Please check the Course Calendar tab in the LMS for due dates.

12. Project options
Compare/Contrast storyboard
This project choice is for the graphic-minded. You will create a visual graphic
organizer depicting the similarities and differences found in the poems “After
Apple-Picking” and “Birches.”
The focus of this project will be the visual element, of course, but there must be
explanatory text. You will choose pictures that represent the different elements
you find and arrange them in a logical fashion so that your audience can “read”
your organizer.
Requirements:
• You must identify a minimum of five similarities and three differences.
•You must identify the theme of each poem (this will count as either a similarity or
a difference depending upon if the themes you see are the same or not.)
• You must have a visual representation for each element identified
• You must clearly identify which graphics relate to which poem
• You must explain your findings in clear, concise, grammatically correct language
using quotations where applicable.
• An abridged example project appears on the next slide.
Please check the Course Calendar tab in the LMS for due dates.

13. A Narrow Fellow in the Grass I Like to See it
Lap the Miles Personification
Dickinson gives a snake Dickinson gives a train
human traits. the traits of a horse.
“You may have met Him – did you not “Then – punctual as a Star
His notice sudden is – “ Stop – docile and omnipotent
At its own stable door – “
Simile
Dickinson compares the sound Dickinson compares the snake
of the train to sound made by parting the grass to a comb
the Biblical sons of thunder. parting hair.
“And neigh like Boanerges – “The Grass divides as with a Comb –”
Rhythm
Dickinson uses a regular pattern of Dickinson abandons the regular pattern
rhythm to signify the rhythmic of rhythm because it has no significance
sound of the train. for the subject of the poem.
This sample does not contain the required number of similarities and differences. This is merely to give you an idea of the
product you should create. This is, by no means, the only way to produce this project. You may create it in
PowerPoint, Word, PhotoShop or any other computer program you have access to. You may also create the graphic
organizer on a website and submit the URL to the dropbox. There are hundreds of ways to address this project.

14. Project options
Comparison/Contrast video
This project choice is for the technology-minded. You will create a video depicting
the similarities and differences found in the poems “After Apple-Picking” and
“Birches.”
The focus of this project will be the visual element, of course, but there must be
substantial explanation. You will choose images and/or video segments that
represent the different elements you find. Then you will arrange them in a logical
manner as you create your video.
Requirements:
• You must identify a minimum of five similarities and three differences.
•You must identify the theme of each poem (this will count as either a similarity or
a difference depending upon if the themes you see are the same or not.)
• You must have a visual representation for each element identified
• You must clearly identify which graphics relate to which poem
• You must explain your findings in clear, concise, grammatically correct language
using quotations where applicable.
• Use the example of the graphic organizer project to see ideas for visual
representation of the elements.
Please check the Course Calendar tab in the LMS for due dates.