Poets of Nature, Revelry, and Rhyme Nature, Revelry, and Rhyme    

Lesson 37: Barter

by Sara Teasdale

Performer: Librivox - Rhonda Federman

Directions

Study the poem for one week.

Over the week:

• Read or listen to the poem.
• Review the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Read about the poet.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

The poem advises us to spend all we have on the loveliness and peace life is selling.

Vocabulary

Barter: An exchange of goods or services for other goods or services without using money.
Loveliness: The quality of being very beautiful or attractive.
Strife: Angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict.
Ecstasy: An overwhelming feeling of great happiness or joyful excitement.

Concepts

1. Sara Trevor Teasdale was born in 1884 in St. Louis, Missouri. See her picture below.

2. Zoom in and find Teasdale's birth state of Missouri (MO) on the map of the continental United States.

3. Teasdale had two brothers and a sister, who were much older than she. Her first spoken word was, 'pretty.' Her mother suggested that her love of pretty things is what inspired Teasdale to write poetry.
4. Teasdale eventually married, but the marriage ended in divorce after fifteen years. After her divorce, she devoted herself to her poetry.
5. Teasdale was frail and sickly for most of her life. After suffering from chronic pneumonia, Teasdale died in 1933 at the age of 48 in the Samoan Islands.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite the Title, the Poet's Name, and the Poem

• Each day this week, recite aloud the title of the poem, the name of the poet, and the poem.

Activity 2: Study the Poem Picture

• Study the poem picture, and describe how it relates to the poem.

Activity 3: Narrate the Poem

After reading or listening to the poem, narrate the poem events aloud using your own words.

Activity 4: Color the Poem   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 39 of 'Poetry Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the poem?

1 / 6

Answer 1

The title of the poem is 'Barter.'

1 / 6

Question 2

What is the name of the poet who wrote 'Barter?'

2 / 6

Answer 2

The name of the poet is Sara Teasdale.

2 / 6

Question 3

What happens in the poem?

3 / 6

Answer 3

The poem advises us to spend all we have on the loveliness and peace life is selling.

3 / 6

Question 4

Who are the characters in the poem?

4 / 6

Answer 4

The characters are the narrator, the reader (you), children, and life.

4 / 6

Question 5

The title of the poem is 'barter.' What must we give to life in exchange for the things life has to sell?

5 / 6

Answer 5

We must give life our time, our attention, and at times all we have been, or could be.

5 / 6

Question 6

What does life have to sell?

6 / 6

Answer 6

The poem mentions blue waves, soaring fire, children's wonder, music, the scent of pine trees, eyes that love, arms that hold, peace, and ecstasy.

6 / 6

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the poem? The title of the poem is 'Barter.'
2. What is the name of the poet who wrote 'Barter?' The name of the poet is Sara Teasdale.
3. What happens in the poem? The poem advises us to spend all we have on the loveliness and peace life is selling.
4. Who are the characters in the poem? The characters are the narrator, the reader (you), children, and life.
5. The title of the poem is 'barter.' What must we give to life in exchange for the things life has to sell? We must give life our time, our attention, and at times all we have been, or could be.
6. What does life have to sell? The poem mentions blue waves, soaring fire, children's wonder, music, the scent of pine trees, eyes that love, arms that hold, peace, and ecstasy.

References

'Sara Teasdale.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.