Abandoned Farmhouse- Poetry, Day 1.

Important Term: Personification (on handout)


Good literature can be interpreted in many different ways, as long as the interpreter takes careful note of the text while thinking of meaning.

Today, I challenge you with a poem that is rather mysterious, both literally and figurative.






Journal 1 : What does Ted Kooser's poem say to you? Ultimately, what's the point of this poem?



In your journal, jot down some inferences you can make about Ted Kooser. What subjects do you think he likes to write about? What settings? What style? Anything!

We'll compare this to a short bio of Ted Kooser.



Read about the farm crisis of 1980. Do you see a possible connection between this era and Ted Kooser? A connection to "Abandoned Farmhouse?"

P.S. Kooser has never confirmed that it was about the farm crisis...





Journal 2: Suppose Kooser wrote his poem based on the farm crisis? Do you think an interpretation of this poem hinges on the reader knowing  this? Or can we still get meaning from it without that knowledge?