Teaching Don Quixote

Instructions for You

Objective: Poor Chrysostom dies of a broken heart, and we're warning you, broken hearts happen a lot in this novel. We all know that dastardly Marcela is the cause, and we find at Chrysostom's funeral that he was not just a learned man, but also a poet. Oh, how our sorrow deepens.

In this assignment, students will be drafting Chrysostom's poem to Marcela. They'll write out the heartache (which may have been his heart slowly, but surely breaking into pieces) and then perform their poems for the class.

Some students may wish to spend time pining over unrequited love, but really, we've got a schedule, people—we'd guess the kids can hammer out their poems in about an hour. This includes listening to their muses, and goes straight through editing and a quick practice. Then it's show time before any one gets too nervous.

One last thing: You can do this exercise any time after you get through Part 1, Book 2, Chapter 6. Any earlier than that, though, and you'll be staring at a sea of blank faces.

Materials Needed: Paper and pen (though your students will need a dose of courage)

Step 1: Reread Part 1, Book 2, Chapter 6 with your class, pointing out where Chrys's love poem is supposed to be. Then, to get your students thinking like Chrys, here are some questions to ask them:

• What do they think the poem would sound like? Rhymed, unrhymed, metric?
• What primary emotions would be expressed in such a poem?
• What would the tone of the poem sound like? Is this guy whiney, or does he take his heartbreak with some bit of dignity?
• And here's the big one: Does he have reason to believe that Marcela really loved him, or did he construct this romance in his head?

Step 2: After your students have had time to process all of this, they'll need to scurry off and start writing. Remind them to make their poem sound as authentic as possible. We want it dripping with heartache (the guy died, after all), sickeningly sweet with longing, and overdosing on romantic ideations. We're guessing that Chrys would most likely make his poem rhymed with a strict meter, throw in some flowery language, and make Marcela sound better than she is. But that's just us.

Step 3: Now comes the courage. You might start hearing reluctant whispers from students wondering if they really have to stand up and read, but of course, the answer is yes. Call it their chance to practice calming butterflies and jitters. And hey, this is just the practice stage, so sharing shouldn't be too daunting, right?

Have students find someone else with whom they will practice their poem, getting pointers on how to improve their reading technique and smoothing out their delivery. Here are some things to have them think about:

• Is their partner's voice clear and articulate?
• Does s/he stumble over any words or problematic phrases?

Step 4: Lastly, double doses of courage are needed here. Our damsels and knights will now perform their love poems, sending Chrysostom into the after world. The black crepe is optional; being able to explain why they wrote their poem the way they did is not.

Instructions for Your Students

Objective: Feeling pretty creative today? Hope so, because it's going to come in handy for this activity. You'll be working on Chrysostom's love poem. Yep, the poem that his buddy reads at his funeral. That thing was so sappy that you could have put it over pancakes.

You'll write, ramping up the goo and sap and convincing your audience (a.k.a. your teacher and classmates) that Marcela is the only one for you. Read on to learn more about how this will go down.

Step 1: Reread Part 1, Book 2, Chapter 6, paying special attention to Chrys's love poem. Need to grease your mental wheels a bit? Here are some questions to ponder:

• What do you think the poem would sound like? Rhymed, unrhymed, metric?
• What primary emotions would be expressed in such a poem?
• What would the tone of the poem sound like? Is this guy whiney or does he take his heartbreak with some bit of dignity?
• And here's the big one: does Chrysostom have reason to believe that Marcela really loved him or did he construct this romance in his head?

Step 2: After you've had time to process all of this, you'll need to scurry off and start writing. Make your poem sound as authentic as possible. You want it dripping with heartache (the guy died, after all), sickeningly sweet with longing, and overdosing on romantic ideations. Chrys would most likely make his rhymed with a strict meter, throw in some flowery language, and make Marcela sound better than she is.

Step 3: Now's where the courage has to kick in. It's time to practice delivering your poem orally. Get together with another student and perform your poem, getting pointers on how to improve your reading technique and smoothing out your delivery.

Of course, when you're listening to your partner, make sure you're ready to give good feedback, too. Think about the following:

• Is your partner's voice clear and articulate?
• Does s/he stumble over any words or problematic phrases?

Step 4: Lastly, double doses of courage are needed here. You'll be delivering your love poems, sending Chrysostom into the after world on a bed of over-the-top romanticism. The black crepe is optional; being prepared to explain why you wrote your poem the way you did is not.