Tone and Inflection
Directions: At the end of our last unit, “Choices and Consequences,” where we summarize the year thematically before the final exam, you will be reciting the poem by William Ernest Henley titled “Invictus.” Why this poem?While incarcerated on Robben Island prison, Nelson Mandela recited the poem to other prisoners and was empowered by its message of self-mastery. This is your opportunity to practice your speaking skills, tackle that fear of public speaking, and leave 9th grade with something you truly own—your recitation.
You will be graded on the following:
- Accuracy
- Tone and Inflection
- Time Used
By William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
5For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
10 My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
15 Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
20 I am the captain of my soul.
Performance Dates: May 20th-22nd in class
English I – Choices and Consequences Unit
Directions: At the end of our last unit, “Choices and Consequences,” where we summarize the year thematically before the final exam, you will be reciting the poem by William Ernest Henley titled “Invictus.” Why this poem?While incarcerated on Robben Island prison, Nelson Mandela recited the poem to other prisoners and was empowered by its message of self-mastery. This is your opportunity to practice your speaking skills, tackle that fear of public speaking, and leave 9th grade with something you truly own—your recitation.
You will be graded on the following:
- Accuracy
- Tone and Inflection
- Time Used
By William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
5For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
10 My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
15 Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
20 I am the captain of my soul.
Performance Dates: May 20th-22nd in class
Tips For Memorizing a Poem:
Step One: Read the poem to yourself (not out loud)
Step Two: Now read only the first line of the poem out loud. Take your eyes from the page and immediately, out loud, say the line again. Glance quickly to make sure you got it right. If you made a mistake, do it over. Now move on to the second line and repeat the procedure—one out loud reading followed by one out loud recitation of the line from memory. Do this for every line in the poem.
Step Three: Once you have completed going through the poem, go back to the beginning. This time read out loud the first two lines, look away and repeat them out loud. Check briefly that you got it right. If you make a mistake do it over. Now move on to the next two lines and so forth going through the poem two lines at a time.
Steps Four through Seven: Repeat the process three lines at a time, then 4 lines at a time, then 5 and then 6. I have found that by the 6th pass, no matter how long or short the poem, you will have the whole thing committed to memory. At some point in this process you will find that you are able to recite the whole poem without hardly a glance at the poem. I recommend doing all six passes even if you already seem to have the poem down before then. / Step Eight: Recite the whole poem, preferably just before you go to bed at night.
Step Nine (IMPORTANT): Stop thinking about the poem and just sleep on it. Your sleeping mind is very important for memory- it sort of saves to your brains hard drive what has been floating around in its RAM while it worked through the poem.
The next day you should find (perhaps with a little glance at the first line of the poem to kick start your memory) that you can recite the whole poem. Now recite the poem once more, to yourself with meaning! Depending on when you want to perform the poem you may want to recite it once a day or every couple of days before your performance. You have mechanically memorized the text, now is your opportunity to explore the poem and all its hidden meanings and connections without needing the text in front of you.
Good luck!
Tips For Memorizing a Poem:
Step One: Read the poem to yourself (not out loud)
Step Two: Now read only the first line of the poem out loud. Take your eyes from the page and immediately, out loud, say the line again. Glance quickly to make sure you got it right. If you made a mistake, do it over. Now move on to the second line and repeat the procedure—one out loud reading followed by one out loud recitation of the line from memory. Do this for every line in the poem.
Step Three: Once you have completed going through the poem, go back to the beginning. This time read out loud the first two lines, look away and repeat them out loud. Check briefly that you got it right. If you make a mistake do it over. Now move on to the next two lines and so forth going through the poem two lines at a time.
Steps Four through Seven: Repeat the process three lines at a time, then 4 lines at a time, then 5 and then 6. I have found that by the 6th pass, no matter how long or short the poem, you will have the whole thing committed to memory. At some point in this process you will find that you are able to recite the whole poem without hardly a glance at the poem. I recommend doing all six passes even if you already seem to have the poem down before then. / Step Eight: Recite the whole poem, preferably just before you go to bed at night.
Step Nine (IMPORTANT): Stop thinking about the poem and just sleep on it. Your sleeping mind is very important for memory- it sort of saves to your brains hard drive what has been floating around in its RAM while it worked through the poem.
The next day you should find (perhaps with a little glance at the first line of the poem to kick start your memory) that you can recite the whole poem. Now recite the poem once more, to yourself with meaning! Depending on when you want to perform the poem you may want to recite it once a day or every couple of days before your performance. You have mechanically memorized the text, now is your opportunity to explore the poem and all its hidden meanings and connections without needing the text in front of you.
Good luck!