Rita Dove
Lesson plans and teaching resources

The Rita Dove Home Page
Biography and extensive links to interviews and other related sites, including some audio files of the poet reading her work.

"American Smooth"
In this 1-minute video clip, the poet reads her poem. Scroll down for discussion questions and a brief analysis.

"Lady Freedom Among Us"
Text of the poem.

"Parsley"
Text of the poem. Follow links for additional information.

Rita Dove
Dove reads some poems and discusses them in this video, which runs 49 minutes.

Rita Dove: "Looking Underneath" History
Thematic categories for some of Dove's poetry, including some texts, notes, and focus questions. This 15-page document requires Adobe Reader for access.

Rita Dove: Selected Poems
Students will learn to explicate poems using close reading and critical thinking. Students will also write their own poems, as well as essays, biographical sketches, and news articles. This unit plan includes 10 lessons and addresses the poems "Jiving," "The Zepellin Factory," "Fifth Grade Autobiography," "Primer," and "Grape Sherbet." Access to this 11-page document requires Adobe Reader.