Understanding a poem always requires multiple readings. Let’s practice!

We’ll read a few passages from Erica Dawson’s When Rap Spoke Straight to God three times each. Each time, you’ll approach the poem slightly differently.

• The first time, just listen to the poem.
• The second time, choose one line of the poem and “annotate” it with a short question or comment.
• The third time, the class will “explode”—meaning, you’ll share aloud what you wrote after the line has been spoken.

We’ll then follow up with some questions:

1. What did you hear during the explosion?
2. What surprised you?
3. What didn’t you understand?
4. What patterns did you notice?
5. Which lines drew your attention and why?