Proceeding chronologically, poems from next retell ''my dream about the cows,'' ''my dream about being white'' and ''the message of thelma sayles,'' among other poems and modes. Ask for volunteers to read their writing to the class.Culling from her last four books and including 19 new poems, Clifton's latest offers few surprises, but all of the joys and straight-talk readers have come to expect over 40 or so years of work.

Ask your students to write about how this poem might relate to the context of student activism today.

In recent weeks, students around the country have become activists and are leading campaigns to change minds and laws.

(If you have not discussed metaphors with your class, define the term for them.) Using what they’ve noticed in the poem as evidence, what do your students think the boats might represent?

Whole-class discussion: While Lucille Clifton’s poem can be read and understood as being about a boat, it can also be read as a metaphor for something else.How does it relate to what they noticed in the painting? Back in their small groups, your students should share what they noticed in the poem.Ask a second student to read the poem aloud, following the same process. Ask one student to read the poem aloud to the class, while the others list anything new they notice during the reading. Ask your students to read the poem silently and to write down what jumps out at them. Project the poem “blessing the boats” in front of the class.Ask each group to share their lists with the whole class. Based on the imagining, each group should compose a list of what they might say to the people on board the boats that are heading out to sea. Ask them to work together to arrive at a shared imagining for the future of the sailboats heading out to see. Small-group discussions: Ask your students to share what they noticed about the painting and what they imagine could happen next.Then ask them to imagine what could happen to any of the boats that are heading out to sea, using what they’ve noticed as a foundation. Give your students plenty of time to view the image and ask them to write down what details they notice-colors, brushstrokes, etc. Project the image of the painting “Marine” in front of the class.

Blessing the Boats by Lucille Clifton