Here you will use all of the strategies you learned and practiced in the first section of this chapter. Refer to that section when necessary. Use your working copy of the poem Trinos throughout this stage.

Strategy 1. Classify Verses

Task 1. Count Poetic Syllables. Follow these steps to determine the number of poetic syllables in each verse.

1.			Step 1. Underline las sinalefas. Step 2. Divide the verse into syllables, taking las sinalefas into account. Step 3. Write the corresponding numbers above the syllables. Step 4. Determine the classification of the verse and decide if you need to add a syllable (+1), subtract a syllable (-1), or do nothing. Step 5. Write the total number of poetic syllables at the end of the verse.

Task 2. Classify Verses.

2.			Determine the classification of each verse based on the number of poetic syllables it contains (refer to section IV. Clasificación de los versos según el número de sílabas). Write the classification to the right of the number of syllables on your working copy of the poem.

Strategy 2. Determine Type and Pattern of Rhyme

Task 1. Determine Type of Rhyme. Use the following steps to determine the type of rhyme in the poem.

3.			Step 1. Identify the last word in each verse. Is it aguda, llana, esdrújula, or sobresdrújula? Step 2. Identify the tonic syllable in each verse-ending word. Step 3. Establish the pattern of sounds. Is the rhyme asonante, consonante, or blanco? Step 4. Mark the pattern of rhyme on your working copy of the poem. Use lower-case letters, uppercase letters, or the symbol Ø as appropriate. If necessary, consult page 130 of the text.

Task 2. Determine Pattern of Rhyme.

4.			Using your working copy of the poem, compare the pattern of rhyme you established with the patterns of rhyme on pages 131-132 of the text. Determine the pattern of rhyme in the poem.

Strategy 3. Identify Type of Poem

Task 1. Determine Type of Stanza.

5.			Compare the pattern of rhyme written on your working copy of the poem to the types of stanzas listed on pages 133-134 of the text. If the pattern you identified does not correspond to any of the patterns in the text, double-check your work, then compare your work with your study group. If necessary, ask your instructor. Write the type(s) of stanza on your working copy.

Task 2. Identify Type of Poem. A poem will be estrófico or no estrófico depending on its pattern of rhyme. Determine what type of poem Trinos is, referring to pages 135-136 if necessary. Justify your answer.

6.			Trinos is ... because ...

Task 3. Specify Type of Poem. If it is un poema estrófico, it will probably be either un soneto or una letrilla. If it is un poema no estrófico, it will probably be un romance, una silva, or un poema de verso libre. If the poem does not fall within any of the categories presented in the text, double-check your work, then compare your work with your study group. Finally, ask your instructor. Justify your answer.

7.			Trinos is ... because ...

Strategy 4. Scan Each Segment for Information

Task 1. Segment Poem. Divide the poem into segments. If it is un poema estrófico, draw a line between the stanzas on your working copy. Otherwise, determine another logical way to segment the poem (for example, punctuation or number of verses).

Task 2. Determine the Five W's. Reactivate the information you have documented so far, then scan one segment of the poem at a time. Ascertain the answers to as many of the five W's as you can.

8.			Who?
9.			What?
10.			Where?
11.			When?
12.			Why?

Task 3. Complete Star Diagram.

13.			Organize the answers to the above questions on a star diagram (see Appendix). Each "point" of the star corresponds to one of the five W's. For each point, cite the words or phrases from the text that substantiate your answer. Document all of your observations.

Strategy 5. Identify information gaps

Task 1. Review. Review what you learned about poetry in the first part of this chapter so that you know what it is you need to know in order to understand and discuss this particular literary form.

Task 2. Identify Information Gaps. Make note of the information that you did not uncover during Stages II and III. The information that you do not have is just as important as the information that you do. It is fine to not know something at this point, as long as you are aware of what you do know and what you still need to know.

14.			I know:
15.			I need to know:

Task 3. Identify Vocabulary Gaps.

16.			List any words you still do not understand and take the steps necessary to determine their meaning. Remember that at this point you are still working with the direct meaning of the words rather than with their literary or symbolic meaning.