INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Only use soap made for washing down material, as it will be gentle on the stuffing in the sleeping bag. Avoid using regular detergents and soaps, as they are too harsh and can damage the down. Look for down soap at your local hardware store or online. Follow the instructions on the label to determine how much soap to use. If your sleeping bag is stuffed with synthetic materials, get a fragrance-free soap made for use on synthetic insulation. Check your local superstore or look online for a speciality soap for synthetic materials. You can also use a mild soap like Woolite in a pinch as long as it is fragrance-free. Consult the instructions on the label to determine how much soap to use to clean the sleeping bag. Do not use powdered or liquid laundry detergent, bleach, or fabric softeners on down or synthetic sleeping bags, as they can leave residue behind and ruin the material. If you have a front-loading machine at home, use it to wash the sleeping bag. Go to a laundromat if you do not have a front-loading washing machine, as their commercial-sized front-loading machines will be gentle enough to wash the sleeping bag without damaging it. Do not use a top-loading washer, as it will be too harsh on the sleeping bag and tear the material. Let the machine run once on a gentle cycle with nothing in it. This will remove any soap, residue, or debris in the machine so none of it gets on the sleeping bag. Turning the sleeping bag inside out will ensure it gets a good clean, as sweat and body oils tend to accumulate inside the bag. Close all the zippers and fasten all the Velcro closures on the sleeping bag. Loosen all the drawstrings so the fabric is exposed, and open the foot vent on the sleeping bag, if there is one. If your sleeping bag does not have a waterproof lining inside, leave it turned right side out. Place the sleeping bag and the soap in the washing machine. Then, set the cycle to gentle or delicate and a low temperature. The wash should take 40-50 minutes, depending on the machine. Run the machine again once the first wash is done at the same temperature and setting. This will allow the soap to really rinse out of the sleeping bag.

SUMMARY: Use soap formulated for a down-filled sleeping bag, if applicable. Get soap designed for synthetic materials if the bag isn't made of down. Wash the bag in a front-loading washing machine. Rinse out the machine by running an empty cycle. Turn the sleeping bag inside out if it has a waterproof lining. Wash the sleeping bag on a gentle cycle at the lowest temperature. Add an additional rinse cycle to ensure all the soap is removed.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Start by reading the poem aloud several times. Take your time and pronounce each word slowly. Be careful not to skip any words or rush through any lines. Each word and line of the poem is important, so spend time listening to how each one sounds. Have a pencil or pen on hand when you read the poem aloud. Underline or circle any words that stand out to you as you read. Sometimes it can also help to listen to the poet read their own work aloud. Check online to see if you can find an audio clip of the poet reading their poem. As you read the poem aloud, notice if it has a certain rhythm to it. The rhythm will be part of the overall meaning of the poem. Think about how the rhythm makes you feel as a listener. For example, you may notice that there are a lot of short, clipped lines in the poem, creating a jumpy rhythm. Or you may notice there are a lot of long lines that flow on into the other, creating a more fluid rhythm. Poems are broken into sections called stanzas. Stanzas can range from four lines to ten lines or more. Some poems have just one stanza and others have multiple stanzas. Look at the poem and count how many stanzas there are. Consider how the stanzas relate to each other or transition into one another. Ask yourself, "Why would the poet organize the stanzas this way?" "What does the structure of the poem have to do with the meaning of the poem?" Poems can also be divided into numbered sections instead of stanzas. Some poems are not broken into stanzas and appear as words scattered on the page. In this case, think about why the poet would divide the poem into words or phrases, rather than lines and stanzas. Notice if certain words rhyme in each line of the poem. Look for a pattern where certain lines contain a rhyme, usually at the end of the lines. Write down the rhyme scheme using the letters "A" and "B" to notate rhyming lines. For example, if you notice the first line and the third line rhyme, you will represent them as "A" in the rhyme scheme. If you notice the second and fourth lines also rhyme, you will represent them as "B." This means the rhyme scheme will be "ABAB" for the poem. If you notice there are different rhymes in the fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth lines of the poem, you will use "C" and "D" to note them. For example, you may have a poem with a rhyme scheme like "ABABCDCD." The meter in the poem is the number of beats, or stressed syllables, in each line. Stressed syllables will sound louder or more pronounced when you read them aloud. Unstressed syllables will sound softer. Listen for the stressed syllables in each line of the poem. For example, you may notice that the first line in the poem has three stressed syllables and the second line has two stressed syllables. This will give the poem a certain meter. Another way you can determine the meter is by scanning the poem. This technique can help you better understand the rhythm and structure of the poem. You will need to double space the poem and have a physical copy of it on hand to scan it. Once you have determined the rhyme scheme and meter of the poem, determine its form. The form is the type of poem it is, such as haiku, sonnet, sestina, free-verse, or limerick. Review different forms to find the one that fits the poem. For example, if you have a poem that is three lines and that follows a 5-7-5 syllable pattern, it is likely a haiku. You may talk about how a haiku is meant to be a snapshot of a moment in time. You can also discuss the history of the haiku and how it has been used by Japanese poets, as well as Western poets, to describe moments in nature.

SUMMARY:
Read the poem out loud. Listen to the rhythm of the poem. Notice how the poem is separated or broken up. Determine the rhyme scheme, if there is one. Look at the meter. Identify the form of the poem.