POETRY PROJECT PART 1: 20 poems by famous poets Due: Monday 2/2 Today and Thursday you will need to compile your 20 poems that relate to your theme and get information on a famous poet. You will need to go to http://www.famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets.html to choose a poet. You can only choose from the provided list. Be sure that you only use two poems from each poet. Also, you should find 10 poems and your partner should find 10 poems. You should also share in finding resources for your poet report. POETRY PROJECT PART 2: Poet Report Due: Monday 2/9 You will need to gather the following for your poet report: Introduction: Should discuss poetry and poems in general. Then he will introduce his poet and develop a 3-point thesis: 1)poets history 2) major works and its impact on society 3)why a reader would be drawn to this poet BODY #1--poets history-- discuss his life and interesting facts. Was your poet born with some rare affliction? Did he marry his sister? Win a Nobel Prize? Fight in a war? Go to a prestigious college or drop out of the 5 th grade? Go for the bizarre—the thinks you don’t see or hear about every day. BODY #2--major works and its impact on society--discuss his best poems and how they reflected or impacted society—use critiques for this part. BODY #3-- why would a reader be drawn to this poet--discuss techniques, style, theme, content, and poetic devices that are appealing to readers. Does the poet use catchy rhymes, alliteration or funky rhythms? Does he talk about themes and ideas that people can easily relate? Does he write his poems differently than others (format, style, technique)? Conclusion: Restate your 3-point thesis in different words. Recap each point. Tie in an idea from your introduction and end with something powerful. You can use an idea from his/her poems, a powerful quote, or something witty! *You must use MLA format *You must include 2 quotes
POETRY PROJECT PART 3: Explication Due: Monday 2/9 Before you begin the written part of the explication you must analyze the poem using the 5-S Strategy and fully annotate the poem. Make a key at the top of the poem to help me understand your annotations. Your poetry explication essay should be an in-depth, detailed, analysis of your favorite poem. Below are some guidelines to assist you in writing this essay.
Paragraph 1—Your introduction sentence should be catchy and interesting (Gather ideas from the theme or emotions evoked from this poem). Be sure to include the title of your poem and the poet. Also include a 3-point thesis 1.theme 2. figurative language 3. poetic devices
Paragraph 2—Your first body paragraph should include a transition and a topic sentence. You should thoroughly discuss the theme and overall meaning of the poem. What message is the poet trying to convey. Is there a moral or universal truth? Is the theme related to historical events (war, politics, tragedies, famous people, etc.) Be sure to tie this paragraph up at the end. Paragraph 3—Your 2 nd body paragraph should include a transition and a topic sentence. You need to discuss the elements of figurative language in your poem. Identify metaphor, simile, hyperbole, personification, irony, paradox, pun, oxymoron, etc. and explain the meaning and the impact of using this language. How does a metaphor or a simile enhance the overall image or meaning of the poem? Is the irony comical or cruel? Does the paradox or oxymoron create an epiphany? Be sure to tie this paragraph up at the end. Paragraph 4—Your 3rd body paragraph should include a transition and a topic sentence. You need to discuss the elements of poetic devices in your poem. How do these devices enhance the poem? Does the use of alliteration cause a rhythmic flow? Does the use of onomatopoeia make it more interesting or appealing to the senses? Does the use of repetition place emphasis on the theme or major point? Be sure to tie this paragraph up at the end.
Paragraph 5—Your first sentence of your conclusion should contain a transition and it should echo the thesis statement. Recap your major points of each paragraph and explain why the poem is your personal favorite. Does it affect you mentally or emotionally; does it give you encouragement or inspiration; does it remind you of a special person, place or time? Tie this paragraph up with a powerful or witty sentence.
Title of Poem: ______________________________________ Author of Poem: ___________________________________ Who is the speaker? Read the underlined parts of the poem or the song, skim the middle section of the one you choose, and then answer the first question below. Once you have completed that, read the entire selection carefully and answer the remaining questions. The Five-S Strategy 1. Discover the key sentences. Write out your initial impression about what has happened.
______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 2. Discover the speaker. Who is the narrator? What is significant about that this point of view. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ What is the speaker’s attitude? Why is this attitude (tone) significant? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. Discover the situation. What is happening? State the situation in a single sentence. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 4. Discover the major shifts. What words are associated with the subject of your poem and with the speaker? What imagery is produced as a result? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
What words indicate a shift in tone? What is the effect of the shift? Why do you think the writer has located the shift where he has?
______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Other possible shifts: Changes in sound (onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance, consonance, repetition, rhyme scheme, etc.)___________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ KEY transition words: but, so, nevertheless, therefore, however ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
Punctuation Marks: question marks, exclamation points, dashes, colon, semicolon ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Change in diction: elevated to low, archaic, dialect, jargon, formal, informal ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Change in point of view: first to 2nd or 1st to omniscient ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
5. Discover the examples/concentration of effective syntax and their purpose. What unusual use of punctuation is present? How many sentences are there? Are there any changes in the length or layout of the sentences?