ALTER-EGO POETRY PROJECT—Johnson 2007
OBJECTIVE: Choose an American poet
of your choice. You are expected to become as familiar with this poet as you
are an old friend. Through research and literary analysis you will be expected
to create and present a project that includes the following pieces:
A. Poet
Profile.
Write a 300 word profile on
your poet. In this profile you should answer the following questions in-depth:
è
Who
is this poet?
è
What
themes does the poet explore in his or her poetry?
(You
must include at least 15 interesting facts about this person’s life. The
facts must be written or summarized in your
own words!!!!)
10 points—DUE Friday, 3/23
B. Stylistic Analysis. Choose one poem by your poet to stylistically
analyze on 3/19. This will count as one of your timed essays for this 6 week
marking period.
To
prepare for the Monday timed essay:
.
è
Print
a copy of the poem.
è
Mark
up the poem noticing the poet’s use of any of the following stylistic devices: diction, imagery, figurative language, sound, form, rhythm, and line. Also, make notes on tone and theme. If you
want to prepare your three part thesis,
in advance, you may.
You may use your notes
when you write the Monday essay!!!
The
in-class timed essay on your poem should be 4-5 paragraphs in length. Use at least 6 poetry vocabulary words in your essay. The essay should have a three part thesis that answers this
question:
How does
the poet’s use of style contribute to the theme (or meaning) of the poem?
9 points for the persuasiveness of your essay.
6 points for using vocabulary correctly.
5 points for the strength of your three part thesis.
20 points TOTAL—DUE Wednesday, 3/19
C. Influence Poem.
.
è
Write an original
poem (20 lines in length) influenced by the poet you have researched. *More details to come!
è
Write
a one paragraph reflection,
explaining the influence your poet had on your poem.
10 points— DUE Friday, 3/23
Extra Credit:
Poem
Memorization/Performance. Memorize a poem written by your poet or
memorize your influence poem (at least
20 lines of length). Prepare to recite this poem before a class audience by
Friday March, 23rd.
15 Ex points—DUE 3/23
Alter-Ego Poet Research
1.
To research a poet first go to: www.mhslibrary.org
2.
Click the heading: Teacher Projects
3. Click the subheading
under “Johnson” that reads: Modern American Poetry
When
you reach this page, first, browse this website to find a poet of your choice!
The
Academy of American Poets*
Poets.org
*You may need to use
other websites to do more intensive background research on your poet!!
ALTER-EGO POET PROJECT
CALENDAR!!!
|
|
|
March 16 Work on Part A and B.
LIBRARY –TIME FOR
RESEARCH |
|
March
19 40
minute Timed Essay on Poem of your Choice! |
March 21 See example Influence
Poems. LAB TIME AVAILABLE-226 Write influence
poem!!! |
M arch 23 Poet Party
Interviewing/Conversation (Come as your poet!
Share information about “yourself”.) (Parts A &
C---Must be turned in typed, printed, and stapled!) Poem Memorization
Presentations Present influence poem
or a poem by your poet. (Not required! Extra
Credit) |
Quotes
about Poetry:
I speak here of poetry as the revelation or distillation of
experience, not the sterile word play that, too often, the white
fathers distorted the word poetry to mean—in order to cover their desperate
wish for imagination without insight.
—Audre Lorde
A poem is not a poptart.
—Martin Espada
Poetry is concerned with using with abusing, with losing with
wanting, with denying with avoiding with adoring with replacing the noun.
—Gertrude Stein
Twentieth-century poetry
has become garrulous. We are drowning not in a sea but in a swamp of words. We
have forgotten that poetry is not in what words say but in what is said between
them, that which appears fleetingly in pauses and silences. In the poetry
workshops of universities there should be a required course for young
poets: learning to be silent.
—Octavio
Paz
The poet is the priest
of the invisible.
—Wallace Stevens