ALTER-EGO POETRY PROJECT—Johnson 2007
OBJECTIVE: Choose a Contemporary
American poet of your choice. The poet must still be alive. 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 one paragraph profile
of your poet. In this profile you should answer the following questions:
è
Who
is this poet?
è
What
topics/subjects does the poet discuss and present in his or her poetry?
(You
must include at least 7 interesting facts about this person’s life. The
facts must be written or summarized in your
own words!!!!)
____10 points—DUE 2/26
B. Stylistic Analysis. Choose one poem by your poet to stylistically
analyze. Your stylistic analysis should be one
paragraph long.
è
It
should include a topic sentence that
answers the question below:
What is the theme of
this poem? In other words, what is the poem really about?
è
Prove
your topic sentence with at least 3 CDS from the poem.
è
Support
your argument with 3 CMS. Notice
important words, figurative language, observations about sound, or line length.
è
Use
at least 4 poetry vocabulary words
in your paragraph. You must underline them.
____20 points—DUE 3/2
C. Influence Poem. Write an original poem
(20 lines in length) influenced by the poet you have researched. Here are some
creative choices:
1. Write a poem that mimics the style of a poem
by your alter-ego poet.
For example: Begin
with the same first line or title. Or use 10 words that the poet used in your
own poem about a similar topic.
2. Write a poem using a line by your poet as the
epigraph.
____10 points— DUE 3/2
D. 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.
____20 points—DUE3/9
TOTAL:_____60points
*More specific details
for each project piece will be taught during class! Don’t be absent!!!
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: Contemporary American Poetry
When
you reach this page, first, browse this website to find a poet of your choice!
Make
sure the poet is still living.
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!!!
|
Feb 19-23 |
President’s
Day |
Alter-Ego Poet Project Choose poet in the LAB. The poet must be
living!!! The poet must be found
on poets.org. |
Work on Poet Profile. Choose poem for Style
Analysis. LAB |
|
Feb 26-2 |
Finish
Poet Profile. Print
poem for Style Analysis! LAB |
Style Analysis Analyze poem in-class
using vocabulary! |
Influence poem. Type Style Analysis
and Influence Poem in LAB. Homework: Choose poem
to memorize. Practice 20 line memorization. |
|
Mar 5-9 |
Practice
reading poem in partners. |
Poetry Tea Party Share what you learned
about your poet. Come as your poet!!! Present! ½ class
presents memorized poem! |
Present! ½ class
presents memorized poem! Write reflections for
portfolio. |
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