Mini-projects

Dickinson Poetry Mini-Projects

Write a twenty line (three to five stanza) poem in the style of Dickinson. Be sure to consider her diction, syntax, and themes in your work. Present to class.

Write a twenty-line poem using lines from Dickinson’s poems. Be sure the poem comes together to develop one over-arching theme. Present to class.

Write two haiku poems about Dickinson—use your knowledge of her poetry to imagine what she must have been like. Place poems in the center of a page of construction paper and build a collage (reflecting the theme of your poems) around the poems as a sort of frame. Zero negative space please. Present to class.

Memorize a Dickinson poem of fifteen or more lines and “perform” it in class—in other words, turn one of her poems in to a brief play.

Film a scene that reflects the ideas, images, and central purpose of one of Dickinson’s poems. Be sure to include the words of the poem in some fashion. Be sure that you have the film posted somewhere on the internet (build your own blog at Blogger perhaps) so that we can view it in class.

Poetry Unit Test

Poetry Unit Test

Respond to the following prompts in completely developed, thoughtful sentences. As usual, rely primarily on the present tense, use active verbs, and avoid the common errors discussed so often in this class. You must write on your own paper. Do not skip lines.

A Song in the Front Yard

            Discuss the poet’s use of symbol in this poem.

My Papa’s Waltz

            Discuss how the poet’s connotatively rich diction ironically juxtaposes with events of the poem.

War is Kind

            Discuss how the poet develops irony to condemn glorification of war.

I wandered lonely as a cloud

            Discuss how this poem presents classically Romantic ideals.

Miniver Cheevy and Richard Cory

            Contrast the concept of alienation as developed in these two Robinson poems.

Meeting at Night

            Discuss the poet’s use of imagery to develop clandestine tension in this poem.

That time of year thou may’st in me behold

            Describe three metaphors Shakespeare uses to clarify the speaker’s age.

The Double Play

            To what two non-athletic concepts does the poet compare a double play?

The Battle

            Describe how the poet uses figurative language to de-humanize the soldiers.

A Poison Tree

            What does Blake suggest about anger in this poem?

           

The Road Not Taken

            Why is this poem a nearly perfect poem for high school seniors to read?

Because I could not stop for Death

            Discuss the concept of death as developed in this poem.

The Man He Killed

            Describe the speaker in this poem. How does his social status strengthen the message of this poem?

The Universe

            What does Swenson say about human beings and our concept of the universe?

The Red Wheelbarrow

            Provide your reader with a grotesquely incorrect over-read of William Carlos Williams’ small poem.

When I heard the learn’d astronomer

            How is this poem a classically Romantic poem? Discuss.

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love and The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd

            How does Raleigh’s speaker reply to Marlowe’s speaker and his offer?

The Chimney Sweeper

            Pathos has been defined as, “an emotion of sympathetic pity.” How does Blake develop pathos through Little Tom Dacre’s dream?

           

Dream Deferred

            Describe three of Hughes’ similes.

Midterm

AP Composition/Literature

Midterm

1. By referring to lines and key passages from the soliloquy below, describe Hamlet’s state of mind in Act I, Scene 2. (60 points)

Hamlet, Hamlet Act 1 Scene 2: Hamlet, prince of Denmark, returns from Germany to Denmark to attend his father’s funeral only to find that his mother Gertrude has rather hastily married his uncle Claudius, his dead father’s own brother. Use direct citation of lines to bolster your argument.

O, that this too too solid flesh would melt

Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!

Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d

His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!

How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable,

Seem to me all the uses of this world!

Fie on’t! ah fie! ’tis an unweeded garden,

That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature

Possess it merely. That it should come to this!

But two months dead: nay, not so much, not two:

So excellent a king; that was, to this,

Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother

That he might not beteem the winds of heaven

Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!

Must I remember? why, she would hang on him,

As if increase of appetite had grown

By what it fed on: and yet, within a month–

Let me not think on’t–Frailty, thy name is woman!–

A little month, or ere those shoes were old

With which she follow’d my poor father’s body,

Like Niobe, all tears:–why she, even she–

O, God! a beast, that wants discourse of reason,

Would have mourn’d longer–married with my uncle,

My father’s brother, but no more like my father

Than I to Hercules: within a month:

Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears

Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,

She married. O, most wicked speed, to post

With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!

It is not nor it cannot come to good:

But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue.

2. Consider Roethke’s My Papa’s Waltz. Defend either of the two readings discussed in class by referring to key passages of the poem. Do your best to either paraphrase or directly cite from memory key words, phrases, lines. (40 points)

Poetry Essay

Due Monday at beginning of class.

By referring both directly and indirectly to at least three poems in the DiYanni text, creatively discuss and define “poetry.” This discussion should take the form of a two to three page (typed, DS) essay in MLA format. Use MLA header and page numbering. See your text or Purdue OWL for reminders regarding these structures. Use a creative but short title which captures your thesis. This essay must have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. It must not be in “5 Paragraph” style. It should feature creative transitions between paragraphs as well as within the body paragraphs as well.  (200 points)

Three poems to consider are:

Collins’ Introduction to Poetry

Moore’s Poetry

MacLeish’s Ars Poetica

To directly refer to a line of poetry within the text of your writing, be sure NOT to use floating quotes. Rather, blend your words with the poet’s to create a singularly smooth sentence:

Lorde’s speaker expresses a sense of youthful frustration when she notes that, “Nobody even stops to think about my side of it.” Here, she posits the notion that she is merely trapped by her age—an age neither fully adult nor protected by the ironic securities of youth. Moreover, Lorde’s poem paints the world of adulthood as one dominated by deathlike ignorance.

Key points of grading focus: primary use of present tense, powerful verbs, sentence variety, commas after dependent/subordinate clauses at the beginning of sentences. Comma splices, fragments, and run-ons are all "highlighted" by your word processing software...do not ignore the squiggly lines under your words!!!

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