COMPETENCIES TO MASTER
· Can support interpretations and analyses of literary texts with textual evidence
· Can communicate ideas about literature using appropriate terminology
· Can produce an extended piece of writing
· Can use standard syntax and sentence structure; correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization; appropriate grammar (e.g., correct tense, subject-verb agreement, no missing words)
Overview
Why read poetry? The poet Amy Lowell said that question was like asking, “Why should one eat?” In other words, for some people, poetry is both nourishing and essential—it can make us cry, soothe us when we are upset, stir us up when we are complacent, and say things in a way that nothing else can. But how does poetry do all these things? That’s what this Project is about. In this Project, you will write a paper analyzing and interpreting poetry.
Directions
For this Project, you will read three poems about fathers: “My Papa’s Waltz,” by Theodore Roethke; “Those Winter Sundays,” by Robert Hayden; and “My Father’s Hats,” by Mark Irwin. You will then write a paper that examines how these poems use mood, imagery and simile or metaphor.
1. First, examine the Terms List to make sure you understand the concepts of mood, imagery, simile and metaphor. Also, read through the resources “Using Evidence From Texts,” “Writing About Poetry” and “Citing Poetry,” which will be helpful when writing your paper.
2. Next, read each poem aloud several times. For the Roethke poem, you can listen to an audio file of the poet reading his poem. Circle any words that are unfamiliar to you or that strike you as particularly interesting. Look up any unfamiliar words.
3. In preparation for writing your paper, take time to analyze and interpret each poem, considering the following questions:
o What is the poem about?
o What is the mood of the poem? Does the mood of the poem change from the beginning to the end?
o What impact do mood, imagery and simile/metaphor have on you and the poem?
o Does this poem appeal to you? Why or why not?
4. Once you have carefully considered your answers to each of the above questions, use what you have learned from analyzing and interpreting these poems to write a 600- to 750-word paper. In your paper, provide at least one example of each of the following literary techniques: mood, imagery and simile/metaphor. You may use examples from any of the poems. Then, discuss how these literary techniques impact the meanings of the poems. What effect do these techniques have on the reader? Why do you think the author chose to use the wording he did?
5. Proofread your work to correct for errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation or mechanics before you submit your paper.
6. You do not need to do research for this paper, but all sources, quotations and paraphrases from the texts must be cited using APA format.
DELIVERABLES
Suggested Word Count: 600
Accepted File Types: .doc, .docx, .odt, .rtf, .txt, .pdf
Rubric
The Rubric is used to evaluate your Project. Satisfying all of the Rubric criteria shows that you have mastered the project and the relevant
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Criteria
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Introduction contains a clear thesis statement
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Begins with an introduction that clearly introduces the topic
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Describes what each poem is about
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Supports statements about the poems using evidence from the texts
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Interprets and analyzes the meaning of each poem, applying the terms “mood,” “imagery” and “simile” or “metaphor” appropriately
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Explains which poems are appealing and why or why not
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Ends with a conclusion that synthesizes the ideas in the essay
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Writing is clear, with no major errors
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Any sources of information are cited using APA format, with no major errors
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Reading Materials
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/resources/learning/core-poems/detail/46461
https://vimeo.com/7441917
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/my-fathers-hats
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/43330
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/615/01/
http://www.georgetowncollege.edu/eng/resources/how-to-quote-poetry-in-english-papers/
Explore Writing, Poems About Fathers
Terms List
Simile
A figure of speech that compares two unlike things, using the words “like” or “as.”
Examples:
● “sly as a fox”
● “my love is like a red, red rose”
Metaphor
A figure of speech that describes one thing in terms of another, without the use of “like” or “as.”
Examples:
● “saccharine words”
● “waves of anxiety”
● “porcelain skin”
● “a cancer on our society”
Mood
The overall feeling the poem creates.
Examples:
● playful
● sad
● lonely
● angry
● joyful
Imagery
The use of descriptive, often nonliteral language, especially relating to the senses.
Examples:
● “the wine-dark sea”
● “the fog that spiralled around us”
● “the smell of the chestnuts roasting on an open fire”
