1.) We’ll be starting our poetry unit, which has historically proven to be one of the more challenging sections of our course. Much of the difficulty often stems from students feeling as though you don’t have a foundational understanding of how poetry creates meaning. With this mind, you’ll need to make sure to review the "How to Analyze Poetry" learning module. It includes a series of mini-lecture videos that breakdown some of the primary elements of poetry one should be paying attention when approaching any poem. Go to: Course Content >> Mini-Lecture Videos >> Introduction to Poetry >> How to Analyze Poetry.
2.) For tomorrow’s discussion, make sure to read "This is to Say” (Williams), “When I have fears that I may cease to be” (Keats), “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night” (Thomas). Although you’ll generally find that it takes less time to read the assigned poems than it does short fiction, you still need to read the poems closely using active reading strategies: look up unfamiliar vocabulary, pay attention to historical or other allusions, and try to pick out the primary elements such as narration, form & style, stanza structure & lineation, sound, imagery & figurative language, and theme.
3.) You will have a discussion post due by midnight on Friday 2/18 that focuses on some love-themed poems. The discussion forum is already set up for those who might want to get a jump ahead.
4.) Although it won’t be do for several weeks, your next major writing assignment will be a multi-part assignment that requires to write your own original poem that mimics the style of one of the poems that we’re reading and discussing in class. So, you’ll want to be thinking about which poem you might use as the basis for your own mimic poem over the next few weeks. For more information about this assignment, go to: Course Content >> Assignments >> Mimic Poem & Analysis.
As always, let me know if there are any questions or concerns. See you all in class tomorrow!
Prof. Gaines
Even though Valentine’s Day has already come and gone, our course wouldn’t be complete without some love poems. So for the this post, pick one of the three following poems and work through the questions below: "Annabel Lee" (Poe/p. 609 print/612 E-Book), "Love Poem" (Pastan/p. 708 print/p. 711 E-Book), "Loving in the War Years" (Moraga p. 753 print/p. 757 E-Book).
WHO? Who is the speaker of the poem? From what point of view does he/she/it/ speak? Does the poem appear to have an intended listener? Who are the major characters? What do we know about them and how to do we know it?
WHAT? What is happening in the poem? What are the most significant events?
WHEN? When is the main action of the poem taking place? Is their anything historically significant about that particular time period that might help us understand the poem? Does all of the action take place in one time period or does the speaker also describe past and/or future events?
WHERE? Does the poem have a clear setting or reference any particular places? Does the setting have any special significance? How does the specific setting shape the action?
HOW? What do you notice about how this poem creates meaning through its formal structure?
WHY? Why write this poem? What insights does it offer?