I. Poem Analysis 1 (1 ½ – 2 pages or more)
A. Read “Introduction to Poetry” and “Eating Poetry” by Mark Strand located in the Poetry Project Module. Choose one of the two poems and explain what the poet is saying about poetry.
You might ask yourself, What is this author trying to tell me? (This is not a moral, but a point–an idea about poetry.) Then, discuss how you know this. To do this, you will look at things such as word choice, imagery, figures of speech, line breaks, repetition, examples, etc.
OR
B. You can answer this question:
Given what Billy Collins has said about reading poetry, do you think he would approve or disapprove of this project? Use specifics from the poem only to support your thesis.
The analysis is a mini-essay:
o Begin with an introduction that states the title of the poem and a brief introduction that explains what the poem is about + the thesis. This should be no more than 4 sentences + the thesis.
o The rest of the analysis should be 2 or more body paragraphs, and a short conclusion. If your analysis goes over 1.5 pages, you should have three body paragraphs.
o Do not use “I” or “you.”
II. Poem Analysis 2 (1 ½ – 2 pages or more)
Choose one of the many poems from the website, read it carefully more than one time, and write an analysis of it. This means that you read the poem and decide what the main message of it is. You might ask yourself, What is this author trying to tell me? (This is not a moral, but a point–an idea about the poem.) Then, discuss how you know this. To do this, you will look at things such as word choice, imagery, figures of speech, line breaks, repetition, examples, etc.
The analysis is a mini-essay:
o Begin with an introduction that states the title of the poem and a brief introduction that explains what the poem is about + the thesis. This should be no more than 6 sentences.
o The rest of the analysis should be 2 or more body paragraphs, and a short conclusion. If your analysis goes over 1.5 pages, you should have three body paragraphs.
o Do not use “I” or “you.”
III. Gut Reactions (At least 150 words each) These are the most fun and least stressful part of the project!!
1. Label this section as follows: Part III Gut Reactions and number each reaction (1-5).
2. Choose 5 poems from the Poetry 180 website, and write a “gut reaction” for each. (There are examples of gut reactions in our module.) Each gut reaction should be 150 words or longer. **Do not use the same poems that you used for your analyses.
3. Gut reactions are your first response to the poem. You may discuss how the poem makes you feel, what you find troubling about the poem, or questions you would ask the poet if given the opportunity to speak to them.
You might choose ONE OR TWO of the questions below to guide you in writing your answer. You do not have to nor should you answer all of these questions for each poem. They are guidelines, not requirements.
The most common error in this portion of the project is that students offer a summary. This section is about what you thought the first time or two that you read the poem. It is about what you noticed. This should be in first person. You should use statements like“I think” or “In this poem I see,” or “The first time I read this poem.”
How to do the Gut Reactions: Number 1-5. Next to the number, state the title of the poem, correctly punctuated, and the author’s name. Begin your gut reaction on the next line.
Here are some possible things to consider: Some of these questions might get you thinking about your poem, but you don’t have to answer them. They are here only to get you going.
1. What is my emotional response to the poem, and why does it make me feel this way? Be specific—look at the images, the line breaks, the word choice.
2. Do I like the poem or not? Why?
3. Am I confused by the poem? What things are confusing me?
4. Why did I choose this poem? Did anything about it surprise me?
5. Have I changed my mind about the poem’s meaning since I read it the first time?
6. What would I ask the poet if I could?
7. Can I relate to the poem? To any of the images or the overall theme? How? What does it remind me of? Does it bring back any of my own memories?