Purpose
The purposes of essay two are multifold. First, it will increase your knowledge of common poetic techniques and terms. Second, it will engage you in the act of writing poetry. Third, it will help you learn how to read closely. Fourth, it will engross you in critical analysis. Fifth, it will engage you in the act of writing literary criticism.
Process
You will create examples of numerous poetic techniques. Then, you will use some of those techniques to create a poem, after we discuss the basic elements of poetry. You will exchange poems with another member of the class and will read closely his/her poem. We will discuss three critical approaches and analyze three poems, applying a specific approach to each poem. Finally, you will write a critical essay, using a combination of two approaches (reader-response and New Criticism or reader-response and deconstruction) to analyze your partner's poem.
First stage
This is a lengthy mimetic exercise. First, I will give you a comprehensive list of common poetic techniques and terms. Second, you and your partner will read each item in the list and will create examples when necessary. Because the list is extensive, the exercise will continue for several meetings. You and your partner may need to complete the list outside of class, ensuring its correctness before I evaluate it. The following is a poetic technique you will encounter.
Assonance. Assonance is the repetition of identical or similar
vowels--especially in stressed syllables--in sequential words.
vowels--especially in stressed syllables--in sequential words.
Ex.: The quiet brides, Silence and Time, sliced through their
nights with delight.
nights with delight.
Ex.:
Second stage
During this phase we will discuss the basic elements of poetry: diction (figurative language and sonic texture), imagery, rhythm, and form. An exercise will correlate the discussion. Another exercise will count as extra credit. Next, you will write a poem that has at least two tropes (hyperbole, irony, metaphor, metonomy, personification, pun, simile, synecdoche or understatement), two instances of sonic texture (alliteration, assonance, consonance or rhyme), one image, a prevalent metrical pattern, and a recognizable form (blank verse, couplet, sonnet, stanza, tercet, or villanelle). Please bring two copies of your poem the day it is due. I will not expect perfection. In fact, I want you to write a poem without outside influences--that is, before we discuss the works of three prestigious poets.
Third stage
You will exchange poems with another member of the class and will read closely his/her poem, using a worksheet as a guide. We will discuss three critical approaches (reader-response criticism, New Criticism, and deconstruction) and three poems ("Carmel Point," "My Papa's Waltz" and "For the Union Dead"), applying a specific approach to each poem. Meanwhile, you will need to write a critical essay, using a combination of two approaches (reader-response and New Criticism or reader-response and deconstruction) to analyze your partner's poem. You must provide reasons and backing for every claim--citing phrases, lines or clauses and explicating them.
Particulars
