English MWP Poetry Assignment

MWP 1. POETRY 1

MAJOR WRITING PROJECT 1

POETRY (50 POINTS OR 2X 25 POINTS EACH)

INSTRUCTIONS

Develop two (2) poems (150-300 words each) that apply the concepts of effective poetry discussed in Poet’s

Companion and model the style of at least one of the selected poems from the homework:

Each poem must be modeled after the style of one of the poems from the reading

packets (e.g. the diction, syntax, imagery, or formatting of the lines/stanzas).

Though you should be learning and finding inspiration from the imagery, language,

style, and formatting of all the selected poems, you will need to choose one

specific poem to model for your first poem and a second selected poem for your

second poem).

Note that modeling your poem after a selected poem does not mean that you are

writing line by line about the same subject, using the same words, etc.; it simply

means that you should be using a few elements of the style of the poem to develop

your own poem.

The main elements of style you should be trying to model are a). the types of images

the author uses and the word choice they use to describe them; b). the way the way

the author constructs their lines, punctuates their lines, enjambs their lines; c).

the way the author constructs their stanzas and organizes them from the first to the

last.

However, if you are struggling with this concept of modeling, please email the

drevlow to discuss how to develop the best poem you can while also demonstrating

that you are applying the concepts illustrated in the models.

NOTES ON EVALUATION

Your poetry project will not be evaluated on how “publishable” your poem is, but rather how effectively you

have applied the concepts that we have discussed in class to develop poems that are driven by specific details,

vivid imagery, concise language, white space, lyricism (e.g. alliteration, assonance, repetition, etc.).

- Please note that the following guidelines are not “rules for good poetry” (as there

are no rules for “good poetry”).

- These guidelines are here to help you focus your efforts on showing off how much you

have worked on the foundational building blocks of poetry and creative writing that

you will inevitably experiment with as you read more, write more, and get more

confident in your own voice, style, and lizard brain.

- Keep in mind that the objective of this project is to demonstrate how effective you

are at applying the concepts we discuss to demonstrate learning (i.e. if you aren’t

willing to try to learn and experiment with different elements of poetry, then you

will not be successful in this class no matter how “good” or “bad” a writer you

might think you are.

MWP 1. POETRY 2

You will be evaluated on your ability to slowly reveal a subtle and nuanced point of view/perspective from

the first line of your poem to the last:

- Your poem should display a compelling progression of imagery and observations from

start to finish that reveals a subtle new perspective on an theme/conflict/question.

- The poem should demonstrate at least two or three subtle turns/shifts (i.e. little

moments where something new is revealed and/or there is a change in delivery/rhythm/

line/stanza/imagery/tone/topic).

- The objective or your poem should not be to develop a riddle or story problem for

the reader to solve (we are not trying to trick the reader or get the reader to

guess the true meaning; we are trying to explore an idea and recreate a shared

experience--a shared understanding--through imagery and observation).

You will be evaluated on your ability to develop language (i.e. diction and syntax) that is clear, concise,

concrete, and compelling throughout the poem:

- As much as possible we should try to show off how much meaning we can pack into a

poem without any “fluff” or “piling on.”

- As much as possible we should be confident in our subconscious & lizard brain’s

ability to make meaning & emotional resonance that stand on their own in mysterious

ways (i.e. if the image/detail/experience is compelling enough for you to remember,

then let the image/detail/ experience speak for itself; especially in poetry our

subconscious is quite often much better editor than that nagging little voice in our

head telling us our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin are not good enough).

- As much as possible we should try to create a “shared experience” with the reader

(i.e. develop a series of vivid imagery/observations that allow the reader to

experience these things with you, instead of explaining to the reader how you feel

about these things).

- As much as possible we should write with vivid/specific nouns and verbs (including

people doing “vivid things” in “vivid places/scenarios”).

- As much as possible we should limit the use of adjectives and adverbs that do not

add specific imagery to the portrait (especially intensifiers such as very, little,

really, etc.).

- As much as possible we should avoid abstract and subjective modifiers such as

beautiful, ugly, boring, annoying, comfortable, good, bad, horrible, awesome,

magnificent, etc.

- As much as possible we should avoid abstract and subjective descriptions of emotions

happy, sad, angry, annoyed, confused, depressed, heartbroken, traumatized, etc.

- As much as possible we should strive to omit unnecessary words (e.g. replace “ran

quickly” with “sprinted” or replace “I was so sad I started to cry” with “I started

to cry” or simply “I cried”).

MWP 1. POETRY 3

- As much as possible, we should strive to make our own unique images their own

metaphors (i.e. instead of explicitly comparing your “love” to a “summer’s day,”

write about a summer day in which you are doing the things you love or observing the

person(s) you love).

-

You will be evaluated on your ability to use effective elements of contemporary poetic style and voice (i.e.

in free verse without formal rhyme scheme nor end rhymes)

- While your “poem” should read fluidly and sound compelling when read out loud, the

focus should be on concise natural language patterns that everyday language at its

most poetic.

- Keep in mind that most compelling “natural language” also includes specific details,

vivid imagery, lyricism, repetition, alliterations, assonance, parallelism, etc.

- Try to use the length of lines, stanzas, etc. to add to the reading experience

without becoming overwhelming or distracting to the reader (i.e. to slow the reader

down or speed them up, to break up big chunks of text, etc.)

- Though you may use spaces or indents to change the look of your lines, your

formatting should be left justified (not centered).

- When in doubt, look at the selected poems.

- When in doubt, email the drevlow and set up an appointment.