Poetry CDs

For our study of poetry, we will be sharing and swapping ideas like people burning CDs for each other or downloading them from Itunes.  Instead of songs, our CDs will be filled with thoughts, connections, and associations about poems.  Here's how our sharing will work:

1.      You will choose one poem of at least 14 lines and have me approve it. 

2.      Do octagonal writing over the poem.  Instructions are on the back.

3.      Burn all work to a CD or save it to a flash drive, and I'll burn a CD for you.

4.      Decorate the front of your CD cover to accompany your poem and presentation.

5.      On the back cover, create a table of contents as if each section is a song title.  Beside each title, there must be an image, which represents or symbolizes each of the eight sections of the octagonal writing over your poem.  In other words, if the theme of your poem deals with love, you could have a heart. 

6.      Organize your information for the three-minute maximum presentation.  You will do a dramatic reading of the poem (no, you don't have to memorize it), share your CD with the class, pick out one section on which to comment. 

Here's how the projects will be graded:

Major Writing grade:

80%  One paragraph for each section of octagonal writing.  10 points each.

15%  Visuals:  decoration of CD, Images on table of contents

5% Presentation, organization, creativity

Daily grade: 

100%   Presentation of ideas, performance of the poem, explanation of the visuals.

A rubric will be discussed and provided prior to completion of project.

Octagonal Writing

Write one page or a well-developed paragraph for each section.  Label each piece of writing. 

1.  Literal level:  Write the title and author.  Tell what happens in the poem or what the poem is about.  Retell the poem in your own words.  You may have to do this by line or by stanza.

2. Personal Associations:  What does the work remind you of?  Something in your own life?  Explain the connection, feelings, etc.  RAID

3.  Theme:  Interpret the meaning or message of the poem, the truth about life.  What     was the author's purpose in writing the poem?  What was the poet trying to tell the reader?  RAID with quotes,

4.  Literary or other art associations:  What other stories, novels, characters, movies, plays, artwork, etc. are like this poem and why?  RAID with quotes

5. and 6 Figurative Language Judgment:  In order to do this, you must have an additional copy of your poem with the figurative language underlined or highlighted and labeled, rhyme scheme labeled, and meter identified.  Once you have done this, write about the author's use of figurative language?  What is the effect?  What about the rhyme?  The rhythm?  Why did the author use what he used?  5 is the poem with the devices labeled.  6 is the paragraph. 

7.  Connection to literary period or author's life:  Authors write about what they know or what they've lived.  Connect the two.  I'll help you with the literary period.  RAID

8.  Shifts:  Using RAID, note the shifts in the poem.  What kinds of shifts are there?  Shifts in tone, mood, setting, events?  You are looking at the structure of the poem. 

As always in this class, you have to prove it. 

In other words, you must use the text to support your ideas.

Have fun!