April is Poetry Month

It's a lead-in to the AP exam, a review of close reading, a look at what makes a poem.

Due dates: 

May 1:  Poetry Journal
May 6:  Poetry Essay-lite
May 9:  AP Lit exam

Poetry Journal:
10 terms (including definition) + example + effect (Choose ten of these or add your own: alliteration, assonance, allusion, caesura, consonance, extended metaphor, form, free verse, hyperbole, imagery, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification, pun, rhyme, rhythm, simile)
3 responses: Choose three poems--old, not so old and modern. They can be poems we read in class OR you can use poems we don't look at specifically. Annotate the poem (either digitally or on paper) and then write a response. Here's a sample prompt, though you don't have to limit yourself. But your response should include WHAT (meaning) and HOW (how is meaning created?).

Read the following poem [the poem you picked] carefully. Then write an essay in which you discuss the devices the poem uses to reveal his attitude toward ______________. [childhood OR love OR death OR nature OR . . .)

Poetry Essay:
Choose a single poet--living or dead--and through two poems explore the style of that poet. Are there recurring symbols, ideas? OR choose a theme that appears in two different poems (by two different poets). How does each poem approach the theme? You will end up with comparison/contrast, perhaps making some evaluation in concluding.  2-4 pages/MLA format

Here are two websites that have poems for consideration, especially in looking for paired poems.

Academy of Poets
Poetry Foundation

Here's the link for MLA style. I listed the link along the side, too.

Archetypes

Clearly, the blog isn't top on my list, but it's useful for some information that I don't see the need to copy off in bulk. You can bookmark or print off if you find the info interesting or useful down the line.

Since we're talking about archetypes, I'll share a link where I got some of my information. Click on "Archetypes in Literature," and you'll find a Word document.

Links for AP Review

The list of books used.

The list of open questions.

Revisable Essays

Online helps for essays when you're working at 2 a.m.

Really thorough discussion of parts of the essay:

http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/litweb05/writing/welcome.asp

Purdue's OWL has a pretty good over--basics:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/618/01/

Nine easy step? Really?

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/literature.html