Nov. 14 - 20
Post Modern Poetry
OUTCOMES:
Students should
- be familiar with the major events and movements of the historical period corresponding to the works of writers studied.
- be able to analyze ideas in the assigned works.
- be able to apply the major themes discussed in this unit and be able to explain how these themes are demonstrated in the works assigned.
- be familiar with the characteristics of post modern literature.
- be familiar with the information in the audio lectures provided for each of the poems.
Assignments include
- reading the head notes about the writers in the text book,
- reading all the documents linked in the module
- reading selections from the works of several post modern poets.
Assessments include one written assignments.
Assignment 9: Due Nov 17
Read the following ten poems. For each poem, write a sentence explaining what is happening or what the point is in each one, followed by another sentence that explains ONE of the images in the poem that stands out to you and why. (PLEASE listen to the mini-lectures for these poems below.) Submit it as Assignment 8.
- Read Elizabeth Bishop’s head note and summarize “The Fish” (1105) and “In the Waiting Room” (1108) Text of Audio on Bishop's Poems-- fish and waiting room.wma Download fish and waiting room.wma
- “A Supermarket in California” (1364) by Allen Ginberg (a leader of the beat poets in the 1950s-60s)
- “Parsley” (1583) by Rita Dove Text of Audio on Ginsberg's and Dove's Poems-- parsley and supermarket.wma Download parsley and supermarket.wma
- “the mississippi river empties into the gulf” and [oh antic god] (2665) by Lucille Clifton clifton and collins.wma Download clifton and collins.wma
- “Forgetfulness” (1517) and “The Night House” (1519) by Billy Collins
- "Letter Home" http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16258 Links to an external site. and "Pilgrimage" http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19652 Links to an external site. by Natasha Trethewey. I had to link these because to copy them in the course would be plagiarism, and I would be in big trouble. (The poetry.org website is practically hers since she just served two terms as the Poet Laureate of the whole United States, so she gave her permission for these poems to be used there. We are very proud of her since she is ours, born and raised in Gulfport, and a proud Mississippian.)
However, remember that poetry, even more than fiction, can be interpreted in a highly personal way, so always spend time reading a poem several times to see what YOU see in it. There is no RIGHT interpretation.
Listen carefully to this mini lecture on these poets. It will help explain what they are about and help you with the questions on the final exam about them.
One thing you will notice in most of the “postmodern” poetry is that free verse is the preferred form, meaning that there is no rhyme or rhythm. (One of my students a few years ago said it had “no rhyme or reason,” which made me wonder whether she just didn’t understand the form or that she was speaking with great disdain about the form.) Walt Whitman in the 1850s, sort of, popularized free verse, and it’s been even more popular since.
Submit answers for this assignment here: Assignment 9
Quiz 4: Not Proctored, Due Nov. 20
Study and take Quiz 4 by the due date above. It covers the poems and four stories in this unit (Post Modernism) only. The questions are all short discussion, so make sure you have read all the stories and read and listened to all the mini lectures on these poets to help you understand the poems.