Essay Extension Deadline!

Please note the deadline changes in the syllabus! Since I gave an extension for essay #1, Essay #2 is now due on 3/10.

Syllabus Change:

(Thursday) 3/5 Poetry workshop, Bring Essay #1, note, Native Guard & review Part 4, Writing, Writing about Poetry (2147), Analyzing (2153), Explicating (2149), How to Quote a Poem (2160)

3/10 Essay #2 Due—DEADLINE EXTENSION!

Review of Assignments for Native Guard

On March 3, we will discuss Trethewey's reading from this Monday evening, March 2, 2009, 6:30 in Russell Hall Theater (Reception @ 6:00).

All three assignments and Trethewey's reading have possibilities for idea-generation and/or essay draft work for Essay #2. For this next essay you will be writing on at least one poem from Natasha Trethewey's collection, Native Guard.

Assignment #1, First Group Presentations (20 points)

For Tuesday's class:
We will finish group presentations on poems from Sections I & II. Remember to present on the 7 Areas of Poetry and show the class how each poem connects to the section in which it appears and the themes of the book as a whole.

Group Assigned Poems:
Group 1

• "What is Evidence"
• "Native Guard"
  

Group 2

• "At Dusk"
• "Scenes from a Documentary History of Mississippi--"1.King Cotton, 1907" & "2. Glyph, Aberdeen, 1913"

Group 3

• "After Your Death"
• "Again the Fields"
  

Group 4

• "What the Body Can Say"
• "Scenes from a Documentary History of Mississippi"--3.Flood" & "4. You Are Late"
  

Group 5

• "Photograph: Ice Storm, 1971"
• "Pilgrimage"
  

Assignment #2, Group Questions for the Reading (5 points)

Make sure you email me your group's three questions before Monday evening. These questions from your group are worth a five-point quiz grade for every group member. For credit, these should be well-thought-out questions you wish to ask Trethewey at the reading Monday night.

Finally, you should be familiar with the poems from Section III assigned your group. You may disucss these poems with classmates, via email or meeting but you need to be able to write a short response based on how one of the Seven Areas of poetry support one of the poem's theme.

Assignment #3, Individual Writing Poetry Responses (10 points)
See the list below to see what poem you have been assigned for individual writing poetry responses based on your assigned poetry group:
Group 1

• "Miscegenation"
• "My Mother Dreams [. . . ]
  

Group 2

• "Southern History"
• "Blond"
  

Group 3

• "Southern Gothic"
• "Incident"
  

Group 4

• "Providence"
• "Monument"
  

Group 5

• "Elegy for the Native Guard"
• "South"
  

Native Guard

Monday, March 2 @ 6:30 is Natasha Trethewey's reading (reception at 6:00).

Before that night, finish the book and review this and other blog posts about Trethewey.

To the left is a picture of the fort on Ship Island that Natasha Trethewey writes about in Native Guard.

Pay attention to how the fort and the island as settings can serve as metaphors for the themes in the collection.

Here is some historical background about the guard:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www2.netdoor.com/~jgh/photos/fortma_l.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www2.netdoor.com/~jgh/forgot.html&usg=__bd4EamQUBwi8MAiLnNWVsPw5rDI=&h=393&w=593&sz=76&hl=en&start=9&um=1&tbnid=pItCpBWcdruECM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dship%2Bisland%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

Review the above site while you read.

Poetry Vocabulary

Here is a new terms have been added since we have been discussing Trethewey's book.
Enjambment http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Terms/enjambment.html

As you are reading Trethewey's book, pay close attention to how she uses form, particularly how her meaning may be contained in a line, but by employing enjambment the poem's meaning expands to multiple associations or extend the meaning by following the thought and grammar to the next line or stanza.

When discussing her poems use the language, terms, and devices that best suit analysis:

* literal versus figurative language
* metaphor
* simile
* ballad/narrative
* refrain
* stanza
* persona
* allusion
* imagery--sight and sound

Poetry in the World: Form & Function

Take a quick look at this multi-media poem and notice how form is used. Watch & listen to the entire presentation, less than two minutes.



After listening and viewing, what is the theme of the poem? How does the form/presentation achieve the theme?

Natasha Trethewey and Native Guard

Reading for Thursday:
"White Lies"
and from Native Guard,
“Theories of Time and Space,” and “The Southern Crescent.”

On March 2, Middle Georgia College will host Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Natasha Trethewey.

As we begin to read her book of poetry, Native Guard, I would like for you to consider the following:

• How each poem works as a separate piece (following The Seven Areas of Poetry Analysis);
• How is setting important in each poem;
• What type of person is the speaker in each poem;
• What is the situation in each poem;
  
• How does the collection, once we are finished reading, become a cohesive story;
• How is this book about Trethewey's life and a forgotten chapter in history;
• What does each part of the book have to do with each other;
• What are the over-arching themes in the collection;
• What is the significance of the book's title?

For further preparation, read the story below and listen to the interview with Terri Gross.

In "Poet Natasha Trethewey, Hymning the Native Guard," Jon Rou writes:

Fresh Air from WHYY, July 16, 2007 · "Natasha Trethewey was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Native Guard, her most recent collection of poetry. The title refers to a regiment of African- American soldiers who fought for the Union in the Civil War.

Trethewey grew up the child of a racially mixed marriage in Mississippi. Her mother was murdered by her stepfather; these, along with the South and its singular ways, are recurring themes in her poetry.

Trethewey teaches creative writing at Emory University. Native Guard is her third collection."

Audio Interview: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12003278

See Trethewey read from Native Guard:
http://www.southernspaces.org/contents/2005/trethewey/1a.htm

See her homepage at Emory for further biographical information, photographs and video links to more readings: http://www.creativewriting.emory.edu/faculty/trethewey.html

Introducing Poetry

Poems may seem simple or difficult upon first reading. Unpacking the meaning of poem takes more than one reading and a careful focus on each part of the poem.

First, what is poetry? Poetry, if it does not follow a specific formula, can be difficult to define.

Most contemporary poetry is free verse: poetry without "regular meter, rhyme, or stanzaic forms" (http://www.yourdictionary.com/free-verse) . Most of the poems we will study are free verse poems. Modern free verse poems, like all types of poetry, rely on the following characteristics:

• Word usage is concise or economical;
• Each word may have several different associations, meanings, or allude to something outside the poem's context;
  
• While rhyme and rhythm may not follow specific rules, sound is still an important part;
• Poetry can even have a special arrangement on the page that supports its theme.

Whether it is a ballad or narrative poem, a "snapshot" moment, or reflection on a subject or idea, to better understand poetry you need to follow a multi-step reading process.

Step 1
Read the poem once, preferably aloud.
Step 2
Read the poem a second time ( or more), annotating the poem and taking notes on the following seven areas:

1. Title--What information does it tell you? How is it significant to the subject and/or theme?
2. Speaker--Is it the author or a character in a narrative?
3. Setting--Is there a discernible physical setting? More than one place? What time period does the poem's narrative take place? Are there shifts in time?
4. Situation--What is it? What is going on in the poem?
   
5. Characters & Audience--are there other characters in the poem? Does the poet address them? If so, who is the audience?
6. Are there significant universal or contextual symbols? Other poetic devices?
7. Theme (usually found developed throughout the poem or near/at the end)--Does the title have new meaning at the end, considering the theme?

Poetry vocabulary

When discussing literature, you should use the language and terms that best suit analysis. We will be building a master list of literary terms. Below is a list of our first relevant terms discussed in class:

• literal versus figurative language
• metaphor
• simile
• ballad/narrative
• refrain
• stanza
• persona
• allusion
• imagery--sight and sound

For class preparation, use these terms and the multi-step process of analyzing poetry! Remember reading and understanding poetry takes patience! Poetry, however, can help us see ourselves and the world in new ways!

ESSAY #1 Guideline Reminders

A journey is an apt metaphor for a successful analytical essay. You are beginning at one point, which is your broad thesis, and you will travel to the conclusion. Each point along the way should advance your journey.

Reminders:

• Please review class notes and the blog posts for this section on fiction;
• Your essay is due @ 8:00 AM Tuesday.
  
• After 8, essays are counted as late (see syllabus late policies);
• Don't forget to post to turnitin.com by 5 PM on Tuesday;
• Staple essay,
• Include folder only if you have draft work--not required.
  

Grading Guidelines for Essay #1

1. MLA document format is correct (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/);
   
2. Title of essay reflects your main idea, not the assignment (Essay #1) or the title of the work analyzed (Metamorphosis);
   
3. Hook your reader with a teaser opening=a general idea, a description of a personal experience connected to an idea in the story, a quote, fact, or statistic (must cite source of the latter); don't open with just the title and author's name;
4. Introduction section includes title of work in quotation marks (unless Metamorphosis) and author's name, first and last.
5. One short quotation per point in essay body;
6. Quotations documented following MLA citation rules (See previous blog spot, class notes, and writing handbooks for guidance);
7. Each point should advance an idea/argument (i.e. your thesis) and should not be three-four separate ideas that stand alone and do not advance your thesis;
8. Conclusion should lead to theme of the work, and in doing so, narrow your thesis from the opening broader thesis. You should not simply repeat your thesis.
9. Word length minimum is 500 words--750-1,000 should be range.
10. No padding! Edit out repetition and unnecessary ideas, especially if you are "going long";
    
11. No block/long quotations (four or more lines in your paper); use short specific lines or phrases for support.

How, Where, and Why Do You Quote from a Story?

Show your reader what you see in the story! That's analysis!

1. How to Quote from a Story

When following MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines you want to always introduce the quotation, not just drop it into your essay.

For example:
Oates, writes, "But all these things did not come together" (619).

Notice

• The quotation is introduced and includes the author's last name
• The quotation is contained in quotation marks
• there is a space between the end quotation marks and the parenthesis
  
• only the page number is in the parenthesis
• the punctuation is at the end of the sentence.

Quoting dialogue, versus narration:
Connie asks Arnold, "How old are you?" (619).

Notice

• Introduce the quotation using the speaker's name, rather than the author's name
  
• Since I am only quoting her line, I use only one set of quotation marks
• Since her line ends with a question mark, that is included inside the quotation
• the line ends still with a period after the page number in parentheses.

2. Where to Quote from a Story

On effective place to quote from a story is in the middle or near the end of the paragraph.
Remember, effective paragraph structure begins with a broad topic sentence and then develops the idea, providing evidence for the point.


3. Why
All analysis is essentially opinion writing, what you think. In giving your opinion, however, you must provide evidence for support. Part of your evidence is using the author's actual words as proof.

Reminders: We are meeting in the lab again this Thursday! See you there!

ESSAY #1 Workshop Day, 2.3.09

Essay #1 is now due February 10, 2009 @ the beginning of class! That's in one week!
We will be meeting in the Computer lab, Tuesday, February 3 @ 8 AM.

What are we doing in the lab?

Most of your lab time will be letting you have time to think and to write!

In the first half of class, however, I will go over

• how to quote from a story when writing your essay
  
• MLA format
• creating a turnitin.com account or adding this class
  

To create a new turnitin.com account you will need

• a valid email address (please use an MGC email address),
  
• the class identification number: 2601145
  
• and the enrollment password: writing

If you already have an account you will need

• the class identification number: 2601145
  
• and the enrollment password: writing

What else will we be doing in class?

Thinking and writing. If you haven't guessed from the previous class meeting lesson, essay writing at the college level is a multiple-step process.

What do I write? How do I put an essay together?

Assignment-You will be writing an analysis based on one of the stories we read for class, except do not write on "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

For topic ideas, review the assignment list, the stories, class notes, blog posts, and your own writing.

Approaches to Assignment-

Approach A: Create character sketches (what do they look like, what are their motivations, what do they do, etc.) of two characters within a story. In creating your sketch see how these characters may oppose each other and come up with an argument based on their opposition, e.g. Who is right? How does the characters' conflict lead to the conclusion? What theme can we draw from the characters' relationship with one another?

(See class notes and blog questions, especially on "The Rich Brother" and Thursday's class notes for an example of this approach.)

A basic working outline and draft may follow simple comparison-contrast essay structure:

I. Introduction
a. Teaser
b. Story information--title & author's full name
c. thesis
II. Body
a. Characteristics & Motivations of Character A
b. Characteristics & Motivations of Character B
c. Comparison-contrast--common ground shared and contrasting motivations and qualities
III Conclusion
a.Discussion of how the previous essay body points lead to the story's theme
b. Thesis developed/reinforced
c. Reference teaser opening

[Note this essay model depends upon strong transitions between points!]

Approach B-
Analyze how your understanding of a character develops through the characteristics of the character and other related literary elements within the story (e.g. symbolism, plot).

Following the above three-point model you can replace one of the character points (say, b. in the Body) and the motivation point (c.) for other literary elements in the selected story.

For example:
I. Introduction
a. Teaser
b. Story information--title & author's full name
c. Thesis
II. Body
a. Characteristics & Motivations of Character A
b. Setting and relation to character or characters
c. Symbolism that highlights qualities of the character or changes experienced by the character in the course of the plot
III Conclusion
a. Discussion of how the previous essay points lead to the story's theme
b. Develop/reinforce thesis
c. Reference teaser opening

[Note you have to show a progression in this essay, one point builds on the ideas of the previous point. This essay should not be three body paragraphs on different things about the story--character, symbols, plot . All points should relate in some way and lead to your conclusion about the story.]

What do I need to bring to the lab?

• Flash drive to save work*
• Essay draft work*
• Literature book
• Writing, Part 4
  
• Little, Brown Handbook
  

*If you have been writing at home on your computer and do not have Microsoft Word 2007, save your work as an rtf. file (rich text file); all the computers in the lab are MS 2007 and are not compatible with earlier version of Word or WordPerfect.

Here's to good thinking and writing!