Sheehy English 9

Now that we’ve finished our poetry unit, I’d like you to think back on it. Tell me the story of the unit and what you learned and what you liked.

Questions to help you in case you’re stuck:

• What did you think?
• What did you like/dislike?
• What did you learn?
• What did you do that you were proud of?
• Would you do anything differently?

Write at least 250 words.

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Original image: ‘Kuwait Water Tower‘ by: Sam

After attempting your poem and trying to make it carry a depth of meaning, I’d like you to write in your blog a description of how things went. Make your blog article a hearty paragraph (at least 10 sentences) and use the following series of questions to guide your thinking.

1. Describe how the writing process went. Did you write a lot? Did you have trouble getting going? If you had trouble, what was the source? Was it fun?
2. Describe what you were trying to accomplish with your poem and whether or not you did accomplish it. What kind of thought or feeling are you trying to convey?
3. Explain whether you used any of the poetic devices we have discussed in class. If so, explain why you used the one(s) you did. If not, explain whether your poem would be stronger if you did use one of them.
   • When discussing these devices, mention them specifically – use the words “metaphor” and “personification,” etc.
   • If you’ve forgotten, these are the devices we’ve discussed: metaphor, simile, personification, imagery, assonance, consonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia, stanza, rhyme, meter, free verse, repetition.
4. Finish your reflection/report by telling your opinion on the day’s work and describing what you would like to do next time you get the chance to write.

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Original image: ‘Afraid of the Dark‘

What is great poetry? That is the question you will answer during our poetry unit, and I think the perfect way to begin the unit is to make you attempt to answer the question now, before we’ve actually discussed poetry at all. What, today, is your opinion? What is great poetry?

Figuring that you might not have too much to say in response, consider also what you think you will need to do to make yourself better able to answer the question. What should we do in the next couple weeks to enable you to answer the question, “What is great poetry?”

Please write at least 100 words in your blog to respond to this question, and then read and reply to at least two classmates’ answers (that means write comments). Also, please remember to put in your article a link back to this article on the class blog.

P.S. – That river in the picture is in my hometown in New Hampshire.  

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Image Attribution:

Original image: ‘the mighty contoocook‘ by: Ben McLeod