If you missed today's class, stop by my room on Monday to pick up copies of the poems as there is a paragraph due on Tuesday. We wrote two thesis statements on the board which you can get from your homework buddy and we spoke again about how to read and analyze a poem so that when we create a thesis statement, we are including all the key aspects of the poem (including the title).
Write a 300 to 500 word paragraph, following the literary paragraph guidelines learned during the short story unit. Use those handouts. You do not need to use page or line numbers to cite the parts of the poem. Bring a double-spaced first draft to class on Tuesday for peer editing. A good copy will be due on Thursday. I expect your best writing and analysis since it is the final assessment prior to our exam, Mond. June 11. 8:15.
Exam Outline
Section 1: Responding to fiction. This section is exactly the same as our "Plight of Ellen" test where you read a short story, underline key features, create a what/so what? chart, and then turn your great ideas into a scintillating literary paragraph.
To study: Review the literary must-haves list. Review the list we made about how to study for the short story test. Memorize strong verbs; depicts, suggests, reveals, elucidates, exemplifies etc. Practice creating a variety of sentence types. Practice integrating and citing quotations. Practice citing titles. Practice creating inferences in a what/so what chart. Read the work that has been edited and marked. Work with a partner to edit each other's work. Read over the poems in your anthology and analyze them the way we did for the three poems studied during class, "Spring," "Cherries," and "A Slow Fuse".
Section 2: Poetry
Read a poem and answer a question in a literary paragraph. Underline key parts, establish connections between imagery and title. Create a strong thesis and prove your answer with reference to the poem. Be sure to support your great interpretations with ample evidence from the poem.
Section 3: Creative Writing. You will be given a general topic, a starting and ending line and a number of words.
Write a short story or a well-developed poem to demonstrate your ability to use the criteria of that genre.
Study the criteria sheets for poetry and for fiction.
Thursday, June 7: Poetry Cafe: Sign up to bring food and beverages to share. Choose two poems from your manuscript to read aloud to the class.
