American Poetry Project EN III Mrs.

Becker Page 1 of 1

What does it mean to be an AMERICAN? What does it mean to live in

AMERICA? What is the AMERICAN DREAM? These questions will be
considered and investigated as you research your AMERICAN poet and their
works.

TASK 1: Choose a poet! The following list is “a start” but should not be limited
to the list only. Before you choose, you are required to read a number of various
poems from various artists. I do not want you to simply choose a poet because you
have studied him/her before. You are to choose a poet and the poems because it
may be the writing style that you like and understand, or the subject matter is
interesting to you. You will begin by reading random poems today in class and
recording your responses in your POETRY LOG. Read about 5 or 6 different
poems and write down the poet’s name and your initial reaction for each. You are
able to work in pairs so that you may share ideas and opinions. Everyone is
responsible for his/her own poetry log.
1. Robert Frost
2. Langston Hughes
3. Emily Dickinson
4. William Carlos Williams
5. Wallace Stevens
6. Sylvia Plath
7. Anne Sexton
8. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
9. Carl Sanburg
10. H.D. (Hilda Doolittle)
11. e.e. Cummings
12. Robert Lowell
13. Gwendolyn Brooks
14. Theodore Roethke
15. John Updike
16. Countee Cullen
17. Maya Angelou
18. Amy Lowell
19. Ogden Nash
20. W.H. Auden
21. Michael McClure
22. Frank O’Hara
23. Edward Field
24. Anne Bradstreet
25. Edward Taylor
26. Phillis Wheatley
27. William Cullen Bryant
28. James Russell Lowell
American Poetry Project EN III Mrs. Becker Page 1 of 1

29. John Greenleaf Whittier

30. Edgar Allan Poe
31. Ralph Waldo Emerson
32. Henry David Thoreau
33. Walt Whitman
34. Paul Laurence Dunbar
35. T.S. Elliot
36. Ezra Pound
37. Archibald MacLeish
38. Billy Joel
39. William Stafford
40. Lorna Dee Cervantes
41. Marin Espada
42. Simon Ortiz
43. Diana Chang
44. Garret Hongo
45. Randall Jarrell
46. Robert Hayden
47. Elizabeth Bishop
48. John Ashbery
49. Barbara Guest
50. Allen Ginsberg
51. Gary Snyder
52. Gregory Corso
53. Kay Ryan
54. Li-YoungLee

TASK 2: By the end of class today: hand in your poetry log of a minimum of 5
poems from different poets and DETERMINE YOUR POET. You have one
chance to choose! You will be graded on today’s poetry log.
American Poetry Project EN III Mrs. Becker Page 1 of 1

TASK 3: Library research (books and the following 2 websites ONLY)

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/

1. Type and print 3 copies of each selected poem that you are to analyze. That
means 3 copies of poem #1 and 3 copies of poem #2. One copy will be for
your notes and annotation, one copy to be presented on your poster board,
and the last copy…well, you never can be too prepared, just in case you lose
one.
2. Find Biographical/background information on your poet. This information
can be written in list/bulleted form that will be placed on your poster-board.
 Full name, date of birth and death (if applicable)
 Where he/she is from and lived during their life
 Where he/she studied and other professions (i.e. journalist,
painter etc.)
 5 interesting facts or important events in his/her life
 Awards and/or honors given to this poet
 Describe his/her writing style
 Other artists and/or poets that influenced your poets life and
writing
 Books Titles of published poetry with publication date
 3-5 different pictures of your poet
3. To help you analyze your poems, find at least 2 critical essays on your poet
and/or your specific poems. See me or the media specialist for help.
American Poetry Project EN III Mrs. Becker Page 1 of 1

TASK 4: Double entry poetry journal for each poem. This will naturally turn
into the ESSAY portion of your project. This is a checklist of things to
consider and include while analyzing your two poems. CLARIFICATION:
there are 15 entries for each poem, therefore a TOTAL of 30 entries for your 2
poems.

_____ 1. Define words you do not understand and write out the definition (this
is only for your poetry journal).

_____ 2. Paraphrase or summarize in your own words the key ideas of each
poem.

_____ 3. What is the form of the poem? (# of stanzas/ # of lines total and per
stanza) Does it follow a specific format? (a sonnet, a sestina, haiku, etc.)

_____ 4. Identify and describe the setting.

_____ 5. Who is the speaker in the poem?

_____ 6. Who is the intended audience?

_____ 7. TONE – What is the speaker’s attitude in general? What is the

speaker’s attitude towards the subject matter?

_____ 8. THEME – What is the overall idea of the poem? What words or
phrases help convey the poem’s message?

_____ 9. What is your general reaction to the poem? (sadness, happiness,

angry, questioning, confusing, etc.)

_____ 10. What MOOD do you think the poet is trying to build and express?
Does it remain constant or does it change as the poem progresses? (pity,
sympathy, desperation, etc.)

_____ 11. Why do you think the poet wrote this poem? What is he/she trying to
teach or share with the reader?

_____ 12. What literary devices are used and give at least one example of each?
(for example: symbolism, imagery, allusion, rhyme scheme, alliteration, refrain,
American Poetry Project EN III Mrs. Becker Page 1 of 1

simile, metaphor, paradox, personification, rhythm/lyrical quality, free verse,

etc.)

_____ 13. Are there any elements or ideas in the poem which may possess a
deeper meaning? There may be a literal meaning and a figurative meaning.
Cite examples by writing out the line(s) and then explain what you think it
means.

_____ 14. Look for repetition. Why do you think certain words or phrases are
repeated and/or emphasized? How does this help you determine the meaning of
the poem? (Frost repeats the last line “miles to go before I sleep” because there
is an element of responsibility and regret that he must continue on his mundane
path of life.)

_____ 15. Why do you like the poem and what questions do you still have?
What does this poem make you think of in your own life?

The question # Your response

1. Words I don’t know 1. Juxtapose = to compare/contrast
2. Frenetic= an excited, frantic
emotion

SEE ATTACHED packet on how to write a double-

entry journal
American Poetry Project EN III Mrs. Becker Page 1 of 1

HINT: write the journal after you have annotated the 2

poems.
TASK 5: Use the checklist in Task 4 and your notes (annotation) to write a 2
page essay on only ONE of your poems.

See outline notes from class for the format of the essay.

TASK 6: Assemble your poster board to include the following in a “visually

descriptive and aesthetically pleasing way.” Make it colorful and attractive.
These will be on display in the Library with your name on it ;)

1. A copy of the TWO POEMS labeled with title and publication

date.
2. The name of the poet and background information from Task 3
3. Pictures

On the following DUE DATE ________________,

please be sure to hand in the grading rubric with your
work (poster board, poetry log, double-entry journal,
annotated poems, 2 page essay, reference page
attached with your essay)