Upcoming Assignments

Due Friday:

Diction (436-444), Voice (427-436)

Prospectus Assignment Info:


Each poem prospectus will consist of the following:

- “Device/Effect T-chart” of a minimum of three different poetry devices, text support for these devices, and their effects the poem. Select a poem from the anthology that we have not thoroughly discussed in class.

- Thesis statement

- Paragraph (approximately 1/2 page). This paragraph will either be an introduction to a hypothetical paper on the selected poem ( background ideas, thesis, poa) or a body paragraph (topic sentence with 3 examples, where, what, how, why, model. )

For the Poetry Prospectus 1-4 Assignment, two of your poems will have an introduction as their paragraphs, and two will have a support paragraph.)

And finally,


Here is the poem for your first poetry paper (remember, do not consult any resources online or otherwise) but begin thinking about possible interpretations/devices to analyze. Due date, TBD, but rough draft work day will be next Wednesday.

when serpents bargain for the right to squirm
and the sun strikes to gain a living wage-
when thorns regard their roses with alarm
and rainbows are insured against old age

when every thrush may sing no new moon in
if all screech-owls have not okayed his voice
-and any wave signs on the dotted line
or else an ocean is compelled to close

when the oak begs permission of the birch
to make an acorn-valleys accuse their
mountains of having altitude-and march
denounces april as a saboteur

then we'll believe in that incredible
unanimal mankind(and not until)

e e cummings