Poetry Project #2

Modes & Genres

Your have a choice of two options for this project. In each case, the emphasis is trying out a different species of poetry.

Option 1: The Personal Poem (The Moaner)

Write a poem in the "confessional" mode, drawing on our Power Point titled, "Crash Course in Poetry" and Lisa Lewis’s poem, “The Accident.”  Make your poem at least 40 lines long, preferably more.

Option 2: The Formalist Poem (The Maker)

Write a poem in a traditional form: a sonnet, a sestina, a villanelle, etc. Draw on the Power Point titled, "Crash Course in Poetry."

 

Option 2: The Surrealist Poem (The Mad Seer)

Write a poem in the surrealist mode. Draw on the Power Point titled, "Crash Course in Poetry" and a link/handout titled,  “Surrealist Sampler.”  Make your poem at least 40 lines long, preferably more.

Evaluation Criteria

To understand criteria for good poems, you may want to read A Poetry Checklist.

Outstanding = A. Meets all instructions exceptionally well. Excels in inventiveness, originality, and energy, relative to work produced generally in the Governor’s School English program. Shows almost no standard “beginner’s errors” such as cliches, overly easy or strained rhyme, etc. All writing is well-edited for clarity and concision, and proofread for mechanical errors such as typos, comma splices, fused sentences, and unmotivated tense shifts. Possibly publishable in a journal for younger writers.

Good = B. Meets all instructions, or meets several of them exceptionally well, despite a weak performance with others. May be especially striking in spots, despite noticeable minor flaws. May show a few standard “beginner’s errors” such as cliches, overly easy or strained rhyme, etc. Very competent, but may lack originality or inventiveness, relative to work produced generally in the Governor’s School Program in English. Very few editing or mechanical slips.

Fair = C. Meets some instructions, or meets all of them only partially. Uninspired but minimally competent; or very inspired but lacking competence in key areas. Many “beginner’s errors.” May show some inattention to, or misunderstanding of, instructions. Weak proofreading and editing.

Poor= D. Meets few of the instructions. May not not heed or understand instructions. May be sloppy, unproofed, unedited, and/or very perfunctory and uninspired. Unsatisfying work, saved by at least minimal attention to at least one facet of the assignment.

Unacceptable = F. Work either fails to meet any of the stated criteria, or demonstrates severe oversights or weaknesses in significant areas.