Poetry Preparation & Collaboration

I hope you all had a restful vacation. We left off, you might remember, checking out (and reading) a collection of poems from authors (last names M-Z). You will need your book today to complete part one of the following assignment.

Part 1:

Choose your favorite poem from the collection or chapbook you read. Prepare this poem to perform (deliver) in front of the class. Your poem does not have to be memorized, but you will be graded on how long you can sustain your eye contact, how well you are prepared, and how effective your delivery of the poem is. I suggest using notecards (write the lines on the card) and use the cards as you did your speech. Give important lines or phrases their own card (or memorize parts of the poem--particularly the opening and closing lines).

1. When speaking someone else's words, you will need to know what the author means. Look up and define for yourself any words you are unsure of in meaning.
2. Consider who the speaker of the poem may be. Is this person a housewife, or a mechanic, or a brother, or son, or young or old? Why might this persona be speaking? (is there a special reason?) To whom may this character be speaking to?
3. If the poet repeats lines or phrases, consider why the author is doing this?
4. What images stand out strongly or vividly to you? It is often a good thing to slow down in descriptive moments of a poem.
5. Where does the climax or most important line in the poem occur? It is often helpful to raise the tension of the poem using our voice.
6. If a poet lists a great number of things (like in slam poetry) it is often a good idea to increase the pace of this section.
7. Consider gestures or posture. Is your character happy, sad, bored, eager, excited, fearful, or any other emotion? How will you best convey this to your audience through your body, facial expressions, or voice?
8. Is your character performing an action? If so, what gestures could you include in your performance that might help aid understanding?

Part II: The Collaborative Poem

Watch these video performances:
Black and White.
Spit.
Naomi Shihab Nye & Robert Bly perform Rumi.
How to Impeach the Worst President
Hold My Tongue

1. Get into groups of 2, 3, or 4. No one should work alone for this project.

2. After you have chosen your groups, gather together and decide on a topic or theme for your poem. As most collaborative slam poetry, it might be easiest to agree on a political or social problem that you are all concerned with. To gather ideas, each person in the group should suggest a topic, write down the topic, then go around the circle adding other options. After you have gone around a few times (and everyone has at least contributed two ideas) look at the list and agree on a topic.

Go no further than this step. Your group should FIRST agree with the topic. When you have decided, go on to step #3.

3. The rules:
A. All group members must speak.
B. All group members must contribute to the poem in some significant way.
C. Help each other.
D. Include gestures and "blocking" for your performance.

You may find it helpful to first come up with a response line or choral line: a repeated line that all group members recite together or at different times to cue your group members as to where you are in the poem. Write the draft of the poem together first. Once you have a draft, print out enough copies for each of your members, then gather to practice and block the performance.

This project is not yet due. You should pick your groups, decide on a topic, and begin your writing of the first draft by the end of class.

Homework: Please prepare your chosen poem from your poetry collection (part 1) for next class.