Tone Poem & Spoon River

If you haven't yet done so from last class, please create a poem using a specific TONE. Pick an emotional tone for your persona and have that character speak, using appropriate diction, to create the tone you selected.

Here's an example of a poem that has a specific TONE. Try to figure out what TONE the speaker/persona is using:

"Another Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries" by Hugh MacDiarmid:

It is a God-damned lie to say that these
Saved, or knew, anything worth any man's pride.
They were professional murderers and they took
Their blood money and impious risks and died.
In spite of all their kind some elements of worth
With difficulty persist here and there on earth. 

After writing your draft, please select and sign up for ONE Spoon River poem that you would like to perform. If someone has already signed up for the character you want, please select your second choice. Write down your selection on the sign-up sheet.

Today, type that poem out and do the following to prepare it for your upcoming presentation:

Please prepare and rehearse your Spoon River poems during 3rd period.

• Examine and read your poem carefully. Make sure you know and understand the poem. Look up unknown words in the dictionary.
• Bold or underline words or important phrases that you want to stress. Mark these on your script.
• Find the transitions from one part of the poem to another (just like a paragraph in prose). When you find this break mark your script with a double slash mark (//) to indicate a new idea. This is usually where tone changes, so make sure you note where this occurs on your script.
• Use a slash mark (/) to indicate pauses or a good place to take a breath.
• In the margins, write the tone of the speaker. Does the tone change?
• Ask yourself: what does sadness, anger, or happiness sound like? What does self-satisfaction, boredom, or surprise sound like? Try to match your tone of voice with the attitude and voice of the character.
• What does your character look like physically? Give your character a physicality--a physical gesture or facial expression. How does your character stand or hold his body? Does she stoop, or cringe, or wring her hands? Choose physical positions and gestures that help an audience understand what the character is feeling or trying to communicate.

Print out your poem with the marks you have made on it (slash marks, bolded words, italicized or underlined words, etc.)

Rehearse your poem when you have scored or marked it. You will need to turn in your poem draft at the end of class today and it should be marked up appropriately to show decisions regarding the above information. Next class, we will begin performing these poems in front of the class. Please rehearse and prepare.