Character Sketch; Monologue Poem Project

This morning during period 3, please complete your character sketch. There is just one more addition you will make to this character sketch before you print it out and turn it in for credit today (near the end of period 3).

See previous post for details about how to write a character sketch. If you are having trouble, check here for further instructions and advice. Click here for a sample from Poynter (Journalism school--journalists and novelists often use character sketches in their writing/articles). Character sketches should be written in prose form (i.e., paragraph/sentence form. Note: you don't have to write them as outlines/lists!)

During period 4, please use your character sketch to write an internal monologue poem. Please read the characteristics of a monologue poem and the instructions carefully! There are required elements for your poem draft. All the poems in Spoon River are examples of internal monologue poems.

Characteristics of a monologue poem:

• Are written from the perspective or POINT OF VIEW (POV) of a character
• They are written in 1st person POV (using the pronoun "I, me, my, our, etc.")
• Your poem MUST be written in First Person POV!
• Your title of your poem will be your character's name.
• They usually reference the inner workings or thoughts of the character. Write about what a character is thinking or what a character MUST say.
• Think about WHO is your target audience for what the character MUST say.
• Think about WHY your character must speak!
• Often interior monologues use a technique called STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS--where the writer/poet tries to recreate the way the character thinks
• They often reference important or key character traits: personality, physical, social traits, etc.
• They may include dialogue, but the focus is on the character speaking--not on another character
• They often use metaphor, simile, imagery, alliteration, assonance, consonance, or other poetic devices. See a list of poetic devices you can use in this poem here. Here are some rhetorical devices to use as well (for advanced learners).
• You MUST use at least 1 poetic device in your poem draft (please identify which one you used at the bottom of your poem draft!)
• For advanced students, try including (and identifying) a rhetorical device in your poem draft
• The poetic turn or VOLTA usually occurs somewhere in the middle of the poem. The volta allows the use of irony and surprise. Typically the first lines or stanza in a poem states a premise, asks a question, suggests a theme, or presents a situation. After the turn or volta, the concluding lines resolve the problem by suggesting an answer, offer a conclusion, change tone, or shift to an unexpected statement or new direction or idea. This gives a poem more complexity.
• Make sure you have a VOLTA in your poem draft. BOLD this line on your draft!
• Proofread, correct, revise, and turn in your poem draft with an appropriate title. You will need to memorize this poem and perform it in the next class or two.

Please complete your poem draft during period 4 and turn in for credit. If you have time and interest, consider writing more internal monologue poems and turn in for extra credit!

HOMEWORK: If you did not complete your draft or character sketch for some reason, please complete late as homework. COMPLETE your reading of Spoon River by Wednesday--there may be a test.