Final Reflection
In this class, I have found a new appreciation for the diversity of poetry. We went over a total of 7 course objectives. Here I will go over how my work embodies all 7 of those objectives.
In this course, I have examined poetry that is diverse in terms of genre, culture, time period, place and conditions of publication, and/or authorship. The work that best displays this objective is my sonnet video. I read out William Shakespeare’s “Let me not to the marriage of true minds”. Additionally, I tested my voice acting skills by speaking, with effort, in a British/English accent. I studied his poem while keeping in mind the time period of when the poem was written. Furthermore, I also studied poetry from different time periods and cultures. A majority of the poems had a message about love like “How do I Love Thee” by Barrett Browning, and Millay’s “What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why”. One of them had an environmental standpoint (“The world is too much with us”) and the other one was self aware about the Sonnet form (“Sonnet”). On top of this my song vs poem analysis of “I Fought The Law” and “We Real Cool” more directly fulfilled the objective. I analyzed and compared the meanings of the poem and the song.
The second objective I covered was practicing close reading in order to formulate interpretations that are grounded in evidence from primary texts. In order to complete the sonnet video assignment, I had to read Shakespeare’s poem closely. From there I had to interpret the text in order to include photos. The photos in my video are related to the message or text in the poem. My poem and song analysis also covers this objective. I analyzed and compared both works and came up with my own interpretation of them. In my mind, the lyrics and the poem can be related to each other. They both go over the negative consequences that come from bad decisions.
My third objective was to apply terminology and practices associated with literary analysis. I demonstrated this objective with my Job Interview Sonnet. In that assignment I implemented the formal practices of a sonnet by writing a sonnet. I included a rhyme scheme throughout the 14 line poem while paying attention to iambic pentameter. In that assignment, I was exposed to a new rhyme scheme and terminology that was unfamiliar to me beforehand. Together with the sonnet, I fulfilled this objective in the poetry definitions unit. I applied the terminology to specific poems or works that fit the definition.
My fourth objective was to interpret poetry in relation to social, cultural, and historical contexts. Yet again, my poem vs song analysis achieves this objective. I realized that both the song and the poem come from relatively close time periods. The poem (“We Real Cool”) comes from the late 50s and the song (“I Fought The Law”) comes from the sixties. In the video, I talked about cultural or social reasons why people, especially young people, would decide to be rebellious. I tied that back into my interpretation of the song. Lastly, my discussion comment for the Poem vs Song analysis assignment satisfied the objective. I could tell that my classmate paid attention to the historical context of the poem from the photos she included.
The fifth objective was to communicate how the material conditions of publication, reception, and dissemination affect poetry. I fulfilled this objective during the poetry everywhere and nowhere assignment. I found a piece of poetry that was released/published outside the realm of print and analyzed it’s meaning. I also learned how poetry can be written and expressed in different ways. This objective was also achieved in the unit 3 sonnet unit. I read and studied different poems that adhered to a specific condition of publication (rhymes and 14 lines) and learned how those literary limitations affect poetry.
The second to last objective is to examine how poetry reflects and challenges the literary conventions within which it is produced. This objective was fulfilled in the Unit 3 sonnet assignment. I read and studied Billy Collins’ poem called Sonnet. By reading this poem, I analyzed how Collins pokes fun at the traditional way of writing sonnets. In this way, he is humorously challenging the conventions of sonnets. This objective was also achieved in Unit 8’s poets and poems unit. In that unit, I studied the work of Robert Frost and how his work is different from other poets’ work.
The final objective was to analyze poetry for its artistic complexity, unique formal elements, depth, and nuance. This objective was fulfilled in Unit 9’s “Your project made me think of” unit. In that project, I analyzed and took note of the meaning behind the work of poets. I looked at the deeper meaning behind the poems. This objective was also achieved in Unit 11, Quiz time. For the purposes of that assignment, I had to go over my project again and piece together the artistic and figurative elements of Robert Frost’s work. Robert Frost’s work definitely has artistic complexity and depth!
What have I accomplished in this course?
Before starting this course, I already had an appreciation for poetry. It’s a way to creatively and freely express your thoughts on anything really. Poetry can really be anything you want it to be! I learned how much of an impact poetry has on the world in this class. The poetry everywhere and nowhere assignment really opened my eyes to that. I never really paid attention to how abundant poetry is in our world. In the back of my mind, I knew that poetry was on that mug in my basement, but I never really thought about it.
I also have realized that poetry inspires or dips its feet into popular culture. I remember that “Do not go gentle into that goodnight” was referenced in Mortal Kombat of all things! Wow! Robert Frost’s poetry also has put the figurative meaning of “the path less taken” into modern English lexicon. Through all of this, I have an even greater appreciation for the written word and for poetry!