Poetry Cycle Assignment

Writing Assignment:


Begin working on Poetry Cycle assignment:
Similar to Thomas and Beulah, consider some characters in your own life, or imagined characters, or actual historical characters. Imagine the significant chronological dates in their lives--high points and low points. consider how to construct a series of 8-10 (preferably more) poems that tell a story (narrative poetry) and explore these key moments and occasions.

• a. Your poetry cycle should consist of 8-10 poems
• b. Your poetry cycle should be accompanied by a chronology to support the key dates and occasions you chose to write about.
• c. At least two of the poems should explore the same event from two different perspectives or viewpoints (like "Courtship" in Thomas and Beulah). These poems can have the same title.
• d. Place one poem per page, single-spaced, 12 point type in a clean font and be sure to title each poem. you may want to title the entire cycle as well. Use italics for dialogue, songs, memories, etc as you observe in Rita Dove's work. Experiment with different stanzaic forms and poetic styles.
• e. Poems can, of course, be narrative or lyric, but remember that the overall cycle is a narrative and must tell a story of a life or lives although we only see "fragments" or moments/snapshot

Rita Dove

Take notes about imagery and image patterns

Visit website:


www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoet.do?poetId=6719

Thomas and Beulah by Rita Dove
© Walter Benefield
Mar 9, 2001

Like snapshots in a photo album, Rita Dove’s award winning collection of poetry "Thomas and Beulah" provide glimpses into the lives of two people in love living together yet apart in an imperfect world. Dove mixes biographical, historical and social elements to create a journey of love, marriage, life and death in 1920's Middle America. Dove’s collection of narrative poems are based loosely on the lives her maternal grandparents.
The journey begins with Thomas in the poem entitled “The event.” Thomas and his friend Lem venture out of Tennessee onto a river boat "with nothing to boast of but good looks and a mandolin", which is a pear shaped stringed instrument. This departure by Thomas would eventually bring him to Akron, Ohio and Beulah.

The poem "Courtship" has Beulah on one "Fine evening...waiting-for what? A magnolia breeze, someone to trot out the stars?" Beulah meets Thomas. "Promises" a poem of marriage contains one of the most beautiful verses in the collection. "A deep breath, and she plunged through sunbeams and kisses, rice drumming the both of them blind." In that, most natural of processes after marriage comes children. "Variation on Guilt" shows Thomas the expecting father in a hospital waiting room less than pleased when "the doors fly apart...It's a girl, he can tell by that smirk." Thomas and Beulah in all have four children all girls.

Dove poetizes the emotional subject of sickness and death in several poems in the collection. In a more descriptive poem "Thomas at the wheel" shows Thomas in his car and eventually "he lay[s] down across the seat, a pod set to sea, a kiss unpuckering", having a heart attack. The poem "Company" is a tragic but fitting near end to the collection, Beulah leaves her dying husband this message, "listen: we were good, though we never believed it."

"Thomas and Beulah" is one personal history told from two perspectives and does not hold to a precise line of chronology and only the most rational of critics would protest; Dove the consummate artist creates her own order of things.

Delving into research before writing this review of "Thomas and Beulah" I unearthed some disturbing facts about this award winning collection of poetry.

Rita Dove received the Pulitzer Prize for this work in 1987. Many considered the eighties a time of upsurge in the popularity of poetry with increases in published works as proof. Despite the positive climate, the New York Times newspaper respected for its quality literary coverage never reviewed “Thomas and Beulah.” I only make light of these facts because there are other fine works like “Thomas and Beulah” that go unnoticed by those who are suppose to notice.

Rita Dove/Bennington

AGENDA:

Last call for Bennington entries

View more poems from Rita Dove

Coffeehouse readings/The Village

Rita Dove Thomas and Beulah

AGENDA:, Finish Flash Fiction stories and missing work

Begin reading aloud Thomas and Beulah
Check out link to her web site!
www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoet.do?poetId=6719 
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poets/detail/rita-dove#about 

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/rita-dove 
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/rita-dove 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=7duHFUjieME 
Critical article: personal.georgiasouthern.edu/~jpellegr/articles/dovearticle.html 
www.suite101.com/article.cfm/african_american_lit_retired/62567

The poem cycle set to music:
www.amazon.com/Thomas-Beulah-Rita-Amnon-Wolman/dp/B000065C

coffeehouse Readings: Next Thursday, Nov. 8      7 pm

Bloodsucking Fiends Final Test

AGENDA:

Period 1:  Work on study guides, flash fiction, missing assignments, etc.

Period 2:   Go to Google classroom for Essay---Bloodsucking Fiends Final Test

Poetry Prompts

AGENDA:

Finish Bloodsucking Fiends.  TEST on Friday.

Finish missing work--Flash Fiction

Work on contest entries.  See below for some poetry prompts for Bennington and Hollins.  Scholastic?

Creative Writing Prompts for Poetry:

1. Write a poem about how you assembled a puzzle or game from your childhood. Focus on the imagery, the pieces, intention and focus.
2. Write a love poem to your favorite book. Be sure to flip through the book, focusing on what you found was most meaningful.
3. Write a poem that incorporates both the view of the antagonist and protagonist in a fairy tale.
4. Ask your friends to give you five random phrases. The phrases can be fragments or sentences, and should not reference movies if possible. Write a poem that incorporates these five phrases.
5. Think of a course you have always wanted to take. Write a poem that focuses on why you find this class to be appealing or interesting. Again, this should not be a class you have taken yet. You want to write a poem that captures your raw level interest in the course.
6. Write a poem dedicated to the dreams you remember the least. These do not have to be dreams you wish to remember, but write to them regardless.
7. List the three most inconvenient things that happened to you today. Now write a poem about at least one of them.
8. Write a poem about your experience in some type of vehicle used for long distance such as a car, airplane or a train. Where were you going? Was it comfortable? Who did you meet or talk to? Did you forget anything or find something? Did you arrive at the right destination?
9. Find an unpublished poem that you haven’t looked at in years. Randomly choose three lines from the poem. Write a completely different using those lines.
10. Think of a product or a service you dislike. Imagine you have the opportunity to convince them to take that product or service off the market. Write a poem that incorporates your message about this product or service.
11. Take an image that you can recall from the prior week. Use this image to help you write a poem.
12. Think about something specific a loved one does for you. This can be anything from receiving back rubs from your partner or getting seasonal cards from your aunt. Write a poem that incorporates the feelings and images associated with this event.
13. Pick your favorite search engine. Perform a search on any word you can think of. Choose a word that does not have particular importance to you. Read through the first two pages that come up in the search engine. Pick two sentences and write a poem incorporating those sentences.
14. Think of at least three people from your hometown that you haven’t talked to in a long time. Write a poem that is aimed to address these people for the first time in years.
15. Think of the best independent restaurant you have eaten at recently. Write a poem about the flavors and sensations of the meal and drinks.
16. Think about a coworker or colleague you find distasteful. Write a poem about how this person saves your life.
17. Write a poem that admits a dark secret of yours.
18. Write a poem from the perspective of a creature that lives in a cave or in the deep sea.
19. Listen to a song you really enjoy. Focus on your most favorite part of the music. Write a poem about all the sensations, images, feelings, lyrics and other components of that specific part of the song.
20. Imagine yourself living 300 or more years ago. You still have the same personality and body. Write a poem about yourself and your interactions and with the people of that time.
21. Write a poem about the frustration or stresses a pet must feel. Pets could include household pets, circus animals, zoo animals and so on.
22. Think about a political issue you strongly disagree with. Now write a poem where the aim is to and convince yourself to actually agree with that point.
23. Write a poem about what you expect the end of the world might be like.
24. Write a poem that introduces a book you dislike. You can even use a poem that you aren’t particularly happy with. Write a poem introducing that poem to readers.
25. Write a poem about what you would do if your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend was transformed into a giant stone animal.
26. Write a poem about an animate and inanimate object falling in love with each other.
27. Picture a beautiful landscape. Write a poem about that landscape.
28. Take a look at a map. Randomly select a town or city you have never been to. Write a poem about what you think it might be like visiting that place for the first time.
29. Write a poem from the perspective of someone who is from another culture.
30. Take a topic you feel uncomfortable writing about. Write a poem about that topic.
31. Write a poem about a historical battle that really reverberates with you.
32. Look up some very rare flowers in at least two different countries. Write a poem that incorporates the features of these plants and their many parts.
33. Pick a topic in the computing sciences that you know absolutely nothing about. Do a quick search on it, and spend at least 30 minutes trying to understand it from your perspective. Write a poem either about the experience or the topic.
34. Find one of your favorite recipes. Write a poem that utilizes some of the steps of that recipe.
35. Write a poem about the way a specific room changes throughout a year. Focus on the objects in the room, lighting, dirt or dust, stains, smells and all the other parts that make a room.
36. Write a poem about some aspect of the grieving or bereavement process. The loss, anger, loneliness, acceptance and moving on are all potential topics.
37. Write a poem about positive transformations  One example might be the moment that someone you thought was unattractive or plain was suddenly beautiful.
38. Find a cause seeking donations in your community. Imagine this cause is having an auction to raise donations. Write a poem about that auction. Mention if you would bid and what you would bid.
39. Write a poem designed for the personals section in a newspaper or online listing. Try to incorporate the type of writing typically used in a personals section.
40. Write a poem about a piece of clothing you would design if you had the resources and poem.
41. Write a poem about the moment when you lose a necessary piece that is needed to make something electronic work. Some examples might include losing a charger for a computer or music player.
42. Write a poem in which you ultimately apologize to someone or something.
43. Try to remember some of the most memorable poetry readings you have attended. Write a poem saying thank you to those readings and the readers.
44. Check your local news for any new gallery exhibits in the area. Attend the exhibit and write a poem that discusses some elements of the exhibit.
45. Write a persona poem on someone that is very controversial. Consider writing a poem on a serial killer or a famous gang member.
46. Go outside and note at least three different cars on your street. Incorporate the make and model of the car, color and other features of the car into a poem.
47. Write a poem about cloning someone who is recently deceased. Think of various attributes of the overall cloning process such as personality differences, health problems, controversy, and the comparisons of the deceased to the new clone.
48. Write a poem from the perspective of someone who dislikes what you do professionally.
49. Write a poem about how you find happiness through something that actually makes you deeply unhappy.
50. Look at the last 10 poems you have written. Pay attention to the ending lines. Use one of those ending lines to begin a new poem.

Finish Bloodsucking Fiends

AGENDA:

Work on your flash fiction stories.

Finish your study guide Part II/III for Bloodsucking Fiends.

Contest entries

Handout:: BSF Part III

Homework: Finish reading Bloodsucking Fiends for WEDNESDAY

THERE WILL BE A TEST ON THE BOOK!

• Jody is totally unprepared for being a vampire. How do you think you would react to waking up one day having been changed into a vampire? Would you try to live a normal life? Once you adjusted to being a vampire, do you think youd want to change back into a human being if the opportunity was offered?
• Jody has obviously had a tough time with the men in her life; do you think this affects how she reacts to becoming a vampire? Was the way Jody thought about herself shaped by how men reacted to her? How did you feel when Jody started to come into her own as a vampire and enjoy her powers?
• The Emperor seems genuinely concerned about the well-being of the residents of his city, despite the dire circumstances in which he lives. What does this say about mental illness? Do you think the Emperor went crazy from being homeless, or is he homeless because he is crazy? Is it possible that being crazy isnt always such a bad thing?
• Toward the end of the book, it looks as if Jody may run off with the old vampire. Did you think that was a possibility? If she did it for the right reason (i.e., to save Tommy), how do you think that would have worked out?
• At the end of the book, it seems that Jody has decided to turn Tommy into a vampire. Where does their life go from there? Will they stay together? Will they stay in San Francisco? If not, how do you handle travel as a vampire, short of owning a multi-million dollar yacht? Where would you send them?

Objects

1. Bummer - This is a dog that belongs to the Emperor of San Francisco. Bummer is sensitive to the presence of vampires and sniffs out the resting place of the elder vampire.
2. Lazarus - This is the Emperor of San Francisco's golden retriever.
3. Rosenante - This is Tommy's car. He drives it from Indiana to San Francisco, and it breaks down and catches fire when he reaches the city. The police use Tommy abandoning his vehicle as an excuse to arrest him and get his fingerprints.
4. The Marina Safeway - Tommy gets a job as night supervisor at this location, where he meets the Animals, the night crew.
5. The Van Ness Motel - When Jody realizes that she is a vampire, she gets a motel room at this motel. She uses it as a private, protected place during the day.
6. The Loft - Tommy rents a loft in the SOMA district for himself and Jody. He falls in love with the loft because it sports a wall of bookshelves.
7. On the Road by Jack Kerouac - Tommy's copy of this book is found with Tommy's fingerprints on it at a crime scene.
8. French Fries - After changing into a vampire, Jody can no longer eat, and she misses eating this food. She takes Tommy to a restaurant to watch him eat these.
9. The Freezer - Jody asks Tommy to buy this so that they can hide the homeless man's body in it.
10. The Laundromat - Jody goes to this place in the dangerous Tenderloin district at night, and she is attacked by three men. Jody severely injures all of her attackers with no difficulty.
11. Peary - This is the "name" of the body in Jody and Tommy's freezer.
12. The Little Black Dress (LBD) - After a fight with Tommy, Jody goes out shopping and buys this to show off her figure.
13. The Sanguine II - This is where the vampire sleeps during the day. At the end of the book, the Animals blow this place up, severely injuring the vampire.
14. Scott and Zelda - These are the turtles that live with Tommy and Jody in Chinatown. His downstairs neighbor offers to take the turtles, and Tommy consents, not realizing that the sculptor intends to electroplate the two animals.
15. Saint Francis Yacht Club Marina - The elder vampire's yacht is moored off of this marina.
16. 754 - After buying her little black dress, Jody goes to this club, where she is brought to the front of the line by the doorman while her ex-boyfriend Kurt has to wait.