Write from the point of view of anything not human-an insect
Complete following prompts:
Poem 1: Write a short poetic monologue (a speech for one voice) in the voice of a character who has done something illegal, immoral, gross, or unkind. Make sure the character’s voice is clear; however the voice feels about what she or he has done is up to you, but try to make the reader sympathize with the character. As you did in Journal 2, pay attention to the way you break the lines and ensure that your poem has a pattern. Stanzas are optional. Length: Approximately 30 lines.
Poem 2: Write from the point of view of anything not human-an insect, a robot, a potato, a belly button. Try to invent and develop diction (word choice) and style (way of speaking) that represents the frame of reference for this thing. For instance, if you were writing from the point of view of a show, it is likely to have extensive knowledge of and opinions about flooring, but a limited concept of the sky or human heads. Try to make the visual form of the poem evoke this thing; for example, imagine a poem written in the voice of leaves falling from a tree and the lines are short, broken, and spread across the page. Length: Approximately 40 lines.
Poem 3: Read Ted Kooser’s poem “Tattoo” (http://tedkooser.net/excerpts/tattoo.html). Write a brief poem in which the speaker describes a person she or he is observing. Try to create one striking image that gets the speaker’s attention. Make each line of the poem ten syllables. Length: 14 lines.
As you revise your draft, follow these steps:
•Carefully review the comments you received from peers in the workshop.
•Review other papers and comments in your small group. Look for what others have said in the workshop board that could also apply to your project. Because everyone is working on the same project, no one should say, “I didn’t get good feedback on my paper, so I had no idea what to do for the revision.” Find and apply the best feedback given in your group!
•Consider what suggestions you will follow and what suggestions you will not follow. You are responsible for the creative decisions you make in preparing your final version. No one should say, “I did everything my peers suggested, so the paper should be perfect now.”
•Brainstorm ideas for incorporating some of the feedback/suggestions. This may include doing a freewrite around a scene or character, adding a new paragraph or cutting a paragraph, or rearranging the order of your material.
