Oral Presentations
Peruse the poems listed on the sheet entitled "Individual Poems for Enjoyment & Analysis" in the file Poem Choices for Oral Presentations. Choose three poems that you would like to examine. List them in order of preference on a sheet of notebook paper. Turn in your three choices (with your name, please) on Tuesday, February 6. I will assign you a poem from your list (or another of my choosing if all 3 have been taken) and the date that your presentation is due. (See Study Schedule for dates of Oral Presentations.) If for any reason you do not submit your poem choices on February 6, I will choose a poem for you. On the date of your presentation, prepare to perform the following functions:
1) Present your poem (typed hard copy) on the overhead projector. We want to look at your poem on the screen while you read/discuss it. Use fourteen point readable font, reproducing the line and stanza breaks exactly as published.
2) Read your poem aloud for us. Practice this! Remember Billy Collins' advice for reading poems aloud. Take it slow. We are unfamiliar with your poem and likely hearing it for the first time. Your ability to render the words and the tone in a clear manner will aid in our comprehension.
3) Take a few minutes to analyze the two or three most important elements that help us focus on how that particular poems works. Choose and prioritize only the elements that you deem essential. You will not have enough time to discuss everything.
4) Submit a detailed outline of your presentation to your professor before your presentation. (Keep a copy for yourself to use as a cue sheet during your presentation.) That outline should contain a thesis statement which tells your interpretation of the poem's theme and how/which elements you focus on to arrive at that interpretation.
5) You will have approximately 5-7 minutes of time allotted. Use your time wisely. Don't ramble. Practice (and time!) your presentation. If your presentation is short, we will ask you questions. Be prepared to answer.
6) If for any reason you miss your presentation date, your name will go to the bottom of the presentation list for the next class. If (and only if) we have time, you may be able to make it up then. But don't count on it. More likely you will simply lose those 100 points. We will not take more than the three class days allotted for this assignment.
7) You will be evaluated on three main criteria: a) your performance of the poem, b) your analysis of the poem, c) your ability to use clear and concise communication skills, including the projected poem. Ways to lose points: use the book instead of a clearly typed sheet of your poem on the projector; don't practice--do it at the last minute; don't submit a detailed outline; don't have a thesis; don't use the terms and concepts our course has taught you; and such other foolishness as sometimes happens during these events.