Poetry Assignment 1
Due Wednesday, October 7
This assignment has two parts. The first part is a poem of between 100 and 150 words (we will look at some of the poems from previous quarters to get a sense for an appropriate length for a poem). The second part is a few sentences that interpret the poem. In other words, restate what the poem means. Type your poem and interpretation and hand it in during class on the 7th.
The broad topic of your first poem is cultural education, but do not write about cultural education in general. I will give you back your Telling Your Story assignment on Wednesday, September 30, which contains a story about your own cultural education. Hopefully the feedback you receive will give you an idea for the first poem.
Here are a few guidelines:
- Do not use the words "cultural education" in your poem. The focus should be on an experience that is important for you. You can leave it up to your audience and the class to come up with the relationship between your poem and the broader topic of cultural education.
- For this poem, focus on an aspect of your cultural education that you were excited about or that is particularly meaningful for you. For instance, if a class in school was not exciting for you then do not write a poem about it. Instead, select another aspect of your cultural education.
- Focus on a specific scene where someone taught you something. For example, you can write a poem about the time when you learned the lion dance, or when your grandmother taught you how to say important things, or when you first learned how to play a game.
- You should communicate your feelings about what you learned. It is ok if you have mixed or complicated feelings.