Poetry Assignment 3

Due Monday, October 26

This assignment has two parts. The first part is a poem that is informed by a concept that your poetry group agreed upon. The second part is a few sentences that interpret the poem. Type your poem and interpretation and be prepared to recite your poem for your video group on the 26th.

In your interpretation, in addition to restating what the poem means you should trace your own poetic development through your poems. Can you detect themes that you are developing through multiple poems? How have your poems changed, and how have they illuminated different aspects of the themes that you have chosen? How are your poems related to one or more poems by other people in your group?

For this poem remember to pay attention to sound. If your poem is part of a video then the way it flows, the breaks, the rhythm, and the way it sounds will be very important. Recite your poem at least once, and edit your poem so that it sounds the way you want it to sound.

Poetry Concepts

In class on October 21 poetry groups decided on concepts for their poems. Concepts include a prevailing message, one or more imagined communities as recipients for the message, and the formal rules for the poems. The concept for your group should guide you as you write your poem for this assignment. Refer to the following list to find your group's concept.

  • Dream Team
    • Addressing 2nd generation Asian Americans
    • Home is where the heart is. Maybe growing up away from home, or people not present, good things and bad things related to home and traditions.
    • Four poems (less than 100 words apiece)
  • Imba Boy
    • Describe US to Indonesians, Indonesia to Asian Americans; do not describe the US as better than it actually is
    • Address students in international schools in Indonesia who want to study in the US
    • Might choose three out of five poems
  • Taco Head
    • Family relationships, how they help you, different cultural foods
    • Are there difficulties in the relationships, complications when family helps you, complications in relationships to food?
    • Salugpongan students, Asian Americans
    • 80 words per poem
  • FreshWaters
    • Memories of games, lives becoming more complicated; cliques forming, status, etc.
    • Kids in our neighborhoods (that poets grew up with)
    • 80 words per poem
  • Squaaa
    • Trying to find balance between US identity and another identity, "am I any less _____ (Filipino, Japanese, etc)?" and "am I any less American?"; it might be necessary to define terms; problem of not being accepted by groups you feel you belong to
    • People with ambiguous ethnic/racial identities
    • 80-100 words
  • The A-Team
    • Chinese superstitions
    • Chinese Indonesian international students in the US
    • Why would it be important for Chinese Indonesian international students to know the superstitions, or would it be important?
    • Do not use the word superstition
    • 80 words
  • Plagiarism Squad
    • Everyone in the family is connected by food (cooking)
    • How does cooking divide the family (especially with regard to gender and maybe age)?
    • Address either people who recently arrived in the US or people who were born in the US. Address the group that you do not belong to.
  • Asian Invasion
    • Embracing our own culture while showing America as it is. How does being in the US make it difficult to embrace your own culture? Difficulties in embracing either our own culture or not being accepted in another culture.
    • Salugpongan students
  • Clown Fiesta
    • Concept to be determined.
    • Develop the 2nd poem into the 3rd poem
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