ENG125 Introduction to Literature WEEK 3 DQ

S SETS OF ANSWERS

Poetry is a literary form that can offer readers a different experience based on whether the poem is read silently, read aloud, or simply listened to when read by someone else. For example, you might hear a certain rhythm or change of pace that you might not catch when simply reading the poem silently to yourself. For this week’s discussion, you will read and listen to poetry. Read and listen with careful eyes and ears so you can respond thoughtfully to the two parts of the discussion this week.

Part One: Read “We Real Cool” and “My Papa’s Waltz” in your textbook. Then, answer the following questions about one of the poems:

• What is the theme of the poem? How do you know this is the theme?
• What poetic devices (rhythm, figurative language, etc.) are used in the poem? Offer at least two examples.
• How do these poetic devices contribute to the development of the poem’s message?

Support your ideas with textual details and analyses. When you have answered the questions above, then move on to the next set of instructions in Part Two.

Part Two: Listen to “We Real Cool” and “My Papa’s Waltz.” These clips demonstrate the importance of performance, rhythm, and musicality in the poetic form. Describe your listening experience of the same poem you wrote about above. If you are unable to listen to these poems due to an auditory impairment, please reach out to your Instructor for an alternative prompt for this discussion. Respond to at least two of the following questions:

• How did hearing the poem recited aloud compare to a silent reading of it?
• Did the performance highlight certain words or phrases that were not as apparent in a silent reading?
• Did the pace change and, if so, how did it change your understanding of the poem?
• Did words have different connotations and, if so, what kind(s) of connotation did you associate with the poem?
• Do you think reading poetry aloud is a worthwhile endeavor when analyzing it? Why, or why not?

Support your ideas with textual details and analyses. Address how specific literary elements and techniques contributed to your experience and the conflict. Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length. The minimum word count does not include references.

As part of the writing process, you are expected to reflect on your work and revise and edit accordingly. It is also useful to establish a community of learners in which you help edit and proofread each other’s papers. This reciprocal process will help you identify areas of strength and weakness in others’ writing as well as reflect on your own work and perhaps discover similar strengths and weaknesses. For this week, you will be performing a peer review on a classmate’s Week Three Draft. For your initial post

• Read the instructions for completing the Week Three Draft assignment.
• Then, do one of the following:
  • Upload an early version of your Week Three Draft (at least 300 words) (.doc format) as a new thread with your name and title of paper.
  • Create a new thread in which you copy and paste your draft into the body of your post.
  • Post a detailed outline (at least 200 words) that clearly illustrates how you plan to organize your essay. The outline should contain a working thesis, topic sentences, and details/textual references to support the topic sentences. See the Sample Outline in the Ashford Writing Center for guidance.

The draft or outline you share in the discussion needs to meet the specified word requirements (above) and must be double-spaced. You will build on the draft or outline and submit it as your Week Three Draft assignment this week.