Poetry and Songs Discussion
Description
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Getting Started:
For this assignment, you should first complete the assigned readings for the class. These include Walt Whitmans Song of Myself, selected poems by Emily Dickinson, and Mark Twains How to Tell a Story. During the class discussion, we will have covered a range of literary ideas associated with each writer style, language, theme, form, etc. Review the slide show in Canvas if you have any points that need clarifying before beginning this assignment.
Gathering Sources:
You will need to select either Twains essay, a poem by Dickinson, or a section of Song of Myself. You will also need to select a contemporary song or a comedic performance. Select works that have at least three ideas in common. I will provide two examples of this in class (Dylan and Springsteen). Your choice should be recent within the last five to seven years.
Analyzing the Song:
In class we will have discussed many of the similar points that I am going to ask you to cover in your analysis of the song. After reading through your lyrics a few times, make notes on some of the main ideas:
What does the title of the song tell you about it?
Who is the speaker? Is this in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person? What type of person is singing the song? How do you know?
Are there other characters? How many and what kind? What effect do they have on your understanding of the song?
What is the song mainly about?
Where is the setting for the action of the song? How do you know?
- Is the song set in current time?
- What is the overall mood of the song? How does it make the listener feel?
- Is there a conflict within the action of the song?
- Are there symbols or metaphors?
- What is the overall theme of the song?
- Is there language that drew you to this particular song? What are those words and/or phrases?
- You should cite specific lines of the song when answering these questions. You will be asked to incorporate them into your essay later, so go ahead and make notes now. Find the points of the poem you chose that correspond to the answers you provided; cite with specificity the exact lines.
- OR!
- Analyzing the Comedic Performance
- For this assignment you should review a comedic performance that is from the past five to seven years. You will use Mark Twains How to Tell a Story for this option. Review the main points that were discussed in class. As you rewatch the performance, make notes on the following:
- Who is the teller of the story/performer? What type of person do you assume the performer to be?
What type of language does the performer use? Does the individual have an accent or use slang that is particular to a region or area of the United States?
What types of characters does the performer introduce in the story they are telling?
What does the performers opinion of these people seem to be? How do they indicate their opinions?
Where is the story set? What does this offer your interpretation of the events?
Is there a conflict within the story? How is it resolved?
Can you identify the action/setting/characters within the story as uniquely American? How? Why?