Great Depression Picture/Poetry Activity

American Studies—Bell

Started in classWed 3/28 and due Fri 3/30

Goals:

To better understand the feelings/tone/imagery of the Depression and Dust Bowl
Analyze the portrayal of reality and objectivity of photography
To translate one form of art (photography) into another form of art (poetry)

Instructions:

We will go to the computer lab for half a class. When you log on to the internet, go to the following web site:
From this site, you will be able to browse thousands of pictures from the Depression and Dust Bowl. You can type these key words into the search engine or this site, or you can look under “Special Presentations: and find Popular Requests or Documenting America: Photographers on Assignment.

Analyzing your chosen photo:

After looking through some of the photos, find one that is really striking to you—one that really captures something significant about this era. Then, print it out, tape the picture on page 32 in your journaland answer the following questions under the photo:

What emotions does the photo elicit in you?
What exactly does the photo portray about the life/tone of this era?
Make a list of objects you see in the photo (describe people, objects, activities). Also list the sensory feelings that could be ascribed to the photo (touch, taste, sight, smell, hearing)
List questions the photo raises in your mind? (Cannot answer”none”) You can think of questions you would ask the person taking the photo or people in the photo too.
Is this photo a useful tool for historical analysis—why or why not? Is the camera truly objective—can it record reality? How so? Is it deceptive?

Write a poem:

After answering the above questions, write a poem on page 33 of your journal that expresses the imagery, meaning, and tone/theme of the picture.

The poem must be at least 8 lines long – but can certainly be longer. Think of how many stanzas or sections you want the poem to have and where you want to break each line (enjambment or at punctuation). It does not need to rhyme.

The poem shows evidence of clearly searching for the most precise, accurate, interesting diction (word choice/style) and vivid, sensory imagery.

Consider Steinbeck’s personal writing style when writing your poem

The poem must have a creative title that fits both the poem and the picture

Use atleast four poetic elements (see back of this page)

Poetry Elements:

Connotation – all the meanings, associations, and emotions that a word suggests.

Denotation – the dictionary meaning of a word.

Tone/Mood – what the author wants the reader to feel, or the emotions the text elicited in the reader.

Alliteration – the repetition of consonant sounds in a phrase/sentence. (Consonance doesn’t have to be at the beginning of the word.)

Ex: Our souls have sight of that immortal sea.

Assonance – the repetition of vowel sounds.

Ex: I bequeath you that clean sheet.

Cacophony (Dissonance) – language which sounds harsh, rough, unmusical.

Euphony – language which is smooth, pleasant, musical.

Free Verse – poetry with no particular rhythm, rhyme, or pattern. (Blank Verse is the same but does have a particular rhythm)

Rhyme Scheme – particular rhyme pattern like aba, bcb, cdc…

Internal Rhyme: a rhyme that occurs within a line of poetry

Ex: The tree gave me glee and life

Approximate Rhyme – Consecutive line of poetry end with similar sounding words, but it is not an exact rhyme.

Ex: His love was like a rose

That lived under a stone.

Enjambment – the continuation of a sentence from one line to the next without punctuation at the end of the line.

Ex: Sometimes I growl, shake myself and spatter a few red

Drops for history to remember.

Motif – a reoccurring element in poetry (refrains/repetition)

Onomatopoeia – words that imitate sounds – buzz, hiss, rustle

Imagery: descriptive language to recreate sensory experiences

Sight, smell, sound, taste, touch

Figurative language – writing not meant to be interpreted literally.

-Metaphor – comparison between two unlike things

-Simile – comparison using “like” or “as”

-Personification – giving human traits to an inanimate object

-Hyperbole – an exaggeration or overstatement