Honors Poetry Notebook Requirements
THESE ITEMS SHOULD APPEAR IN YOUR NOTEBOOK IN THIS ORDER
1. The notebook should be bound together in some way. This does not include using a three-ring binder, staples, or paperclips. Use string, yarn, or some other creative material to bind the notebook together.
2. No glitter may be used for any part of the poetry notebook.
3. Must have a cover page with a notebook title and colored illustrations/decorations (your own artwork).
4. Must have a title page with your name, the date, and the assignment title (poetry notebook).
5. Must have a table of contents with poem titles, type of poem, and page number references. (This page should use the described format and should signify where each piece of the notebook will be located).
6. Each poem must be on a separate sheet of paper (notebook paper is not permitted). The paper should not be put in plastic jackets.
7. All poems must be typed or neatly written in easily readable ink.
8. Your notebook will contain three sections.
9. Must have a bibliography page with proper MLA citation at the end of both sections 2 and 3.
10. Your notebook will be graded on your ability to meet each requirement, the quality of your poems and illustrations, the design of the cover, and the overall appearance and neatness of your project.
** Be aware that computer, disk, and printer problems are always possible. If you plan to type your information, be prepared ahead of time for problems. If any technological problem should occur, you should prepare to turn in a handwritten copy on the due date of the notebook. No considerations will be taken for technological problems on the day the assignment is due, so be responsible with your work.
Section 1 – will contain 8 original poems – 4 of which must be illustrated. (Original means that you create them yourself). The poems must be put into your notebook in the order listed below. The types of poems included in section 1 will be:
1 – haiku 5 – concrete poem
2 - diamante 6 – limerick - (cannot use rhyme scheme or couplet as lit. term)
3 – who-what-when-where-why 7 – tanka
4 – mood - (cannot use mood/atmosphere as lit. term) 8 – acrostic
- Each poem must contain a literary technique example from our handouts (the term/ technique must be different from any of those used in Section 2). Put an asterisk beside your literary term example in the poem. Then, put an asterisk at the bottom of the page and explain which literary term you used and how that is indeed an example of the term.
**Select 4 of your poems to illustrate/decorate in color (you may decorate as many as you like beyond four). For each poem that you choose to illustrate, make sure the page is fully decorated with a colored scene/image/picture that fills the entire page (scene should represent or directly relate to your poem).
Section 2 – will contain seven poems written by famous published poets (from a text, absolutely no poems may come from the Internet unless approved by me and written by a well-known published poet). The poems that you choose can take up no more than one page. Do not choose poems any longer than one page. You will write a ½ page paragraph on each of these 7, which will include:
- an explanation of what the poem means; interpret and analyze each poem
- identification of at least two literary techniques in the poem (simile, metaphor, etc.), identify the line where it can be found by listing the line number in your paragraph and putting an asterisk beside the example in the poem, and explain what it means or its purpose in the poem. You must identify fourteen different literary techniques (you cannot discuss any literary technique more than once). Be sure that you use only those literary terms that have been approved for this project.
- an explanation about why you like the poem or what it was that made you choose this one over all others.
- A bibliographic citation for each poem should be located at the bottom of each page to tell where you got your poem from. This should include the following: the title of the poem, author, title of the book the poem came from, and the page number from the book. This is in addition to the bibliography page that you will include at the end of section 2 to cite information for poems used.
**You may use up to three poems from the same text.
**You can include only two poems from the same author.
**Two poems must be written by the poet you research in section three.
**Only one poem in this section may be a poem we discussed in class.
Section 3 – will contain your research on a particular poet of your choice from the list of poets provided. Your research will consist of:
- a brief summary of his or her biographical information pertaining to the poet’s career as a writer (i.e. schooling/education, social status, and experiences becoming a writer or that contributed to the writing career, etc.).
- particular historical time period, artistic movement, and main interests in writing (i.e. Romantic poet, wrote mostly ballads, during the 18th century, etc.).
- any important achievements that the poet is known for (i.e. Nobel Peace Prize, poet laureate , novels written, awards received) and when he or she became recognized for his or her achievements.
- any other significant information that you feel should be included in your report of the poet.
- bibliographic information for any sources used in your research.
- this report should make up approximately two pages.
Bibliography / Works Cited Page – will be the last sheet in both sections 2 and 3. Follow the MLA guidelines quick reference sheet given to you separately. Your bibliography sheet should give citations in the correct format for all of the sources that you used for both sections I and II.
Rubric
A = A notebook that meets all of the requirements, has a neat and attractive appearance throughout the entire notebook, and gives thoughtful, detailed, and informed discussions of the poems in section two and the report in section three.
B = A notebook that meets all of the requirements, has a neat and attractive appearance for the majority of the notebook, and attempts thoughtful, detailed, and informed discussions of the poems in section two and the report in section three.
C = A notebook that meets most of the requirements, is somewhat neat and attractive in appearance, and provides a general discussion of the poems in section two and the report in section three.
D = A notebook that meets few of the requirements, is not neat and attractive in appearance, and provides a poor discussion of the poems in section two and the report in section three.
F = A notebook that meets few of the requirements, is disorderly and unattractive in appearance, and provides a poor discussion or no discussion at all of the poems in section two and the report in section three.