Random Autobiography Directions and Rubric
What you’ll turn in at the beginning of class on Tuesday, September 10th (stapled in this order):
1. Self-reflection cover sheet (typed, with proper MLA heading, please). See Reflection Questions below.
2. Random Autobiography poem (typed, WITHOUT MLA heading, please)
3. All brainstorming, pre-writes, and drafts from the writing process (handwritten or typed is fine).
Reflection Questions (these need to be typed up as a cover sheet to your RA Poem) :
*Answer these questions in complete sentences. You are graded on the quality of your reflection here, and it’s your chance to explain to me what you learned and experienced (as well as what grade you think you deserve!).
1. What would you want your reader to learn about you (or believe about you) after reading this poem?
2. What choices did you make that helped convey the message stated in your answer to Question 1? Include specific details (quotes!) from your writing to explain.
a. This could take the form of, “I chose this line, “______“ because I wanted to show ______.”
3. Which poetic devices did you choose to include in your poem? Copy them from your poem and label what type of device you used. Why did you choose it? What did you want that device to communicate?
For example:“My sock drawer looks like a Crayola box” is a simile that I wanted to include to show that I have a crazy collection of socks. This shows that I’m not some boring white tube sock kind of person, but instead, I’m “colorful.”
4. Look at the rubric. What grade do you think you deserve in each category? Make sure to explain your answers by using specific details from your writing.
4-Excellent (A) / 3-Proficient (B) / 2-Needs Improvement (C) / 1-Unsatisfactory (D)Ideas and Content / Exceptional focus on an idea, feeling or experience. Exceptional use of images. Includes many examples of poetic sound devices (at least 5). Allows the reader to sense the person behind the words. / Good focus on an idea, feeling or experience. Good use of images. Includes several examples of poetic sound devices (at least 3). Provides the reader with some sense of the person behind the words. / Adequate focus on an idea, feeling or experience. Adequate use of images. Includes some examples of poetic sound devices (at least 1). Attempts somewhat to give the reader a sense of the person behind the words. / Poor focus on an idea, feeling, or experience. No attempt was made to include imagery or poetic devices. Provides the reader with little or no sense of the person behind the words.
Writing Reflection / Clearly states several choices made with language and explains the author’s intended effect on the piece. Can identify and explain all examples of poetic devices chosen. Reflects thoughtfully and personally on the writing process. / Clearly states a few choices made with language and explains the author’s intended effect on the piece. Can identify and explain most examples of poetic devices chosen. Personal reflection on writing process is present, but may be more general. / Explanations of language choices and intended effects are vague or inaccurate (i.e., identifying a metaphor as a simile). Little reflection on the writing process is present, or the reflection seems cliché or impersonal. / No attempt is made to explain how choices were made, or what the intended effect was. No writing process reflection is present.
Mechanics / No grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors in poem or reflection. All required turn-in materials are included. / Almost no grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors in poem or reflection. All required turn-in materials are included. / Several grammatical, spelling, and/or punctuation errors in poem or reflection. Almost all required turn-in materials are missing. / Many grammatical, spelling, and/or punctuation errors in poem or reflection. Several required turn-in materials are missing.
This is not an exhaustive list of poetic devices, just one place to start. Remember the basics-metaphor, simile, etc. Try a new one, too!
Imagery - representation through language of a sensory experience
1. Visual imagery - something described through sight, appears most commonly in poetry.
2. Auditory imagery - representation of a sound
3. Olfactory imagery - representation of a smell
4. Gustatory imagery - representation of a taste
5. Tactile imagery - touch: hardness, softness, wetness, heat, cold
6. Organic imagery - internal sensation, hunger, thirst, fatigue, nausea
7. Kinesthetic imagery - movement, physical tension
Figurative Language- language using figures of speech; can not be taken literally
1. Metaphor - describing something as something else
2. Simile - metaphor using like or as
3. Personification - giving human qualities to an object
4. Synecdoche - using a part to describe a whole (Example: The coach threw in the arm when the running game was being stopped.)
5. Metonymy - choose something related to an idea to represent the idea as a whole (Example: The British people have great respect for the crown.)
6. Hyperbole – over-exaggeration
7. Litotes - form of understatement by asserting the positive by negating the negative (Example: This is no small problem)
8. Symbol - object standing for a concept, idea or emotion
9. Allusion – a reference to a historical, literary, or mythological person, place or thing
Melodic Devices - gives rhythmic, metered patterns to poetry
1. Alliteration - first letter repetition
2. Assonance - repetition of vowel sounds within words
3. Consonance - repeated consonant sound within words
4. Onomatopoeia - sound words, Example: BAM! SPLAT! hiss... WHAM! CRASH!
5. Cacophony - harsh, guttural “d” “t ” “k”’s
6. Euphony - hushed, pleasing “m” “l” “s” ‘s
From http://library.thinkquest.org/C005319/terms.htm