Final Project for English 1604: Introduction to Poetry

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Favorite Poem Project

Final Project for English 1604: Introduction to Poetry

Due 27 June 2011 before 5pm

As a final project for English 1604, students will create a 3-5 minute video of themselves talking about and reciting a favorite poem. This video will follow the pattern established in the Library of Congress Favorite Poem Project videos, of which there are numerous examples posted in the Resources file for this class. It will be produced in MP3 format and uploaded to Scholar.

Specifics:

1. Choose a poem that you love—a poem that speaks to you in a special and immediate way. Read it many times so that you are thoroughly familiar with it. Read it out loud so that you are familiar with its rhythms and movements.

1. Make some notes for yourself on why the poem is meaningful. The poem may evoke a person or an experience that has been important to you, or it may articulate a strong feeling you’ve experienced, or it may serve to inspire you or bolster your spirits. Doing some informal freewriting (not to be submitted for class) will help you clarify for yourself why the poem is important to you.

1. Plan on where and how you will record yourself. Your video may be as simple as sitting in front of your computer camera and speaking or it may be as complex as having someone record your speaking in several different locations. Complexity of video production is not required: simply recording yourself in front of your computer is fine. PRACTICE READING THE POEM OUT LOUD MANY TIMES BEFORE RECORDING YOURSELF.

1. Record yourself talking about the poem and then reading the poem out loud. In talking about the poem, please address the following:

1. Say why the poem is important to you personally. Tell an anecdote, describe a situation, talk about your background—say whatever helps us understand your thoughts and feelings about the poem and why it speaks to you personally. Do not read your commentary from a text! You may have some notes in front of you to remind yourself of what you want to cover, but do not read! Speak extemporaneously, from the heart (and mind!) . You may, of course, read the poem.
2. Identify two or three aesthetic elements in the poem and identify their contribution to the poem’s effectiveness. What sounds or images do you find particularly striking? What stylizations give the poem its power or beauty or sentiment? Please note that this component is not always present in the Library of Congress Favorite Poem Project videos but is, nonetheless, a requirement here. Read the poem out loud, slowly and with feeling.
3. You may speak again after reading the poem out loud if you wish.

1. Upload the video to the appropriate Resources folder on Scholar by Monday, 27 June, before 5 p.m.

Guidelines for Choice of Poem

The poem you choose must be one by a recognized poet whose primary artform is writing (as opposed to, say, a rock musician or singer who also writes poetry). You may choose any of the poems from the textbook, any poem by a poet represented in the textbook, and any poem by a poet you find on the Poets.org website (in the left hand column of the Scholar homepage for this class). If you find a poem you love by a poet who is not represented in those venues, please email it to me and ask whether it is acceptable well BEFORE the due date for choosing a poem.

Schedule:

• Friday, 17 June, before 5pm: In the textbox on the Assignments page for the Favorite Poem Project, identify the poem you have chosen and explain in 3-4 sentences why you chose it.
• Monday, 27 June, Friday, before 5pm: Video must be uploaded to Scholar site into your .

Technology

If you are comfortable with shooting video and want to do something very involved, feel free, as long as you fulfill the requirements listed in the assignment description. However, it is sufficient to simply do a single shot webcam video of yourself.

Most laptops these days have webcams built in, but here is a link to some cross-platform webcams you can choose from if you need to purchase something to complete the assignment.

If you have a high-quality cell phone camera that can shoot video at a minimum of 15 frames per second at a width of at least 320 pixels (height can vary), you can use that too. The main requirements are that your video be stable (any camera motion should be slow and steady), well-lit (I should be able to see the expression on your face), and not too choppy (should average at least 15 frames per second). It should go without saying (though I’ll say it anyway to be sure you know) that the audio should be. . . well. . . audible.

Most webcams will come with software that allows you to capture and save video. You will need to familiarize yourself with your particular model to see how that works. If, for some reason, yours does not have that functionality, the program, Debut Video Capture, should work.

Once you have captured the video, you will need to encode it in a format suitable for viewing on an iPod. This is chosen as a least common denominator standard that provides decent quality at a reasonable file size. The free and open-source software, Handbrake, will allow you to encode your source video in that format. Follow the instructions for your appropriate platform:

• Windows [
• Mac [

Make sure to choose the iPod preset. Once you have selected the iPod preset, enable the “web optimized” check box on the main encoding screen before starting to encode your video. This enables the video to start playing before it has finished downloading when viewing it from the web.

If, for some reason, Handbrake does not work for you, you can also use Miro Video Converter ( to encode it. If you do this, choose the “iPod Nano” setting. Miro Video Converter is also free and open-source, and is extremely simple and easy to use. However, it, generally produces larger files, so it is better to use Handbrake if you can.

Once you have captured and encoded your video, you should follow the instructions accessible through a link at the top of the Resources tools entitled, “Upload-Download Multiple Resources,” in order to upload your video to the “Favorite Poem Project videos” folder.

Rubric for Grading

Student Favorite Poem Project Video Assignment

Category / Points / Criterion
Poem ID assignment / 10 / Timely submission of poem identification assignment due 17 June
Final submission / 10 / Timely submission of finished video to Resources folder
Vocal quality of finished video / 10 / Clear vocal presentation on video of appropriate volume and speed
Dramatic Quality / 15 / Reading of poem indicates a clear understanding of its import and emotional content; reading indicates familiarity with poem shown by fluid presentation, correct pronunciation, and appropriate pauses
Extemporanous discussion / 25 / Discussion of poem spoken without reading from notes
Discussion of poem’s personal importance / 50 / Poem clearly linked to student’s personal experience, thoughts, feelings with specific examples and support for why poem speaks to him/her.
Discussion of poem’s aesthetics / 30 / Two or three significant aesthetic elements of poem discussed and their role linked to poem’s effectiveness in conveying message.
Total points / 150