English 1220: Introduction to Poetry

E. James

Spring 2013

Essay 2: Defining a Movement Through Its Poetry

Purpose: The purpose of this essay is to examine apoetic movement (school, period, ortrend) and the poems that emerged from this movement (school, period, or trend).

The Assignment:In a 3-5-page paper (minimum of 5 paragraphs), examine a poetic movement (school, period, or trend) and define its characteristic through examples of its poetry. Therefore, you will need to 1) choose a poetic movement (school, period, or trend), 2) define its characteristics, 3) choose 2-3 poems from the movement, and 4) demonstrate why these poems are representative of the movement.

Resources:In addition to the resources on Blackboard and the work we will be doing in class and at the library, there are a variety of resources that can provide helpful information for this assignment:

  • - The Academy of American Poets offers information on a variety of poetic schools/movements and the writers involved.
  • – A glossary of poetic schools/periods from the Poetry Foundation
  • - A discussion of 10 major poetic movements
  • Suggested structure:
  1. Introduction- Explanation of the movement
  2. Body (multiple paragraphs)- Discussion of poems as representative of movement
  3. Conclusion
  • Some Poetic Movements, Schools, Periods, and Trends

Romanticism

Gothic poetry

Transcendentalist poetry

World War I poets

Modernist poetry

Imagist poetry

Harlem Renaissance

Beat poetry

Slam Poetry/Spoken Word

Contemporary poetry

Poetry from marginalized groups (e.g., Native American, Chicano, GLBTQ, disabilities, etc.)

Conventions:

  • Again, remember to advance your own ideas by writing in the third-person point of view for this formal piece. In addition, you must refrain from using the second-person point of view (you).
  • Your work must be submitted in the typical academic format (i.e., typed, 12 pt. font, Times New Roman or Arial font, MLA style, etc.). You need to correctly cite lines from the poem, using MLA format.
  • Revise and edit your piece to avoid any problems with structure, organization, punctuation, spelling, grammar, mechanics, and word choice.
  • A works cited/bibliography page is needed for all poems and sources used for this paper. In a quest to save paper, you are allowed to squeeze work cited information on the bottom of the last page of your paper.

Assignment Deadline: This essay is due on Wed. March 27, 2013

Option to Revise: Revisions are voluntary. However, a revised paper will be accepted and can improve one’s grade. The revision deadline is April 8.