In this journal entry, respond to the assignment/questions listed below. Your response should be cohesive (in paragraph form, not as a list). Use academic writing conventions, and proofread before submitting. For journal entries, always copy and paste text into the journal entry (do not attach files; do not write in the comments box). Don’t consult any outside sources. If you’d like to quote a text, be sure to include an MLA-style citation. All quotes should be in quotation marks (see MLA Help in Resources area for advice on this).

Your journal entry should be a cohesive 300 word entry.

Clicking on the assignment name above should open the submission screen, please follow the directions listed there to submit your assignment.

Consider the notes you’ve read in this lesson about how to read and understand poetry. 

Respond:

1. Choose a poem we read in this lesson (listed here) and re-read it. 

• “The Act” (in lesson)
• “Introduction to Poetry” (in textbook)
• “At a Certain Age” (in lesson)
• “For a Father” (in lesson)
• “Those Winter Sundays” (in textbook)
• “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day” (in textbook)
• “Making a Fist” (in lesson)

2. Write a journal entry in which you explain (don’t just summarize or re-state) the following:

• The moment: What event, observation, feeling, memory, experience or occasion is being recounted or described in this poem?
• The feeling: Who is the speaker and how do they feel about the subject they are exploring in this poem? What words or phrases are used to clearly portray the speaker’s feeling?
• The punch: What is the purpose of this poem? What expression or statement is being made? What dynamic elements are used to make the purpose clear? Where is the poem most powerful?

Write in clear and complete sentences, proofread carefully, and be sure to include the name of the poem and poet. Don’t attach a document, but type (or paste) text into the text box for the journal entry. You are encouraged to use quotations from the poem to support or illustrate your points, but otherwise, don’t consult any outside sources or website. Rely on your reading of the poem and the information from our lesson.