Overview
Purpose: For this assignment, students will select and perform a poem that is not their own. You will need to memorize the poem to perform in class. This assignment will help you grow as a performer by focusing on poetry analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and applying voice and body techniques. You will draw from the Poetry Out Loud website.
Steps to complete this assignment:
Written Assignment (35 Points) (The following 1-5 parts should be included in a separate Word Document or PDF; in your document, include the following labels, though you will not have to announce the labels when you perform your oral interpretation; see attached sample
1. The Introduction (5 Points): Begin the introduction by introducing yourself, the name of the poem, and the poem's author's name. Describe some historical context for the poem and end with a description of the main theme of the poem. The introduction should be concise. Keep in mind that you will only have 1-2 minutes for the entire oral interpretation that includes the introduction and parts of the poem that capture the theme and story of the poem. 2. The Poem (10 Points) Please find a poem that moves you in some intrinsic way and that lends itself for an oral interpretation performance from the Poetry Out Loud website collections (https://poetryoutloud.org/search/?type=poems) As you search for a poem, keep in mind the following:
a. There should be enough content (lines, stanzas, etc.) for you to memorize into a 1-2 minute performance. b. The poem should be appropriate for a college-aged audience and does not contain offensive material.
In your document, list the poem's name and author's name.
3. The Blocking (5 Points): Refer to the "Preparing the Material for Performance" lecture to create blocking/performance notes and a clear Blocking Notes Key for your poem. You should use different fonts, highlighting, and notes in parentheses throughout your poem to remind you how to effectively perform and capture the tone/mood of the poem for your audience (see attached sample)
4. Critical Analysis (10 Points): Find at least 2 scholarly sources that will help you understand the author and the historical time period for the piece. Describe the author and the historical time period and why you ultimately connected with the poem in at least 2 paragraphs (see attached sample)
5. Sources for Critical Analysis (APA format; 5 Points): Include a list of the sources you used for the Critical Analysis. Use APA format and make sure you show what sentences references the sources within the Critical Analysis paragraphs by using in-text citations.