Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz Poetry Multisource Research Essay COM 102 Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz General Requirements: Modified from the Syllabus: Poetry Multisource Research Essay: (30% of the overall grade): For this research project, you examine a collection of poems. Based on your reading, you will select at least one or two (or as many as you want) to be your primary source(s) and use the selected material to create a topic of interest. After selecting two credible sources, you will use these to support your argument, which is inspired by the primary source. (1400 minimum words required without the heading or works cited page). Just as you did for the play research, this essay revolves around a topic of your own interest, which will be selected and mined from at least one to as many poems as you want. You will formulate your own argument and support it using facts and theories from your selected poem or poems and at least two sources. At all times, your voice (point of view and ideas) should guide your research paper and you should never allow quotes or summaries to take over your voice. Please remember, if you use three or more original words from your source, you should quote these; otherwise, when the original source material is not acknowledged, this is plagiarism. The research paper should be fully your own; it should not be copied or plagiarized in part or completely from another source. If you copy three or more original words from the source, they should be quoted. In the works cited page, include at least two citations from the secondary sources besides the citation for the poem you selected. This is a 1400 minimum word count essay. The word count is without the title, heading, or works cited page. Include the word count by the end of the essay. Percentage of Overall Grade (30% of the overall grade): Primary Sources: Selection of Poems. Please see the handout. Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz General Steps for the Assignment You will read a collection of poems and select the one or two or more you find most interesting. After carefully reading and analyzing the poems, you will create your own topic of interest and if it helps you, generate questions inspired by your analysis of the poem(s). These questions will help you form your own research topic of interest and write a research paper using the poem(s) as the primary source(s) and two secondary sources. This essay should contain at least 1400 words without the heading or works cited page. This is the minimum requirement and can certainly go beyond this minimum word count. Due Date: May 11 by 11:59 midnight CST Schedule of Activities and Assignments (for all the assignments, please include the word count at the end) Week Six Selecting the Topic of Interest Researching Week Seven Drafting the Essay (700 word minimum) and peer reviewing Drafting the Complete Essay (1400 word minimum) and peer reviewing Optional Additional Peer Review Optional Feedback from Instructor Week Eight Submit Complete Essay Moraine Reads Project May 6: Peer Review Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz Extended Guide The Attention Getter You will begin your essay with an attention getter; the attention getter can be a few sentences or a concise paragraph. Does the attention getter grab the reader’s attention and set up expectations for the rest of the essay? Is it inspired by the main idea or thesis statement? The attention getter can be a scene from the poem. It can be a summary of what is going on in our world now with covid and the problems created. It can stress one or more of the following: — Conflict — Tension — Humanity of real-life people or the poets themselves. • Get readers to care about the poets or the characters in the poem and or people by depicting the tough situations they are in. — Scene from real life event. — Highlight tension and conflict to inspire reader interests. The Introduction Does the introduction carefully transition from the attention getter? Does the introduction create the proper context for the rest of the essay? Does it present a focused and interesting summary of the poem? Does the summary present the proper content of the poem? Is the summary of the poem completely in your own words? Do not search for online summaries. Present your own summary from the very beginning. Doing so immediately indicates to your readers that you have a solid understanding of the movie on your own. Does the introduction include the poet’s name and the title of the poem in quotes? Is the title of the poem in quotes? Double check and make sure you have used quotes. When readers are done reading the introduction, can they explain the main idea of your argument? Is this introduction written for an audience that has not read the poem? Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz The Thesis Statement The thesis statement should present a contestable argument about the meaning of the poem and its relevance to human lived experiences. The thesis statement can possibly take the form of one or a combination of the following. They can be adapted to suit your purpose; they do not need to be copied word for word. • Results thesis statement — Because humans do this, this happens … — When humans behave this way, this is the result … • Even though statements: — Something appears to be this way, but the reality is much different, and the poem shows this…. • Poet’s arguments — The poet is trying to suggest that…. • Research Driven arguments — Research suggests that….. and the poet supports / does not support this point of view The Structure and Flow of the Essay • Connect the main ideas of the paragraph so that they flow from one to the next. • Use the thesis statement as guide to help you structure the essay. • Make sure readers understand how you are moving from one idea to the next. Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz The Body Paragraphs • The body paragraphs begin with a topic sentence, which presents the main idea of the paragraph. • The body paragraphs present a very brief summary or important quote of a particular part of the poem. • The sentences that follow the brief summary should explain your interpretation of that scene, feeling, word choice, or image. Poets create pictures in the minds of readers through words and these ‘pictures in the minds’ of readers are called images. • If you need to interpret the meaning of another closely related scene or segment, you should create a transition and repeat the steps above. • Bring the ideas to a close using a conclusion. Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz Keep these in mind when analyzing the poem or poems of your choice: 1. What do you think is the poem’s meaning? 2. What memorable detail and strong imagery are created in the poem? 3. How does the poet structure the flow of their sentences to create a purposeful effect? 4. What surprising choices of words and language do they use? 5. Do they achieve a strong impact and if yes, how so? What deep thoughts do they leave? Of course, you will be selecting the poem or poems that inspire the deepest thoughts. 6. Pay attention to the structure of the poem. How is it arranged to create a purposeful meaning? 7. Where applicable, how are rhymes and repetitions used to add an interesting depth to the meaning of the poem? Describe and Quote Important Parts of the Poem or Poems Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz The descriptions and quotes from above should be followed by your analysis. • • • For the analysis portion, I will be paying attention to depth and originality of ideas. I will be paying attention to how well you communicate these. I want to see how you alert readers to the fact that you have begun your analysis. Perhaps you can use analytical words and phrases such as — — — — — — — • in other words it is clear symbolizes might may suggests reveals — — — — — — means stages resists evades asks inspires I want to make special note of your ideas, and how in depth and original they are. Remember, being inspired by other peoples’ ideas is perfectly fine as long as you give them credit. You can mention others’ ideas, but ultimately the essay is about your very own arguments. **** Please remember. If you are inspired by others, please give them credit and cite your sources. **** The Research: • Use ideas from research to support analysis and argument. • Select credible sources and use them to support your argument. • Information from brief sources can be used. These brief sources can be used in addition to the two required secondary sources you will be using for this research paper. • The two required sources you use should be substantial. They should be in depth and credible. • The research should be carefully integrated into the essay. The flow of ideas should be well maintained. • At no time should quotes from the secondary sources overwhelm your voice. The quotes from outside sources should be used to help you support your ideas. • Your voice is integral to your research paper. You are the one controlling which quotes to use and which ideas to summarize. You are the one controlling the information and you are telling your reader why certain pieces of information are necessary to help you support your main idea. Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz • Proper in text citations should be used in the essay. The in-text citations should match what appears in the works cited page. The Conclusion: The conclusion should bring the ideas of the essay to a proper close. Aim to leave on a memorable note by possibly including a prediction, evaluation, or frame that ties the beginning. We will be spending time on this important research project. Please make sure you do the work each week so you can help yourself build your essay. Notice of Copyright: Materials in this course—unless otherwise indicated—are protected by United States copyright law [Title 17, U.S. Code]. Materials are presented in an educational context for personal use and study and should not be shared, distributed, or sold in print—or digitally— outside the course without permission. As a student your ability to post or link to copyrighted material is also governed by United States copyright law. The law allows for students to post or link to copyrighted materials within the course environment when the materials are pertinent to course work. Instructors—or other staff of the institution—reserve the right to delete or disable your post or link if in their judgment it would involve violation of copyright law. Please do not distribute the syllabus or the handouts created in this class. Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz Poetry Multisource Research Essay COM 102 Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz General Requirements: Modified from the Syllabus: Poetry Multisource Research Essay: (30% of the overall grade): For this research project, you examine a collection of poems. Based on your reading, you will select at least one or two (or as many as you want) to be your primary source(s) and use the selected material to create a topic of interest. After selecting two credible sources, you will use these to support your argument, which is inspired by the primary source. (1400 minimum words required without the heading or works cited page). Just as you did for the play research, this essay revolves around a topic of your own interest, which will be selected and mined from at least one to as many poems as you want. You will formulate your own argument and support it using facts and theories from your selected poem or poems and at least two sources. At all times, your voice (point of view and ideas) should guide your research paper and you should never allow quotes or summaries to take over your voice. Please remember, if you use three or more original words from your source, you should quote these; otherwise, when the original source material is not acknowledged, this is plagiarism. The research paper should be fully your own; it should not be copied or plagiarized in part or completely from another source. If you copy three or more original words from the source, they should be quoted. In the works cited page, include at least two citations from the secondary sources besides the citation for the poem you selected. This is a 1400 minimum word count essay. The word count is without the title, heading, or works cited page. Include the word count by the end of the essay. Percentage of Overall Grade (30% of the overall grade): Primary Sources: Selection of Poems. Please see the handout. Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz General Steps for the Assignment You will read a collection of poems and select the one or two or more you find most interesting. After carefully reading and analyzing the poems, you will create your own topic of interest and if it helps you, generate questions inspired by your analysis of the poem(s). These questions will help you form your own research topic of interest and write a research paper using the poem(s) as the primary source(s) and two secondary sources. This essay should contain at least 1400 words without the heading or works cited page. This is the minimum requirement and can certainly go beyond this minimum word count. Due Date: May 11 by 11:59 midnight CST Schedule of Activities and Assignments (for all the assignments, please include the word count at the end) Week Six Selecting the Topic of Interest Researching Week Seven Drafting the Essay (700 word minimum) and peer reviewing Drafting the Complete Essay (1400 word minimum) and peer reviewing Optional Additional Peer Review Optional Feedback from Instructor Week Eight Submit Complete Essay Moraine Reads Project May 6: Peer Review Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz Extended Guide The Attention Getter You will begin your essay with an attention getter; the attention getter can be a few sentences or a concise paragraph. Does the attention getter grab the reader’s attention and set up expectations for the rest of the essay? Is it inspired by the main idea or thesis statement? The attention getter can be a scene from the poem. It can be a summary of what is going on in our world now with covid and the problems created. It can stress one or more of the following: — Conflict — Tension — Humanity of real-life people or the poets themselves. • Get readers to care about the poets or the characters in the poem and or people by depicting the tough situations they are in. — Scene from real life event. — Highlight tension and conflict to inspire reader interests. The Introduction Does the introduction carefully transition from the attention getter? Does the introduction create the proper context for the rest of the essay? Does it present a focused and interesting summary of the poem? Does the summary present the proper content of the poem? Is the summary of the poem completely in your own words? Do not search for online summaries. Present your own summary from the very beginning. Doing so immediately indicates to your readers that you have a solid understanding of the movie on your own. Does the introduction include the poet’s name and the title of the poem in quotes? Is the title of the poem in quotes? Double check and make sure you have used quotes. When readers are done reading the introduction, can they explain the main idea of your argument? Is this introduction written for an audience that has not read the poem? Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz The Thesis Statement The thesis statement should present a contestable argument about the meaning of the poem and its relevance to human lived experiences. The thesis statement can possibly take the form of one or a combination of the following. They can be adapted to suit your purpose; they do not need to be copied word for word. • Results thesis statement — Because humans do this, this happens … — When humans behave this way, this is the result … • Even though statements: — Something appears to be this way, but the reality is much different, and the poem shows this…. • Poet’s arguments — The poet is trying to suggest that…. • Research Driven arguments — Research suggests that….. and the poet supports / does not support this point of view The Structure and Flow of the Essay • Connect the main ideas of the paragraph so that they flow from one to the next. • Use the thesis statement as guide to help you structure the essay. • Make sure readers understand how you are moving from one idea to the next. Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz The Body Paragraphs • The body paragraphs begin with a topic sentence, which presents the main idea of the paragraph. • The body paragraphs present a very brief summary or important quote of a particular part of the poem. • The sentences that follow the brief summary should explain your interpretation of that scene, feeling, word choice, or image. Poets create pictures in the minds of readers through words and these ‘pictures in the minds’ of readers are called images. • If you need to interpret the meaning of another closely related scene or segment, you should create a transition and repeat the steps above. • Bring the ideas to a close using a conclusion. Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz Keep these in mind when analyzing the poem or poems of your choice: 1. What do you think is the poem’s meaning? 2. What memorable detail and strong imagery are created in the poem? 3. How does the poet structure the flow of their sentences to create a purposeful effect? 4. What surprising choices of words and language do they use? 5. Do they achieve a strong impact and if yes, how so? What deep thoughts do they leave? Of course, you will be selecting the poem or poems that inspire the deepest thoughts. 6. Pay attention to the structure of the poem. How is it arranged to create a purposeful meaning? 7. Where applicable, how are rhymes and repetitions used to add an interesting depth to the meaning of the poem? Describe and Quote Important Parts of the Poem or Poems Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz The descriptions and quotes from above should be followed by your analysis. • • • For the analysis portion, I will be paying attention to depth and originality of ideas. I will be paying attention to how well you communicate these. I want to see how you alert readers to the fact that you have begun your analysis. Perhaps you can use analytical words and phrases such as — — — — — — — • in other words it is clear symbolizes might may suggests reveals — — — — — — means stages resists evades asks inspires I want to make special note of your ideas, and how in depth and original they are. Remember, being inspired by other peoples’ ideas is perfectly fine as long as you give them credit. You can mention others’ ideas, but ultimately the essay is about your very own arguments. **** Please remember. If you are inspired by others, please give them credit and cite your sources. **** The Research: • Use ideas from research to support analysis and argument. • Select credible sources and use them to support your argument. • Information from brief sources can be used. These brief sources can be used in addition to the two required secondary sources you will be using for this research paper. • The two required sources you use should be substantial. They should be in depth and credible. • The research should be carefully integrated into the essay. The flow of ideas should be well maintained. • At no time should quotes from the secondary sources overwhelm your voice. The quotes from outside sources should be used to help you support your ideas. • Your voice is integral to your research paper. You are the one controlling which quotes to use and which ideas to summarize. You are the one controlling the information and you are telling your reader why certain pieces of information are necessary to help you support your main idea. Prepared by Dr. Amani Wazwaz • Proper in text citations should be used in the essay. The in-text citations should match what appears in the works cited page. The Conclusion: The conclusion should bring the ideas of the essay to a proper close. Aim to leave on a memorable note by possibly including a prediction, evaluation, or frame that ties the beginning. We will be spending time on this important research project. Please make sure you do the work each week so you can help yourself build your essay. Notice of Copyright: Materials in this course—unless otherwise indicated—are protected by United States copyright law [Title 17, U.S. Code]. Materials are presented in an educational context for personal use and study and should not be shared, distributed, or sold in print—or digitally— outside the course without permission. As a student your ability to post or link to copyrighted material is also governed by United States copyright law. The law allows for students to post or link to copyrighted materials within the course environment when the materials are pertinent to course work. Instructors—or other staff of the institution—reserve the right to delete or disable your post or link if in their judgment it would involve violation of copyright law. Please do not distribute the syllabus or the handouts created in this class. 1 Poetry Selections for COM 102 Select one or two poems that you find have the most powerful messages. Respond to these poems. Create an argument in response to your understanding of one or two of these poems. Your argument will allow you to choose the topic for your own research paper. The interpretation must be completely your own. The internet is flooded with analysis of poetry. I do not want you to copy others’ ideas. I want you to be comfortable making meaning and making sense of the poem you have chosen. Based on the topic you have chosen, you will select two sources to help you support your argument. Use specific facts and ideas from the texts to support your argument. Which poems speak of the greatest wisdom? Poetry Choices 1. Choice One – Rant to a Young Poet by David Sparks ‘For poems are not, as people think, simply emotions … they are experiences.’ — Rainer Maria Rilke i Writing poetry, like other revolutionary, yet unmarketable things to do, counts among the alleged transgressions of this crass age: soul searching, Queer love, worship of antique gods, or interrogating power. These crazed acts, 2 once chanted by firelight, defies post-modern branding, or trending opinions, Slogans sold in chain stores on tee shirts, recipes from self help gurus, or sannyasins om-ing pseudo-mythic sound-bytes, are repeated ad nauseam on social networks. Obscure schemes of neo-robber barons revealed, laid bare by holy drunks dancing, by workers chanting for living wages, beyond the police barricades, defended by Shield-clashing amazons shaming armed patrols, exploited by politicos’ opportunistic photo-op visits to brown children caged at the border. With this scribbling on computers, on paper, are we just whispering into impregnable ears? Writing invisibly between the lines? Trying to shout above media’s perpetual din? Knowing that poetry must remain a vital force, a holy trance beyond exploitation. Prophets and poets, dreaming on turbulent seas, shaped by new grammars. Fated episodes stoked by ciphers, by lilac kisses on whiskered cheeks of good grey poets. Might these euphoric acts, like automatic writings from spirit voices, foretell our futures? Poetry, fragmentary memos from veiled tricksters, helps birth new generations of minstrels unmasked, rhyming in public squares and crowded bars. 3 Their truths echo from death’s marimbas and dancing skulls, flooding our apocalyptic deserts with ecstatic songs, no longer silent, they hum and buzz, then amazingly bloom. Visitors here: beware of art’s mutinous, treacherous acts, its funhouse mirrors, our Hearts burning with a deep desire to howl wolf-like at the moon. From poetry’s luminous core, storied duets of love lost, destiny found, its cosmic bards furiously burnishing their sacred gifts, this making of poems. This poem was written for a student who asked, ‘Why write poetry?’ and is dedicated to Rilke and his famous Letters to a Young Poet, but this quote is from another of his works, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge, concerning poetic truths versus a fragmented reality and the resulting contradictions. Why is it important to write poetry? Has our society become obsessed with materialism? Has our world lost touch with poetry? Is our world being replaced with activities and interests that do not truly nurture one’s soul? 2. Choice Two – SAND RITUAL by David Sparks Prologue: In a makeshift sacred space, rites are prepared, circles drawn, guardians honored. Scores of women teach me to uplift my arms in dancing gestures, left foot leads over right, hips dip and open. We turn the dancing wheel. Dancing like constellations, we intone: 4 Chants: Ritual sands of the moment, ritual sands collected from earth’s wounds, earth’s wombs. Sand gives rhythm to the ol’ soft shoe, a one, a two, a countdown to extinction, fiddling while Rome burns. Nuclear sand, bloody desert sands, sands from invasions, sands from beach battles, sands of tidal waves, and fierce storms, chemical sands, sands of refuge and sewage. Sands that sparkle at high noon, sands transformed into crystal, crystals sown into goddess webs. Sands a black sea goddess kisses and combs, sands of rough healing, sands singing beach emptiness, sand mingling taboo and purity, sand humming approval. Sands lugging the burdens and toll of wind work, sending sands to the four directions. Communion: Cool sands absorbing the heat of my hand, from places where fires once burned. Sands sifting through human touch, tangible blessings, transferring, transforming palm to palm. On knees sifting, from souls lifting, planting spells of Gaia and green, weed and deed. Mixing sands, friend or foe, sifting evil with true, pouring salt on sand, cleansing wounds, purging poisons. Collected sands from earth’s tortured places. Blessing: Teach the Sandman’s easy art, blessed in sleep, forgetting or dreaming. In waking, earth is healed to heal our selves, with the sand we pour. Our purpose, the sand remembers. If time is at once, and space, an illusion, working this alchemy, ritual sands of the moment, ritual sands of earth’s wounds and wombs, dancers strain, spirits soar. Go the rite is ended What is so powerful about sand in this poem? Why is this rite so important to the people who have gathered to observe it? Can sadness be shared? 5 3. Choice Three Cholera by Nazik Al-Malaika, Cholera It is night. 6 Listen to the echoing wails rising above the silence in the dark … the agonized, overflowing grief clashing with the wails. In every heart there is fire, in every silent hut, sorrow, and everywhere, a soul crying in the dark. … It is dawn. Listen to the footsteps of the passerby, in the silence of the dawn. Listen, look at the mourning processions, ten, twenty, no… countless. … Everywhere lies a corpse, mourned without a eulogy or a moment of silence. … Humanity protests against the crimes of death. … Cholera is the vengeance of death. … Even the gravedigger has succumbed, the muezzin* is dead, and who will eulogize the dead? … O Egypt, my heart is torn by the ravages of death. Translated by Husain Haddawy, with Nathalie Handal *muezzin is the man who calls the faithful people to prayer in Muslim countries. 2001. 177 The Poetry of Arab Women: A Contemporary Anthology. Ed. Nathalie Handal. Interlink Books: New York, 2001. Why is it necessary to mourn the dead? What does it mean when a family or town or country loses so many to death? What happens to the human mind as a result of 7 witnessing so much death? What happens when the religious figures who used to perform the last prayer ceremonies for the dead are also dying? (Think of Nazika Al-Malaika’s poem) 4. Choice Four Night Visitor by al-Mutannabi (915-965) For she does not pay her visits save under cover of darkness, I freely offered her my linen and my pillows, But she refused them, and spent the night in my bones. My skin is too contracted to contain both my breath and her, So she relaxes it with all sorts of sickness. When she leaves me, she washes me As though we had retired apart for some forbidden action. It is as though the morning drives her away, And her lachrymal ducts are flooded in their four channels. I watch for her time without desire, Yet with the watchfulness of the eager lover. *Please note that Arabic is a very gendered language. ** Why would he say that ‘she’ relaxes his skin ‘with all sorts of sickness’? What other curious actions does ‘she’ take? Why this contradictory relationship with illness? Why does he watch ‘her’ ‘without desire’ and yet with ‘the watchfulness of the eager lover’? https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/coronavirus-middle-east-covid-19-writer-plague-poetbook 8 5. Choice Six: Please click here for ‘Aimless Love’ by Billy Collins https://www.elizabethu.com/2018/08/09/aimless-love/ What kind of love is the best kind of love? What do you think of Billy Collins’ love for the wren and the mouse? What do you think of the ending stanza where he stares at the soap? 6. Choice Seven: If Only the Young Were Trees by Mahmoud Darwish http://bloggingfairtradelebanon.blogspot.com/2010/02/if-only-young-were-trees-bymahmoud.html What does it mean to be a ‘good person’? What makes trees such a great example of what it means to be ‘good’? Why are trees important models for young people? 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