Description
For this essay, you must trace a tradition, style, technique, poetic school, influences, responses, refutation, or conversation that cuts across contemporary American poetry (1960-present) and write a research paper about it. Whatever tradition or trend you choose, there should be an engagement with media or multimodality. You could explore lines of continuity between 2-3 poets or movements, for example. You should have something to prove about your chosen topic, and your argument should incorporate research and the analysis 2-3 poems.
For those who are interested in a creative option, you can write a poem or set of short poems that engage creatively with the materiality of the medium they are created in/for-- such as concrete visual or sound poetry, video poetry, digital poetry, recorded video performance, 3D printed poems, etc.-- and write a short essay about the contemporary poetry traditions it is informed by.
Guidelines
The final paper should be about 2500-3000 words long in MLA format (about 10-12 pages long, typed, double-spaced, with 1” margins, and a 12-point font). You must incorporate 3-5 secondary sources (including at least 2 peer reviewed sources) in your essay. All sources must be documented in impeccable MLA format—parenthetical citation (author’s last name & page number) and a works cited page for the primary works and any research you cite.
For the creative option, in addition to submitting the works (files or links to the works) the short paper should be about 1,000 words long in MLA format (about 4 pages long, typed, double-spaced, with 1” margins, and a 12-point font). You must incorporate 2-3 secondary sources (including at least 2 peer reviewed sources) in your essay. All sources must be documented in impeccable MLA format—parenthetical citation (author’s last name & page number) and a works cited page for the primary works and any research you cite.
The essay is due on Wednesday, April 30.
Assessment
As stated in the syllabus:
This course will practice labor-based grading (aka ungrading), which means that the focus will be detracted from grades and refocused on doing high quality work in a timely manner and receiving substantive feedback. Each assignment will have clearly stated criteria for earning a grade at the A level and I will assess that this criteria has been met, offer feedback for improvement, and a grade within that range.
Criteria
The A-level criteria for this essay are the following:
- Fulfilling all the assignment parameters as described above, including meeting the deadline.
- The essay is well organized, edited, and documented.
Learning Outcomes and AI Policy
This writing assignment has the following learning objectives:
- Developing your close reading and analytical skills.
- Applying the critical vocabulary and analytical techniques developed in class to the poem, including multimodality for this assignment.
- To formulate a thesis statement that meets the criteria for this assignment.
- Conducting research and incorporating it into your essay in ways that support your argument.
- To develop your writing skills by writing an essay fulfills the goals of this assignment.
You can use AI in any way you see fit, as long as it doesn't get in the way of you achieving these learning outcomes. If you use AI, include a brief statement at the end of your essay on how you used AI in this assignment.
Capstone Version
(Note: This only applies to the two students enrolled in the Capstone version of this class)
- Proposal: Due April 10
- Bring a paragraph or two describing your research paper, theoretical foundation, and areas for research.
- Annotated Bibliography: Due April 17
- Bring 10-12 selected secondary sources in MLA Format, with a paragraph describing their relevance/usefulness for your research paper.
- Rough Draft: Due April 24
- Presentation: Due April 30