“Poetry Out Loud” Assignment



“Poetry Out Loud” Assignment

Point Value: 20 points for recitation (rubric below)

25 points for written poetry analysis

RECITATION

Students will recite a selected poem to the class. The poem does not need to be memorized unless a student is participating in the national contest, but the student does need to show evidence of multiple rehearsals of and familiarity with the poem. The recitation will be judged using this rubric. **

Physical Presence—4 points

Are you poised? Do you make eye contact? Do you appear stiff or nervous? You should “project ease and confidence” by your physical presence.

Voice and Articulation—4 points

This category includes your volume, pace, rhythm, intonation, and pronunciation. Any changes in tone (yelling or getting louder) should be appropriate to convey the meaning of the poem. Your pace should suit the subject matter. You should not mispronounce any words (since you’ve practiced). When poems rhyme or have a regular rhythm, be careful not to become too “singsong”y.

Dramatic Appropriateness—4 points

“Recitation is about conveying a poem’s sense primarily with one’s voice…and is closer to the art of oral interpretation than theatrical performance.” The following mistakes will lead to lower scores in this category: “affected pitch, character voices, singing, inappropriate tone, distracting or excessive gestures, or unnecessary emoting.” In other words, you are not “acting out” the poem; you are interpreting it and helping your audience to understand it better.

Level of Difficulty—4 points

“Every poem is a different combination of content, language, and length.” Shorter poems may contain complex and difficult-to-convey ideas, while long poems may be relatively unsophisticated in their concepts and easier to grasp. Make sure to choose a poem that shows off your interpretive skills effectively.

Evidence of Understanding—4 points

“Students should demonstrate that they know the meaning of every line and every word of the poem.” Make difficult lines clearer. Use correct tone. “The student who understands the poem best will be able to voice it in a way that helps the audience to understand the poem better.”

.**Quoted material is from the official “Poetry Out Loud” judges’ guide. For more information about any of these categories, you may refer to the full text of the judges’ guide using this link.

's%20Guide%202010-2011.pdf

WRITTEN POETRY ANALYSIS

Students will write an analysis of their selected poem.

Requirements: 2 paragraphs

250-500 words

Typed, double-spaced, standard margins, 12-pt font

This paper is to present YOUR explanations and understanding of the poem and YOUR connection to it. THIS IS NOT A RESEARCH PAPER. DO NOT USE ANY OUTSIDE SOURCES, EITHER IN PREPARING TO WRITE OR IN THE PROCESS OF ACTUALLY WRITING YOUR ANALYSIS. In other words, it is NOT okay to go online to “read about” your poem to “help you understand it.” I want to know YOUR understanding of the poem.

Paragraph One: Explanation and Understanding

• Begin by naming the title, in quotation marks, and the author of the poem

Then, include answers to these questions if they apply to your poem. If a question doesn’t apply, then skip it. Don’t take up space listing literary devices your poem doesn’t include; simply talk about what it does include.

• How many lines does the poem contain?

• Does it have a rhyme scheme?

• Who is the speaker in the poem?

• What is going on in the poem? Is the speaker telling a story (narrative poem) or sharing feelings (lyric poem)?

• What is the poem’s theme or message?

• What is the poem’s tone? What specific words (diction) does the poet use to give the poem this tone?

• Does the poem contain figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification)? If so, how does it add to the poem’s meaning?

• Does the poem use sound devices (alliteration, onomatopoeia, internal rhyme)? If so, how does it add to the poem’s meaning?

• How does the title of the poem relate its meaning?

• Are there any symbols or allusions? If so, how do they add to the meaning?

Paragraph Two: Your Connection

Simply put, why do you find this poem interesting? Here are questions you can ask yourself (and answer in your paper).

• Does the poem’s theme relate to something you’ve thought a lot about?

• Does the poem describe an experience similar to an experience you’ve had or feelings similar to feelings you’ve had?

• Did the poem move you in some way?

• Does the poem pose a question you find interesting in some way?

• Do you agree (or disagree) with the poem’s point for some reason?

Please attach a copy of the poem to the BACK of your analysis. Please don’t just print the entire page right off the Poetry Out Loud website. Copy and paste it into a separate word document.

Scoring Rubric:

Poem and author are named at the beginning of paper 1 point _____

Poem title is properly punctuated 1 point _____

1st paragraph contains a sufficient number of specific references and adequately explicates the poem 6 points _____

1st paragraph specifically discusses theme and tone 5 points _____

Paragraph two adequately explains your connection to the poem 6 points ____

Paper contains few errors in grammar, spelling, or usage 6 points ____

___________/25

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