Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost & Walt Whitman Poetry Assignment
Each of you has been assigned a subject to explicate in Dickinson’s poetry. You will
present two poems to the class illustrating in a meaningful, interesting manner the tone,
theme, and poetic techniques used by the author. You may find your poems listed at
http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap4/dickinson.html. For our next classes
please print out the poems you want to use. Here are some tips for understanding her
poetry:
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Read each poem many times. After each reading, try to explain what you think it
means. Each time you read, it will become clearer, or more ideas may come to
you.
Look up in the dictionary every word in the poem. Even if you think you
understand the word, you will find that Dickinson often uses obscure definitions.
Look up all allusions.
Notice all the punctuation and grammatical oddities.
What is the tone? Theme? Main poetic techniques?
Now put it all together in a riveting presentation.
Walt Whitman Poetry Presentation
In addition, you and your partner are to find a Whitman poem that you wish to explicate
that dovetails with the Dickinson poem in content, style, tone, or subject. Naturally,
Whitman’s poem will differ markedly from Dickinson. You may choose a portion of one
of his poems. Add this to your presentation. The Whitman portion of your presentation
will not be as long and as involved as the Dickinson portion.
A few cautions:
The poem you explicate must not have been used in class presentations before. If another
group uses your poem, you must find another one. Obviously, it is a benefit to present
early. (Especially if there are only a few poems using your subject)
Each person is responsible for all of the work. Do not divide the work. You are to be a
team. Remember my nasty habit of asking questions of the person not speaking.