Theme Collage
Due December 18, 2014
Definition—A collage is a collection of different items that expresses one idea and is placed on
a background. Collages are colorful and creative. They have very little background space that is
visible.
Task—Create a collage that shows the theme of a literary selection that we have read in class.
Requirements for the Front of the Collage
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Theme—written as a complete sentence
Images—at least five that covers the entire surface background—all must reflect the theme
Words/phrases from the text—at least five that reflect the theme
Quotation—The best quotation in the text that reflects the theme of the literary selection (only one quotation)
Materials
 8 ½ 11 cardstock—You may use a larger size. Remember, though, that the entire surface must be covered.
 Old magazines (preferred) for pictures and words. You may use images from the Web, but they cannot be
images that were created for the literary piece. In other words, there shouldn’t be any movie images for
Antigone or book cover images for Mango Street. Color images are preferred. Your images should include a
major symbol, event, and/or event in the story.
 Computer and printer—to type words and quotations. Please do not handwrite any part of this assignment.
 Your imagination—The pieces must be arranged creatively. They should not simply have a linear look, one
requirement after another. Instead, you must choose a layout that matches the story and theme. For
example, for “Everyday Use” my collage looks like a quilt, the main symbol in the story.
Requirements for the Back of the Collage
 Write a paragraph explaining the theme of the work.
 Write a second paragraph explaining how your collage shows the theme.
 This may be typed or handwritten. It should be completed on a sheet of paper and then attached to the back of
the collage with tape or glue. Do not staple it.
 Title this section simply Explanation and Rationale. Do NOT put the title in bold, underline it, or put it in
quotation marks.
 Put your name and period under the title.
Selections to Choose From
Long Works
Keels, Theme Collage Assignment, 2014
Antigone by Sophocles (a young woman defends her dead brother by burying him against the wishes of her uncle, the
king.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros—A young woman dreams of a living in a better house, becoming
educated, and leaving a neighborhood and life that would close her in.
Short Stories
“Cranes” by Hwang Sunwon –Set in Korea, two friends are divided by the war. One must make a difficult decision.
“Two Friends” by Guy De Maupassant (3rd Block)—During the Crimean War, two friends take a break to go fishing with
disastrous results
“A Chip of Glass Ruby” by Nadine Gordimer—Set in apartheid South Africa, a family confronts their attitudes about race.
Poems
“Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” by William Shakespeare—a young man considers his lover as the perfect
summer’s day and comes up short.
“Digging” by Seamus Heaney—a young man considers the work he does as a writer to the hard work his father and
grandfather did with their hands.
“Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden—An older man looks back at his younger self and remembers his father’s
sacrifices.
“Love is Not Love” by Edna St. Vincent Millay—A young woman contemplates the meaning and purpose of love
“Mid-Winter Blues” by Langston Hughes—a young woman is dumped by her lover on Christmas Eve
“Fifteen” –a young man contemplates a decision he made when he was fifteen.
“Mending Wall” or “Birches” by Robert Frost—In “Mending Wall” Frost thinks about the walls we built up between
ourselves and our neighbors. In “Birches” Frost remembers a childhood form of entertainment, swinging on birch
branches.
“O Captain, My Captain” by Walt Whitman—Whitman remembers Abraham Lincoln.
Rubric
This is a test grade.
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Title (10 points)
Author (5 points)
Images (20 points)
Words (15 points)
Quotation (10 points)
Craftsmanship (5)
Creativity (10)
Thematic Explanation on back (20 points)
Spelling and Punctuation (5 points)
Keels, Theme Collage Assignment, 2014