SHERWOOD SECONDARY SCHOOL
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
ENGLISH 4U: M. MICULAN
POETRY: SEMINAR GUIDE
For this assignment, you are expected to present information and lead discussion for the
particular poem you have chosen. Your seminar should cover the entire class period, but
this includes both your formal report and the question & answer/comments that follow.
The information that you present should be the well-edited (i.e., streamlined, relevant, and
in your own words!) version of the material you have researched. Base selection on how
useful the particular item is in clarifying, challenging, or expanding our individual readings
of the poem. Do not simply "answer the questions".
You should consider the following in developing your presentation:
1. What is the theme of the poem? Remember that this may very likely be difficult to put
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into words … that's part of the point of poetry. However, you should be able to give us
a good idea of what it is the poet would like us to understand and/or experience.
Offer a close reading of the text. What does the writer do to convey the theme
identified in # 1? Ideally, this should also support your interpretation of the poem.
What problem areas have you identified? Explain points of vocabulary and references
that might be hindering us in our own readings. Hint: things that bothered you are
probably bothering many of us.
Provide a brief biographical note that fills in some of the relevant personal context of
the poem.
Provide a brief historical note that fills in some of the relevant social and political
context of the poem.
Provide a brief cultural note that fills in some of the aesthetic and philosophical context
of the poem. Be sure, in this case, to identify properly the period or movement with
which the work/artist is most closely linked.
Compare your poem to a relevant contemporary work that you feel illustrates the
typical/unique quality of your selection. Explain the relationship carefully.
Compare your poem to 2-3 works by the same author. Explain any similarities,
departures, developments, etc. that you think are found here.
Summarize and explain 2 critical commentaries on the poem you have selected. You
may choose to use a critic who only discusses your poet -- if you can demonstrate that
his or her remarks have a bearing on the particular work we are studying.
PRODUCT EXPECTATIONS
1. Research Plan – a list of specific questions (i.e., related to your particular poem)
and possible resources to be submitted prior to your second library period
2. Research Process – the work you do and the abilities you demonstrate
(especially during class time) in determining needs, locating relevant materials,
and extracting information: in other words, your skill in conducting self-directed
learning using the available resources
3. Research Notes – the rough notes taken during your research, both in school and
elsewhere to be submitted with your essay one week after the seminar
N.B. although you are quite welcome to explore the internet and other computerbased resources, you must process this information in your notes; printouts are not
acceptable
4. Working Bibliography – a full listing of the materials accessed during your
research (to be recorded as you go!) to be submitted with your essay as part of the
rough notes N.B. this list will serve as the basis for your paper’s “Works Cited”
page; it should, therefore, contain all of the necessary bibliographical information
detailed in your style guide
5. Seminar Presentation – a 30-45 minute presentation of the material you have
assembled regarding your poem (requirements are outlined in the accompanying
“Seminar Guide” and mark sheet)
6. Seminar Discussion – although the post-presentation question and answer
period will be “chaired” by me, you will be expected, as our resident expert on the
particular poem, to lead much of the discussion for the remainder of your period
7. Essay – compose a 2 page/500 word essay focusing on a particular aspect of
your research presentation; you are expected to employ all of the basic formatting
conventions as in your first take-home paper
 Details of the evaluative outcomes for each of the “products” listed here
may be found in the accompanying mark sheet. Please refer to this
information to avoid any confusion regarding the expectations for this
project