English 10A Honors
Mr. Ragasa
Poet Study
The intention behind this project is to offer you a chance to show your deep familiarity
with the works of one poet—from any era. First, consider carefully which poet enraptures you. I
am assuming that many of you do not have a poet that does enrapture you so below is a reference
list of poets to explore as a starting point. Please do not consider these poets exclusively; you can
pick someone from outside the list. But, have a name for me by next week of whom you will
study.
You will then over the course of the next ten days try to read as many poems by this poet that you
can. You will also complete a poet study due on Monday, June 16, 2008. Late projects will be
penalized.
Your poet study will consist of the following requirements:
--a brief one page biographical sketch
--the poet’s “stance” on popularization of poetry
--her “usefulness” for students your age with a list of favorite titles of poems by her
--an essay: a formal appreciation/interpretation of one poem (one page, single spaced)
--a poetic imitation of this poet’s voice, style, obsessions
--a “mock” student evaluation of one poem by this poet
--a one-page summary of a critical piece on this poet’s works and your personal response to the
critical piece
--a souvenir or one-page “give-away” for your classmates (that comes from the above)
Suggested poets
Ezra Pound
William Carlos Williams
e.e Cummings
T.S. Eliot
Marianne Moore
Wallace Stevens
Hart Crane
Theodore Roethke
Elizabeth Bishop
Allen Ginsburg
Anne Sexton
William Shakespeare
Edna St. Vincent Millay
John Donne
William Butler Yeats
Sharon Olds
Emily Dickinson
Rita Dove
Countee Cullen
Maya Angelou
Margaret Atwood
Robert Burns
Anne Bradstreet
Sappho
Walt Whitman
Dylan Thomas
William Wordsworth
Adrienne Rich
Sylvia Plath
Sonia Sanchez
Audre Lorde
Cathy Song
Victor Hernandez Cruz
Pedro Pietri
Gary Soto
Shakespeare
Billy Collins
Nikki Giovanni