New Project

Modernist Poetry Celebration 

1. In a small group (2-3 people) or independently, find and select a poem by one of the following modern writers (the poem may NOT be one already discussed in class):

·      T.S. Eliot

·      Ezra Pound

·      William Faulkner

·      F. Scott Fitzgerald

·      Amy Lowell

·      Robert Frost

·      Ernest Hemingway

·      Dorothy Parker

·      Carl Sandburg

·      Dylan Thomas

·      Gertrude Stein

·      Wallace Stevens

·      Sara Teasdale

·      EE Cummings

·      William Carlos Williams

2. Choose ONE of the following three options.  You will prepare this option during the remainder of this class and present it next class.
1. Performing Art-(Music) – What would your chosen poem sound like if it was made into a song?  Put it to music or simply sing it for us.
2. Performing Art-(Dramatic Reading) – Imagine your chosen poem being read at some grand arts theatre; what would it sound like?  Read it to us the way you feel it was meant to be read.
3. Visual Art – What does your chosen poem look like?  Draw, or use some other medium, to create your masterpiece.  In your presentation, you will read  your poem to the class.

For any choice you make, a few things are important:

• TONE and MOOD of the poem – this should be evident in your artistic representation
• ELEMENTS OF MODERNISM should be clear in each and every work of art (alienation, isolation, rejection of traditional themes, etc).  Think about how these elements can be represented – color, sound, facial movements, etc.
• Each work of art must be accompanied with a short, but comprehensive, WRITTEN EXPLANATION as well as a hard copy of the poem

Scoring Guide

Presentation of The Work of Art                   /40	Tone, voice, and/or medium fit the chosen text Elements of modernism are cleverly/creatively intertwined with the work to create a satisfying result Color, sound, facial movements, etc are used effectively to create the desired response The artist remains composed while presenting the work of art
The Written Explanation                   /10	The explanation is accompanied by a hard copy of the selected poem The content of the writing clearly describes/explains tone and other elements of modernism in relation to the art The writing is organized and the sentences flow smoothly Word choice is precise and accurate Conventions are error-free

5 = Outstanding     4 = Very Good     3 = Satisfactory     2 = Unsatisfactory     1 = Poor