Creative Poetics

A while ago I posted about my summative assessment for the poetry unit I taught during my practicum. My students really impressed me with the results of the assessment. I was able to tailor the choices of the assignment to fit with the students’ varying interests. Yes, it was a lot more work for me than just assigning and marking an in-class essay on poetic analysis but the level of buy-in and engagement this assignment of choice made was extraordinary.

Here’s a link to my previous post:

Week 4: Choice for the Win!

The results of the project blew me away.

Here is one student’s project. So this student chose to do the visual interpretation project which required the student to do the following:

Create or find a series of (minimum 2) visual interpretations (artistic renderings, photographs, etc…) of one of the poems we have studied in class. You must include an artist statement paragraph (minimum 5 sentences) explaining your artistic choices and how your visual interpretations illustrate the tone, mood, theme, and imagery of the poem. The visual interpretations can be found pieces but, in that case, MUST be cited properly according to MLA standards. Please consult the OWL Purdue MLA citation guide found here: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/09/ and look under “paintings, sculpture and photographs” for instructions on how to format your citation. All visuals MUST be appropriate for all; if you would not want their mother and/or the principal to see your visual interpretation you should not include it. This will be strongly enforced in order to keep the environment of the classroom safe and respectful for all.

Now I did not know how talented this student was but the results of his project blew me away. Granted, he did not hand in the paragraph write up of his artistic choices so he did not receive full marks for the project but check out these amazing visual interpretations.

This image is based on Roger Knapp’s poem “Eagle”.

EAGLE

One day many summers ago
In an Indian Village
An old warrior, a woman, and a shepherd
Were sitting and talking

Enjoying the springtime sun.
Overhead an Eagle flew
Drifting, circling, dipping
Against a sky the color of deep water.

The shepherd looked at the Eagle and saw
Terror and death from the skies,
Killer of his flocks, savagery on wings.

The warrior looked at the Eagle and saw
The symbol of courage and fierce pride
Whose sacred feather he wore.

The woman looked at the Eagle and saw
The beauty and grace of a dancer,
Of the Wind Spirit swaying in the willows,
And the drifting clouds at sunrise.

So it is, that men see the Great Spirit
In many ways and forms,
Yet like the ones in the village
All are looking at the same Eagle.

This second image is based on the poem “Skull Cap” by Chrisitan Victoria.

This last image was inspired by the poem “The Two-Faced Woman” by Mike Acker.

“The Two-Faced Woman”