The Poetry Portfolio Should Include the Following

Creative Writing Mr. Graziano

Poetry Portfolio

The following portfolio is a summative assessment for writing and essential content in the poetry section of the course. If you do not turn in a portfolio that meets the following specifications, it will greatly jeopardize your chances of passing the course, as you will also be using these portfolios for your final exam. Along with the poetry portfolio, you will be required to sit down for a five to ten minute student-led conference with me. Please come to the conference prepared to discuss your poetry. Be able to show me how it has progressed, changed, and matured throughout the revision process. Also be able to formulate intelligent and thoughtful opinions about some of the poetry we’ve read in class.

The poetry portfolio should include the following:

1. Four (reasonably) finished poems: The poems should be neat, free of spelling errors (unless you’re using deliberately using misspelled words stylistically; in which case, be able to discuss the style and why you’re using it), and as tight and polished as possible. The poems can be of any style—open or fixed form. That’s up to you. But I would like to see some variety in voice and technique, as well as the use of poetic devices we’ve discussed in class. The poems need to be in manuscript format. If you’re not familiar with this format, or you’ve lost the sheet I passed out, please come see me.

2. Three rough drafts of each poem: More importantly, I want to see how your work has progressed throughout the process. If you have handwritten drafts on the back of a napkin or envelope, include it. If you’ve had poems peer-edited (hint: you should) include the drafts with other people’s comments on them. I want to see the blood, sweat and labor that went into these poems. Please be able to discuss your work.

3. A reflection for each poem. With each poem, I would like to see a 1-2 page, doubled-spaced typed reflection on the poem and the process. Here I would like to see you discuss your use of poetic device and discussions of specific changes you’ve made to lines—omissions and additions, the tightening of imagery. There should be at three direct textual references in each reflection. In other words, I want to see you making textual references when discussing the poem. This can be informal, but it must be thoughtful and show insight into your own work. 4. An essay on poetry’s role in contemporary society. This essay should be a revision and/or continuation of the essay you wrote during the first week of this unit. The assignment is the same. However, I’d like to see you draw on some of the experiences you’ve had writing poetry yourself and what you’ve come to learn about contemporary poetry as an art form and its relevance through the readings and discussions we’ve had in class. The essay should be typed with a title, double-spaced, grammatically sound, and 2-4 pages in length.

5. A self-evaluation letter: This is perhaps the most important aspect of the portfolio because this is where I’m able to see that you’ve thought about what it is you’re turning in and what you’ve learned. The important factor here is that you’re honest with yourself. You’re going to be assigning yourself a grade. Think about effort you put into the assignment. Please be prepared to discuss and defend the grade you’ve given yourself.

6. The student-led conference. This is exactly the same thing we did during the fiction section of this course. You will choose particular poems to discuss, point out examples of devices you’ve used, and sit down with me to discuss your work.

For my convenience, please make sure that the portfolio is organized and presented neatly. You can use a folder, a binder, etc. That’s up to you. But take some pride in the work your presenting. It’s a reflection of you.

We will be signing up for conferences in class. If you miss your conference, it’s your responsibility to reschedule and turn in the work. If you have any concerns or questions, please come see me. Creative Writing Graziano

Poetry Reflection Questions

The following are a list of questions to consider while reflecting on your poetry and the writing process. Remember, all writers must be thoughtful when reflecting on their own work, which is often more difficult than analyzing others. Try to step outside of yourself (I know, easier said than done) and examine the poem with cold objectivity. This can be very difficult with our more personal and emotional work, but if you try to work with the language itself, the crafts devices being used, your poem will only get better.

1. What devices are you using in the poem? Identify specific lines that use imagery, personification, simile or metaphor, hyperbole, etc. If the poem does not use any literary devices is there a good reason for it? Explain.

2. Read your poem aloud. Can you hear any rhythmic devices, true or slant rhymes, traditional or internal? Talk about the rhythm of the poem. Does it flow off the tongue, or are there parts that seem to stutter? Did you intentionally repeat any sounds through the use of assonance or consonance in order to establish tone? Explain.

3. Discuss the tone you were going for with the speaker. Is the speaker present in the poem? Is the speaker you or a persona? Is the speaker addressing anyone in particular? Who? Talk about the language/ word choice/ controlled use of imagery and how it’s working to establish the voice.

4. Finally, what are you trying to say in the poem? What is the meaning/message you hope a reader will take away from it? Is there an underlying sentiment or emotion? Are you trying to make a statement about something? Are you trying to make a reader laugh? Is this poem based on a personal experience, a long-held belief, or a casual observation? Talk a little about the construction and evolution of the poem. Have you said what you want to say without hitting the reader over the head with your message? Be objective. Type up a 1-2 page, double-spaced reflection and keep these questions because you’re going to need to do reflections for your portfolio. Again, good writers reflect on their work. Granted, they don’t always type up these reflections, but this is a vital part of the process. Creative Writing Mr. Graziano

Poetry Portfolio Self-evaluation Questions

1. Are your final drafts neat and polished? Which of the four poems do you feel to be the best representation of your work? Make reference to specific images, metaphors or device.

2. Does each poem have at least three rough drafts? Talk about the revision process. Did you find yourself revising in any specific way, any idiosyncrasies, i.e. taking the poem to a different location to revise, handwriting drafts, or marking them up with a specific color ink?

3. Did you find yourself drawn to any specific type of device—imagery, metaphor, simile, figurative language, sound devices, or rhyme? How did the employment of these devices contribute to the effectiveness of your poems?

4. What did you learn about poetry that could be applied to life outside of a workshop? What did you learn from poetry that can be applied to good writing in general? Be specific.

5. Did any of the poems we read in class leave an impression on you? Discuss your opinion of the poems of the day and the small press/ alternative poetry we looked at, as opposed to the larger anthologized works. Did you prefer one to the other? Was any of this new to you?

6. After reading and writing poetry, and looking at a number of contemporary, practicing poets, what role, if any, do you think poetry plays in our contemporary world? Try to summarize your opinion. 7. What grade do you believe you’ve earned on this portfolio? How much work, honestly, went into the writing of these poems? Did you take this seriously? Did you contribute to workshops and class discussions? Did you turn in your drafts and rewrites on time? Be honest?

8. Any parting words for poetry?