Current 7th Grade Poetry Anthology Project

Hello parents and students,

Here is the current poetry anthology project that we are working on in 7th Grade during reading.  So far, the students have chosen three poets from the list provided, and collected 3 poems for each poet (9 total).  Currently, the students have been assigned to identify metaphors and similes in their poems.

Poetry Anthology – Final Project for Unit 5

Your assignment is to create your own anthology of poetry. You are the editor of this anthology — the person who chooses the poems and puts the book together. The lesson involves looking closely at poems and learning about tools that poets use to help readers see images and to convey ideas in poems. You will also develop research skills and will create additional materials.  All this is part of being a good editor.
Your anthology will be illustrated. You may draw, select photos, or use images from greeting cards, calendars, magazines or other sources to decorate your books. Your anthology will be a personal collection that expresses your unique personality and taste. Work and planning can take place evenings and weekends. Remember, this is not a one-night or one-week assignment. It is a process of reading and choosing, of preparing to create a collection that reflects who you are. Have fun with it!
You will write short biographies for each of the three poets you choose, telling a little about their lives in your own words. Poets often write from their experiences. Knowing about the lives of poets can help you to understand their poems in a deeper way.
Your anthology must have page numbers in the lower right corner of each page (excluding the cover). Please use the numeral only — no parentheses, "page", "p." or "pg.," and no period (.) following the numeral

ANTHOLOGY

Cover (5 pts.)
Design a cover using a drawing, photos or other images. Include on the cover the book's title, and the name of the author and illustrator.
Dedication (5 pts.)
The dedication is a line acknowledging to or for whom the book was created. Sometimes dedications offer a few words of thanks.
Table of Contents (30 pts.)
List the book's chapters and the poems within them. Include page numbers to tell the
reader where chapters begin and poems appear. Also list the special sections at the
back of the book, like the bibliography (these are usually called
"Appendices").
Poet Pages (20 pts.)
You will choose 3 poets for your anthology. For each, you will write a brief biographical sketch of 5-7 sentences. Then, write 3-5 sentences about why you chose this particular poet to be part of your personal anthology. Give some examples of lines or words you like from the poems you've chosen. Include a picture of the poet, if you can find one — or draw one yourself, if you can find a photo to guide you.

Poetry Pages (20 pts.)
Use each poet's page to begin a section of poems written by that poet. Include three poems by each poet, one per page. Beneath each poem, include the following:

Tone. Write a sentence or two about the tone of the poem. A simple definition of tone is "a way of saying"; the tone of a poem reflects the attitude of the poet toward what or whom the poem addresses. In considering this, you can ask yourself how the poem makes you feel. How do you think the poet felt when he or she wrote the poem? Try to find a few words or phrases that describe the tone of the poem. Consider whether the tone changes throughout the poem or remains the same.

Poet's Tools. We've learned about various tools poets use to make poems rich and vivid, and to convey meaning and ideas. Find and record at least two places in the poem where a poet uses a special tool or "literary device," such as personification, hyperbole, alliteration, metaphor or simile. Think and write about the effect.

Bibliography (20 pts.)
List the sources you used to write the book.
Web resources:
Academy of American Poets
Favorite Poem Project
Bartleby's - Search by verse, anthology or volume.
Bibliomania - Select "Poetry" from the "Choose a section" pull down menu and the poet from the "Choose" pull down menu.
CMU Poetry Index
Thirty Poets from Gale Group
Representative Poetry On-Line - Search by title, first line, keyword or poet's last name. Also features a timeline and glossary of poetic terms.

List of Authors to Choose From:

·        E.E. Cummings (“Just”)

·        Shel Silverstein (“Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out”)

·        Lewis Carrol  “Father William”

·        Robert Frost (“Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening”)

·        Sandra Cisneros (“Four Skinny Trees”) pg. 230

·        Walt Whitman (“Miracles”) pg. 228

·        Ogden Nash (“The Hippopotamus”) pg. 383