Author
Study: Seamus Heaney
English/Fall/2002
Introduction There is great value to reading a wide range of authors or poets. However, the close, sustained study of one author offers great insight into that person's writing and character as it evolves over time. This assignment, which you will receive each Friday and turn in every Monday, is meant to challenge you but not overwhelm you given the other demands of the course. For this reason I will always choose shorter poems and poems which will reward close reading without taking you all day. I have chosen Seamus Heaney as the poet we will study this semester; by unit's end we will have read about twenty of his poems in all. The Author Study culminates in the semester final exam which will requite you to write a final paper on Seamus Heaney and his poems, using your notes from the semester to demonstrate your understanding in a well-written essay.
Instructional
Objectives This assignment will develop
your ability to:
á Read a literary text closely for style,
theme, tone, imagery, and symbolism
á Read the language of a literary text at
both the literal and figurative level
á Annotate and take notes on what you read
to improve comprehension, make connections, and prepare to write
á Write an essay in which you analyze the
content and evolution of one authorŐs style over the course of time
á Learn to use and apply your knowledge of
appropriate literary terms when discussing and writing about the authorŐs work
Performance
Standards To
demonstrate your mastery of the relevant standards you must:
á Annotate each week's poem with comments, connections, and insights into this poem in the context of the other poems you have read by this poet;
á Write a response to each poem on the back
that shows insight and uses quotations and details to support what you are
saying about the poem;
á Discuss the author's use of language, imagery, symbol, and tone;
á Use appropriate literary terms when
discussing and writing about the poems in your weekly responses and in your final paper;
á Write a 3-5 page analytical essay in
which you make a claim about Seamus Heaney or his poems, providing supporting
details from at least eight different poems you read over the semester;
á Write a paper that earns at least a score
of 4 in each of the Six Traits domains.
Related
Resources Here
are a few useful resources for your study of Seamus Heaney:
á http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=215
á http://www.nobel.se/literature/laureates/1995/index.html