AP Poetry Final Project
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1. Write an analytical essay, not unlike those you have written for this class, in which you analyze a significant issue, theme, poet, or technique. This should go above and beyond your typical 3 to 5 page essay in depth, if not length. You should approach your paper as an inquiry: what are you trying to learn? How will you find that out? Who or what should you read to explore your question? What do you learn? How can you show that?

For instance, my question might be, "What are the current trends in poetry?" To answer this question, I would read the work of several current poets (people who had published in the last two years to some acclaim). I would then choose poems or poets that, in my view, represented current poetry. Then, I would shape an essay around an analysis of these works and explore the commonalities and differences among them. Finally, I would forge a clear introduction and thesis to show exactly what trends I had discovered and tailor each paragraph to illuminate my findings, wrapping up the whole thing with a conclusion that shows the progression of my inquiry.

This essay may be different from what you’re used to writing, if you usually start with your thesis in mind and then use your analysis to prove it. I’d like you to do the analysis first, whether in your reading or writing, and then come to your thesis. What I’m getting at is not the way you write the actual paper, but the way you pursue the inquiry.

Clearly, my potential question is bigger and deeper than the typical OOCE paper topic. That is intentional. You should start with an aspect of poetry that interests you and has not received much time in class and go from there. Consider ties between poetry and history, the influence of a poet on her peers or future generations, the impact of class on a poet’s work, the idea of the literary canon and how poets do or don’t fit into it, the contrasts between formal and informal poetry, poets that write on common themes in uncommon times, the handling of classic structures by diverse poets…there are many possibilities. Get past simple compare and contrast thinking. You may want to use a past paper as a starting point. Map out an adventure for yourself.

You may choose to write about the work of one poet or several, but keep in mind the goal of the project (see above) and the key concepts: inquiry and bigger and deeper.

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2. Write an emulation of the work of one or two (no more) poets. If you choose this option, you must submit at least one hundred lines of emulation (or 1000 words if you go with cummings’ one-word-per-line technique). To accompany your emulation, keep a writing journal while you work on the project. (Do not expect to do all of this in a single sitting.) Use the writing journal in pursuit of the following steps:

1. Choose a poet to emulate, either from this semester or of your own preference. Write an explanation of why you chose this poet’s work. Be persuasive but not gushy in explaining why you chose this work and what you hope to get from emulating it. (Do this step before the others.)
   
2. Read some of the poet’s work and explain what, specifically, you want to emulate. For instance, "I first chose Poem X to emulate because of its use of blah blah and I will be trying to achieve a tone of blah blah which I feel is crucial to the blah blah of the work." (This is different from Part A, which should go something like, "I chose Poet Y because of his use of blah blah which is important because blah blah…")
   
3. Write an emulation.
   
4. Let some time pass.
   
5. ……(allowing passage of time…)
   
6. Go back to your emulation and write an evaluation of it. How well did you achieve your purpose? How did you feel and what did you think while writing it? How does your work compare to the original? Other comments?
   
7. Repeat steps B, C, D, and E, and F until you have written at least one hundred lines.
   
8. Write a conclusion to your project. What are your thoughts now that you have closely studied both the work of another writer and attempted to be a poet yourself?
   
9. If you choose to emulate two poets, supplement Part A by explaining what you gain from juxtaposing these two writers. You may then do all of your emulation for one poet, then do all of your emulation of the second, then write your conclusion, or you may choose to mix up the two poets in an appropriate way.
   
10. Give yourself plenty of time (days, weeks) to do all of the above.
    
11. Remember that I am slightly biased against this project. When you finish, your work should be significantly more sophisticated than that of my tenth graders and should meet the above goal.

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4.    If you have an idea for another project not covered in the first two options, come see me. Everyone should schedule a meeting with me to discuss your final project. Seniors should see me before May 4^th; juniors before May 25^th. You will sign up for a meeting time in class in the near future.