Introduction to Literature

Week 3 – Discussion 1

Poetry and Performance [WLOs: 1, 2, 3] [CLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4]
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Prepare: Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read the poems “Wild Geese” and “The Red Wheelbarrow” in Chapter 7 of your course textbook. You are also required to listen to the Mary Oliver Reading Wild Geese (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and William Carlos Williams Reads The Red Wheelbarrow (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. videos before completing this discussion. Audio clips of the poems can also be accessed in your online course textbook. These clips demonstrate the importance of performance, rhythm, and musicality in the poetic form. If you are unable to listen to these poems due to an auditory impairment, please reach out to your instructor for an alternative prompt for this discussion.

Reflect Icon

Reflect: Poetry is a literary form that can offer readers a different experience based on whether the poem is read silently, read aloud, or simply listened to when read by someone else. For example, you might hear a certain rhythm or change of pace that you might not catch when simply reading the poem silently to yourself. For this week’s discussion, you read and listened to poetry. If you didn’t the first time, read and listen with careful eyes and ears so you can respond thoughtfully to the two parts of the discussion this week.

Write Icon Write: Part 1 – Answer the following questions about either “Wild Geese” or “The Red Wheelbarrow” poems based on your reading of them:

Part 2 –

Describe your listening experience of the same poem you wrote about above. If you are unable to listen to these poems due to an auditory impairment, please reach out to your instructor for an alternative prompt for this discussion. Respond to at least two of the following questions:

  • How did your hearing the poem recited aloud compare to your silent reading of it?
  • Did the performance highlight certain words or phrases that were not as apparent in a silent reading?
  • Did the pace change and, if so, how did it change your understanding of the poem?
  • Did words have different connotations when spoken aloud, and, if so, what kinds of connotation did you associate with the poem?
  • Do you think reading poetry aloud is a worthwhile endeavor when analyzing it? Why, or why not?

Your initial post that includes parts one and two should be at least 200 words.

Week 3 – Discussion 2

Body Paragraph Workshop [WLO: 4] [CLO: 4]
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Prepare: Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read the ENG125 Sample Literary Analysis in Chapter 3 of your course textbook. Pay close attention to the body paragraphs and thesis statements. Then, review the Ashford Writing Center’s information on Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

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Reflect: Compare your working thesis statement to the thesis statement in the Sample Literary Analysis in Chapter 3. Does your thesis address relevant points like the example thesis? Then, look at a body paragraph in the sample Literary Analysis. Compare its construction to a body paragraph in your own paper.

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Write: Copy and paste your working thesis and your strongest body paragraph into the discussion by Thursday (Day 3) at midnight; do not attach it as a separate document. For the purposes of this discussion only, signify your working thesis by including it in bold type and italicize the topic sentence of your body paragraph. Your body paragraph should include at least three examples of paraphrases and/or quotations (there should be at least one paraphrase and one quotation) with correct citations in APA format. After the body paragraph, be sure to include reference page entries in APA format for the paraphrased and cited sources. Then, in a separate paragraph, answer the following three questions:

  • Explain the connection between the topic sentence and your working thesis. Would this connection be clear to someone without your explanation? If so, why? If not, how can you modify your topic sentence and/or thesis statement to make this connection clearer?
  • Explain the choice of references. How do the references support the topic sentence? Would this connection be clear to someone without your explanation? If so, why? If not, what information should you add to the paragraph to make this connection clearer?
  • Does the paragraph contain any unnecessary information? Does everything in it work to support the topic sentence? What information could be added or removed? In essence, you are being asked to evaluate the cohesion of your paragraph.
  • Note any other specific challenges faced or successes experienced when writing this paragraph or completing this discussion post.

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