Poem

AP Writing Seminar    Poem Assignment        Griffith

I. Stage One: What You Have Already Done!

You have already done two weeks of freewrites, in-class readings, and editing sessions. Whether you realized it or not, it was all done in preparation for this first submission. I have evaluated each step of this process in terms of completion of homework assignments.

II. Stage Two: The draft you will submit to me on Tuesday, September 8 alongside all the process elements. This will be worth a total of three homework grades.

What you need to give me to get three complete homework grades for Stage Two :

1)The most recent draft of your poem, typed, single spaced, bold title, name in italics under the poem. The poem should be at least ¾ of a page long.  Avoid “thin” writing, meaning that you should avoid too many lines of only one or two words.

2)Two previous typed drafts that show substantial revision work and changes. Thus, I will have three typed versions, each reflecting revision.  Really spend time on revision; I am looking to see that you have done more than change a few words.  Use the “Rules for good writing” sheet (ON WIKI)for guidance about how and what to revise.

3)At least 1 page of freewriting, highlighted and marked, from which you drew your poem.

DUE DATE:Tuesday, September 9th, in class. No email drafts please. A HW zero for every this is late. All work must be stapled in the order listed above!!

III. Stage Three: Mr. G goes to work! I will comment on your rough draft in terms of what works, as well as where you can focus more on craft (style, form, language). I base my comments on the “Rules for good creative writing” sheet that we discussed in class as well as our workshops on nouns, verbs, imagery, and enjambment. You should have “Rules” sheet; it is also available on our class wiki.

I will give comments back to you as I finish; you then have one week to do your revision. I encourage you to see me during backwork or go to visit the Writing Center during that time. We will also do limited work on the poem during class.

IV. Stage Four: You revise your poem based upon my comments and the “Rules for good creative writing” sheet. This revision receives a grade, which is included in the major paper portion of your average. What this grade includes: 1)All of your process pieces a.1 page initial freewrite b.Three drafts that reflect substantial revision (the third is the one you gave to me for comments; turn in the version with my comments on it) c.Your final revised draft, which should adhere to the form outlined above

2)Substantial evidence that you have revised this final draft in terms of my comments, as well as the “Rules for good creative writing” sheet. I will not mark every word and line that needs revision.  Instead, I will make comments about the types of stylist changes that I would like you to make, and I will give you specific examples from your text (but I won’t mark each place in the text).  What does “substantial” mean?  It means that you have done more than change word order, that you have addressed more than the specific text examples that I mark in your poem.  I need to see evidence that you have paid attention to your poem line by line.

3)	Correct (intentional) spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Obviously, you have LOTS of room for creative license.  However, make sure that you experiment with grammar, punctuation, and spelling to enhance your communication of your poem’s meaning.

DUE DATE: one week after I return your rough draft to you with comments. Again, no email drafts and 10 points off per day late.

A final note… The goal of this ridiculously long assignment sheet is for you to understand as much as possible what “I am looking for” as I evaluate your efforts and your revisions. But, even more, it is an attempt for me to separate the heart in your writing from the craft. I cannot grade your poem in itself; this is ludicrous and demeaning. However, I can give you credit for doing the process along the way and the degree of your engagement in revision. Keep the lines of communication open. Let me know how the evaluation process affects you. I will ask for your feedback at several points this semester.