Poetry Pre-assessment Reflection

Essay Reflection Reminders- Notebook POETRY section 4 Step 1: Write down your score stats on your AP Essay Log (Section 2) Step 2: Find your essay and open to Poetry Section 4 in Notebook: Reference “Corrections and Commendations Guide” (Red Sheet) Step 3: Make a list of the numbers you received (2 columns perhaps, one for odd numbers and one for even numbers or one for strengths and one for weaknesses) and list numbers AND comments. Write out what the numbers stand for so you can learn them! Step 4: Write out, in sentences, your strengths and weaknesses per my comments and codes. Celebrate success and critique yourself fairly. I want to know that you’ve read your score and feedback and are really thinking about writing here. Especially look at your score for the thesis on this essay! Step 5: Set a goal for the next essay, from specifics (i.e. “no more misspelled words”) to more generalizations (I will raise from a 3 to a 4) Justify why you set that goal for yourself. This is where you need to show depth of thought and growth in your writing.

Use of Detail- needs improvement Poems are short and don’t require as much reading time- therefore you can take more time to look for additional supportive details when writing your essays Practice good annotation skills to assure your evidence is plentiful 1 instance of a prominent technique is ok, if you can talk about how it plays into the overall meaning of the poem (for instance, the shift).

Thesis statements Many of you still need to add descriptors and be specific. Don’t just say “uses imagery and structure” but describe these techniques e.g. -uses somewhat grotesque imagery and a fragmented structure Top essays can highlight in the intro not just WHAT techniques are used but WHY e.g. –The imagery characterizes the difficulty of the swamp and the fragmented structure supports the idea that the journey through it is long and arduous.

Developing argument For poetry- try to balance between the different aspects we focus on in analysis: Sound devices (rhyming, alliteration, rhythm) Structure (stanzas, shifts, enjambment, movement of “plot”) Figurative Language (simile, metaphor, personification, allusion, imagery) Also, you need to remember that you can explain the purpose of the quote or technique in more than 1 statement. Take your time and really provide a clear connection between your interpretation and the text itself. Bridge the gaps! Don’t stop at 2 techniques even if that is all the prompt asks for

Quote integration Incorporate quotations into your own sentences, or provide introductory statements to give context to your quotes instead of just plopping them in. Instead of: The poem includes a metaphor comparing the speaker to a stick. “…a poor dry stick given one more chance…” Use: The metaphor, “a poor dry stick given one more chance”, compares the speaker to a stick in that she is able to see the beneficial aspects of overcoming the challenge of the swamp.