Assignment for Wednesday, Oct. 17

Continue working on your poem. Consider any elements that could bring it closer to expressing what you want to say—the sounds, the imagery, figurative language, eliminating excess words, and the like. If you feel you can do nothing else to make it what you want it to be, begin another poem using the prompts and exercises I've given you (including the instructional poem you started in today's class), or just write something on your own. If you misplaced Wallace Berry's "How to Be a Poet," you can find it here.

In addition, read the nine diverse poems at the end of Chapter 1 of The Discovery of Poetry (pp. 14-23). 

• First, read them in silence. You might not make it through all of them, and that's okay, but give them a chance to strike your spirit. 
• Then, of the ones you liked, read them a second time, but aloud. 
• Next, rank those poems in order of preference using any criteria you wish. 
• Lastly, write a brief explanation of your preference. 

The point of this exercise is to make you aware not only of your current preferences, but also of the kinds of things you're attuned to when you read poetry.