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May Activities


Great Poets
April Assignments

 

  Thu April 13                      23
  Fri April 7                         poems by heart
  Wed April 5                     22
  Mon April 3                     20 & 21


Paul Celan, "Death Fugue"

 

Jen, Jeff, Ann and Tim (Nasrin)  bravo! brava!


Kate, Steph, Rachel (Ravikovitch) ... and 
Adam, John, Scott (Tamura) ...

Whatever pictures and biographical  information or quotes you would like to supply by e-mail ahead of time, it will be posted here.
   Thanks.

 For Monday, April 3:

__ Write a brief entry about the presentation given by Jen, Tim, Ann and Jeff on Taslima Nasrin.  Include at least one or two quotes from the poetry they covered.  How do you know and understand this poet better after their presentation?  What aspects of how they taught the poet were particularly effective?

      20.  Jeff, Ann, Jen and Tim // Nasrin Presentation // Your Title 

__ Write a brief entry on one of the poems by Dahlia Ravikovitch or Ryuichi Tamura which will be presented next time.  (Pinter Anthology, pp. 329ff and 457ff, respectively).

                              21.  Ravikovitch or Tamura // Your Title

 

Joanna and Kevin (Gonzalez)  and
Ryan and Sersch (Celan)

 

For Friday:  Memorize a new poem from any poet assigned so far to help us review where we've been -- but with new insights beyond those we covered in class.  Be prepared to talk about conflicting messages, ambiguities, and tensions in your poem.   Why did you choose this poem as a moost important poem for you? 

Hint:  You may wish to pair up with someone for the sake of making your brief presentation more provocative.  In that case, both of you would memorize the same poem.

 

 For Wednesday, April 5:

__  Read all of the poems by Angel Gonzalez (Vintage Anthology, pp. 15ff) and Paul Celan (pp. 209ff).   Write a short entry on some ambiguity in form or content in one of the poems by either author.  As we have seen from the presentations, ambuiguities are often the richest place to start an interpretation of a poem.. 

                     22.  Gonzalez or Celan // Your Title


Painting inspired by "Death Fugue" -- "Black Milk"

 

 

For Friday, April 7: 

__ Read and ponder the poems once more by Paul Celan in preparation for Sersch and Ryan's presentation (Vintage 209ff).

__ Memorize a favorite poem so far in the course -- you may choose a partner for this if you like.  Prepare to lead a short discussion into some ambiguity, dichotomy or unsolvable moment in the poem. 

__ Our public folder may well have a number of entries on the poem you have chosen to memorize.  If you have time, read a few entries on  your poem -- and address the writers of the entries during your presentation -- how you might "tweak" their interpretation (Sersch's wonderful word), playfully challenge an idea, etc.  

  Cheers!

 

 


Great Poets
Topics for April and May

1. Two Poems from A Book of Luminous Things Chapter:

Epiphany -- Nature -- The Secret of a Thing -- Travel -- Places -- The Moment -- People Among People -- Woman's Skin -- Situations -- Nonattachment -- History

2. Two Peacock Chapters / Poems

  3 - 4
  5 - 6
  7 - 8
  9 -11   Chapter 10 we've already covered!
12 - 13

3. Two Poems from a Thematic Chapter in Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart.

4. Two Poems by a World Author in the Vintage anthology (These have been very effective and welcome again!)

5. Two Poems on Kinds of Love and Sexuality (Fr. Mark has a list from Pinter, Rag and Bone, etc.)

6. Two Poems on Rage, Grief and Denial of Grief (Fr. Mark has a list from Pinter, Rag and Bone, etc.)

7. Two Poems on Looking Back on Life and the Experience of Death (Fr. Mark has a list from Pinter, Rag and Bone, etc.)

8. Two Poems on Identity and Voice to go along with S. Mara's viosit to our class on May 9).

9. Two Poems from a Rumi chapter in The Essential Rumi (If you're in a playful, mystic mood).

10. Two Poems in a Edward Hirsch Chapter (He has some beautiful chapters ahead -- be brave!)

11. Poets Mark Conway and/or Sister Eva (Interview and them and have them read).

12. Two poems from the Language of Life video or tape series (play them in class).

13. Two Poems and the Paintings Which Insprired Them (Fr. Mark has the Paintings and Poems).

14. Two Poems from Our Own Great Poets Magazine (Interview and Poet Reading). Jen, Tim, Jeff and Ann

 


For Tuesday, April 11

Poems By Heart, Helping Circles Article, Photocopies, and Topics for April and May...

 

__ Present a memorized poem in class if you haven't done so. Prepare a three-minute commentary about how the poem connects with your life and why you chose it. Three or four interesting ideas will help your presentation "stick" with your audience.

__ Read and ponder the helping circle chapter that I passed out in class to prepare for writing circles during class.

__ Read through your midterm paper with the sheet titled Reader's Response to Draft in hand.  Think about this statement and try to fill in the blanks: With this paper I wanted to convince my readers that ____________ because_____  _________________.   If you have time, do some editing for clarity, especially if the blanks above were hard for you to answer! PHOTOCOPY your paper three times and bring these to class.

__ Since we are launching into a series of presentations, please think about the question, "What kind of student presentation works best in my opinion? Which activities have been the most memorable? (You may wish to jot a note to anyone in class commenting on a particular activity you found most helpful, or supportive suggestions. If you choose to do this, please send your comment directly to the person or mention your ideas next time you see him or her.) We'll discuss this a bit as a preparation and stimulus for the next round of presentations.

__ You can keep your groups for the next presentation or shift around if you like. Simply talk the persons involved. NOTIFY me asap WHICH TOPIC you would like from the sheet I handed out (also included below). Notice that #14 has been taken so far.

 

 
 

For Thursday, April 13:

__  Read through the poetry in our "Great Poets Magazine,"     (Public Folders > Academic > Honors > Magazine)  and write an entry on one of the poems.   Try to tease out some complex aspect of the poem if you can.

23. Poet's Name from Magazine // Title of Poem (or first line) // Your Entry Title

__  Read through the midterm papers before you meet with your writing circle and jot down some first impressions and questions right on the draft.

__ Before class on Thursday, e-mail your choice of topic from the list at the left.  #14 is spoken for so far.

   Group Members' Names // Topic Choice

__ Want feedback on how you are doing  in various aspects of the course?  I am happy to meet with you.  Simply e-mail me and we can find a time.  -- Fr. Mark. 

 .

Poems By Heart
April 2000

 

1. Adam // Tamura // Every Morning After Killing Thousands of Angels

2. Jen // McPherson // One Way She Spoke to Me

3. Jeff // Lee // A Story

4. Joanna, Steph, Ryan and John // Rumi // Four Quatraines

5.  Kate // Hayden // Those Winter Sundays

6.  Scott // Williams // Danse Russe

7.  Sersch // Celan // Tenebrae

8.  Tim // Bernard // Pierced

9.  Ann // Nasrin // Character

10.  Rachel // Williams // Everything Depends

        Rachel // Ravikovitch // __________

11. Kevin // Gonzalez // Diatribe Against the Dead

 

  The week ahead...

 

__By this Friday April 14: Topic chosen for next presentation and e-mailed to Fr. Mark with names of people in group.

__ By Monday: Meet with your writing circle members and read through your papers out loud, individually, slowly, allowing your partners to take notes on how your message comes across. Complete the reader reaction sheets for each member of the group and give them to that person after discussing your findings within your small group. Make sure to take notes on other ideas that come up in discussion for the purpose of revising you paper. A revision will be due end of next week, April 21. You may wish to add a page or two to your paper with the ideas your partners present. Although your paper should present two or three poems from your author, it is enough to focus primarily on one poem and bring other poems by your author into the discussion in a supportive or subordinate way.

__ By Wednesday: Meditate for a time about some object in your room or your other surroundings .. with thoughts about how Neruda brought to life the artichoke. Allow the images to pass through your mind, jotting down the most unusual ones. Capture some of your feelings and thoughts in a poem about the object, creating a form for your poem which suits your feelings and messages. The poem can be as short as a haiku (like the "So Much Depends" poem Rachel recited) or longer if you wish. These are meant to be playful and experimental and will occupy a place in our magazine called "The Magic of Things."

 

 

Cheers!

Fr. Mark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poems of Grief and Denial of Grief

Source

POET

DATE - poet or poem

POEM

Grief, Denial of Grief
*Pinter 99 Poems 64-65 Li Po 0701-0762 The River Merchant's Wife: A Letter Woman's grief at missing husband
*Pinter 99 Poems   10-11 Psalm 137 -BC: -5C; JBC: Exilic Ps 137 - By the Waters of Babylon JBC - lament of thecommunity ()vs individual
*Pinter 99 Poems  136-137 Yuan Chen 0799-0831 An Elegy Grief over dead wife and her hard life with him
*Pinter 99 Poems   45 Jacopone da Todi 1228-1306 The Stabat Mater Grief of the virgin mother over son, poet about Christ; AFTERLIFE: Let his breath be on me
*Pinter 99 Poems  90 Pasternak, Boris 1890-1960 English Lessons Grief of Desdemona and Ophelia - quenching their grief
*Pinter 99 Poems  104-105 Queneau, Raymond 1903-1976 If you imagine grief at aging. Meditation onv utter beauty of youth (girl addressee) wrinkles fat flab- but roses!
*Pinter 99 Poems  21 Bellay, Joachim du 1522-1560 Antiquitez de Rome at the decay of Rome
*Pinter 99 Poems  18-19 Aragon, Louis 1897-1982 The Lilacs and the Roses at the bitter tragedy of war, pre & post
*Pinter 99 Poems  16-17 Apollinaire, Guillaume 1880-1918 The Mirabeau Bridge At love slipping away. Hope is so violent.
*Pinter 99 Poems  30   Cavafy, C.P. 1863-1933 The City (Pinsky) I have no home anywhere

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(This chart is for Fr. Mark's reference)

Source

POET

DATE - poet or poem

POEM

Grief, Denial of Grief
*Peacock p. 37f Wulf and Eadwacer 0900-1000 Wulf and Eadwacer Distance between her and lover Wulf
*Peacock p.100f Li Ch'iung-Chao 1081-1140 To the Tune "Cutting a Flowering Plum Branch" he is absent from this world
*Peacock p.126f Komunyakaa, Yusef 1947- My Father's Loveletters father's inability to speak secrets
*Peacock p.128f Ondaatje, Michael 1943- Letters & Other Worlds father's alcoholism
*Pinter 99 Poems Li Po 0701-0762 The River Merchant's Wife: A Letter Woman's grief at missing husband
*Pinter 99 Poems Celan, Paul 1920-1970 Deathfugue Over war and human hate and arian crap
*Pinter 99 Poems Psalm 137 -BC: -5C; JBC: Exilic Ps137 - By the waters of Babylon JBC - lament of thecommunity ()vs individual
*Pinter 99 Poems Blok, Aleksandr 1880-1921 The Vulture How long must we suffer war?
*Pinter 99 Poems Yuan Chen 0799-0831 An Elegy Grief over dead wife and her hard life with him
*Pinter 99 Poems Jacopone da Todi 1228-1306 The Stabat Mater Grief of the virgin mother over son, poet about Christ; AFTERLIFE: Let his breath be on me
*Pinter 99 Poems Pasternak, Boris 1890-1960 English Lessons Grief of Desdemona and Ophelia - quenching their grief
*Pinter 99 Poems Queneau, Raymond 1903-1976 If you imagine grief at aging. Meditation onv utter beauty of youth (girl addressee) wrinkles fat flab- but roses!
*Pinter 99 Poems Bellay, Joachim du 1522-1560 Antiquitez de Rome at the decay of Rome
*Pinter 99 Poems Aragon, Louis 1897-1982 The Lilacs and the Roses at the bitter tragedy of war, pre & post
*Pinter 99 Poems; DiYanni p.576 Apollinaire, Guillaume 1880-1918 The Mirabeau Bridge At love slipping away. Hope is so violent.
*Pinter 99 Poems; Pinsky Americans'; DiYanni 551; Cavafy, C.P. 1863-1933 The City (Pinsky) I have no home anywhere
*Rag and Bone 115 Vallejo, Cesar I Am Going to Speak of Hope Today I am simply in pain
*Rag and Bone 206 Goethe Erlkoenig - The Invisible King Denial of child's dying in Erlkoenig
*Rag and Bone Shop 100 Rilke Sonnets to Orpheus IV O you lovers, Do not be afraid to suffer
*Rag and Bone Shop 102 Neruda Melancholy Inside Families I know the earth and I am sad
*Rag and Bone Shop 105 Neruda Walking Around I am sick of being a man
*Rag and Bone Shop 108 Dickinson, Emily I Felt A Funeral, in My Brain And finished Knowing - then
*Rag and Bone Shop 110 Rilke Sonnets to Orpheus VIII Three Sisters - Praise, Longing, Grief
*Rag and Bone Shop 113 Lawrence, DH Healing I am not a mechanism.. I am ill because of wounds to the soul
*Rag and Bone Shop 205 Akhmatova, Anna Twenty-First. Night. Monday Some good-for-nothing made it up that love exists on eartrh. I am sick.
*Rag and Bone Shop 217 Ignatow, David A First on TV watching calmly a human being being flayed alive - Walter Kronkite models remaining calm
*Rag and Bone Shop 220 Koroneu Funeral Eva death of my son, shit on you gods! True rage in grief.
Abcarion 7th Cisternos Sandra 1954- My Wicked Wicked Ways speaker's grief over father's ways
Abcarion 7th Hughes, Langston 1902-1967 Harlem Lost dreams in Harlem
Abcarion 7th Hughes, Langston 1902-1967 Same in the Blues Lost dreams in Harlem
Abcarion 7th Neruda, Pablo 1904-1973 The Dead Woman grief over impending loss of beloved tempered by policial vision and duty - giving voice to powerles
Abcarion 7th Lee, Li-Young 1957- Between Seasons at death of a parent and resolution
Abcarion; Pinter 99 Poems Brecht, Bertolt 1898-1956 War has been given a bad name behind the humor and irony, grief at war
DiYanni p.574Norton Teacher Aid Rilke, Rainer Maria 1875-1926 The Panther panther's imprisonment in Rilke
DiYanni p.587 see Breughels's Icarus Auden, W.H. 1907-1973 Musee des Beaux Arts Icarus's trouble and grief noticed, but the world clamly goes on amidst suffering of all kinds
DiYanni p.590 see Hopper's painting, Sunday Herlands, E. Ward 1925- When Edward Hopper Was Painting "I like to think" feels like grief
DiYanni p.592 see Boticelli and Giotto paintings Eliot, T.S. Journey of the Magi At the loss of the old dispensation
Halpern Rimbaud, Arthur 1854-1891 18 poems in Halpern grief over lost innocence and childhood
M: & DiYanni p. 587 see auden's poem Breughel, Peter the Elder Landscape with the Fall of Icarus (c. 1558) painting Icarus's trouble and grief noticed, but the world clamly goes on amidst suffering of all kinds
Pinsky Americans' Akhmatova, Anna 1889-1966 The Sentence War's aftermath: Death in life
Pinsky Americans' Hayden, Robert 1913-1980 Those Winter Sundays Regret at not realizing father's love
Pinsky Americans' Pushkin, Alexandr 1799-1837 I loved you love lost; Good wish for past love
Pinsky Americans' Elhami, Hussein 1900-2000 "20th C" A Lyric in Exile grief at missing home;and
Pinsky Americans' Donne, John 1572-1631 A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning greif process: at separation
Pinsky Americans' Heaney, Seamus 1939- Mid-Term Break Death and dying of young brother killed by a car
Pinsky Americans' Homer -BC: -9Cmid Illiad Bk 6,439-479 at prospect of lost family
www -American Academy of Poets Akhmatova, Amachai, et al 8 poems on grief www -American Academy of Poets on theme of grief