Frost, Komunyakaa, Ansel, Olds, Lee, Gallagher

 Here's something to consider. In many of the poets we study, it seems that relatively ordinary events produce complex, ambiguous mental and emotional responses, leading to profound insights (these can be critical insights into conflicts in our society or culture, questions about the relation of art to life and the purpose and value of art, etc.). How do you see this in Frost's "Birches" and/or "After Apple Picking" and Komunyakaa's "Facing It"?

Plenty of useful stuff on the study sheets/exercises  + a critical article accompanying Ansel's poem "Glaze" (noted on syllabus), which can be cited in your essays, but is also a good model of close reading/detailed analysis. For Ansel, also check the Lit Resource Ctr: there is a brief review under "critical articles" that should prove useful; check those.    Also in BB, under the "primary sources" tab, you may also read more of her poetry--and I will say, she is a very interesting poet... More to come....

After reading the essay on "Glaze": find two or three more details in the poem to support one of the author's points, indicating which point and how they support it. Send a response by replying to this blog, or the discussions section of Black board.

If you're writing about Olds, be sure to check the study sheet on Bb, which will set you off in the right direction. Secondary sources for Gallagher and Lee: check the Literature Resource Center in the KBCC databases. There is an interview with Lee at the Poetry Foundation site, which may be useful. There are critical biographies of all three poets on PF, which include quote from various critics, commenting on aspects of the poetry, which may also be applied; if you cite these, note the critic's name, and the source as Poetry Foundation (poetryfoundation.org).    


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