For our class session on Thursday, January 31 please read pages 84-108 in The Resistance to Poetry, which correspond to final two chapters in the book. As I mentioned in our previous class session, I want you to compose questions for Alexis and Mike based on our reading; these questions will take the place of our quiz. Below is a sample question I wrote in order to give you a sense of how I want you to develop them:
We're reading James Longenbach's
The Resistance to Poetry for our course. In one of his chapters, Longenbach explores the confluence of song and story. Specifically, he champions a poetry that fosters:
a middle ground where the semantic power of language is alternately bolstered and resisted by the physical seduction of its sound—a place where we are given the freedom to take pleasure in language that we may not need full to understand. (39)
In other words, Longenbach understands the poem to be a space where story and sound both support and grate against one another. He believes, ultimately, that such a relationship produces pleasure in the reader. To this extent, I would like to know how you conceptualize the intersection of story and sound within your poetry. Do you agree or disagree with Longenbach's assessment? How do you think these different forces interact with one another? Does the relationship change from poem to poem? Has the relationship altered throughout the course of your own writing life? How so? Could you offer an example of a poem where you think you've balanced song and story well? What about an example of when one takes precedence over the other? When one of these forces
does trump the other, why was it necessary for this to happen? Are there any poets or poems you enjoy that are particularly adept at writing in a language you might not understand but can still take pleasure in?
As you can see, I've not only quoted Longenbach, but contextualized the quote and offered a re-wording of it as well. Moreover, I've posed several questions that necessitate
more than a simple Yes-or-No answer. Likewise, I pose multiple questions that allow for a range of directions in which the interviewee can follow. Finally, the language is clear and the subject matter specific. Please follow the above example when composing your questions. If you can also relate the question to a particular poem that we read by Mike or Alexis, that would be even better.
Furthermore, you will type out your questions and turn them in at the end of class. Below is the break down of who I want you composing questions for:
Alexander, Mateus, Ryan, Arielle, Gabby, Monica, Evan, and Jamie, I want you to create a question for Mike based upon chapter 8 (i.e. "Leaving Things Out") and a question for Alexis based upon chapter 9 (i.e. "Composed Wonder").
Angela, Nate, Sergio, Gregory, Kassie, Katie, Emily, Neil, and Ray, I want you to create a question for Alexis based upon chapter 8 (i.e. "Leaving Things Out") and a question for Mike based upon chapter 9 (i.e. "Composed Wonder").
