Hyper Poetry Project (hyper-poetry@googlegroups.com)

[stephens...@gmail.com]

Hyper Poetry Project

Message from stephens...@gmail.com:

This is the HYPER POETRY ASSIGNMENT

Due:  This Friday, May 20, 2011

HYPER POETRY (ILLUMINATED POEM) ASSIGNMENT

Assignment:  Students will hyperlink text from a Sylvia Plath poem to Internet sources they find relevant both for illustrating and for understanding the poem.  These may include pictures and YouTube videos, but also biographical details, historical background, review, literary criticism, etc. Once students have decided on links, students must give commentary on how the information in the link connects to an understanding of the text in the poem.  

Rationale:  The hyperlinks give the reader an opportunity to learn additional information about the poem, the poet, and the references that the poet uses to  communicate her ideas, as well as to see images and hear music that students choose to enhance the experience of the poem.

Materials Needed:

1. a copy of a Sylvia Plath poem (one poem per class) -- your choice
2. Word processing or web publishing software (Google GMAIL)

Activity One

1. Select and read a Plath poem that you think is interesting, yet perplexing (it can be a poem you clearly don’t understand)
2. Read the title of the poem (does the title give a clue as to what the poet wants you to learn)
3. Get an overall first impression (overall feelings, emotions or gut responses)
4. Examine the Words (look up words that are unfamiliar, are there double meanings to these words)
5. What is the literal understanding of the poem?
6. What is the symbolic meaning of the poem?
7. Conduct Internet research to find out more about the author’s background, beliefs, life history, and the date that the poem was written (these factors are relevant to the poem)

1. cite the specific factors that are most relevant and write a few sentences about how each relates to your understanding of the poem
2. record the Internet locations of any sites that you think you might want to refer to later in your Hyper Poem

Activity Two

1. Copy and paste the text of the poem into a word processing program (Google Documents)
2. Use your notes and your own creativity to you locate additional hyperlinks to enhance the reading and understanding of the poem
3. Create 7 hyperlinks per poem (links that reference factual information; links that contribute to a deeper understanding of the poem’s themes or layers of meaning)
4. Hyperlinks might include biographical information from sites they located while working/reading , it could also link to a definition of a term, to pictures or songs that evoke the mood of a certain line or provide an interesting tie-in to a related audio clip such as the poet reading the poem, and to any (appropriate) Internet destinations that you believe shed light on the poem’s meaning.  It would be helpful if you add commentary to the links through the use of endnotes, footnotes, or parentheses).

Activity Three

1. Publish your work on the class website’s Google Group - Hyper Poetry
2. Students are to comment on one person’s work who is in the class and on another work for a person outside the class

Grading:  Students will be evaluated according to the number of hyperlinks used and the degree to which the hyperlinked resources touch on deeper themes from the poem and exhibit students’ understanding.  

Rubric:

See handout in the Google Group - Hyper Poetry

DUE:  This Friday, May 20, 2011 in the Google Group Website

Google Docs makes it easy to create, store and share online documents, spreadsheets and presentations.