By Saturday, February 25th at midnight...

This week, read "Saturday at the Canal" by Gary Soto.  I think "voice" is an important aspect of this poem.  Who is speaking?  What is the speaker saying, about life, about his life?  What do the various images in the poem tell you about the speaker's attitude toward his life?  Quote some examples and discuss what they show.  What else do you have to say about this poem?

By Saturday, 2/18 at midnight:

Discuss "Sadie and Maud" on page 230

Again, use the questions following it as a starting point.  And don't forget to read this one out loud and get into the rhythm of it.  Of what does this rhythm remind you?

DIscussion due February 11 at Midnight

This week let's discuss : What the Living Do" by Marie Howe on page 67 of our poetry text. Use the questions that follow it to give you ideas about what to discuss. In addition, think about these things. Howe says about this poem: "My brother had died. He was my dearest friend. He was 28 years old. He was 11 years younger than I was." With this in mind, what does this poem say to you about death, dealing with death, the speaker's reaction to her brother's death? How do the images, the word choices, convey these insights, the ideas you see within the poem? As you discuss the poem, don't forget to give "evidence" for what you say about the poem. To give "evidence" quote from the poem as you discuss it.