Response to Poem
Post your response to her poem “Persephone’s Blues Song” ( Persephone’s Blues Song.pdf) BEFORE class. Use a few of the following questions to help you explore the poem:
1. Artistic Elements: which word choices or phrases stick out to you? think about why. How might you describe the tone and pace created by the word choices? informal, formal? heavy, light? urgent, sad, humorous, etc.? What words help create that tone? Do you notice any images, or sensory details? How do you respond to those? Do you notice any rhythmic elements? repetition? rhyme, or use of similar sounds? What do you notice about the shape (form) of the poem, and the length of the lines? How do these feed into a sense of rhythm?
2. Topic Elements: Who is speaking, and to whom? Why? Is there a story or lesson that the poem opens? Are there any clues about a larger societal context ((cultural, time and era, political, etc.) Does this explore a complex human truth? If so, elaborate.
3. What might you bring to the poem, outside of what the poem gives us directly? For example, because we are reading it right now, in this moment in time, what do you bring to the poem, when you read it?
******FINALLY Include two – three questions you have about the poem; these will help springboard our talk with the poet. Don’t worry about being “smart” or “stupid” – all questions are useful, and can lead to interesting discussions.
