Assignment SequenceENGL 1020 Core Composition, Unit Three (Effectiveness of Form)

By Sarah KellerUniversity of Colorado, Denver

Assignment:Paper Three: The Effectiveness of Form

PromptFor this paper, you will describe the formal elements of a particular composition and argue how these formal elements reflect the meaning the author seeks to convey. You will consider the effectiveness of this form in revealing the author’s intention. This essay will engage a close reading of specific examples from the text as evidence for how form conveys meaning. Your essay should be written for an academic audience. You will be required to meet with a representative from the Writing Center for revisions on your essay prior to submitting your essay. Space is limited, please be sure to schedule an appointment in advance. To prove that you have gone to the Writing Center, please obtain a “confirmation of visit form” and attach it along with your rubric and rough draft to your final draft when you submit your essay. You will turn in a hard copy of your polished final draft to me in class November 5.

You may choose from the following texts: “Sign Language” Deaf Jam Poetry by Rives and/or “Hands” by Sarah Kay, found on youtube. (You may consider

comparing/contrasting this with the formal elements of one of the written word poems discussed in class). Ballad of Danny Bailey by Elton John (You may consider researching the traditional Ballad form poem to inform your

argument of the effectiveness of the form in this song). The Scream by Edvard Munch (You may consider researching Expressionism to inform your argument of the

effectiveness of form in this painting). Everything is Illuminated film by Live Schreiber (You may consider comparing/contrasting this with the formal

elements of the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer).

Essay Writing Steps: 1. Identify specific elements of the composition (consult Formal Terms vocabulary sheet for your subject or look up

common terms for describing your genre). 2. Consider the author or artist’s purpose in creating this piece and what the composition is saying. How do the formal

elements of the composition convey this purpose? (Consider why the author/ artist employed these formal elements in specific to convey his/her message).

3. Argue for the effectiveness of the formal elements in this piece. And consider the relevance of your argument about this text to modern society.

What I’m Grading On: Your ability to identify the formal elements of a work and describe how they function within the work. Your ability to demonstrate to what extent these formal elements are effective in conveying the meaning of the work. Your ability demonstrate consideration of broader concepts surrounding the topic of your writing. Your ability to edit your work according to academic conventions. Use the Writing Center to gain tools for how to improve

your composition. Edit and proofread in order to meet academic style and grammar requirements. Your ability to meet the assignment requirements. So if you’re struggling, talk to me.

- Your essay must be 5-7pages in length (to the bottom of the fifth page). Your essay should cite and additional information used in your essay. One-inch margins, 12-point standard font, double-spaced, no extra spaces in document.

- By no later than October 27 make an appointment to meet with a representative from the Writing Center no later than November 3. Required. Make sure you plan sufficient time to work on revising your essay after your Writing Center meeting.

- Final draft is due November 5, at the beginning of class.

What I’m Grading On:Correct Use of Terms and Specific Examples

4 points:Demonstrates advanced knowledge of the topic and the terms involved and applies terms to outside sources through compare/contrast or advanced knowledge of the genre.

3 points:Demonstrates advanced knowledge of the topic and the terms involved.

2 points:Exhibits proficient use of terms and effectively communicates basic information about the composition

1 point:Applies some terms regarding the formal elements of the piece.

0 points:Applies very few or no formal terms in describing the composition.

Analysis of what Effect the Formal Elements Convey

4 points:Demonstrates skills in analysis of form and its effect.Shows thorough research and effectively connects formal analysis to broader topics.

3 points:Shows proficiency in ability to analyze formal effect and communicate ideas about this topic to the audience.

2 points:Exhibits sufficient consideration for form and its effect.

1 point:Some consideration is made for what effect is created by form, but ideas are underdeveloped.

0 points:No formal analysis is demonstrated.

Argument and Defense for whether or not the Form is Effective

4 points:Shows advanced skills in ability to use specific formal elements as evidence and links this evidence with broader ideas. Makes a strong and convincing argument about the effectiveness of the form and its implications in consideration of broader topics

3 points:Shows skills in ability to use specific formal elements as evidence for why the composition is effective or not. Makes a strong and convincing argument for the effectiveness of the composition.

2 points:Shows proficiency in ability to use specific formal elements as evidence for why the composition is effective or not.

1 point:Argument for the composition’s effectiveness is underdeveloped.

0 points:Does not effectively convey consideration for the effectiveness of the composition.

Ideas and Content

4 points:Presents a compelling personal argument related to the composition and its pertinence in modern society. Demonstrates unique concepts and thoughtful reflection of greater themes and implications surrounding the composition.

3 points:Includes compelling ideas and argument related to the cultural practice.

2 points:Demonstrates some knowledge of the tradition, but ideas are under- developed, unconvincing, or inapplicable.

1 point:Essay does not convey sufficient applicable information regarding the tradition.

0 points:Content is distractingly off topic or under-developed. Essay is incomplete and content is non-substantial.

Thesis andSupport of Thesis

3 points:Essay’s thesis and argument extend beyond the basic requirement and effectively engage broader connections to the formal analysis.

2 points:Essay contains a strong, clear thesis that is arguable and engaging. Essay is persuasive and convincing.

1 point:Essay has a clear thesis that is under-developed. Thesis is unclear or not arguable.Arguments are not persuasive or are under-developed.

0 points:No argument is made or essay lacks persuasive arguments. Thesis is unrecognizable or missing.

Organization and Format

3 points:Composition’s organization makes information clear and accessible to the reader.

2 points:Demonstrates knowledge of satisfactory organization and formatting.

1 point:Improperly formatted essay.Poor organization of essay contents.

0 points:Does not meet requirements of page length or general formatting.

Conventions and Revision

3 points:Displays correct grammar, spelling, conventions, etc. and demonstrates consideration for feedback from Writing Center workshop.

2 points:Is mostly proficient in grammar, spelling, conventions, etc.

1 point:Numerous errors distract from the argument of the essay.Inadequate revision from first draft.

0 points:Student does not provide evidence of having gone to the Writing Center. Student has not shown proof of editing from their first draft.

Total: /25 points (25% of overall grade)

Lesson Plans

Day 1 Second Paper Final Draft DueBegin Unit 3: Forms of Cultural ExpressionHand out Third Paper Prompt.Discuss how to read a poem: Poetics 101. In class example “Blackberry Picking” Seamus Heaney.

Read “Theoretikos” Oscar Wilde and “I Hear America Singing” Walt Whitman on CANVAS.

Day 2In class writing: Practice annotating poems. Comment on the poetic strategies (and their effects) in “America the Beautiful”. What does the scansion tell us? DIDLSTOP

Discuss Walt Whitman “I Hear America Singing” and “Theoretikos” Oscar Wilde. How do the poets use the poem form to convey their meaning? What particularly catches your attention in the poem (think DIDLSTOP)? What have you learned about poetry that you did know/ realize before? Do you have a greater appreciation for poetry?

QW6: Chose ONE of the following options: 1. Write a sonnet and describe why you made the formal decisions you made in creating the poem.2. Select a poem (different from those we are studying in class) and provide thorough annotations/ notes in the margin on the various formal techniques employed by the poet, the significance of these literary devices, and the effect they create.

View “How I Discovered Poetry” Maia Mayor and Gabriella Wilson, “Sign Language Def Jam Poetry” Rives, and “Like Totally Whatever, You Know” Taylor Mali. Links on CANVAS.

Day 3In class writing: Compare and contrast the formal elements of spoken word poetry and written word poetry. How do the formal qualities of each play in to our experience of the different forms of poetry?

QW6 due.Discuss Spoken Word Poetry. How does spoken word differ from written word poetry? Did you find any of the performances particularly compelling, and why?Does the mainstream status of spoken word/ songwriting render these forms more or less effect in conveying meaning than more traditional forms? Are “low culture” and “high culture” at odds with one another? Is one school of thought better than the other?

Preview “Sigh No More” Mumford and Sons and “We Love the Things that Hate Us” Atmosphere. Links on CANVAS.

Day 4 Discuss the song form. How does song function in a similar way to poetry? How does it function differently than poetry? Is contemporary songwriting as much an art as Sonnet writing for instance?How do the different styles of music affect our understanding/interpretation of the lyrics? Why did the songwriter make the formal choices he did in conveying his message?Compare “Sigh No More” with “Much Ado About Nothing”. The song by Mumford and Sons serves as a celebration of the English culture while the song by Atmosphere is critical of American culture—how do these two use the song form to convey their contrasting standpoints?

QW7: Select a song that is meaningful to you for a close reading. Write an analysis of the song referencing specific lyrics, poetic devices, musical elements, etc. that are important in conveying the meaning of the song. Analyze the formal elements of your favorite song. What makes it your favorite song? How do the musical elements reflect the lyrics/text of the song? (Remember Diction Imagery Detail Language Syntax Tone Organization Purpose) 2 pages.

Listen to “Ballad of Danny Bailey” Elton John. Research Ballad poetry form. Link on CANVAS.

Day 5 QW7 due.Continue discussion of music form. Discuss importance of genre in music.Example of Formal Analysis: Somewhere Over the Rainbow Clip from PBS.Discuss “Ballad of Danny Bailey”.Talk about the Ballad form in poetry.Watch “Hip Hop and Shakespeare” TED talk. Discuss the overlap between song and poetry form.

QW8: Creative Writing, Select ONE of the following prompts1. Write about travels (of yourself or a hypothetical character) to another state or country. What does the traveler notice about the new environment? What are the cultural similarities or differences they encounter? What do they think about the different lifestyles of people around them in this new country?2. Give a short narrative account describing an event from your childhood and include allusions to the reason it is so memorable to you.3. The government officials of our nation have decided to change the national symbol. They are taking suggestions about what the new national symbol should be. Write about which symbol you would choose to represent the nation and why.

Day 6 QW8 due.How to “read” visual media.Discuss American culture and visual media.John Gast, “American Progress”Ansel Adams and Thomas Moran comparison.

Read pages 323 to 341“Arguing” and pages 356 to 366 “Defining” for Third Paper.Schedule a time with the Writing Center for editing Third Paper.

Day 7In class writing: Write about the formal qualities of the painting and discuss what effect they have. Is the piece effective overall? Why or why not? What does the painting reveal about American ideals?

Talk about strategies for “Argument” writing. Discuss textbook readingDiscuss Illuminated Manuscripts

Read excerpts from Ed Sikov’s “Film Studies” on CANVAS.

Day 8 Discuss “Film Studies” Ed Sikov excerpts.Watch “Everything is Illuminated”. Scene shot-by-shot analysis/ Close Reading of a scene.

QW9: Compile a vocabulary list of 10+ terms relating to the formal qualities of the work considered in Paper Three and provide a definition or an example for each word. Consider the effectiveness of these various formal qualities and place a check mark next to the effective qualities work and an X next to those you find ineffective.

Day 9 QW9Finish “Everything is Illuminated” film.Discuss “Everything is Illuminated” novel and film. How does this contemporary fictional account of American foreign travel compare to Mark Twain’s 19th century account of American travel to foreign nations?

Read “Everything is Illuminated” excerpts. Excerpts found on CANVAS.Complete Rough Draft of Third Paper.

Day 10 Discuss excerpts from “Everything is Illuminated” novel. Close Reading of passages.What do we learn about American culture from this novel? Ukrainian culture? Jewish culture? What do we learn about the importance of heritage and history? What does this novel have to say about why culture, tradition, heritage, etc. is so important?

What is the author saying about literacy through the character of Alex?

Last day to revise Third Paper with Writing Center.Read “Everything is Illuminated” excerpts. Excerpts found on CANVAS

Day 11 Third Paper Final Draft DueContinue “Everything is Illuminated” novel discussion.Compare the film to the novel form of “Everything is Illuminated”. Do different forms convey different meanings? Are there motifs that are developed in the film that aren’t in the novel or vice versa?

QW10: Compare the novel version of “Everything is Illuminated” to the film version. Compare the mediums of literature and cinema in general. What do you think of the common occurrence of novels becoming movies? 1-2 pages.

Which form is more effective, why?

Handouts and Homework:Written Word Poetry:

Oscar Wilde (1854–1900). Poems. 1881 TheoretikosTHIS mighty empire hath but feet of clay: Of all its ancient chivalry and might Our little island is forsaken quite: Some enemy hath stolen its crown of bay, And from its hills that voice hath passed away 5Which spake of Freedom: O come out of it, Come out of it, my Soul, thou art not fit For this vile traffic-house, where day by day Wisdom and reverence are sold at mart, And the rude people rage with ignorant cries 10Against an heritage of centuries. It mars my calm: wherefore in dreams of Art And loftiest culture I would stand apart, Neither for God, nor for his enemies.

I Hear America SingingWalt Whitman, 1819 - 1892I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat,

the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning,

or at noon intermission or at sundown,The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work,

or of the girl sewing or washing,Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

Spoken Word:Like Totally Whatever, You Know?” www.youtube.com/watch?v=mksQ-8IG1WQ “Deaf Poetry” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTTVOfkTxho

“How I Discovered Poetry” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF5pMLWZluMSong:

“Sign No More” by Mumford and SonsServe God, love me and mendThis is not the endLived unbruised, we are friendsAnd I'm sorryI'm sorrySigh no more, no moreOne foot in sea, one on shoreMy heart was never pureYou know meYou know meBut man is a giddy thingOh man is a giddy thingOh man is a giddy thingOh man is a giddy thingLove; it will not betray youDismay or enslave you, it will set you freeBe more like the man you were made to beThere is a design, an alignment to cryOf my heart to see,The beauty of love as it was made to beLove; it will not betray youDismay or enslave you, it will set you freeBe more like the man you were made to beThere is a design, an alignment to cryOf my heart to see,The beauty of love as it was made to beLove; it will not betray youDismay or enslave you, it will set you freeBe more like the man you were made to beAnd there is a design, an alignment to cryOf my heart to see,The beauty of love as it was made to be

“Things that Hate Us” by AtmosphereSee I come from a time where they didn't put rear view mirrors on passenger sides of vehicles

And this is for those that still drink malt liquorPut the poison in your body just to pass out quickerWhen death calls best believe it's gonna get all emotionalBecause I ain't goin' to hell without my menthols

Damn cable TV got me trapped inGirls actin' dumb and cops beatin' black menOverfill, overkill, tryin' to dealCall the toll free and order my some diet pillsGot me looking at the sugar in the Kool-Aid that you madeYou need to chase it down with some toothpasteStill stuck to the simple things yep the struggle in between a couple of krispy kremesI have to ask if you could pass that half and half to get my coffee back on trackBig ups to all the carbonated hiccups the energy drinks and the suicide big gulpsGonna find happiness in the fast foodSupersize the triple bypass heart attack tooDistract you with these colorful tattoos to cover up the fact that we feel like bad news

[Chorus]We love the things that hate usPush snooze again girl I don't want to wake upAmerica the beautiful that's how she played usWasn't that cute it must have been her make upTrying to grab everything that she gave usJust take it back in the math on that pay stubLookin' at the neighbors like wait upWe love the things that hate us

Pain killers help find some feelingCrack the vic in half just to break the time sealantTake it by yourself on the living room carpetDo a little bump just to clean your apartmentI've seen your wife she's not the true finestI understand why you like to pay them prostitutesStrip clubs gun shops oh Jesus right next to the liquor store for your convenienceEverybody say ho for the cuervoYou can drive if you promise to be carefulTurn the radio up and light a doobieAnd keep acting like life is like a movieThis is for those needles you share becauseThose after school TV specials is too squareCook the coke for your own consumptionAll some joe joe dems In old school, what's your function?As American as herpes and hot dogsGot lost between the mustard and the hot sauceUnprotected sex with that one you just metYou ain't even got all your hep shots yet

[Chorus]

Visual Media:

“The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone” Thomas Moran, 1901. Oil on canvas.

“Mt of the Holy Cross” Thomas Moran, 1875. Oil on canvas.

“Baseball Game at Manzanar” Ansel Adams, 1943. Photograph.

“Scene of Barrack Homes at Manzanar War Relocation, Windstorm Brings Dust from the Surrounding Desert.” Dorothea Lange, 1942. Photograph.

The opening of “The Knight’s Tale” from the Ellesmere Manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, early 15th century

Poetry Termsmeter (n.): The measured pulse of poetry, the pattern which occurs when rhythm is formally organized.

scansion (n.): The act of discovery or interpretation of the meter of a poem as realized in one of its lines. Also the notation system of meter in metrical poetry just as sheet music notates music or writing notates speech. Verb: “to scan.”

foot: A metrical unit of measurement in accentual-syllabic verse.

Kinds of feet iamb (n.); iambic (adj.): Disyllabic metrical foot composed of an unstressed syllable followed by an

stressed syllable, as in the word “about.” Probably most used foot in English verse and said to be the most like ordinary speech.

trochee (n.); trochaic (adj.): Disyllabic foot composed of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable as in the word “running.” It is known as a falling foot, as opposed to feet such as the iamb, which is a rising foot because it ends on a stressed syllable.

anapest (n.); anapestic (adj.): Trisyllabic; unstressed, unstressed, stressed. Often used to indicate excited motion, the foot was originally used as a march rhythm and later became known as “galloping meter.” Also, effectively used as a slow and mournful rhythm if it is mixed with variations. Example by William Cowper: “I am lord | of the fowl | and the brute.”

dactyl (n.); dactylic (adj.): Trisyllabic foot; stressed, unstressed, unstressed. Example: “Fabulous, | marvelous | poetry!”

pyrrhic (adj, n.): Disyllabic foot; unstressed, unstressed. And spondee (n.)

spondaic (adj.): Disyllabic foot; stressed, stressed. Used to reinforce effects of slowness, weight, and difficulty. Example of a line by Andrew Marvell that uses both pyrrhics and spondees. The spondees are in bold, the pyrrhic are in italics (for contrast) and the vertical lines mark divisions between the feet: “To a | green thought | in a | green shade.”

enjambment, n.— In poetry, when a sentence continues past the line-break and into the next line. v.: to enjamb; adj.: enjambed

end-stopping, n.—A line of poetry marked by punctuation that indicates a stop, usually a period or semi-colon. v.: to end-stop; adj.: end-stopped Example from Sylvia Plath’s “Lady Lazarus”:

The second time I meantTo last it out and not come back at all. I rocked shut

As a seashell. They had to call and call

And pick the worms off me like sticky pearls.

blank verse: Unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter often used in long poems and dramatic verse.

sonnet: Traditionally, a fourteen-line poem in iambic pentameter with a variable rhyme scheme. There are two types of traditional sonnets—the Petrarchan and the Shakespearean. Petrarchan sonnet: ABBAABBA CDECDE. Shakespearean sonnet: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.

slant rhyme: (also, half or near rhyme) A general term for harmonic sound values that are not full rhymes assonantally or consonantally, but are partial rhymes as in blood/good, cat/cot, hope/cup. eye rhyme: (also, sight rhyme) A type of rhyme in which words or the final parts of words are spelled alike but not pronounced alike, as in chive/live, blood/mood, and through/cough.

alliteration/consonance, n.—The repetition of consonant sounds in successive words, as in “While I nodded, nearly napping” from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” or Robert Frost’s “The Silken Tent”: “supporting central cedar pole.”

assonance, n.—The repetition of vowel sounds in successive words, as in “asleep in the deep each evening.”

anaphora, n.—The repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of a series of phrases, lines, or sentences. Examples of anaphora from Walt Whitman’s “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry”:

Others will enter the gates of the ferry, and cross from shore to shore; Others will watch the run of the flood-tide; Others will see the shipping of Manhattan north and west, /

and the heights of Brooklyn to the south and east; Others will see the islands large and small;

Performance Poetry Terms

Dynamics-changing volume of the speaker/performer

Tone- the specific vocal intonation that conveys feeling or meaning

Emphasis- vocal inflection to draw particular attention to particular words or phrases

Gestures and Facial Expressions

Improvisation- created without preparation

Ambient Sounds-background sounds

Aesthetics-visual portrayal of information

Storytelling- based on tradition of verbally relaying information

Music Terms

A cappella - singing without any instruments

Bridge - the part of a song that transitions between two main parts

Chord - when three or more notes are played at the same time. There are many different types of chords or combinations of notes that can be played in music (Harmonic, Melodic, Natural—major and minor).

Time Signature – number of beats per measure of music. The most typical is 4 beats per measure (common time). Waltz typically has 3 beats per measure. Some marches have 2 beats per measure.

Dynamics- Loudness or softness of a song

Crescendo - growing steadily louder

Decrescendo - growing steadily more quiet

Dissonance - a combination or quality of sounds that sound unstable, jarring cacophony

Consonance- a combination or quality of sounds that sound pleasant and harmonious

Harmony - when several notes or chords come together to create a certain sound.

Legato - to play music smoothly, to blend notes together

Measure - the period or time frame of song that has the entire timing. The measure is then repeated over and over during the song.

Meter - a pattern of strong and soft beats throughout the music

Octave - In music, an octave has all notes (A,B,C,D,E,F,G) as well as their sharps and flats included. This octave is repeated in both higher and lower pitches. So the next higher A note, after the note you are playing, is considered one octave higher.

Soprano Alto Tenor Bass – ranges of singing voices from highest to lowest

Staccato - when each music note is played sharply and by itself.

Tempo - timing or speed of the music

Accelerando - gradually quickened tempo

Decelerando- gradually slowed tempo

Acompaniment- not the main melody by the music played under the main melody (usually instrumental)

Tone- The intonation, pitch, and modulation of a composition expressing the meaning, feeling, or attitude of the music. The tonal characteristics determined by the relationship of the notes to the tone.

Monotone- repetition of a single tone

In Unison- when various singers or instruments sing/play the same notes together

Rationale:This third unit of my course builds upon the previous two units in the course-long discussion of

culture and the complexity of literacy. The third unit develops themes explored in the first unit where students considered how “literacy” is not limited to reading and writing, but involves a broader understanding of many different types of literacies (eg dialects, jargon, field specific vocabulary, skills, body language, etc). This unit emphasizes how formal elements can convey meaning and promotes a multilinguistic approach to composition by teaching students how to understand the communication of information involved in visual and auditory multimedia.

The unit is scaffolded toward the students’ demonstration of understanding formal analysis and the defense or refutation of the effectiveness of a specific composition’s formal components. Beginning with poetry allows for a more seamless transition between textual reading and the “reading” of multimedia texts like visual and audio texts. From there, the course progresses to a more multimedia form with the study of spoken word poetry. This easily transitions to the study of music form through parallels of verse, rhyme, repetition, vocal communication, and stage presence. While the majority of emphasis is placed on the auditory content of music, the visual element of contemporary music allows for a transition into the visual fields of study. The class focuses on establishing a basic visual literacy through practice with illuminated manuscripts, landscape paintings, and photography. These many diverse media are combined in one field with the study of film.

The study of these various media are integral to Composition because of the prevalence of multimedia communication in contemporary society, and multimedia literacy is an essential tool for students of the modern era to learn critical thinking in all areas of life. However, the numerous forms also exhibit parallels for discussing effective writing. With poetry, comes the discussion of numerous literary devices like techniques of repetition for emphasis. With music, students can learn the importance of meter and rhythm even in prosaic writing as a tool for sentence fluency. Art provides a parallel to writing by examining the importance of content and organization. It also provides a great analogy for the idea of “framing” ideas to help a reader understand a subject or source through a specific lens. Film is essential to the discussion of English studies and Core Composition because it is the predominant narrative form of our times. This media can also teach students the importance of seamless transitions in their writing.

From a multimedia approach to composition, students learn not only how to write from the example of effective communication demonstrated in these various forms, but also how to write about various media. Additionally, the subject matter is engaging and highly applicable to the contemporary student and encourages personal interest in the course material and the subject of English composition overall. The subject also provides an opportunity for greater cross-subject enforcement of effective communication and demonstrates that the importance of effective communication and critical thinking skills is not limited to English majors but is something the students can (and should) bring to all areas of their lives.