M4D1 My Favorite Poem: Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou

INSTRUCTIONS

This Assignment unfolds in three distinct sections. 1.First, visit the Favorite Poem Project Videos website https://www(dot)poets(dot)org/poetsorg/text/favoritepoem-project and view a minimum of 3 of the videos. Also view https://www(dot)cspan(dot)org/video/?196573-1/poetry

In the first part of your paper, identify the three videos you watched, e.g. We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks read by John Ulrich (plus you’ll list two more videos). Make sure to identify the poem, the poet, and the reader of the poem.

Next, wright which of the three videos you like the best and why that particular video impressed you. Be as specific as you can.

For example, I love the poem’s depiction of inner city youth and the irony of kids trying to be cool only to die a premature death. The reader’s own experience growing up in the inner city of Boston and losing friends to drugs and violence on the streets brings the poem’s profound message to life and puts a face on human tragedy. 2.For the second part you are required to name your own favorite poem and provide a hyperlink or URL to an online version of that poem. After you name the poem, please explain in around 50 words what impresses you so about this particular poem. If you are absolutely unable to find a poem you like you can substitute the lyrics of a favorite song but you must provide a link the song’s lyrics (a youtube video is an extra bonus); however, your instructor much prefers you chose a poem. For example, - My favorite poem is Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy”. This poem’s power astounded me when I first encountered it in a Contemporary Poetry class. Where does the poet’s intense anger come from? How can she compare her father to a Nazi? The poem’s anger is told in a nursery rhyme rhythm making the anger all the more unsettling. Plus, the poet uses only one simple rhyme throughout the poem. It is like an incantation that stays me with years later. After hearing this poem read aloud I wanted to know more about this poet. How could a young woman write such a strange and unsettling poem? 3.For the third part read the two post listed below and provide feedback/comments on it, each should be at least 100 words. POST #1 Matt C. Casey at the Bat by Thayer, Lawrence Ernest read by Lee Samuel The Sloth by Theodore Roethke read by 5th Grade Student Nick and the Candlestick by Sylvia Plath read by Seph Rodney Of these three poems my favorite was the only one that I had ever heard before, Casey at the Bat. I saw the cartoon version of this poem when I was a child in elementary school. I had a baseball card collection, enjoyed playing sports and watching cartoons. Another thing that I enjoyed was reading stories. Between being a cartoon about a sport that told a story, it was bound to be my favorite. As the poem goes along it places a baseball team and its fans in a situation where only the poems hero, Casey, can save the team. His pride and confidence allow him to not put his full effort into the game. He allows two strikes to be thrown without even attempting to swing. The third pitch is thrown and you are left wondering if Casey saved the day. The last line sums up the entire story, “mighty Casey has struck out.” Not only did I enjoy the story that the poem told, but having played many different sports growing up, and mostly playing on losing teams, I have learned the importance of trying your hardest every time. Even though you might not see the importance in putting your full effort into your work, performing to your best in everything will have a positive effect on your life. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly https://en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/There_Was_an_Old_Lady_Who_Swallowed_a_Fly I am not a big fan of poems, but my favorite would probably be There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly written by Rose Bonne. The main reason I love this poem has little to do with the poem itself. I have a younger brother who is thirteen years my junior and this was one of the books he had as a kid. I enjoyed the story at first because of dark humor of her dying at the end of the child’s poem. The entire time you wonder how someone could eat all of those creatures, until finally at the end it catches up with her and kills her. I read that poem to my brother so many times that I memorized it. I love it for the memories. I cannot wait until someday I can purchase it and read it to my own children. POST #2 Caleb M I viewed the videos of Song of Myself by Walt read by John Doherty, The Sloth by Theodore Roethke read by a 5th grade student, and The Lost Pilot by James Tate read by Jessica Cotzin. My favorite of the three was The Lost Pilot. This poem seems to tug on the heart of its viewers. The author seems to capture several emotions, ranging from anger to sadness about never really getting to know his father. The reader lost her father at an early age. Even though her father wasn’t a pilot in the war, she still is able to relate to the author and his poem by not ever really getting to know her father. My favorite poem is written by a fellow submariner. The submarine force has an interesting history, specifically in World War Two. One of the great heroes of the submarine force is Commander Morton and his ship the USS Wahoo. The Wahoo sank an incredible amount of tonnage, the most during that period of the war. His ship and crew were legendary even though his career eventually came under controversy. The poem Morton and Wahoo by John I. Chaffey has an easy beat to follow, every two lines rhyme. What I really enjoyed was the reference to foreign ports, and the other great submariners that Commander Morton mentored through his career. Another aspect to take away is the reference to folklore such as Davey Jones and the importance it plays to some sailors. References Chaffey, J. (February 4, 2001). Morton and Wahoo. Retrieved from http://www(dot)submarinesailor(dot)com/poetry/MortonWahoo.htm Pinksy, R. (N.D.) Favorite Poem Project. Retrieved from http://www(dot)favoritepoem(dot)org/