ASSIGNMENT:

The Hindu poet Kalidasa wrote the following poem:

Salutation to the Dawn

January 1,
Look to this day,
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course lie all the varieties and realities
of your existence,
The bliss of growth, the glory of action, the splendor of
beauty;
For yesterday is but a dream; and tomorrow is only a
vision,
But today well lived makes
Every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day! by Kalidasa

1. Analyze and interpret this passage. Respond to the topic with the Discussions tool discussing your understanding of the ideas that Kalidasa expresses.

2. You have read the chapters in WT that introduce the process of writing and the chapter on writing a memoir. Review as needed to recall the concept map and the organizational process that goes into writing a memoir.

3. Using the pre-writing that you have completed for the detail and using the organization suggested by the order of questions asked and the instructions on the memoir assignment, choose the detail that is pertinent to your purpose and write your first draft. Please be aware that beginning your paper with a sensory description-starting in the middle of the action that you have chosen as your focus--and then going back to make sense with the back story gives you an engaging introduction.

4. Remember, this essay is about ONE INCIDENT in your life that illustrates the ideas presented in Kalidasa's poem. The questions for pre-writing will help you recall exact detail of the event. In fact, the pre-writing may offer you a pleasing structure for your memoir. Limit the events to one point in time that can illustrate the whole experience (think of the way one scene in a movie would work to give you a sense of the whole story).

5. Include descriptive details to convey clear imagery of the elements of your memoir. You most likely will not use all of the details that you recalled (or made up as appropriate to the time, mood, and place). Remember to consider all of the senses: taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound. But DO NOT use detail that is not pertinent to your story. Create a dominant impression (the point you are making about your learning experience) by the focus offered in your pre-writing exercise.

6. Next, provide an introduction that links the poem to the main point of your memoir-- your identification of a learning experience gained from your incident.

7. Pay close attention to the essays in your text. The organization in those essays will also instruct you in a way to organize your main idea in your own memoir essay if you need more help than the pre-writing offers. You will need to choose appropriate detail for unification.

OPTIONAL:

For your enjoyment and for a different perspective on the message of Kalidasa's poem, I provide here a link to a beautiful video. You do not have to view it, nor do you have to include its message in your paper. I offer it as enrichment and a way to expand your thinking on the worth of your event. DO NOT BE CONFUSED-THE POEM IS THE FOCUS OF THE PAPER.

By the way, the TED lectures are fascinating and offer exciting and entertaining information on various subjects-an interesting way to get smarter. You can Google TED Talks to learn more about the gathering of the greatest minds of our time.