Part 1

Identify the theme of the poem. How do you know this is the theme?

Define the poetic devices (e.g., rhythm, figurative language, etc.) used in the poem. Offer at least two examples.

Analyze how these poetic devices contribute to the development of the poem's message.

Part 2

How did hearing the poem recited aloud compare to a silent reading of it?

Did the performance highlight certain words or phrases that were not as apparent in a silent reading?

Did the pace change and, if so, how did it change your understanding of the poem?

Did words have different connotations when spoken aloud, and, if so, what kind(s) of connotation did you associate with the poem?

Do you think reading poetry aloud is a worthwhile endeavor when analyzing it? Why, or why not?

References

Clugston, R. W. (2014). Journey into literature (2nd Ed.) [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/
Brooks, G. (1960) We Real Cool. Harper. Retrieved on 31st January 2017 from https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/we-real-cool

Discussion

ENG125: Introduction to Literature

Despite making poor decisions and the struggles Jackson faced, there seems to be nothing standing in the way of Jackson's quest for identity and that is clear through his spiritual transformation throughout the story.

Being homeless for six years you would expect Jackson to be someone that would hold a lot of bitterness and anger towards society and other people with the reality that he lives however, this is far from the case for Jackson. Jackson actually appears to be very friendly, smart and even comic (Peterson, 2010, p.77). In the beginning of the story Jackson goes into the pawn shop and tries to convince the pawn shop owner that is his grandmother's regalia.

Jackson's friend Rose of Sharon then says "He's the most honest Indian I know" (Alexie, 2003). This shows that Jackson is a good soul. For someone to say that he is the most honest Indian they know really says something about Jackson's character. Throughout the story it becomes more clear that there really is something watching over Jackson. "Even in a story with some tension, a plot can be driven forward by kindness rather than conflict" (Ebenback, 2010, p.15).

References:

Alexie, S. (2003). What You Pawn, I Will Redeem, New York, NY: The New Yorker
Ebenback, D. (2010). "Writing towards the light: A short-story writer realizes that the form welcomes both sadness and hope." Writer (Kalmback Publishing Co.), (123), 15-16 Peterson, N. (2010). "If I were Jewish, how would I mourn the dead?": Holocaust and Genocide in the work of Sherman Alexie, MELUS, 3(35), 76-79

Explain the connection between the topic sentence and your working thesis. Would this connection be clear to someone without your explanation? If so, why? If not, how can you modify your topic sentence and/or thesis statement to make this connection more clear?

Explain the choice of reference material. How do the references support the topic sentence? Would this connection be clear to someone without your explanation? If so, why? If not, what information should you add to the paragraph to make this connection more clear?

Does the paragraph contain any unnecessary information? Does everything in it work to support the topic sentence? What information could be added or removed? In essence, you are being asked to evaluate the cohesion of your paragraph.

Note any other specific challenges faced or successes experienced when writing this paragraph or completing this discussion post.