Part A:
Poem- PERSONAL HELICON For Michael Longley by Seamus Heaney
Reporter's Questions
Who (voice and characters)?
Who is the speaker in the poem? Is there a listener or a particular type of audience implied by the poem? Are there other characters?
Who is the author and what can you find out about his beliefs, values, and life story? (some research, even though not required, may prove very helpful in answering this question and helping you explain the literature effectively).
What?
What happens in the poem? What is the poem's basic story? What is the trouble or conflict in this poem?
Why?
What is the motivation for the speaker or other characters in the poem? What is the intent or purpose of the speaker or author? Work your way towards a confident answer and remember that you can't read the author's mind, so you are better off focusing on what the poem specifically says (the evidence on the page).
When?
During what time period was the poem written? When do the events in the poem take place? Is there anything about this context that is useful in explaining the poem? (some research, even though not required, may prove very helpful in answering this question and helping you explain the literature effectively).
Where?
Where is the poem set? Where was it written? What does this setting say about the poem overall? (some research, even though not required, may prove very helpful in answering this question and helping you explain the literature effectively).
How?
• Do you respond to the poem (don't include this response directly in your paper- rather, use your reaction to the poem to help you relate to its message. A strong emotional or personal reaction to the poem can inform you about the poem's message and help you purposefully explain its meaning. Don't unexpectedly switch from the objective, third-person point-of-view to the intimate first person point-of-view. Keep the writing in your essay in third person, but when prewriting and drafting your explanation of the poem, thinking and writing about your personal response can be very helpful).
• Does the poet's word choice contribute to the poem (vocabulary)?
Part B-
Write a paper on When They Know, You Feel It.