The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth Century American Poetry, Rita Dove

Required source: The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth Century American Poetry, Rita Dove

Essay #3: Who Matters?
Background: In her introduction to The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth Century American Poetry, Rita Dove explains: “It doesn’t seem right to weigh poems like cabbage or fish, but that is precisely what the final grueling work on an anthology becomes” (li). Similarly, we as students and readers of poetry are tasked with the difficult decision to choose which poets to read, which artists to devote our attention to, and which pieces to consider and reflect upon in a very busy world. Following her observation, Dove poses the question: “Who matters?” (li)

Directions: Between now and the last day of classes (Friday, December 10), I would like you to read through this anthology at your leisure, deciding which poets and poems capture your attention. Perhaps you recognize a particular poet’s name from your earlier studies in high school or in popular culture. Perhaps you’ve never heard of a particular poet at all and yet the title of one of their poems piques your curiosity. Ultimately, after careful consideration, I would like you to settle on THREE poets for your final paper. The FIRST of these poets should be one you are already familiar with, either by name or from previous exposure. The SECOND of these poets should be you are not familiar with at all but would like to learn more about through more careful consideration. And the THIRD of these poets should be one whose work you are deeply interested in. After you have decided on these three poets, you will write an exploratory and reflective essay in which you share information about each poet’s background; analyze their poems featured in this anthology; and explain the purpose of their poems to answer the question of “Who matters?” and also “Why do their poems particularly matter now?”

Length: 4-6 pages, doubled space, following MLA formatting. At minimum, plan to devote one page to each poet and their corresponding poems, and then one page to devote to the intro at the beginning and the conclusion at the end. If you wish to devote more time and attention to one of these poets, you can then move to a fifth or a sixth page.

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