Remembering The Old Poets

1. Hold a conversation or write a letter to an old poet who is no longer living or imagine his life in the present time (do all at once!). The conversation will probably only be one-sided but you could incorporate both your voice and the poet's answer to you.

2. Address some aspect of the poet's lived life (presumably not part of his literary life). Note: it may be useful to make some reference to the poet's actual written words.

3. Perhaps you just want to invoke the name and spectre of the poet. Perhaps you might want to include him/her in your narrative or your meditation.

4. Compare your life to his/hers (try comparing details, not the broad shape of the poet's life) and try to comment on (the folly?) (the spectacle?) of both your lives being so similar/different.

This assignment is worth 1 point.

Examples:

1. A Supermarket in California—Allen Ginsberg

2. Hysteria—Dionisio D. Martinez

3. Ray—Hayden Carruth

4. Tia Olivia Serves Wallace Stevens a Cuban Egg—Richard Blanco

5. Reading" Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" on a Sunday Morning—Howard Nelson

Crossing Brooklyn Ferry by Walt Whitman