- First, read the following poems: “Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins (767), “This Be the Verse” by Phillip Larkin (849), “Ballad of the Landlord” by Langston Hughes (779), and “Daystar” by Rita Dove (796).
- Choose one of the poems and answer the following questions in your initial post:
- What is your initial reaction to the poem?
- How would you describe the tone of the poem, and how is the tone established for you – through word choices and structure (diction and syntax), rhythm or rhyme, the sounds of the words, figurative language or symbols? Give three specific details from the poem to demonstrate your point.
- What, ultimately, do you take away from the poem – either in terms of its content or in terms of how it achieves its content (that is, its artistry or craft)?
