Compact Literature

Question 1

Find a poet who appeals to you from a culture other than your own in our text Compact Literature. Why does his or her work appeal to you? Explain your ideas and feelings so that your colleagues can understand why you have chosen this particular author.

*Note that the poet that you choose to discuss in this posting should come from a culture that is different from your own. You need to explain those differences and how they are reflected in the poet’s work. You will have to do a little research for this particular discussion posting, but you can also use your textbook to help you. Make sure to include a specific poem from this poet and explain why you like it.

Question 2

Once you have examined the cultural elements of the chosen poem, ask yourself: how does the culture in Achebe’s novel impact my understanding of the story? Does your chosen poet bring new meaning to his/her culture? …to your culture?

The opening paragraph should present the two writers you have chosen, explain why you are choosing these two writers, and posit a position as to why these two writers are representative “faces” of African-American literature. For instance, do both writers have a particular focus that you want to explore more? How do their writings help the contemporary reader to understand the intersection between historical events and their literature? Construct a thesis that identifies the chosen writers, outlines the argument, and presents the supporting points.The proposal also can contain some areas you still need to explore with respect to the writers. In no more than two paragraphs, posit a few questions that you will be exploring. For example, is one of the writers involved in political events? Or does one writer play off of the other writer? Your own interests in the writers will determine this portion of the proposal.In one paragraph, present an overview of the project’s upcoming research plan, i.e., what the next steps are in completing in the project,