Week 56: College Reading and Writing: Katie Peterson
Week 56: College Reading and Writing: Katie Peterson
Katie Peterson: Annotating, Summarizing, Analyzing, Imitating
to annotate: to make notes on something
to help you understand it better
to summarize: to put something in your
own words
to analyze: to consider a question on the
text, providing supporting examples from the text
to imitate: to create an original piece
of writing based on something you have read
Exercise: Read and annotate
1. Read the poem out loud and underline
any words you need to look up
2. Write any questions you have in the
margins or in your notebook
3. Put tricky parts into your own words
in notes in the margins or in your notebook
Exercise: Questions for comprehension of the poem
1. What is the role of “he” and “she” in
this poem?
2. What is described and what is not?
3. Who is the speaker in this poem? Why
is it important?
Exercise: Summarize the poem
Write a paragraph summarizing the poem
with quotations, in-text citation, and a Work Cited Page.
Example too-short summary, incorporating quotation and in-text
citation:
Brenda Hillman’s poem “The Family Sells the
Family Gun” tells the story of siblings getting rid of their father’s gun after
“his ashes...were lying” (87). The speaker questions what it means to own and
get rid of a gun in America, saying, “[w]e couldn’t take it to the cops even in
my handbag” (Hillman 88).
Work Cited Page (for today’s
poem)
Peterson, Katie. “Sad Americans.” Poetry Northwest, Poetry Northwest
Journal, 2018,
Exercise: Write a Response
The title of the poem is “Sad Americans” what does it mean to be an
American in this poem? What is the “real” sad in this poem? Do you agree with Peterson? Why or why not? What
does this poem remind you of? Do you relate to this poem’s message? Why or why
not?
Exercise: Analysis
Question for analysis: This poem is about
personal experiences of isolation, material loss, and American capitalism. Closely examine the
poem, write an analysis where you explore the position of the speaker in
relation to isolation, material loss and American capitalism. Consider the
difference between what is lived and what is viewed.
Exercise: Imitation
Write an object poem. Is there one object
you wish you had or could use? Maybe you have a favorite hat, car, video game
controller. Maybe it’s your childhood house, maybe it’s a cell phone, maybe
it’s the feeling of owning and wearing your own clothes. You are the expert on
you. Use elements from Peterson’s poem that you admire to make your own poem
stronger.
Homework:
- Summary of Poem
- Write a Response
- Analysis of Poem
- Imitation of Poem
About this class:
Your notebooks belong to you; you can
write first drafts in them, and make notes for yourselves. To turn in homework, revise your work in a
blue book or sheets of paper you can get from your instructor. In this class,
you are welcome to submit homework for a grade. If it’s not strong enough to
earn an A, I’ll give you some comments to help you revise it, and let you do it
over again. You have as many chances as you want to complete and perfect the
work in this class, and you are welcome to do more than one week’s worksheet
for homework at a time; ask me for sheets you’ve missed. Students who complete
15 weeks of graded assignments and a longer paper can qualify for college
credit. When you get close to completing 15 weeks, I’ll help you get started on
your longer paper.
He lost his job. He didn’t
know what to say to his family
so he sat in the train
station all afternoon
and told each person
waiting a different story.
She made a quilt for her
baby. She had to sell it for money
and since it worked the
first time, she did it again.
Now she sells everything
she makes to other people.
He didn’t have enough to
bring his parents over
so they died in a place
where he could never visit them.
He had to marry her to keep
her here.
Rain, snow on the monument
to the boats that settled
the fishing town on the
Northern spit
in a state most of us will
never visit.
More snow on that pass
where the people died
and had to eat pine
branches, then each other,
enough wind to make the
government warn us.
She grew up on that land
but never owned it.
He owned it years ago but
lost it in a game.
She didn’t grow up here but
planted
poppies, wild iris, sun
cups, lupines, those native
plants you see, she planted
them all,
seeds she ordered from
another state,
she had an idea the soil
could be reminded,
not that the soil had ever
lived for pleasure,
she thought she could make
an agreement,
could marry the beautiful
to what nature could tolerate.
He couldn’t help his
children with their homework.
She never had children,
only ideas.
Together the two of them
built this house
and let it rot in rain and
weather.
Were they taking their
loneliness out on each other?
Did they simply not
understand abundance,
the way in which it asks
you to quit asking?
He loved his partner’s dogs
more than his partner
and they were very
beautiful, who could blame him,
a silver grey sheepdog and
a spotted heeler.
It made her so mad when he
went to that church,
she quit getting up in the
morning.
She decided the world
should just be night.
When they were in public,
he said, only speak English.
The boats they used to own
ended up firewood.
What beautiful fires our
houses made that winter.
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