Sehome River assignment

Sehome River Anthology – The Epitaph Poem 40 pts.

· First draft due beginning of the period Wednesday, Jan. 31 at the beginning of the period

· Final draft (neatly and artistically done) due Friday, Feb. 3^rd beginning of the period.

Assignment: Write a poem in free verse modeled after Master’s Spoon River Anthology poems.

Choose a person (fictional or real, living or dead) and write the poem as if it was after their death and they are speaking from the grave to the living, just as Masters does in his poems.

1. The title should be the name of the person (it should not be you, but it can be someone you know that is currently living—just set it in the future after they have passed on).

2. There should be a clear message to the living, either stated or implied.

3. The poem should be written in free verse (no set rhyming pattern or rhythmic meter).

4. There should be specific details about the speaker’s life included in the poem.

5. You should include an element in the poem that symbolizes the speaker’s life or philosophy (a metaphor of some kind).

The final product should be artistically done on paper no bigger than 8 ½” by 11”.