Personal Anthology Project

Step-by-step

1. Create an "Anthology" file in MS Word; add headings for the main sections of the anthology (see Format); save it on a floppy disk.

2. Begin to browse various Sources for poems you might include. You may choose to formulate your Principle of Coherence at the start, or wait until you have begun to collect poems and can see some of the commonalities developing.

3. Select an individual poem; type it into your anthology file; also gather the appropriate information on the source so you can complete an MLA format citation.

4. After you have gathered a few poems, tally the kinds of sources you have used. Now proceed to browse elsewhere as needed in order to have balanced sources.

5. Draft an introduction that articulates your project's coherence.

6. Reconsider all your selections. Then format the document (eg. all poem titles should be in the same font; layout should make pieces attractive and easy to read; common elements like author names should be treated consistently thoughout). Next edit carefully, print-out a copy, and proofread. (You should catch all spelling errors and other typographical slips.)

Assignment Overview:
An individual project, this will reflect your interest in gathering a small, coherent group of poems important to you as models or inspiration. Consider these the pieces you might use to wallpaper the walls of your writing studio. I want to see that you have begun to see what other modern and contemporary writers are doing. Most important is that your selection have a coherence: the pieces must have a common thread, explained in your introduction, one which your own writing of the semester reflects.

Anthology Format:
You should make two laser print copies of your final project; make sure each copy is numbered and fastened securely, with your name on the title page as editor. You should use a readable 12-16 point font, unless you achieve a very special effect.

Include the following five sections:

I. Title Page; II. Table of Contents; III. Introduction; IV. Poems; V. Bibliography.

The title should be original.
Table of contents should give page numbers for the main parts of the anthology, and it should list each poem (Title, Author, year born-died).
The prose introduction (1 1/2-2 pages; 300-500 words) frames the whole project; it will explain the principle of selection and the significance of the texts you have anthologized.
"Poems" should contain 10-14 poems by published authors. You should enter these into the computer rather than xeroxing or pasting. (Proofread!) The arrangement should be systematic.
The bibliography should begin with the following statement: This personal anthology has been compiled for non-profit, educational use only and produced in just two copies, as allowed by the fair use provisions of US copyright law. All rights rest with the work's copyright holders. Then list in alphabetical order the full publication information for each poem reprinted

MLA Format
Poem from an anthology AuthorLastName, Firstname. "Title of the Poem," FullBookTitle,
	EditorFirst Lastname, ed. CityofPublication: PublishingCompany, Date. 100-102*.
Poem from an Internet source AuthorLastName, Firstname. "Title of Poem." Website or Journal Name.
	Webmaster-name-or-Institutional-Affiliation. April 2001. http://www.abcd.edu 7 March 2002*.
Poem from a single-author book AuthorLastName, Firstname. "Title of Poem." Booktitle. CityofPublication:
	PublishingCompany, Date.
* page range needed, especially if from an anthology. date of copyright or last update of website * date you accessed this material

Principle of Coherence:
The pieces you choose ought to exude literary merit. But they must also have a commonality which you explain. Thus both the act of selecting and your explanation give it a coherence.

Restrictions:
Choose texts with care, keeping in mind the general description above and the following restrictions: choose between 10 and 12 poems; no two should be by the same writer; no more than three should be from the same source (i.e. minimum of 4 sources). One source includes a single anthology, book, journal volume, or website. You must also include at least a poem from both traditional and electronic media. At least two-thirds of your selections should represent writers who lived or published during the 20th century.

Sources:

Poems for the Millienium and other books or anthologies that you own or to which you have access.

Internet

Academy of American Poets http://www.poets.org/poets/
Electronic Poetry Center (Author List) http://epc.buffalo.edu/authors

Literary Anthologies and other physical sources in the UTPB library

*Sulfur (literary journal, 46 volumes, upstairs in the library stacks) PS501 .S84 -- 1 - 46

*Any single-author volume of poetry (use the UTPB library web page to search for a book by an author you know.)

Revolution of the Word PS615 .R67 1997
From the Other Side of the Century PS613 .F76 1994
American A Prophecy PS586 .Q37
Postmodern American Poetry. PS615 .P669 1994
American Poetry: The Twentieth Century PS613 .A4 2000 -- v.1
PS613 .A4 2000 -- v.2
The Voice that is Great Within Us PS613 .C3 1970
Twentieth Century Latin American Poetry (bilingual) PQ7087.E5 T94 1996

[*** Additional web sites may be added through the class web page; if you find a site like the or Academy, let me know and I will look to see if I approve of it. Sites must be high-quality and link texts by twentieth-century poets of high achievement. No ezines or self-published homepages etc.]

Courses | Sherwood |UTPB
Last Updated: 09 December, 2008