Writing the Nation
Step 1: Read the about the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes, and Countee Cullen in the Writing the Nation: A Concise Introduction to American Literature, and select one of the following poems to analyze:
“Christ in Alabama”
“Negro Speaks of Rivers”
“Theme for English B”
“Heritage”
“Yet I do Marvel”
Step 2: Select one song that reflects one of more themes presented in the poem selected. The musical selection can be from any genre such as Classical, Jazz, Country, Hip Hop, Folk, etc.
Step 3: In paragraph one, evaluate the poem you selected. Consider these questions as you are developing your response: What is the poem about? What is the speaker’s message or argument? How does the speaker feel about the subject matter, and how do we know? (Diction creates tone.) What was it about this poem that originally appealed to you? How did your view of the poem change after this deeper analysis? In paragraph two, evaluate the song that you selected. In paragraph three, show the relationship between the literary work and the song selection. Include the MLA citation for the song on the Works Cited. Please note: each paragraph should be at least 100-words and remember to indent and edit your paragraphs before submission.
Step 4: Incorporate specific examples from the module’s readings. This reading reflection must include evidence from the course’s textbook (quotes, paraphrases, and summaries) to support the question.