WebQuest: Contemporary Poetry

Overview: In this WebQuest, you will explore contemporary poets who have been influenced by the Transcendentalists. The poems are clustered according to theme: some explore the role of the imagination, others focus on studies of nature, and still others look at issues of solitude or nonconformity. Choose one "cluster" to explore and write about. Bring your ideas to class.

Step 1: Read two "fish" poems.

Learn about the life and work of Elizabeth Bishop at Poets.Org. Then read her poem, "The Fish." (If you like, you can also read her correspondence with poet Marianne Moore about this poem.)

Learn about the life and work of Mary Oliver at Poets.Org. Read Mary Oliver’s "The Fish." (NOTE: You’ll need to scroll down until you get to "The Fish." Don’t be confused and stop at "Dogfish.")

If you choose to write an essay on these poems:

How do these poets approach the fish similarly? Differently? What does this image of nature represent to each of them? How is each Transcendentalist (or not)?

Step 2: Consider these reflections on "the idea."
Learn about the life and work of Wallace Stevens at Poets.Org. Then read (and listen to) his poem, "The Idea of Order at Key West."

Learn about the life and work of Mark Strand at Poets.Org. Read Mark Strand’s poem "The Idea."

If you choose to write an essay on these poems:

Read Mark Doty’s "At the Boatyard" and Elizabeth Bishop’s "At the Fishhouses." Watch a videoclip of Alexander Scherr reading "At the Fishhouses" as part of the Favorite Poem Project.

If you choose to write an essay on these poems: 

Consider the fact that both poems feature scenes of the water’s edge. What happens there? How are margins viewed by the two poets? Are the scenes similar or different? What relation does the speaker have with the natural world? How is Transcendentalism reflected (or not reflected) in these poems?

And for fun…

Take the Wallace Stevens Walking Tour.
Hear Elizabeth Bishop’s voice (reading "The Armadillo").
Hear Mark Strand’s voice (reading "From the Long Sad Party").

About Mark Doty (from Ploughshares)|

Mary Oliver
The Mary Oliver Home Page
Modern American Poetry page on Mary Oliver