Accentual Poem Assignment

Pts. possible: 3

Write a poem in accentual meter, at least 40 lines long. You can choose any number of stresses-per-line as you like. Just develop a feel for the accentual form. Don't use end-rhyme or any other device; just practice beats.

Audience: anyone interested in poetry generally, in the various genres and modes of poetry, and in how English lends itself to heavily stressed lines in poetry.

Criteria: your poem should have near-perfect consistency in stress count per line, while at the same time sounding natural.

Very Good = A= 3 pts.. Meets all of the stated criteria and instructions exceptionally well. Excels in inventiveness, originality, and energy, relative to work produced generally in 226. Well-edited and proofed. Possibly publishable.

Good =B =2.5 pts. Meets all of the stated criteria and instructions, or meets several of them exceptionally well, despite a weak performance with others.. May be especially striking in spots, despite noticeable flaws. Very competent, but may lack originality or inventiveness, relative to work produced generally in 226. Good attention to style and mechanics. Clear attention to assignment.

Fair = C = 2 pts. Meets some of the stated criteria, or meets all of them only partially. Uninspired but minimally competent; or very inspired but lacking competence in key areas.. May show some inattention to, or misunderstanding of, instructions. Weak proofreading and editing.

Poor = D = 1.5 pts. Meets few of the criteria. May not not heed or understand instructions. May be sloppy, unproofed, unedited, and/or very perfunctory and uninspired.. An unsatisfying lyric, saved by at least minimal attention to at least one facet of the piece.

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