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- Select 1 poem. Identify the most important word in the poem, and consider its resonance throughout the poem. Look it up in the Oxford English Dictionary, and research its ETYMOLOGY (the roots of the word in Latin, Greek, or Germanic languages), tracing its evolution over time. List all possible angles and meanings of this word. Consider how the storyline of the word opens your reading of the poem. Write a well-focused paragraph of 250 words or so in which you justify the word’s centrality and relevance, referring specifically to your gathered research. Consider how the word would figure prominently in a close analysis of the poem: how would it be useful as evidence for an effective argument; how does the author’s usage of the word enhances your understanding of the poem as a whole? (Remember: there may be chronological limits if a definition post-dates the poem, and you can consider the word within its context of other words in the poem.) [Begin this exercise as a brainstorming session to strategize which word might be central to an essay revealing something about the poem not immediately obvious to a reader. To accomplish this task, please do the following: Read the poem carefully several times. If you have a quick memory, commit it to memory; or at least write it out a few times, so that you are familiar with every line. Underline at least 5 words as candidates for your choice—those that seem most crucial to the poem as a whole, to how it works, in all of its complexity. Then select your 1 word.] Post on blog. Due Thursday, Feb 14 by Noon.