In this activity you will begin by learning more about two poets and reviewing components of a comparison and contrast essay. You will then have the opportunity to construct a comparison and contrast essay on two selected poems.  Background Information on the poets you will be writing about: •Listen to the talk: “The Danger of a single story” [Video File] [18 min 46 sec] by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie.. 

For some information on the two poets you will be writing about watch the following two video clips: ◦“A day with Wole Soyinka” [Video File] [08 min 02 sec]. ◦“Sharon Olds Speaks at the 2008 Poets Forum” [Video File] [03 min 13 sec].

Read the poems “Telephone Conversation” by Wole Soyinka and “On the Subway” by Sharon Olds.  Write a 500 to 750 word essay comparing and contrasting the themes of these two poems. Remember that you should gather evidence and quotes from the poems to support your thesis.

Also, 

Begin by completing the following:  Closely read Elizabeth Bishop’s poem “The Fish”  Review A Poet's Inner Eye.    

Read three (3) of the literary elements on the Shmoop site, as applied to the poem (http://www.shmoop.com/fish-bishop/analysis.html). 

Read the literary analyses of the poem (http://www.shmoop.com/fish-bishop/lines-1-6-summary.html). 

Review an in-depth analysis of the poem at the How Poems Work site (http://www.howpoemswork.com/2012/06/elizabeth-bishop-fish.html)   

 When you are ready, post your reaction to the poem by identifying the literary elements and critical approaches you read and explain how this information either supported or challenged your personal close reading of the poem. Your post should be at least 250 words.