As I looked through the different DH assignments, I was searching for something that might be applicable in my pedagogical conversations about poetry. And, I found an interesting list, related to our article on Interface, which I could see having potential relevance in my classroom:
https://github.com/curateteaching/digitalpedagogy/blob/master/keywords/poetry.md
One resource which struck my eye was the “for better or for verse” tool:
http://prosody.lib.virginia.edu/instructions/
I taught a Shakespeare class last semester, and I know right now, other TAs are working with Chris Barrett in her class Top 40 Shakespeare, which explicitly focuses on the sonic, metrical qualities of the Shakespearean text. And, since I work in different sonic poetics, to me, the rhythm and movement of a poem is incredibly important to its overall composition. But, it’s hard to spend an entire lesson focusing on meter, or rhythm, in a focused manner, or in a way which engages students while still focusing on the text at hand. I know Chris Barrett deals with this by using pop songs to analyze their different metrical qualities. “For Better or For Verse”, I perceive, could be another helpful tool, to get students thinking about meter outside the classroom and make them feel like they are engaged with the material.
In terms of our reading, I appreciated the specificity of this resource, and how I could see myself implementing it in a succinct, straightforward manner. This tool hinges on the practicality of these ideas, instead of broader concepts that might be unapproachable, especially in the undergraduate classroom. For example, I could see myself giving a homework assignment somewhere on the lines: “For tonight, pick such and such poem, listen to the recording and go through to implement your suspected meter. Check your work, and be prepared to be write out the meter for such and such text for a quiz in class tomorrow.” And then, to get them to think critically about these ideas, a potential in class writing assignment: “Write about your experience using the tool, and how you see the different ways we use sound, or speak a poem, as important to its overall workings. Why is the sound important? Why does it matter, and how do you see the meter as a part of that?” To me, “For Better or For Verse” is a potential study tool, giving students skills to replicate as well as better understand these formal poetic elements.
There are also many other resources linked through this article that could be potentially useful, such as the e-poetry site, and “Prism”, the image tracker. I look forward to exploring more in my future pedagogical practice.
