In one of your required readings for this week, scholar Drea Brown uses close reading strategies to explore Phillis Whea
Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2022 7:16 am
In one of your required readings for this week, scholar DreaBrown uses close reading strategies to explore Phillis Wheatley'spoem, "On Being Brought from Africa toAmerica". In her essay (Links to anexternal site.), Brown unpacks the actions of "bringing"and "being brought" as they relate to the violence andtraumatic legacy of the American slave trade.
As an African American woman, Brown's response toWheatley's work is complex and poignant. After exploringWheatley's language within a larger historical context, Brownconcludes, "My relationship with Phillis is composed of a kind oflove and disaster that pushes me through and into gaps towardancestral and personal healing. It feels right to me, even the mostgnarled and tenuous spaces. Relationships are complicated."
In the spirit of close reading and using Brown's essay asan inspiration for your own work, compose a 250-300 word journal inwhich you reflect on a poem, song (focusing on lyrics), bookexcerpt, article, or other text which has stuck with you--forwhatever reason. The piece you choose may resonate with you, asWheatley's work does with Brown, in relationship to your identity.Alternatively, you may reflect on a text that "will not let you go"because it brings up a certain memory or idea. You have someflexibility in how you respond and the text that you choose doesnot necessarily need to be authored by a woman.
You'll want to make sure that you're using close reading skillsto unpack specific lines, words, or phrases inthe text that you choose (see Brown's discussion of"brought" and "bringing" (Links to an externalsite.) and June Jordan's interrogationof a "nice day" (Links to an externalsite.)).
Possible Points: This assignment is worth atotal of 35 pts.
Guidelines: Use MLAFormat (Links to an external site.) for citations.
Grading Criteria: You will be gradedaccording to the following rubric:
As an African American woman, Brown's response toWheatley's work is complex and poignant. After exploringWheatley's language within a larger historical context, Brownconcludes, "My relationship with Phillis is composed of a kind oflove and disaster that pushes me through and into gaps towardancestral and personal healing. It feels right to me, even the mostgnarled and tenuous spaces. Relationships are complicated."
In the spirit of close reading and using Brown's essay asan inspiration for your own work, compose a 250-300 word journal inwhich you reflect on a poem, song (focusing on lyrics), bookexcerpt, article, or other text which has stuck with you--forwhatever reason. The piece you choose may resonate with you, asWheatley's work does with Brown, in relationship to your identity.Alternatively, you may reflect on a text that "will not let you go"because it brings up a certain memory or idea. You have someflexibility in how you respond and the text that you choose doesnot necessarily need to be authored by a woman.
You'll want to make sure that you're using close reading skillsto unpack specific lines, words, or phrases inthe text that you choose (see Brown's discussion of"brought" and "bringing" (Links to an externalsite.) and June Jordan's interrogationof a "nice day" (Links to an externalsite.)).
Possible Points: This assignment is worth atotal of 35 pts.
Guidelines: Use MLAFormat (Links to an external site.) for citations.
Grading Criteria: You will be gradedaccording to the following rubric: