Free Verse Prose

1. Free Verse Prose Lesson 3

2. Walt Whitman • His mother, Louisa Van Velsor, of Dutch descent and Quaker faith, whom he adored, was barely literate. She never read his poetry, but gave him unconditional love. • His father of English lineage, was a carpenter and builder of houses, and a stern disciplinarian. His main claim to fame was his friendship with Tom Paine, whose pamphlet Common Sense (1776), urging the colonists to throw off English domination was in his sparse library. It is doubtful that his father read any of his son's poetry, or would have understood it if he had. The senior Walt was too burdened with the struggle to support his ever-growing family of nine children, four of whom were handicapped. Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819, on the West Hills of Long Island, New York.

3. Walt Whitman • Young Walt, the second of nine, was withdrawn from public school at the age of eleven to help support the family. • At the age of twelve he started to learn the printer's trade, and fell in love with the written and printed word. He was mainly self-taught. He read voraciously, and became acquainted with Homer, Dante, Shakespeare and Scott early in life. He knew the Bible thoroughly.

4. Walt Whitman • Whitman is considered to be one of the United States' greatest poets. Born near Long Island, he lived in New York for a time, and many of his poems celebrate the city and its' inhabitants. • He worked as a writer, printer, editor, teacher, and even as a hospital aide during the Civil War. He was deeply interested in politics and examining democracy as a practice and an ideal. He traveled throughout the US and Canada. • Some of his best-known works are his book of poems, Leaves of Grass (1855) and such individual poems as "Oh Captain! My Captain!" and "Song of the Open Road." • Though dead before the start of the Spanish-American War, (he died in 1892) some of Whitman's writings reflect the national confidence and pride which led to enthusiasm for the war.

5. “Come Up from the Fields, Father” • The poem in this unit, “Come Up from the Fields, Father,” comes from actual experience. His poetry was rather unusual. • He did not use rhyme or regular line length. His most popular volume of poetry is called Leaves of Grass. • This is a narrative poem about the hardships caused by the Civil War.

6. “Come Up from the Fields, Father” As the narrative poem begins, the father, working in the field, is called to come up to the house because a letter has arrived from his son who is fighting in the Civil War.

7. Free Verse This is an example of free versewhich does not follow the usual poetic forms. Notice that the poem has lines of various lengths that do not rhyme.

8. Prose The question often arises as to what distinguishes free verse from prose which is regular sentence-paragraph writing. The only distinction is form.

9. Read carefully “Come Up from the Fields, Father” by Walt Whitman. Try to follow the story the poem tells by separating the narration or story from the description that the poet uses throughout the selection. After reading the selection, answer the questions that follow.

10. Come Up from the Fields, Father “Come Up from the Field, Father” By Walt Whitman(1819-1892) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzZQLxf5LYY

11. “Come Up from the Fields, Father” Come up from the fields father, here's a letter from our Pete, And come to the front door mother, here's a letter from thy dear son. Lo, 'tis autumn, Lo, where the trees, deeper green, yellower and redder, Cool and sweeten Ohio's villages with leaves fluttering in the moderate wind, Where apples ripe in the orchards hang and grapes on the trellis'd vines, (Smell you the smell of the grapes on the vines? Smell you the buckwheat where the bees were lately buzzing?) Above all, lo, the sky so calm, so transparent after the rain, and with wondrous clouds, Below too, all calm, all vital and beautiful, and the farm prospers well. Down in the fields all prospers well, But now from the fields come father, come at the daughter's call. And come to the entry mother, to the front door come right away. Fast as she can she hurries, something ominous, her steps trembling, She does not tarry to smooth her hair nor adjust her cap.

12. Open the envelope quickly, O this is not our son's writing, yet his name is sign'd, O a strange hand writes for our dear son, O stricken mother's soul! All swims before her eyes, flashes with black, she catches the main words only, Sentences broken, gunshot wound in the breast, cavalry skirmish, taken to hospital, At present low, but will soon be better. Ah now the single figure to me, Amid all teeming and wealthy Ohio with all its cities and farms, Sickly white in the face and dull in the head, very faint, By the jamb of a door leans. Grieve not so, dear mother, (the just-grown daughter speaks through her sobs, The little sisters huddle around speechless and dismay'd,) See, dearest mother, the letter says Pete will soon be better. Alas poor boy, he will never be better, (nor may-be needs to be better, that brave and simple soul,) While they stand at home at the door he is dead already, The only son is dead.

13. But the mother needs to be better, She with thin form presently drest in black, By day her meals untouch'd, then at night fitfully sleeping, often waking, In the midnight waking, weeping, longing with one deep longing, O that she might withdraw unnoticed, silent from life escape and withdraw, To follow, to seek, to be with her dear dead son.

14. 1) Who is Pete? The neighbor’s son the farmer’s son a friend of the speaker at the beginning of the poem a hired hand none of these

16. Correct!!

17. 2) The season of the year is winter spring autumn summer not indicated

19. Correct!!

20. 3) What seems to be happening on the farm? planting harvesting plowing canning all of these

22. Correct!!

23. 4) In lines 12 and 13 the speaker is now the farmer the same as at the opening a neighbor the author none of these

25. Correct!!

26. 5) The first sign that all is not right on the battle front is the letter is wrinkled the handwriting is not the farmer’s son’s the boy has not signed the letter the writing is not legible there is no postage Correct

28. Correct!!

29. 6) The mother reads only parts of the letter to get the main idea which is her son is badly wounded the wound occurred in a skirmish with cavalry the boy was shot in the chest he is recovering at present all of these

32. 7) At least how many children are in this farm family? one two three four five

35. 8) Though the letter says the boy is recovering, the situation really is he is AWOL he was honorably discharged he is dead he has caught pneumonia he is missing in action

37. Correct!!

38. 9) The mother at the end of the poem is not sleeping well is not eating is dressed in black is wishing she were dead all of these

40. Correct!!

41. 10) This poem does not rhyme or have regular line length. It is an example of __________ verse. FREEFREEFREEFREEFREEFREEFREE

42. Read through this writing assignment, and then reread the poem with the assignment in mind

43. Begin with this idea: • Everything does not have to be stated in so many words in poetry. • Show evidence throughout the poem where information is understood rather than given word for word. • Reveal how this adds suspense to the reading. • Give support by making direct references to the poem • Conclude by restating the opening idea. • .

44. The Steps for Writing an Expository Paragraph • 1. Select a topic • 2. Complete the prewriting (select information and details and arrange in order) • 3. Write the topic sentence • 4. Write the first draft • 5. Evaluate the first draft (see guidelines below) • 6. Revise the first draft (see guidelines below) • 7. Rewrite and proofread • 8. Submit the final draft

45. Evaluating the Expository Paragraph 1. Does the topic sentence identify the purpose of the paragraph? 2. Is the method of development suitable for the audience (readers) and purpose? 3. Are all sentences directly related to the topic? 4. Are the ideas arranged in the appropriate order? 5. Do the ideas flow smoothly? 6. Is the language appropriate for the audience (readers) and the purpose?

46. The revision techniques are as follows: • ADD: • Details and information are added to make the writing more clear. • REMOVE: • Details and information are taken out to eliminate repetition, etc. • MOVE: • Details and information are rearranged to provide variety, clarity, etc. • SUBSTITUTE: • Replace informal language, weak sentences, etc. with more effective language. Hint: To remember the techniques of revision, just remember the word ARMS.