Introduction:

American literary history is comprised not only of great novels, plays and short stories, but also of a variety of famous poems.  Among the great American poets are included such authors as Emily Dickinson, T.S. Eliot, e.e. Cummings, Sylvia Plath and others.  Using various styles, forms and themes, each of these poets has created great works that have become significant landmarks in the world of American literature.
 

Information:

Many of the great American poets are listed on the American Poems.com website.  This site provides not only a detailed biography of each literary figure, but also includes a rather comprehensive list of each poet’s most famous works.  Because each poet does write using his or her own styles, forms and themes, it is important to read and to compare not only different poems from the same author, but also different poems from different authors

Activity:
 

Go to the American Poems.com website, and explore the various poets listed.  Choose two specific poets.  Read the biographies provided and at least two poems written by each of the poets you selected.  In your own words, write a brief description of each of your poets, along with a summary of the two poems you read for each.  In your summaries, state what you feel the poems are about.    

Do this work on a separate sheet of paper.  Write using complete sentences.  If you choose to incorporate lines from the poems you select, site the name of the poem and the line # in parenthesis.