Year 1: those that hung around for the last half hour of the lecture (ho-hum!): try finishing the poem you started inspired by William Carlos Williams poem about the number 5. For others... and for all... in the light of what we have learnt today about imagism and about the critical importance of the form or shape of poetry, either take one of YOUR poems and remodel it in the light of what you have learnt (that is prune it back to its essential, change words and line lengths to make it SING more... etc)... Or find a subject around you right now- wherever you are sitting- and compose a concise, tight poem using images and line-length variation to bring the experience/ object/ mood/ event into a sharp focus.... how does that sound????? give it a try....
MG
Year 2: we are deep into Tolstoy. You could write a short piece on your appreciation for what Tolstoy is trying to do in his writing. You could visit one of many first years who are in the thick of learning how to understand and write poetry - just where you were EXACTLY one year ago- visit them and lend them a hand... by way of positive suggestions and critical insights.....
MG
Year 3: and we are in the thick of Folly.... it is coming out of our eyes, ears and whiskers.... pretend YOU are FOLLY giving a lecture to assembled statesmen... tell the Australian Government how extraordinarily clever they in dealing with environmental issues with such intelligence and insight!!! Or write a poem about some aspect of environmental degredation that has caught your interest.
MG
