Directions You will be preparing a short presentation that analyzes one of the Humanist poems below. Read the instructions carefully and be sure to follow each step of the process that is detailed below.

Select one of the following poems:
"The Passionate Shepherd to His Love"
"The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd”
“To the Virgins, to make much of Time”
“To His Coy Mistress”
"Holy Sonnet 14"
Write an introduction (about 250-300 words) to the poem that includes:
the poet who wrote it;
the poem’s form, meter, and rhyme scheme;
the key literary elements of the poem;
the school of poetry to which it belongs; and
one aspect of the poem that continuously fascinates you after multiple readings.
Memorize the poem you selected. You will recite the poem to your class (before reciting the poem, read your introduction aloud), or, with your teacher's approval, record your recitation in an audio-visual format. (Take this step into careful consideration when choosing which poem to write about. Don't choose a poem just because it is short—if you can relate to a poem, memorizing it will be easier, even if it is a little longer!)

Write your own original poem in either a pastoral, metaphysical conceit, or paradoxical style and include an image that best exemplifies your original poem.

Share your original poem and image with your class in an audio-visual format.

Respond to your classmates’ questions about your original poem, and comment on your classmate's poems, focusing on the dynamics and literary techniques of their original poems.
Click here to review the rubric for this project.