The Powwow at the End of the World
Description
Read the poem by Sherman Alexie entitled, The Powwow at the End of the World (1996).
The Powwow at the End of the World
As you prepare the 1-2 page short essay remember to create a header, heading, title and to include a Works Cited page. Your essay must be properly formatted using American Standard English and correct MLA formatting rules.
Your essay should be written in paragraph format and answer all seven questions of the Dramatistic Mode of Analysis (see the document in the Modules link) Dramatistic Mode of Analysis. Additionally, you must answer the three questions that follow:
1. Who, in your opinion, is the “you” of the poem’s refrain?
2. What is it that the speaker is told he “must forgive”?
3. The tone of the poem is not overtly angry or bitter. Does that make its statement more effective or less so, in your judgement? Explain.
Do Not use any external sources for this assignment. I am interested in how well you are able to answer the questions organically (using the poem itself as your source for analysis). There are a total of 10 questions (the three above and the seven DMA questions to answer). You should be able to include proof/evidence for your responses with lines from the poem itself. That means you will be incorporating in-text and parenthetical documentation. Write in prose (paragraph) format. Answer all of the questions fully, but do not exceed 2 pages of text. You will include a third page as your Works Cited page only.
For each of the literary works you read in this class think bout these questions before you begin reading. As you read jot down notes so that record your thoughts as they come.
The Seven DMA Questions:
Who is speaking (this refers to the character or persona whose we see in the film this is not necessarily the actor or writer)?
What is the speaker speaking about (discern the subject or theme of the film you selected)?
When is the speaker speaking (this refers to time of day or night, tear, month, season, etc.)?
Where is the speaker speaking (determine a location, physical space, general and specific setting)?
How is the speaker speaking (note what kind of language is used, take note of other stylistic elements)?
Why is the speaker speaking (identify the purpose of the film’s creation)?
To whom is the speaker speaking (who is the intended listener, the audience, who was this written for, etc.)?
Also, after answering these questions initially, please determine if your position is:
Certain (you can prove your position with the information noted in the film)
Probable (there is an indirect reference made in the film)
Possible (there is information that might suggest that the information could be true found in the text)
or a
Distortion (there is no support in the film for your position what so ever and you are just making things up as you go along).
You should be able to support your positions with examples found in the content of the film itself. Provide in-text citations for your evidence. Do not use external sources for this project.
Yordon, Judy E. Roles in Interpretation. 5th Edition. McGraw Hill: Boston, 2002.
