American Literature: Romanticism Student Presentation Assignment Romanticism: My Reading

Student shares a text that connects meaningfully with our course's objectives, terms, styles, or readings.

Text may be any medium, genre, national tradition, or cultural level.

(Previous examples at bottom of page.)

Preparation:

Choose a text from your previous reading experience that may relate (or obviously relates) to Romanticism or American Romanticism.

Text may be from a previous course or from outside reading, academic or popular.

Make photocopies or prepare an e-text for sharing with class. Instructor may help with copies or web-posting.

Introduction:

Brief seminar on text selection and the background by which you became acquainted with it.

Preview the themes, terms, or objectives by which this text relates to Romanticism or American Romanticism.

Presentation:

Direct seminar to relevant passages from text, preview significance, and read selections aloud with observations and comments.

Invite questions or comments from seminar at any opportunity, especially when students indicate recognition of text or themes.

You may always resume presentation after discussion. 

Discussion:

Invite questions or comments during presentation, but also conclude by inviting comments or questions.

Ask one or more questions based on presentation. If students appear unfamiliar or at a loss, ask if they've shared similar reading experiences or what texts they might compare your presentation-text to.

Examples from 2015 & 2013 classes.

Roslynn Kelley (Chief Seattle's speech)

Carlos Zelaya ("Wild Nights")